Real ’54s
Authentic 50's Strat® Tone
$99 – $297
Achieve era-authentic ’50s tone with our Real ’54s. This pickup’s output and magnet structure is the same magnet material Fender™ used in their ‘54 Stratocasters! If you’re looking for a glassy, articulate tone, our Real ’54s will certainly provide that for you. Our Real 54’s are brighter and snappier than our Vintage Hot pickups. If you are looking for the most authentic vintage Strat tone you can get, look no further.
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Capture the sound of the '50s.
Want to learn more about our Real '54s? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features:
Real ’54s are accurate to the original 50’s specifications of Fender Stratocaster pickups. If you’re looking for an authentic ’54 Strat sound, these pickups are for you. Real ’54s are likeVintage Hots in the way we wind them, but we use AlNiCo III magnets instead of AlNiCo V’s. This gives Real ’54s a brighter, more delicate tone. Also, players can get the pickup close to the strings without the pickup pulling strings out of tune. Furthermore, if you have a dark-sounding guitar, these pickups will provide a nice balance and bring your guitar out of the darkness, instantly.
- Vintage 50’s Fender specifications
- Clean, clear, bright, and glassy, with dynamic mids
- Compensated Bridge output for even volume across all pickups
- USA-made Alnico 3 Magnets for optimal tonal balance and output
- RW/RP Middle Pickup for Hum-Cancelling in positions 2 & 4
- Two magnet staggers available for different fingerboard radiuses
- Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
- Hand-built fiberboard Bobbins for unrivaled quality control
- Backed by our 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects
- 6K Neck and Middle, 6.6K Bridge
Sound
Do you have a dark-sounding guitar, or are you a purist seeking the most authentic ’50s Strat sound on the market? Either way, we have your answer right here. Our Real ’54s feature a glassy top-end clarity reminiscent of the original Fender Strat Pickups. Producing a lot of top-end sparkle, Real ’54s have a lot of clarity, whether you’re playing single notes or chords. From clean to high-gain, you can expect your tone to cut through. This set is also great for you if you use many effects pedals, as the pickup also cuts through.
These pickups offer a transparent tone and won’t color the sound of your guitar too much. We recommend adding a Baseplate to the bridge position for added thickness. Finally, these Vintage Strat Pickups are for you if you’re happy with the tone from your stock pickups. If you’re seeking a sweeter-sounding, less-aggressive, and more dynamic tone than what you already have, check out our Real ’54s – you’ll be happy you did.
Are you looking for a Hum Cancelling Strat pickup that actually sounds like a Strat? Check out the Vintage Output of our Split Blade Strat Pickups
It all starts with the love and care we put into our pickups. Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control.
Our Real ’54s consist of local fiberboard and USA-Made Alnico 3 Magnets. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time. We wind each pickup using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. Winding the pickups this way gives each pickup a sweet, clear tone. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup to prevent microphonics and preserve the pickup for years to come.
Sound Samples for Real ’54s:
About this Sound Clip:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Our Real ’54s are loaded in an alder-bodied Strat with a rosewood fingerboard. Sound clips are played by Phil Heesen III.
Tonal Graph For Real ’54s:
The tonal graph below for our Real ’54s features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Bright & Sharp
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Real '54s.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 6K 1 |
| Middle Ohm Reading: | 6K 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 6.6K 1 |
| Neck & Bridge Polarity: | Clockwise Coil Direction, South To Strings |
| Reverse Middle Polarity: | Counter Clockwise Coil Direction, North To Strings |
| Recommended Pot Value: | 250K |
| Magnet: | USA-Made Alnico 3, Hand-Beveled |
| Recommended Cap Value: | 0.02mfd 2 |
More Information:
1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.
2 We recommend a 0.02mfd Cap Value on most guitar and bass pickups. The exception is a Magic Cap, which Lindy prefers on the Bridge Pickup of Fender® guitars only. Learn More about Caps Here.
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
Note: All of our coil directions are depicted from Ground (Black Wire, or Start Wire) to Hot (White Wire, or Finish Wire).
Real ’54s Dimensions:
Real ’54s FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Real ’54s have?
Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.
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Will this pickup fit my instrument?
Check our "Sizing" tab for the size of the pickup. No Sizing tab? Check under the product image gallery for dimensions.
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Is your Lead Time of 2-3 Weeks accurate?
It really depends on the shop capacity at the moment, and the size of your order. Feel free to give us a call for an accurate lead time. We always try to underpromise and overdeliver.
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What pickup height do you recommend setting your Real ’54ss to?
Our recommended Pickup Height is 1/8" (3.175mm) on the Bass Side and 1/16"( 1.5875mm) on the Treble Side. Measure by holding the corresponding side down at its highest fret and measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.
Get It Prewired
Get our Real ’54s prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
46 Genuine Reviews for Real ’54s
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I used the Real ’54 along with two vintage Fender pickups on a strat. The output and clarity of the Fralin is much better than the Fender PUs. I think I need the whole set of Fralins to max the performance.
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Just what I expected!
I knew I would love these pickups, as I purchased a fair number of Fralin Pickups in my 26 years doing guitar repair for Music Villa, in Bozeman, Montana. I put these in a re-issue 57 Mary Kay stratocaster that I have been playing for about 15 years, even though our band is not playing public shows at this time I wanted to get the reverse wound, reverse polarity on the middle pickup on this guitar as it is my main strat and the original pickups did not have that. My 1958 strat is a RW/RP middle from the factory. There is an improvement in the whole guitar with this set! Thank You Lindy! -
I put these pickups in one of my stratocasters and they are hands down the best pickups I have ever had in any of my guitars. They definitely exceeded my expectations by a mile!
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Customer added no additional comments
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Real 54’s for recording
I went with the real 54 in the neck for recording. Of all the listening tests I did, I thought the transient of the 54 wasn’t quite as hard or sharp or something like that. I think it sounds great. I don’t have a vintage hot neck to a/b against in my room but I feel the vintage hot might be better in a live situation. Just theories, no data. Lindy was quick to get them to me and I couldn’t be happier
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Customer added no additional comments
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Was after a different bridge pup for my performer Strat and bought the Real 54 bridge with baseplate. I was impressed with how clean and balanced it sounded however I had a new problem it was a different phase than my stocks so pos.2 sounded odd.(BTW, all Fralin pickups are in phase with each other something I didn’t know but the staff told me) So I went and bought the middle and neck Real 54 and am so glad I did. I’m still a beginner so I don’t have lots of strat hearing experience but for me these Real 54’s made my Strat sound like what I’ve always imagined and wanted my Strat to sound like. Beautiful sound.
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Having owned and played a vintage ‘56 for years, I can say that these ‘54s embody everything you could want in a ‘true vintage’ set of pickups. Clear, clean with tremendous harmonic overtones, rich low end on the neck and treble that is never too sharp or brittle. All five positions just sound very authentic and true to a great set of ‘50s Strat pickups (and they weren’t all great by any means…)
David Wilson
The ToneQuest Report
ToneQuest.com -
Customer added no additional comments
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Real 54s – Real Good-Sounding
These sound like what I think of when I think “Strat.” On point. Worth the money. -
Real 54’s in a prewired pickguard with baseplate and treble bleed. Very glassy, quacky !!! Awesome work !! I build custom guitars and will be using more of these, Thanks !!
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I think these pickups are fantastic. They have that glassy high end, tight bass of a true strat with all the quack. These are quality made, pro pickups. Well worth the money.
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Excellent pickups 54’s
Gave new life to my ol’ strat! Love em’! -
Great pickups. But – QC needs addressing
Great pickups – the A3 magnets have a lovely clarity & dynamic that my old A5 ’54-style pickups didn’t. However, the bridge pickup arrived with the output wires installed backwards – I had to bodge an extension to the black wire so that it’d reach the switch & wire the ‘hot’ white wire to earth. After troubleshooting with Jon & establishing that it was indeed a manufacturing error, my email voicing frustrations of paying for premium pickups that were manufactured wrong & how that would negatively impact resale value should I ever want to sell them was ignored. 5/5 for pickup sound, less/5 for customer service.-
Thanks for this review, Joe. Since this issue, We have created a quality control process that catches these simple problems before they reach the shipping room. Our products are now inspected for quality 3 times before they leave the shop. We apologize for the headache this caused you. If you would like a replacement, please contact me directly and I will replace them free of charge.
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Killer classic. This pickup provides the beautiful, open tone of the classic single coil. It mixes well with other pickups for exceptional in-between sounds, which is critical when you need a versatile palette.
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Had a strat for a couple days with em…badass! (Didnt like v neck at the time…2012 mij reissue)
Im about to put a middle pick up on my tele (has a unbucker in neck and standard tele in bridge BUT bridgr has alnico 3…so that is why im goin with real 54 in middle!)
My warwick has Jazz basd pickups to made by yall…makes my warwick more vintage sounding
Great work yall!
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Lindy’s pickups give me a real lift. Just the way I always wanted—- pro strat sound. The feeling and tone inspire, and you’ll wonder why you suffered with less than these. Done, dotted, end of the search. Truly happy sound. Keep up the goodwork.
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Sounds great!
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Best decision in a long time – best pickups I’ve ever heard from a Strat ( I have never been a strat fan). These are pricey and I was a little nervous pulling the trigger on these but they are so worth it. I could have spent 10X 20X 50X more chasing tones with pedals and other assorted gear- but these pups through a nice open uncompressed amp is pure sonic bliss. I couldn’t be more pleased.
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I have a set of Real 54’s in one of my custom built Strats. It’s been tested against many other Strats and everytime the people hearing the comparison want Lindy Fralin Real 54’s before the shootout is over. I also have a solid brass tone block in the vibrato, but the pickups are the persauders. I bought my Fralins at Blues Angel Music in Pensacola, FL. I also got a set of Fralin Hum Cancelling P-90’s. Once that guitar is complete, I’ll post a review.
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