Steel Pole 42 Strat
Balanced P90 and Strat® Tone
$110 – $330
Enter the world of the almighty P90 pickup, and discover what you’ve been missing with our Steel Pole 42’s. Featuring the perfect balance of a traditional Strat pickup and the P90 tone, we’ve achieved hybrid tonal bliss! Expertly crafted by hand, we guarantee this tone will inspire you for years to come.
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P90 + Strat = Bliss.
Want to learn more about our Steel Pole 42 Strat? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features:
If you’re seeking the perfect blend of a P90 and Strat Pickup, look no further than our Steel Pole 42s. Featuring a thicker and warmer tone than our Vintage Hot, you’ll be impressed by the unique pick attack and versatile nature of this set. Hand-built with Steel Pole Pieces and Ceramic Magnets, Steel Pole 42s feature a stiffer top-end and midrange snarl. If you play with distortion, you can expect a faster break up and a “chainsaw” grind.
Perfectly fusing the clarity and dynamics of a Strat pickup and the midrange aggression and bark of a P90, we’re sure that this is one of the most versatile and unique-sounding pickups on the market today.
Features:
- Original Fender Size, Lindy Fralin Design
- Strong and bold – lots of midrange and snarl
- USA-made Ceramic Magnets for aggressive tone and output
- Compensated Bridge for even volume across all pickups
- RW/RP Middle pickup for hum-canceling on positions 2 & 4
- Adjustable Steel Pole pieces for fine-tuning string balance
- Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
- Hand-built for unrivaled quality control
- Backed by our 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects
- 6K Neck and Middle, 6.8K Bridge
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Steel Pole Pickups consist of a precision injection mold and USA-Made Steel Screws. We use aggressive USA-Made magnets to make this model scream. Each bobbin is carefully inspected and cleaned before winding.
We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time, using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. Winding pickups this way gives each pickup a sweet, clear tone. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup to preserve the pickup and prevent microphonics.
Sound
Steel Pole 42’s sound larger and richer than traditional Strat pickups. You’ll notice more midrange, especially in the lows and highs when played clean. The midrange is prominent on this pickup, and it sounds great on 250K pots. These pickups are not as dark as a P90, but have a beautiful openness and clarity. Steel Pole 42’s sound thicker in the midrange with more of a “chainsaw” grind. For musicians looking for more of a traditional P90 sound, we recommend our Steel Pole 43 Pickups.
Finally, Steel Pole 42 Pickups are for those who need more output from their stock pickups. If you’re looking for something different, these may be right for you. Also, if your current pickups are too bright or thin, you will love these. These tend to be warmer-sounding, and a bit aggressive.
Sound Samples for Steel Pole 42 Strat:
About this Sound Clip:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Steel Pole 42 Strat:
The tonal graph below for our Steel Pole 42 Strat features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Stiff & Percussive
Videos for Steel Pole 42 Strat:
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Steel Pole 42 Strat.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 6.1K 1 |
| Middle Ohm Reading: | 6.1K 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 6.7K 1 |
| Neck & Bridge Polarity: | Clockwise Coil Direction, South To Strings |
| Reverse Middle Polarity: | Counter-Clockwise Coil Direction, North To Strings |
| Magnet: | Ceramic |
| Wire: | USA-Made 42-Gauge Single Poly Nylon |
| Recommended Pot Value: | 250K |
| Bobbin Material: | USA-Made Precision Injection Mold |
| 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).
Steel Pole 42 Strat Dimensions:
Steel Pole 42 Strat FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Steel Pole 42 Strat 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 Steel Pole 42 Strats 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.
Product FAQ's
These are frequently asked questions about our Steel Pole 42 Strat. If you have a question that you don't see listed here, click "Ask A Question" in the Quick Links section above.
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What tonal difference does the Steel Pole Pieces make?
It gives this pickup a stiffer treble. It doesn’t have the Fender “Sparkle” like traditional Fender Pickups and is close to a P90.
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Are the pole pieces adjustable?
Yes – the pole pieces are designed to fine-tune your string balance.
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What's the difference between the Steel Pole 42 and the Steel Pole 43?
This pickup sounds closer to a traditional Fender pickup and sounds best on 250K pots. The Steel Pole 43 sounds much closer to a P90 and requires 500K pots.
Pickup Pairing
Our Steel Pole 42 Strat pairs well with the following models:
Steel Pole 42 Tele - Set
Starting At: $ 115
Combine our Reverse Middle with a Steel Pole 42 set for clean, P90 tone in a Nashville Telecaster
View ProductGet It Prewired
Get our Steel Pole 42 Strat prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Customer Reviews
28 Genuine Reviews for Steel Pole 42 Strat
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I never liked the bridge pickups of Strats or understood why they didn’t have a tone control. They were always too thin and or bright for me. I switched to a master tone pot which made the bridge pickup more usable and installed a blender pot to mix the neck pickup with the bridge pickup. This was a big improvement but felt a bit more output was what was needed. After a nice conversation with Lindy, I felt that the Steel 42 wold move me toward my goal. The pickup works well with the other pickups and gives my guitar just what it needed. I had originally considered a humbucker but now I have exactly what I was hoping for, namely a much more usable bridge pickup that has clarity, warmth, fullness and gives my amps the extra push I was looking for. I couldn’t be more pleased!
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New inspiring tone. I use it only in the neck position.
And very good Customer Support!
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I wanted to get a fuller bridge pickup tone and this pickup was exactly what I was looking for! It still has the Strat sound, but is beefier and has less of the strident high end that many Strat bridges produce, but still has the ‘quack’ in position 2. It’s another winner from Lindy!
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I wanted something different so I put a neck and bridge SteelPole42 in a Jaguar with a rhythm circuit and I haven’t looked back since! All the clarity of a strat tone with the warmth of a p90. Unbelievably great tone and the Jaguar just has endless possibilities from clear to warm without the brittleness/bite or the mud that a pure strat or p90 can also bring.
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Exceeds expectations
I installed a sp42 in the bridge position of a Strat. Wow, just the ticket for a meaty tone that still works with the other two pickups. Fantastic product.
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These are dope! I bought a pair of these for the neck and middle pickups, and paired them with the Split Steel Pole Bridge. It’s a great combination. I can’t speak on the bridge pickup version of these as I don’t have it, but in the neck and middle positions, these things are a treasure. They have way more lows and low mids for a much meatier, thicker tone. But they do still have some stratty sound to them, they haven’t completely lost the sparkle. It might be a bit of a shock at first when you compare them to a “normal” Strat pickup as they aren’t full-on “ice pick” in the top end, but I’ve found that I’m not missing that too much anyway. Having slightly darker, thicker pickups has made the “in-between” sounds (positions 4 + 2) much more usable than they usually were for me (they never were loud enough to cut through).
I’m already finding myself using this guitar much more than I otherwise would. Rhythm has become really fun on this beast, it was essentially just a lead guitar for me prior to this. And if you use pedals and play a bright amp (I Play an AC30) you really won’t miss any top end, it can be made up with amps and effects. But you can’t make a regular strat with stock pickups, or vintage-voiced pickups, sound this thick! These made me fall in love with my 1986 American Standard Stratocaster all over again. Highly recommended if you’re willing to take a chance on something different.
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Just what my Strat needed. Lindy’s pickups are all the best. Lindy will also take the time to help you find the sound you want. What a gentleman. He deserves your business. Give him a shot.
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Fantastic neck pickup! My preferred choice for a Strat’s neck position! Great Jimi sounds!
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World Class!
Can’t say enough good things about this experience! The pickup itself is fantastic and just oozes tone and the personal attention from Lindy was stunning! I couldn’t be more satisfied! -
Flawless and balanced
I did a strat pickup in the middle for a Nashville telecaster. One of my favorite positions for rhythm playing. It has an even mid range tone but still sounds like a single coil without being overly bright. Very happy with it.
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I put a full set of these pick ups into a Jerry Garcia style custom built guitar. They definitely have a strat sound, but bigger and fuller. They still produce some of the classic “quack”, especially when using the bridge and middle pick ups. The out put is strong enough to drive an envelope filter to get as close as you can to Garcia’s infamous “shakedown Street” sound. I love these pick ups and highly recommend them to anyone who wants a beefy strat tone.
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Flawless and balanced
I did a strat pickup in the middle for a Nashville telecaster. One of my favorite positions for rhythm playing. It has an even mid-range tone but still sounds like a single-coil without being overly bright. Very happy with it.
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I love them. Open, punchy but still sounds like a Strat. Not thin and strident. keep up the good work Lindy.
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Steel Pole 42 for the bridge of 2018 Am. Pro Strat
Great pickup with more midrange and overall output. Sounds better for cutting through in a band than my stock V-mod that was in the bridge before. Lindy was extremely helpful in ensuring proper polarity and magnet orientation since I was only replacing the one pickup in a set. I have not needed to adjust the stock stagger at all… very well balanced as is. Has a great sound at a variety of heights but I prefer it close to the strings and this pickup is very forgiving regarding “stratitis”. Thanks for the excellent customer service and fast shipping/delivery times… even into Canada where border customs can sometimes cause delays! -
Perfect cross between a Strat pup and a P90
This pickup (I ordered a neck one for the bridge position) gives me all the clarity and articulation of a Strat pup and the deepness and expression of a P90. I’ve never been happier with a pickup. -
HOT DAAAAAMN!
These pickups are excellent! Totally worth it. I think the description is really close to what I can hear through my amp…a dark tone with lots of output. It has that P90 sharp midrange but also the roundness of a strat sounding pickup…kinda difficult to explain. All five positions have a personality on their own. I’m in love with them. Versatile, loud and well-defined tone! -
Butter. Seriously unlike any pickups I’ve ever played.
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Steel Pole 42 Delivers! One of my Strats was in need of a fatter sounding bridge pickup. Since I’ve never tried a Steel Pole 42, I was not sure what to expect, but Fralin pickups always sound good, (have a few different sets) so I was not concerned about if I would like it – I was sure that I would. Tone is great. Customer service is super!
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Lindy wound a set of these for me in 2003, and they’ve served me well ever since. The Strat I put them into had always played like a dream, and sounded rich and full acoustically, but I’d never found a pickup set that seemed to reflect that, and while on tour, it was giving me issues as the output from what was in there was so anemic compared to my other stage axes. I met with the guys, Lindy was incredibly gracious and smart, and we tried out a bunch of guitars. The sunburst Rodriguez guitar with the 42s was blowing my guitar out of the water in his testing room, so that’s what decided it for me.
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These pickups rock! They add beef to cut through the mix and handle pedals really well. Also, they are clean, articulate, and dripping with tone.
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