Vintage Hot Strat
Make your Stratocaster sound like a Strat should with Lindy Fralin’s Vintage Hots. As our best-selling Stratocaster set, Vintage Hots offer the purest vintage Strat tone. Vintage Hots have a warm, balanced midrange with lots of sparkle and clarity on the top, guaranteeing you’ll stand out in the mix. If you’re looking for the purest Stratocaster tone, look no further than these pickups right here!
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Fralin Vintage Hots: Real Vintage Strat Tone.
Want to learn more about our Vintage Hot Strat? Here's all the information you'll need:
Vintage Hot Strat FEATURES:
Vintage Hot Pickups: our best-selling single coil set. If you’re looking for a sparkling, bright, and open sound, you will love these pickups’ tone. Vintage Hots give you a balanced 50’s Tone: a smooth balance between bright and fat. They fit in the middle sonically of our Real 54’s and Blues Specials.
These pickups are era-authentic: wound with USA-made 42-gauge Formvar-enameled wire and built with USA-made AlNiCo V magnets. These pickups sound smooth, balanced, and beautiful.
Features:
- Modified Vintage Fender specifications, with modern output
- Bright, clean tone with balance across lows and highs
- USA-made Alnico 5 Magnets for optimal tonal balance and output
- RW/RP Middle 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
- 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects
- 6K Neck & Middle, 6.6K Bridge
SOUND
Vintage Hots sparkle and sound very open and clear without sounding “tinny” or glassy. These pickups sound big and full, with an even balance of Bass, Middle, and Treble, clean or dirty. The tone cuts through with distortion – while remaining very dynamic and thick.
Expect a precise low-end and an acute attack. Single notes cut through with ease, while chords have an excellent string-to-string definition.
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
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Our Vintage Hots consist of locally-stamped fiberboard and USA-Made Alnico 5 Magnets. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time. We wind each pickup using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. Our Sectioning Technique gives the pickup a sweet, bright tone. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup to preserve the pickup and prevent microphonics.
Tech Specs
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Vintage Hot Strat.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 6K |
| Middle Ohm Reading: | 6K |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 6.6K |
| 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 5 |
Sizing
Vintage Hot Strat Questions And Answers:
Have a question about our Vintage Hot Strat? Ask it here. Your Question will be publically visible.
If you want to ask a Private Question, please contact us through our Contact Us Form.
If you have multiple questions, please call us at (804) 358-2699.
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Just purchased a G&L S-500 with a set of vintage hot pickups. They sound great but are set (in my opinion) quite a distance from the strings. Is there a optimum distance for performance by design so I can set them?
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Q Just purchased a G&L S-500 with a set of vintage hot pickups. They sound great but are set (i...... Read moreA
Hey Dante, yes - check this article here. - Tyler
Are the vintage Hot neck and middle the same pickup? I bought a set and don't see any markings to tell them apart. Thanks!
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Q Are the vintage Hot neck and middle the same pickup? I bought a set and don't see any markings to...... Read moreA
The Vintage Hot Neck and Middle are essentially the same, but the Middle is reverse-wound from the Neck. If you bought them new, the Neck Leads are longer than the Middle Leads, and they should have stickers on the leads to differentiate them.
Hi, I have a Vintage Hot set. I am considering changing the bridge pickup, I find that the one that I have to lack chime...just a tad, comparing to Fender CS69. What can I expect if I would get a Real 54 instead for the bridge ? Thanks !
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Q Hi, I have a Vintage Hot set. I am considering changing the bridge pickup, I find that the one th...... Read moreA
Hey Robert, you can absolutely expect a bit more chime and shimmer out of the bridge when comparing a Vintage Hot to a Real 54. The Real 54's Alnico 3 Magnets give it a touch more sparkle and shimmer.
Hi ! Is the Stock Stagger identical to the one found on vintage pickups (with the pole piece under the G string raised quite high) ? Or is it adapted to the specs of Vintage Hots ? Because I sometimes find the G string to be a bit too dominant with those vintage stagger... For info the radius of my fingerboard is 9.5".
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Q Hi ! Is the Stock Stagger identical to the one found on vintage pickups (with the pole piece unde...... Read moreA
Hey Cristophe, it's adapted, without the "Tall G". We can make a Tall G stagger upon request, but ours has a lower G string for better balance.
Do the pickup sets come with hardware
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Q Do the pickup sets come with hardwareA
Hey Edwin, yes - all pickups sold direct come with mounting hardware.
Hi, I have an American deluxe stratocaster 2012 with a compound radius neck 9 to 12, which of the pole pieces alignment is correct, Hybrid or Stock? Thanks! Amit
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Q Hi, I have an American deluxe stratocaster 2012 with a compound radius neck 9 to 12, which of the...... Read moreA
Hey Amit, We recommend Hybrid Stagger for compound radius necks.
Hi, I have a left handed 98 MIM Strat. Looking at the Vintage Hots with bridge plate. Not sure if I should get Stock Stagger or Hybrid Stagger. I believe the guitar has a 9.5 radius, but not positive. Any guidance you can give would be super helpful. Thank you, Gregg
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Q Hi, I have a left handed 98 MIM Strat. Looking at the Vintage Hots with bridge plate. Not sure if...... Read moreA Most of the Strats during that era were around 9.5?. I would select Stock, but if the fingerboard feels pretty flat to you, you can’t go wrong with Hybrid!
Would you suggest using a set of three of these pickups with the .015 mf cap?
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Q Would you suggest using a set of three of these pickups with the .015 mf cap?A If using the Magic Cap (0.015), just note that it will not work as a normal tone cap. It only rolls off the highest treble of the Bridge Pickup only, and you might not hear its effect on the Neck pickup.
What is the purpose of the baseplate?
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Q What is the purpose of the baseplate?A The Baseplate adds a touch of power and bass to your bridge pickup. This mod is removable, but useful!
Which stagger would you suggest for a ’50’s Roadworn MIM Strat?
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Q Which stagger would you suggest for a ’50’s Roadworn MIM Strat?A Stock Stagger would be the recommended stagger.
What String Spacing are the Vintage Hots?
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Q What String Spacing are the Vintage Hots?A 52mm on each pickup.
What’s the difference between Blues Specials and Vintage Hots?
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Q What’s the difference between Blues Specials and Vintage Hots?A
Blues Specials have more turns per pickup – they sound thicker and darker, with more output than Vintage Hots. Vintage Hots sound cleaner, clearer, and a tad bit more balanced.
What Magnet Stagger Do I Select?
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Q What Magnet Stagger Do I Select?A
It all depends on your fingerboard radius. If you have a 7.25? – 9.5? radius, we recommend going with Stock Stagger. If you have a 10? radius or flatter, including compound radius, go with a Hybrid stagger.
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FEATURED REVIEWS
Reviews we worked hard for, and are proud of.
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"Love my Fralin Vintage Hot Pickups that installed on my old Strat. They have brought back a classic 60's Strat sound that I love! I added the baseplate and a volume kit which also help out. The other Great addition that really blew me away was adding the Blender Pot to my set up. Wow! It literally opens up the Strat to more Tonal range. I can dial in just the right amount of Neck pickup with the Bridge when I want to. I absolutely love this Fralin set up and your customer service is excellent! Thank you so much!"
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"Hey there! I recently purchased a Vintage Hot Strat set and Soapbar P90 set (5% overwound bridge). First, your pickups are inspiring. I'm pretty blown away by the pure clarity and actual tone coming out of my instruments. The versatility is striking, and most of all... I'm writing again. I can't thank you enough."
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"If you are reading this, then you already know! DO IT NOW! You will not be sorry, my only regret is that l didn’t buy these sooner - truly unbelievable how good and balanced they are, everything that other pickups you are hoping to get, but don’t quite hit the mark, well guess what? These do!!!! I ordered a pre wired guard, added a baseplate to the bridge, and the tone blender which takes it to even ANOTHER level.. l am in awe, and l am very happy. Life long fan and buyer from here on out for sure.. THANK YOU"
The neck pickup on this set just sings! Absolutely SINGS!
I don’t know what is better, the Vintage Hot Strat pups or the customer service and attention to detail… Talking to Mr. Fralin himself was a welcome touch – and everyone I worked with handled my potentially silly questions with solid answers, advice, and shipment.
The pickups are UH-MAZING!
Thank you VERY much!
I have a G&L Legacy that had always sounded a little bit off to me. A little too modern, maybe. Wanted some lower output pickups, and all roads pointed towards the Vintage Hot Strat pickups. What a huge difference! Incredible clarity and dynamic responsiveness. I used to have to roll back the tone pot a little. Not now. There was a particular high frequency on the stock pickups that I found harshly unpleasant. The Fralins have an ideal (in my opinion) tonal footprint. They sound great clean, and even better with dirt. The low output allows for so many colors just using pick attack. I put a Steel Pole 42 in the bridge. Because the G&L has a bass rolloff pot, it can sound like a regular Strat pickup, or get that fat P90 sound. Every position on the selector is usable, and beautiful. Positions 2 and 4 are especially improved. Tremendous. I now have a guitar that I want to play all the time.
Well, I still can’t play like SRV, Gilmore, or Knopfler, but these pickups make my Strat sound amazing! Dropped a prewired pickguard into my late 80’s Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster and now it sounds just like I always thought is should. Thanks Lindy, quality work!
I am so impressed by the sound of this pickups.
I had already purchased the unbuckers before (love them) and wanted to make an hss project. So I called and had the pleasure of talking directly to Lindy, such a wonderful and knowledgeable person. I was recommended the VHs with a pure paf. The VHs came a little under 6k and the pure paf also a little under 8k, they matched perfectly. I did added a coil split, although they recommended me a 7k resistor I found that it sounded very similar to the humbucker and I changed it to a 2.2 resistor like PRS.
All I can say is that my guitar sounds amazing! Articulate, clear, bright enough and balanced.
Chose a 300k pot to make this project and it balanced all the pickups!
Thanks Lindy for such a great customer service and pickups!
I’ll be looking at your tele pickups soon.
Love my Fralin Vintage Hot Pickups that installed on my old Strat. They have brought back a classic 60’s Strat sound that I love! I added the baseplate and a volume kit which also help out. The other Great addition that really blew me away was adding the Blender Pot to my set up. Wow! It literally opens up the Strat to more Tonal range. I can dial in just the right amount of Neck pickup with the Bridge when I want to. I absolutely love this Fralin set up and your customer service is excellent!
Thank you so much!
Hey there! I recently purchased a Vintage Hot Strat set and Soapbar P90 set (5% overwound bridge). First, your pickups are inspiring. I’m pretty blown away by the pure clarity and actual tone coming out of my instruments. The versatility is striking, and most of all… I’m writing again. I can’t thank you enough.
love them!!