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!
Quick Links:
Jump to Sound Clips and Product Info:
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.
-
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?
-
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!
-
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 !
-
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".
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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?
-
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?
-
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?
-
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?
-
Q What String Spacing are the Vintage Hots?A 52mm on each pickup.
What’s the difference between Blues Specials and Vintage Hots?
-
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?
-
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.
Heads Up! Asking a question here will be public to all users of this site.
Hey! Did you already ask a question on our Contact Us Form? Don't ask it again here. Please be patient while we get back to you.
GET IT PREWIRED:
Get our Vintage Hot Strat prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
You may also like…
-
-
Prewired HSS Strat Split Blade Pickguard
Prewired, Customizable, Noiseless.
$420 – $440 Select options -
FEATURED REVIEWS
Reviews we worked hard for, and are proud of.
-
"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."
-
"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"
these are what strats want to sound like
I put these in an early 60s style strat build. Ash body, maple neck with rosewood board. I wired them with neck/middle on one tone and the bridge on the other with no-load pot, normal five way switch. The pickups sound fantastic. These are much more full sounding in all positions than my american standard strat (which is nice but very middle of the road). These can go both fatter and brighter but are not harsh at all. The baseplate on the bridge pickup gets it close to a tele bridge, with a lot more oomph than a typical strat bridge. The neck pickup is as fat and sweet as any single i’ve heard on a strat.
Doesn’t get any better! Throw any hesitations out the window. In my 20 years of playing, this has been the best pickup I have ever heard, EVER, hands down, no contest. The clarity and balance are unbelievable and sound alive compared to the others. I will also add that the customer service from this company is amazing. I even got to talk to Lindy directly. He is an extremely genuine person and you can tell immediately he loves making these pickups. This shows in his product and I can’t wait to get more (next will be some p90s).
Blown away!!!
I have a strat that had become more of a utility guitar than anything else, I had a lil 59’ in the bridge and Texas specials in the mid and neck. I have enjoyed the tone, but after I did some research and learned about Lindy and his awesome work, I had to have a set. I feel like I have a brand new strat that can finally breathe, the clarity is unmatched, and these things absolutely sing. This is my first set of Fralins, but it will not be my last!
Will be buying more soon! Couldn’t believe the tone you can get from the vintage hot. Straight Fire will definitely be buying more Fralin pickups!
Upgraded my ‘62 Reissue Strat
I’ve had two stock single-coil pickups and a Seymour Duncan Lil Screaming Demon for the last 20 years. Now that I’ve got a guitar with humbuckers, I wanted to return my strat to pure single coils and wanted to try Fralins. They live up to the name “Hot,” very responsive and punchy. They’ve definitely reignited my love of my first and only Stratocaster.
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
I recently replaced my 2005 deluxe strat noiseless pickups with these. My Luthier also removed one of the tone control knobs and replaced with a blend knob. Top shelf all the way. It will be hard for me to play anything else.
Excellent pickups!
Great pickup. Very warm and organic sound. I put this in a Nashville Tele with a Blues Special Tele set.
Just bought a 2003 American Vintage 1957 Reissue (maple neck) that came with Fralin Hot Vintage pickups….absolutely great Strat sound….hard to pick favourite Strat now….this one or 2012 American Standard (rosewood fretboard) with Texas Special pickups….both great Strats….but something about these Fralin Hot Vintage that might be even more ‘special’ than the Texas Specials
Absolute Game Changer
Absolutely love my vintage hots, although they feel kinda quiet, they are still the best pickups I’ve played.