THE ULTIMATE SET OF Strat Pickups.
Vintage Hot Pickups: our best selling single coil set. Musicians looking for a sparkling, bright, and open sound will love the sound of these pickups. Vintage Hots give you balanced 50’s Tone: a smooth balance between bright and fat.
Vintage Hots are fatter sounding than our Real 54’s, but not as dark as our Blues Specials. These pickups are era-authentic: wound with 42-gauge Formvar wire and built with AlNiCo V magnets. These guitar pickups sound smooth, balanced, and beautiful.
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Our Vintage Hots consist of local fiberboard and USA-Made Alnico 5 Magnets. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time.
Each pickup is wound 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.
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
SOUND:
Vintage Hots sparkle and sound very open and clear without sounding “tinny” or glassy. Clean or dirty, these pickups sound big and full, with an even balance of Bass, Middle, and Treble. The tone cuts through with distortion – while remaining very dynamic and thick.
Expect a clear low-end and an acute attack. Single notes cut through with ease, while chords have an excellent string-to-string definition. For a similar tone with no hum, consider using our Split Blade Strat Pickups.
FAQ’S:
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- What Magnet Stagger Do I Use? It all depends on your fingerboard radius. If you have a 7.25? – 10? Radius, we recommend going with Stock Stagger. If you have a flatter or compound radius, go with a Hybrid stagger.
- What’s the difference between Blues Specials and Vintage Hots? 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.
- How far away from the strings does the pickup need to be? Push your Low E String down at the highest fret. Measure from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string. The ideal starting location should be 1/8″ on the bass string, and 1/16″ on the treble string when the High E string is pushed down at the highest fret.
- Wiring Diagrams? Here!
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Sizing Information
Polarity Information
Robert Warren (verified owner) –
Good Strat pickups, good Strat sound!
John Nicholas (verified owner) –
Strat Vintage Hot. Simply put: I love it!
Kellen Dooley (verified owner) –
Everything a Strat Pickup Should Be. Open, airy, detailed, full, sounds fantastic when driven. Great neck sounds that are very balanced tonally. Very clear sounding. What else is there to say! Love them.
Jeff Jordan –
When I bought my ’89 Fender Strat plus brand new($500!) off the floor at Corner music in Nashville, it of course had Lace Sensors in it. I quickly grew to despise those pickups and, after reading GP’s glowing review of the vintage hots in their pickup shootout issue, I knew what I wanted. Well, 30 years later they’re still in there, and seem to sound better as time goes by. The middle PU is the best rhythm sound on the planet to my ears, and the bridge sounds so good it’ll give the best tele bridge pu a run for it’s money. Thanks for a great set of pickups!
Michael Jacobs (verified owner) –
My Favourite Strat Single Coil. When I have a Strat build, these are the pickups I reach for. You take the time and effort to make something special and these pickups add that top-end finishing touch.
Kristopher Kinzie (verified owner) –
Simply THE BEST!!!
After trying probably dozens of Stratocaster pickups, I’ve finally found what I think is THE BEST!!! I’ve put these in 3 different guitars now and even have them in my personal Strat. They sound just like a Stratocaster should in my opinion and really show off why the Strat is one of the most versatile electric guitars ever designed. I just can’t find a bad thing to say about them or about Fralin. If you ever have any questions before or after your purchase they are always happy to take care of you. I’ve spoken to Lindy on the phone a few times and he is the real deal…kind, knowledgeable, friendly, down to earth. From now on when I need pickups all I think is Fralin. The end.
Rob Wilbur (verified owner) –
I can’t put my strat down. These pickups are great!! I’ve always preferred the Tele over a strat but now with these pickups. The strat is that much better. Keeping the original strat sound but with more usable power. Excellent tone
Jeff Hughes (verified owner) –
I just installed these for a customer at the last moment for Christmas so thank you guys for getting it out quickly. I just wanted to follow up and let you know that he really wanted to use the D brand but I snuck these in after talking with his dad who told him about it Christmas morning and he absolutely loves the pickups. RIght now he wont put it down and playing all the time. The entire guitar turned out to be one of the prettiest I have ever made. Ill have a picture or 2 of him playing it before long so if you are interested i hope you check it out.
Thanks for working with me on getting out a fantastic set fairly quickly.
Paul Smith (verified owner) –
Fralin Stock Tele and Vintage Hot Strat
I brought 2 sets, the Tele replacements first, then the Strat.
Stock Tele: went into a 61CS Tele. I went for the 5% overwound bridge but wish I had got the 2% or stock bridge as the bridge pup is a little too edgy. The neck pup is perfect.
Vintage Hot Strat: went in a 62CS Strat, and are beautifully balanced, with enough sting, very happy with these.
Artem –
Amazing pickups! For a couple of decades, I tried to find the right mix of ingredients for a perfect strat and vintage hot turned out to be the gamechanger. The stock p/us in American Vintage ’60s strat are quite good, but vintage hots just seem to widen the sound palette taking you to a much more interesting sound landscape.
Jeffrey Rauso (verified owner) –
Vintage Hots are Smokin!
I was always disappointed with the pickups on my Strat. I’m pretty much a Gibson guy and a humbucker guy, but when the tone called for a Strat, I wanted a nice thick, warm sound that had some muscle to it. My original Strat pickups, and also a set of Texas Specials were just disappointing. With the Vintage Hots, my Strat is like a new guitar… can’t put it down. And now I like the bridge pickup position…rarely used it before because it was too weak and thin. Now it growls. In combination with the pickups, I also put a 3-position switch in (with the 5-position, I kept brushing against it when strumming and when in the neck position kept knocking it to the out of phase position) Now the middle pickup is a viable tone choice. I love these pickups!
Cole Townsend (verified owner) –
Great Vintage Spec Pickups
I bought these pickups and installed them in my American Professional Stratocaster, because I wanted a more vintage sounding tone. I was very impressed with these, and especially the bridge pickup because it is fatter and less shrill than the v-mods I had before. I would definitely recommend if you want that vintage strat tone.
Michael Mackey (verified owner) –
Clear vintage Stratocaster sound
In the past few months, I replaced the stock pickups on my 1988 and 2001 American Stratocasters with Lindy Fralin’s Vintage Hot pickups. What a difference! these guitars both ring out with pure strat tone beauty. I had heard that these pickups were great and that was no exaggeration. Not louder just great tone. Finally that authentic Strat-ness!
Bradley Rossiter (verified owner) –
After 30 years, this Strat sings with Fralin Vintage Hot set
Japanese strat that had all kinds of pickups over the years. Stripped it all down. Put some sonic blue Nitro finishing and took care of the neck and frets properly. Only thing left was to put new pickups in. And in they stay. Fralin’s are Strat the way they should be. Hard to find now a days.
Grant Harrison –
Just received and fitted my loaded pick-guard with vintage hot set [incl base-plate].Installation was straight forward although I added another wire from the shielding paint[body] that is a feature of most of the modern bodies. I used the excess wire supplied and trimmed from the pre-wired pick-guard. I advise fitting the loaded pick guard before final fitment of a 22 fret neck [just easier].
This was a new “parts-caster” using new American Fender parts – American performer alder body, American professional maple neck[deep “C”]
I was advised to get the guitar action sounding right before adjusting pickup heights and I think this was good advice. I used Fender factory specs as a starting point, and Lindy’s pickup height adjustment video as a guide to pickup heights.
Sounds glorious, and they are everything that they say they are. I am still blown away by the tonal variation I can get, and the rich tonal landscape.
Matthew Chrapla (verified owner) –
Splendid! These are some mighty fine pickups. The best I have ever put in a strat. Customer service is outstanding.
Sid Mody –
I put a set on my old 94′ MIM strat. That guitar went from OK to great instantly. I had no idea pickups could make such a difference. That guitar’s now retired for a while, the Vintage hots are going into my new ST57 FujiGen Gaki Factory Jap Strat… expect nothing but great things from this combo.
The pickups have that open classic strat tone, have to be experienced, highly recommend them to anybody on the fence.
Dieter Dlouhy –
(Translated From German)
I had these pickups professionally installed by a luthier in an N1 Strat and I will give these to my son in September on the birthday. He is an avid Fender player and will be happy to receive this unique gift.
David Asmussen –
Wow!
Very fortunate to have picked up a set of the 30th Anniversary Vintage Hots for one of my Strats. Easily the best sounding strat pickups I have ever had. Beautifully clear and balanced, but also growl better than any others I’ve tried. Thank you, Lindy Fralin!!
Christian Dyas (verified owner) –
Wish I did this years ago
Just got a complete set of Vintage Hots for my Fender Custom Shop Relic Strat. It’s unbelievable how much better the new middle pickup sounds. I never used the middle position much before but now it’s becoming my go to sound. The neck pickup is really great too, more musical sounding than the stock pickup. I’m swapping out the bridge pickup for another Vintage Hot with a custom stagger, something Fralin was more than happy to accommodate. The pickup sounds great-I’m getting a new custom stagger only to even out a string to string volume difference I’m experiencing due to the unconventional string gauges I use. Overall couldn’t be happier with my new pickups, I only wish I hadn’t waited so long to upgrade!
Allen Krachanko (verified owner) –
I have a Fender Strat that I’ve been working on for the better part of a year, and it was finally time to get pickups. Being primarily a bass player, I had a great experience with my last Fralin, a 5% overwound 51’ Split P, so naturally, I came back to see what Lindy had to offer for Starts. Wanting the most “basic” option, I got a set of Vintage Hots, and they are everything I wanted and more. The sound is nicely balanced with highs, mids, and lows, and the Strat sparkle is present, but not overwhelming. I would use the word balanced for how they sound. The build quality is excellent, and installation with the wiring diagram from the site was a breeze. I wired them up with a master volume, master tone, and blender pot. If you’re looking for a great set of pickups, then I recommend you look no further and get yourself a set of these.
Michael Taranto (verified owner) –
Excellence. I could not be happier. My Strat finally sounds like the Strat I always wanted. This is the third and final set of pick ups I’ve tried ( 1. Lace sensors, 2. Duncan Vintage) The Fralins seem to add more top end crunch and overall, a much nicer sonic presence. Cheers to everyone at the shop, and keep up the excellent work.
All the Best,
Mike T.
Joseph Gonzales (verified owner) –
No title added.
Hello, I am really enjoying the wide spectrum of tones I am getting from all pickup positions. Warm and fat! No complaints at all. Love these pickups…maybe a couple more winds on the bridge would be my absolute perfect output bridge but that’s just me being really picky and by no means a complaint. Love these.
Corey Hau (verified owner) –
Great Pickups!
Love this set of replacement pickups! I’ve always wanted a vintage sound with hotter output, and the Vintage Hots just fits the bill. Thanks Fralin Pickups for this amazing product!!
Michael Sweeting (verified owner) –
Amazing!!!
These pickups are the best I’ve ever had. I have not been able to put the guitar down since I had them installed, and all of my other guitars are getting neglected!
chrismcdaniel (verified owner) –
My ’77 Stratocaster just got a full set of the vintage hots. She has never sounded so good. True vintage tone in every switch position. My personal favorite is the neck pickup. Beautifully warm and just perfect voicing. These pickups deliver. Thanks Lindy!
James Haggard (verified owner) –
Perfect!
I added the Vintage Strat to my FrankenTele as the neck pickup. The Vintage Strat shines in the neck position, with a balance between the strat sparkle and the deeper tone of a neck position, the tone is exactly what I wanted. To round out the guitar, I put a Blues Special strat pickup in the middle, and a hum cancelling p90 in the bridge.
Massimo Cupellaro (verified owner) –
Great Pickup! Thank you for your kindness and seriousness. Great product!
Michael Thomas (verified owner) –
2nd pair, Neck / Middle,2nd pair
I purchased a second set of neck and middle position pickups to go along with a Fralin Blues Special in the bridge of another strat I purchased. They sound incredible as usual! You guys were tremendous with customer service especially when Lindy calls you directly.,Same review as last.
Michael Coburn (verified owner) –
Adding color to my Nashville Tele
I added the vinatage hot strat at Lindy’s suggestion as part of a set I purchased to upgrade my MIM Fender Nashville Tele. I couldn’t be happier. I use this pickup often in live settings when I want more of the strat sound and this fits the bill perfectly. The response is even across the frequency band, and when combined in positions 2 or 4 gives me all the quack I might need.
Wayne Mrdjenovich (verified owner) –
Vintage Hot + 7%: Lindy, Thank you again for your time and phone call to accurately spec these custom made sets! They are very balanced and full of the strat tone I described to you! I will be ordering more very soon! Best to you! Wayne Mrdjenovich
Gerry Rothschild –
Not my first, Not my last. Years ago I put a set of Vintage Hots on my Strat. They are still there and are still the best pickups I’ve ever put in there (and there have been quite a few) I finally got the Tele I’ve always wanted and immediately put Fralins in it. Love em. Thank you Lindy. My Les Paul is next. The Hat? It’s good too.
Justin Coleman (verified owner) –
I got a RW Vintage Hot Strat in the middle position of a SSS B Bender Telecaster with Fralin Stock Tele pickups in the bridge and neck. Sounds awesome. Now I want Fralins in my other guitars. And I’ll probably get them sooner or later! I’ll definitely buy more Fralins in the future.
Edward Wagner (verified owner) –
A genuine smile! I installed the pickups and upgraded the electronics at the same time. I was thrilled right out of the gate. It brought a genuine smile to my face.
Alvin Norman –
Excellent sounding pickups. Also purchased a set of Stock Tele pickups that sound excellent also
Stephanie Morrow (verified owner) –
Kickass – Seriously dope sound. My strat now has the best strat sound I’ve ever heard. A bit in love. These pickups rule.
Francesco Buzzi-Ferraris (verified owner) –
Best pickups set I’ve ever played
I have replaced the original set of pickups of my American Standard Strat with the Vintage Hot(test) and couldn’t have done a better choice. The sound of my guitar changed completely for the best and now it has a huge personality. Super happy with my purchase and definitely recommend them. Honorable mention for the Blender Pot that I installed with the VH pickups, once you get used to it you can play sounds unknown before to a Strat and very similar to a Tele. Almost two guitars in one. Thank you again guys
Jonathan Bass (verified owner) –
Incredible pickups. Surpassed all of my expectations. I got the hybrid stagger for my 16″ radius neck and the balance is amazing. The folks here are a pleasure to work with as well. I will definitely be a return customer.
CJ –
Wow. Just Wow. With a good setup, quality neck and these Vintage hots installed you just can’t go wrong. Especially through my cranked Silverface ’68 Princeton Reverb Reissue, holy cow do these pickups sound great. Exactly as Strat should sound, these make everything else sound way too hot, with way too many mids or just lifeless and flat. Highly recommend investing in these if your strat doesn’t already have a set of actual, good quality vintage pickups in it already.
LCL (verified owner) –
Something was always nagging me about the G&L Legacy Special obtained in my youth. Maybe it was the humbucking dual-blade pickups, or the PTB™ that kept it from achieving the magical tonality I expected. After installing a set of Vintage Hots and blender configuration I can finally hear the fully realized sound of the this expertly crafted instrument.
John Davis –
Replaced a set of emg dg-20 pickups with vintage hot w/ pickguard. Much brighter and fresh sounding. Clean distinct edges to each note. The pickups have great response to the pots. My old pickups clearly didn’t like a couple of my drives; the vintage hots sound awesome with those same drives so now they’re back in the lineup. I basically have a new custom strat with a couple new drives for the price of a set of pickups. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase. Went from a guitar that was seldom played to being my #1.
Jim –
Just installed a set of Vintage Hots in my MIM Strat – it’s like I have a brand new guitar. Somehow the guitar is cleaner & more articulate, but more aggressive & throaty at the same time. I couldn’t be happier.
A Linden (verified owner) –
Neck standard stagger. Soundwise everything it was said to be. Very easy to get that sweet gritty sound and still have clarity. Only drawback was that the white lead cable was quite short and since I bought the neck version it needed an extention. The black lead was longer and A OK!
Adam Goldfine (verified owner) –
The sound of the Vintage Hots is absolutely incredible. Articulate and versatile, I now love the sound of my Strat. Not only that, Lindy spend a very generous amount of time on the phone with me answering questions and discussing every aspect of my rebuild including shielding, capacitor values, wiring schemes, treble bleed circuits and more. As a result, I tried some things I might not have otherwise and ended up with way more than I bargained for. The pickups shipped fast and I couldn’t be happier. Great product, great company, great people!
Ron Collier –
I discovered a secret. If you want a great sounding guitar, don’t buy a top of the line Fender Strat. Instead find a Squier with a good neck and get Lindy’s Vintage Hot pickups installed. Better sound for a fraction of the price. By the way, I also love his Blues Specials, Split Blades, and Sunbucker pickups. His installation work is also first rate.
Jamie –
It’s hard to describe these pickups any better than all of the previous reviewers have, but I’ll offer what I can. I bought myself an MJT relic-job Strat type guit that came with some vintage hots. Aside from the beautiful job MJT did, it was the Fralins that attracted me to the GUI in the first place. After a little bit of adjustment (raising the high E side of all three pups), the guitar just came to life. What beautiful tone. Just absolutely perfect. Round, warm, snap, chime. It’s all there. The toughest decision you’ll have is which position you’re gonna want to play in. Nice job guys! Thanks for your dedication to the art and craft of making beautiful pickups.
Mike C. (verified owner) –
After researching various pups to the nth degree for my American strat, I took a chance on a Vintage Hot set with baseplate. I could not be happier! These replaced a set of DiMarzio Virtual Vintage that I’ve had for years, which I finally admitted to myself never sounded “strat-y” enough. It’s like a completely different guitar. Cleans are super chimey and vintage sounding, just as I’ve been hearing in my head. With some dirt, the pickups have the right amount of growl and bite, with the ability to track incredibly well without losing their character one bit. I am extremely happy and will be playing this axe more and more. The tone is inspiring and sounds as it should’ve from day one! Also, Tyler was helpful with some wiring questions along the way. Try these!
Matthew W. –
Years ago the owner of my local guitar shop told me “just get some Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots, they are the best Strat pickups there are.” I was in to heavier music then and had some hotter Seymour Duncan pups (JB in the bridge and teo Quarter Pounders) in my beloved Strat, but I filed that information away. Recently I decided it was time to make my Strat a real Strat again with three vintage type single coil pickups. I did a lot of looking but finally decided on the Fralin Vintage Hots. I got the baseplate on the bridge and a blender pot as well. I must say I am over the moon with my choice. These things are vintage Strat for days! Chimey, glassy, woody, clear, articulate, and amazingly responsive and touch sensitive both clean and with gain. I’m in love! I can’t recommend these more, thanks Lindy and company!
Britt (verified owner) –
I just swapped out the stock pups on my American Select Strat (HSS) with the ‘Vintage Hots’, neck and middle. The difference is absolutely astounding, just an incredible upgrade in tone: more bell-like, glassy clarity throughout. These pups are never leaving this guitar! Completely satisfied.
Ben Mueller (verified owner) –
I upgraded an old Mexican Strat I had with a Pure PAF in the bridge, and a couple of Vintage Hots in the middle and neck positions. This thing totally sings now. Nice and glassy, but still with a nice bottom end. Before the upgrade, I felt like I could only really use the bridge or bridge+mid setting on the guitar. The mid and neck pickups by themselves were too muddy. But now, every pickup position offers tone as clear as a bell. So much more versatile than it was before. Thanks guys!
Dan Kaufmanb (verified owner) –
I Recently got your Vintage Hots for my Strat and wanted to say that I love them. These are the third set of pickups I’ve had in this guitar (american standard) and I’m finally happy. Your pickups have found homes in both of my Fenders ( I also have a Tele) and both sound amazing. Great quality pickups and supportive customer service. Thanks for explaining the differences between the pickups and helping me to make a decision
Danny –
Holy cow are these the real deal…I recently had the opportunity to play a few Strats with Vintage Hots in them next to about 4 different sets of pickups being offered today, and objectively in my opinion, these ran circles around them without breaking a sweat. Worth every penny if you’re into that classic Strat tone, and feel like you can only get ‘so close’ with what the guitar makers offer today.
Bob –
Swapped these into my Am Strat that was good but not great, now it sings.
These are the best strat pickups on the market. Period.
Need to grab some more for my 57 relic very soon.
Kevin Thomas –
After two years of searching for the right set of strat pickups I finally broke for a set of these. I have wanted these for a while but went down the road every time the idea came to mind. Not this past weekend. I have not yet installed the base plate, will being doing that soon. My tele has a set of pickups that will stay in it forever, AND NOW my stratocaster has a set of pickups that will stay in it for ever. Thank you Lindy this guitar sounds the way a stratocaster should sound in my head. Also I went with the blender option which is a must in my book. I had the Gilmore switch in and its like that with a whole lot more options. Couldn’t be happier, had the chance to speak with Lindy on the phone as well some time ago amazingly good advice and tremendously friendly. You will not find customer service like that anywhere. His work is worth every penny. Thanks a million.
ahmet orhon –
The only thing i can say it is great.
Thanks Lindy Fralin.
T92780 –
Vintage Hot’s w/Bass Plate are among the best Strat pickups in marketplace and best $260.00 tonal investment you can make. They chime, sparkle and growl….great pickups!!
Cheers!