Hi all,

Again - I am asking an open-ended question regarding pickups, evaluating them, and 'tuning them up'.

I bought 2 cheapo strats a few years ago - one feels really good (action, neck), but seems to have low output compared to the other 'cheapo' strat - which has terrible neck bow and action, but puts out a really 'louder, brighter' sound - all settings being equal.

In an effort to beef up the good feeling strat, I purchased a pair of used "original fender" pickups, with the intention of replacing myself (have never done this before).

Now, I realize that people often replace pickups for various reasons - sound first, feedback at higher volumes, etc. ???

As in a previous post, I mentioned it easy to compare 2 guitars side-by-side for various features. But when they're in isolation (as in after the purchases) - or separated by time (as in trying different guitars out in different places - eg. someone's house from craigslist) - are there any more object tests or measures I can do to evaluate pickups ?

As always - appreciative of all the great advice and new ideas I get on this site,
Joe V.

Before I'd spend any money on hardware I'd make sure the axe is set up correctly first. Specs for Strats are easy to find on the internet. It helps if you have a decent dial caliper (good to .001") and a set of feeler gauges (available at auto parts joints). They're worth having anyway--you will use them for other things, too.

Case in point: I have a mid 1980s Ibanez Strat copy which sounded pretty blah until I properly set it up. I was thinking about new pickups, too, but the more I worked on it the better it sounded. Now it has that authentic, throaty Strat tone.

Give it a try.