Steel Pole 42 Strat
Balanced P90 and Strat® Tone
$115 – $345
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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Jump to Sound Clips and more Info:
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 |
Additional Technical Info:
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: We depict all our coil directions from Ground (Black Wire, or Start Wire) to Hot (White Wire, or Finish Wire).
Steel Pole 42 Strat Dimensions:
Our Strat® replacements are standard Stratocaster sizing and spacing. All string spacings are 52mm.
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 1 Week accurate?
It 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 beat our estimated Lead Times.
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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. To measure, hold the correct side down at its highest fret. Then, measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.
Product FAQ's
People frequently ask these questions about our Steel Pole 42 Strat. If you have a question that you don't see listed here, click "Ask" 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: $ 130
Combine our Reverse Middle with a Steel Pole 42 set for clean, P90 tone in a Nashville Telecaster
Get It Prewired
Get our Steel Pole 42 Strat prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
29 Genuine Reviews for Steel Pole 42 Strat
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Just letting you know I am very happy with the sound of my three guitars which have Lindy Fralin pickups! You guys have great customer service, you especially and make great sounding pickups ??
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My Strat bridge pickup was entirely too weak and thin-sounding, so i swapped it for a steel pole 42. First gig with it last night and it’s so great that i may have to replace the other two ! it still sounds like my strat, just… BIGGER… Exactly the result i was after.. Big thanks to Lindy and crew, products and service are as good as it gets.
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The Steel Pole 42 Strat bridge pickup is an excellent choice for the sound I was seeking which was to fatten up my bridge pickup. Great customer service from Lindy helping me choose the right pickup for my needs and explaining how to determine the N/S magnetic orientation of the other pickups in my guitar.
Thank You!
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FINALLY MY SEARCH IS OVER, IM OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN JIMI HENDRIX FIRST CAME OUT AND THAT WAS IT,
I WANTED TO PLAY GUITAR . I STARTED OUT WITH A LES PAUL COPY AND THEN REAL LES PAULS BUT MY GUITAR HEROS
PLAYED STRATS , SO ABOUT EVERY 5 YRS OR SO I WOULD BY BUY A STRAT AND WANT TO LOVE IT . EVERY TIME THE GUITAR
WOULD LAST LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE I SOLD IT AND WENT BACK TO A LES PAUL . STRATS JUST SOUNDED TOO WEAK.
SKIP TO 2023 AND I FOUND AN AMERICAN PRO 2 STRATOCASTER THAT PLAYED GREAT HAD A TON OF RESONANCE AND SOUNDED GREAT ACOUSTICALLY SO I BOUGHT IT . NOT TO MENTION IT WAS IN OLYMPIC WHITE, SO DESPITE THE THIN SOUNDING FACTORY PICK UPS I HAD TO MAKE THIS GUITAR WORK , I HAD TO MAKE IT SOUND BEAUTIFUL BUT POWERFUL
LIKE HENDRIX, BLACKMORE, GILMOUR & TROWER . I LIKE ALOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSIC BUT MOSTLY ROCK ,
MY IDEA OF COUNTRY MUSIC IS LYNARD SKYNARD, ALLMAN BROTHERS, AND MARSHALL TUCKER. LINDY FRALIN’S STEEL POLE 42’s TURNED OUT TO BE EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR ALL THIS TIME ; THEY CAN BE BEAUTIFUL WITH SHIMMERING HIGHS THAT ARE NOT SPIKY— THEY CAN DO EDGE OF BREAKUP WITH A TOUCH SENSITIVE SNARL—-OR THEY CAN ROAR WITH A FUZZ PEDAL WITH EXCELLENT STRING DEFINITION —THEY ALWAYS SOUND FULL AND YES THEY ROCK, MY STRAT NOW GETS MORE ATTENTION, THAN MY OTHER GUITARS GET, BECAUSE THANKS TO FRALIN PICKUPS, I NOW HAVE THE SOUNDS I ALWAYS HEARD ON RECORDS AND IN MY HEAD. IF YOU CAN RELATE TO ANY OF THIS, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND
GET A FULL SET OF STEEL POLE 42’s , ALSO—- CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TOP NOTCH, LINDY AND HIS WHOLE CREW ARE THERE TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE . -
I tried literally dozens of different pickups in my Strat based on forum user reviews and YouTube videos, each time thinking maybe this time I’ll find the one but I always ended up wondering why in the world people were ranting and raving about how great they were. Some were admittedly better than others but none satisfied me. I wanted some girth, some meat but I still wanted spank and chime. In my searches over the years, I never came across any forum reviews or videos online recommending the Steel Pole 42s so when I stumbled upon them by accident while perusing the Fralin site I didn’t really have any frame of reference other than what the website said about them. It sounded like what I was looking for so I gambled and ordered a set. It was the best move I ever made concerning Strat pickups. I stopped looking. My search was over. I wish I could give them six stars out of five. I wish I had found them sooner. If you’re tired of wimpy sounding Strats then these are the pickups for you. Stop thinking about it. Just do it.
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I have/had a set of Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots in my custom shop strat. I play blues, rock, and a little country and I was looking to beef up the fullness of the bridge pickup. Jon Brown at Fralin Pickups suggested the Steel Pole 42 bridge. While I haven’t had a chance to play it extensively yet, at this point I can say that it’s very obviously a more full and beefy pickup than the Vintage Hot I replaced in the bridge position. Less spikey high end, but still clear and bright. What I’m most surprised about this the rude attitude this pickup possesses! I love the way it breaks up/cleans up with volume knob tweaks. It has changed position 2 in a way I find very pleasing, if not strictly “vintage” sounding. Overall I must say it is exactly what I was hoping for. I do have my bottom tone control wired the the bridge pickup. I used to never turn it up past about six or seven before. Now, I tend to keep it at about eight, but can I turn it all the way up and it’s still not overly biting.
Overall, IMHO it pairs quite nicely with the “vintage” middle and neck pickups.
Thanks for the recommendation Jon! Bullseye!
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I have been using a variety of Fralin pickups for 25 years, and the steel pole 42’s I put in my custom Phigas Bolt guitar capture the Garcia thick single coil tone I was after perfectly. I get complements on the tone every gig. Thank’s Lindy and the team at Fralin Pickups!
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The description of these is spot-on, so if that’s what you need, these will do it. The sound is full and clear played clean, but dirty up superbly all with a little P90 flare. I particularly like that the bridge pickup is not wimpy or shrill…its got a good ‘fatness’ to it. Neck pickup offers Surprisingly good Strat’ tone with a little extra push, good quack in 2 & 4 positions. Easy to install… I replaced Gen4 noiseless PUP’s in a limited edition Strat. I had to wait five weeks to get ’em, but not too big a deal. Nice work Fralin team.
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Lindy, I just installed the Steel Pole 42 bridge pickup in my Strat. My Strat had fallen to my number 2 guitar after over fifteen years of being number. I could never bond with my previous bridge pickups and thought I would make one last try. The Steel Pole 42 is exceeding all expectations. Where most my playing has been done on the neck pickup in the past, I have been playing almost exclusively on the bridge pickup all day. It is that versatile! It has the extra power I was hoping for but beyond that, it sounds great at all volume and tone settings. My Strat is once again my number one guitar. Thank you for all your help.
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