Vintage Hot Strat
Real 60's Vintage Strat Tone
$105 – $315
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 more 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:
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 clean Strat pickups with modern output
- Bright, clean tone with balance across lows and highs – real vintage-sounding Strat pickups
- 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 feature a vintage Strat pickup sound – they 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.
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.
Sound Samples for Vintage Hot Strat:
About this Sound Clip:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Vintage Hot Strat:
The tonal graph below for our Vintage Hot Strat features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Bright & Sharp
Videos for Vintage Hot Strat:
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Vintage Hot Strat.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 6K 1 |
| Middle Ohm Reading: | 6K 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 6.6K 1 |
| 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 |
| 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).
Vintage Hot Strat Dimensions:
Our Strat® replacements are standard Stratocaster sizing and spacing. All string spacings are 52mm.
Vintage Hot Strat FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Vintage Hot 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 Vintage Hot 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 Vintage Hot 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's the tonal difference between this pickup and the Real '54s?
The Real ’54s use Alnico 3 magnets. These magnets create a softer, spongier sound. They also add a bit more glassiness compared to the Vintage Hots. The Vintage Hots feature a more modern attack and a bit more bottom-end.
Pickup Pairing
Our Vintage Hot Strat pairs well with the following models:
Vintage Hot Tele - Set
Starting At: $ 120
Pair a Middle with a Vintage Hot Tele Set for the ultimate in Nashville Tele Twang.
Get It Prewired
Get our Vintage Hot Strat prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
140 Genuine Reviews for Vintage Hot Strat
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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.
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(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.
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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!! -
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! -
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.
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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. -
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. -
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!! -
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! -
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!
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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. -
Great Pickup! Thank you for your kindness and seriousness. Great product!
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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.
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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. -
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Excellent sounding pickups. Also purchased a set of Stock Tele pickups that sound excellent also
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Kickass – Seriously dope sound. My strat now has the best strat sound I’ve ever heard. A bit in love. These pickups rule.
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