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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Most excellent pickups.
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Most probably the best pickups that I’ve experienced playing. I put them in an inexpensive guitar, so I paid the same for both the guitar and pickups. The bell-like tone is very articulate… they just sparkle, shimmer, and shine with a lot of depth. I love hammering on an open string, it sounds / feels like my finger is going right down through the fretboard. You’ll love playing these pickups too.
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These are exactly what I was looking for: Strat pups living between hot, modern pickups and Fender’s wonderfully jangly vintage 50s pickups. They have all that vintage tone, but with just the right amount of push. And I love that I can get them with the correct stagger for lefties. (Righties don’t know how nice that is.) The base plate on the bridge pup makes a huge difference. Love it.
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These were my first set of Lindy’s single coils so when I got them I was looking them over. They were so clean, I wasn’t sure they had been potted. I sent an email asking if they were. I was assured they were. I replied, “Are you sure?” Well a few days later I got a call from Arlington VA. I almost rejected it because I don’t know anyone in Arlington. It had to be spam. Then I remembered Fralin pickups was in Arlington so I answered. It was Lindy and he took the time to not only reassure me they were potted, he explained their process and why they potted their pickups the way they did. So onto the sound of these pickups. I got the Vintage Hots. I have to say, I’m very impressed. They are very clear and chimey. String definition is excellent. I was concerned their output may be a bit low but I am very pleased with that as well. I now plan on building a Tele and getting some Blues Specials but that is going to have to wait until I get the Wide Range Humbuckers I just ordered in hand and install them 🙂
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Excellent follow thru and shipped fast. I ordered weird polarity and wind direction and it was perfect and the pu sound just right. Perfect match for the middle and neck in a Strat from 1979.
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The only reason I can’t give this Vintage Hot five stars is because of my Strat ironically. Its roasted alder body and roasted maple neck I’m afraid aren’t resonant enough tone woods for what I trust is an otherwise articulate neck & middle pickup, played thru my deluxe reverb anyway. That said, I’m FAR happier with this single coil than the El Diablo it replaced… much, much obliged Lindy!
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Love these pickups…Three Strats and counting!
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I am very happy with vintage neck and middle, blues special with base plate in the bridge. These pickups sound amazing, and the blend pot is an indispensable feature. Highly recommended
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This is my second set of Fralin pickups and I couldn’t be more pleased! I had an excellent playing strat that now is an amazing sounding Strat.
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Amazing pickups. Probably my favorite single coil set
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Swapped out the stock pickups I’ve been using since I bought my MIJ Strat new in 1985 with a set of Vintage Hots and it really came to life. Sounds best cranked through a Twin Reverb; chimy and bright through an AC30. Dynamic, quite a range. Very happy with the switch.
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Like all previous sets I have ordered from him, these pickups offer an incredible sound, and the quality and tone they offer are excellent.
Mr. Fralin and his team ALWAYS deliver. I use his single coils pickups on telecasters and strats I build from scratch, as well as Jazzmasters. His humbuckers are worth the investment and the little waiting just a few weeks from order to delivery to your door.
If you are a “Fender classic sound” enthusiast, swap your commercially made ones, and dress your instrument with a Fralin’s set. The difference, even for my custom shop, was notable.
Customer experience: small details, a great website, good communication, and fast delivery make a great product even better.
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The neck pickup on this set just sings! Absolutely SINGS!
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I don’t know what is better, the Vintage Hot Strat pups or the customer service and attention to detail… Talking to Mr. Fralin himself was a welcome touch – and everyone I worked with handled my potentially silly questions with solid answers, advice, and shipment.
The pickups are UH-MAZING!
Thank you VERY much!
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I have a G&L Legacy that had always sounded a little bit off to me. A little too modern, maybe. Wanted some lower output pickups, and all roads pointed towards the Vintage Hot Strat pickups. What a huge difference! Incredible clarity and dynamic responsiveness. I used to have to roll back the tone pot a little. Not now. There was a particular high frequency on the stock pickups that I found harshly unpleasant. The Fralins have an ideal (in my opinion) tonal footprint. They sound great clean, and even better with dirt. The low output allows for so many colors just using pick attack. I put a Steel Pole 42 in the bridge. Because the G&L has a bass rolloff pot, it can sound like a regular Strat pickup, or get that fat P90 sound. Every position on the selector is usable, and beautiful. Positions 2 and 4 are especially improved. Tremendous. I now have a guitar that I want to play all the time.
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Well, I still can’t play like SRV, Gilmore, or Knopfler, but these pickups make my Strat sound amazing! Dropped a prewired pickguard into my late 80’s Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster and now it sounds just like I always thought is should. Thanks Lindy, quality work!
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I am so impressed by the sound of this pickups.
I had already purchased the unbuckers before (love them) and wanted to make an hss project. So I called and had the pleasure of talking directly to Lindy, such a wonderful and knowledgeable person. I was recommended the VHs with a pure paf. The VHs came a little under 6k and the pure paf also a little under 8k, they matched perfectly. I did added a coil split, although they recommended me a 7k resistor I found that it sounded very similar to the humbucker and I changed it to a 2.2 resistor like PRS.
All I can say is that my guitar sounds amazing! Articulate, clear, bright enough and balanced.
Chose a 300k pot to make this project and it balanced all the pickups!
Thanks Lindy for such a great customer service and pickups!
I’ll be looking at your tele pickups soon. -
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.
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love them!!
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