Hi. Very cool site. I just stumbled across it surfing. I have already learned a couple things from just browsing around the old posts. I think I’ll hang around. 😀 As a quick intro, I live in Texas, been playing for 15 years, and am a fan of good guitar music, whatever the genre. Lately, all I have been interested in is playing rhythm to old Slayer and Metallica songs. I play mainly my made in USA American Standard Stratocaster (I have replaced the single coils with Seymour Duncan humbucking rails) through a nice, smooth Fender Twin tube amp (with a Boss MT2 Metal Zone up front) . I also have a ESP LTD MH400 that is a very solid guitar. My Jean Larrivee acoustic has a beautiful sound with fresh strings on it, yet lately it just gathers dust.

Warning! In online communities across the web, BopsAlot has been known to post unusually long and detailed rantings and ravings that far exceed community standards of what is considered normal.

Random thoughts…when I recently replaced the original pickups on my 1991 strat, I was blown away with how much the instrument had improved. I was a little worried going into it that I would lose that “twangy” classic tone for blues and rock that you get with the old single coils. I also wondered if non-original equipment would lower the resale value of the guitar if(gulp) I ever sold it. I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how versitile the guitar has become with the new setup. I put a SHR “Hotrails” humbucker at the bridge position. Selecting this pickup and using the MT2 I have finally achieved the metal sound I have been aching for. Yet, without the distortion pedal the sound is so crisp and full, each note resonates much more clearly. I guess you could say there are more Amps in my amp. The SV1 “Vintage rails” pickup in the middle position alleviated any fears about losing the “classic” stratocaster sound. It is the same basic sound, but clearer and more powerful. With full overdrive through the Fender groove tubes the distortion is so smooth. Each note in a chord seems to be given its own space to vibrate. It is like getting a new pair of glasses. I never knew what I was missing. Finally in the neck position, a SCR1 “Cool Rails” is a nice lead pickup. Not as hot as the bridge, but still very punchy. Anyway, if you are still reading, everything is enhanced. Its a better blues guitar. Its a much better rock guitar. It is an ideal metal shredding guitar. In clean mode, it sounds as good as any solid body electric I have ever played. These humbuckers perform. The prohibitively annoying buzz from the second and fourth pickup switch positions is gone. My conclusions: Fender stock pickups are much, much worse than I had ever suspected. So inferior. I always had my suspicions, but… I mean, I played this guitar for 14 years. You develop a relationship with an instrument after that long. You work with it, you mature with it, tweak it, you slowly adjust it to your taste and adjust your playing to its stengths and weaknesses. Finally you get it just how you like it, and in the years to follow you are loathe to change anything. I have it set up just perfectly with the floating bridge low, wedged flush against the body for extra tone and low, fast action. I always just assumed I had a quality unit (wrong), and I had it maxed out for performance. Yet I never was satisfied with the sounds I was getting. I had always thought there was some kind of problem with my amp. I could never get the sound I wanted…it was simply the pickups. 😯 00 well spent. Fender should really consider contracting with someone who knows what they are doing pickups-wise and install these puppies or similar in the factory. I’m sure the actual cost would not be that much more… If you are still reading this you are very patient and attentive. 😀