COMPLETE Pickup & Pickguard Swap Out! (Fender Strat)

[@RobArnoldWorld]

THANKS FOR WATCHING! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, & COMMENT SOMETHING GREAT! 👊 💡Be sure to read this videos description for important links and information! 👆 👇READ MORE!👇 🎧 Like the music in this video? 👉 bit.ly/TheEliteOnKZbin 👕Check out my new T-shirts! 👉 bit.ly/RobArnoldWorldMerchandise 🔴🙏 HUGE thanks and shout out to my Patreon supporters! 👇 THANK YOU 👊 Brian W. Rogers THANK YOU 👊 Mandm Randall THANK YOU 👊 Mike Franco THANK YOU 👊 Alex Legend THANK YOU 👊 Vasilii THANK YOU 👊 Paul Thomas Presley THANK YOU 👊 Terrence and Bob of Mechanization THANK YOU 👊 Olivier Rouleau THANK YOU 👊 JR Tasker THANK YOU 👊 Kevin Smith THANK YOU 👊 Dougy Reid THANK YOU 👊 Anthony Maroni THANK YOU 👊 Steve Martin THANK YOU 👊 Josh Maurer THANK YOU 👊 Todd Irish THANK YOU 👊 Todd Jay THANK YOU 👊 Hervé Franco THANK YOU 👊 Brian Stadden THANK YOU 👊 Philippos Kasotis THANK YOU 👊 Mike H THANK YOU 👊 Роман Козлов THANK YOU 👊 Anthony Best THANK YOU 👊 Rocko Marrufo THANK YOU 👊 Russell D Morrow III THANK YOU 👊 Travis Tutwiler THANK YOU 👊 Dillon Brown THANK YOU 👊 Donnie Yazzie THANK YOU 👊 Gavin Courtney THANK YOU 👊 Marc Laakmann THANK YOU 👊 Thomas Spoor THANK YOU 👊 Ryan Tibbert THANK YOU 👊 Ismael Ocegueda THANK YOU 👊 Jason Sherrington THANK YOU 👊 Luke Knutson THANK YOU 👊 Andrew THANK YOU 👊 Nate Bunnage THANK YOU 👊 walkamong theignorant THANK YOU 👊 Michael Mckee THANK YOU 👊 Thomas Gomez THANK YOU 👊 Chad Bolton THANK YOU 👊 Ingo Deißenroth THANK YOU 👊 Brady Clark THANK YOU 👊 Tim Day THANK YOU 👊 Mohamad Hafiz THANK YOU 👊 Kevin Henderson THANK YOU 👊 Jan Schneemann THANK YOU 👊 Aaron Prentice THANK YOU 👊 Cesar Brena THANK YOU 👊 Kris Hotchkiss THANK YOU 👊 Paul Turnbull THANK YOU 👊 Geovanni Machado THANK YOU 👊 Randy E. And a special thanks to all of my Patreon supporters not mentioned here!🙏

[@angusorvid8840]

The Duncan Invader is one of the all-time metal monster pickups. First time I ever played one in 1986 I thought the amp was going to melt down. Absolutely beast of a pickup.

[@roybenavidez6098]

Now that strat is ready for metal 🤘😆. One pickup ,one volume knob and one hell of a guitar player. Rob rules!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

🤘😝

[@AmericanMe]

Ahhh turning it into the Tom Delong sig strat with the single invader, minus the sea foam green color. Thats sick tho🤘

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Ahh! Another dude mention Tom Delong, and I didn't know what he meant. Now I do!

[@Franciscopbozan]

Another beautiful Tom Delonge style Strato... Epic!! 😍

[@cgbartlett1989]

I'm not a guitarist, but if u upload a video, I always watch it.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

My man!👊

[@SM_8506]

Yes do more videos like these!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Right on!

[@WhiskersJelly]

I probably would have bought a new volume pot. This way you could sell the complete pick guard and recover a few bucks on the upgrade. Or do what I do: Put it in a box "just in case I need it later " and never touch it again. Ha!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

You should see the box of pots I have! Hundreds!

[@Janni_S]

I did a pickup swap on my Fender Strat HSH with two bridge humbuckers from Seymour Duncan black winter and a stacked single in the middle... it's nasty and monstrous 🤘🏽🎸

[@ErikSchultekdrums]

Another banger episode RA! I appreciate your system of doing it to. Especially the tips on testing it before putting it all together.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

🍻

[@fu_doismil]

awesome swap out guys!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Thanks dude!

[@ILLRICARDO]

This is pure awesome!! It's motivated to change my bridge pickup to the Seymour Duncan tb6.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Awesome!

[@metalmaniac]

I put a new input jack in my Dean ML and it's the most nervous iv ever been soldering it in being my 1st bit of maintenence/repair ever. The satisfaction when u plug in and it all works 😁👌

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Hell yeah! Glad you were able to make it happen!🤘

[@kdflhx10]

Old man bmx!🤘 Akron bmx 94-97 ish. Glad to see the use of hand tools only on reassembly. As a mechanic too many people use power tools and strip technical shit out (one of my pet peeves). The soldering could use some work but the guitar playing was impeccable! Great video!

[@deceased66]

I just got back into riding BMX. The iron we were using wasn’t running quite hot enough. I assure you my soldering skills aren’t bad haha.

[@RedCGhost]

One hum is my pickup configuration of choice too! Which I could post a picture of my E-II one hum T-7B.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

You can send a pic on social media!

[@mitchhatz57]

Making it like your ESP guitars? I like that!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

😉🤘

[@MrShadowofthewind]

That is exactly what i'm planning on doing with my mustang, one bridge humbucker, one volume.

[@KaozVirtus]

Really good video Rob! I actually learned something :)

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Awesome Daniel!

[@calumfairweather]

A bit of guitar maintenance DIY work Rob!

[@619dar]

For sure that change of pickup made it sound that much more better for me Rob. Man that was a lot of work that went into changing to the Invader pickup. It gives the guitar a fatter and more bolder sound now I think. I'd a lost my nerve doing that.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

I agree Darren!

[@jedmarsillo]

great video. It's like this old house for guitars. 🤘

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Haha🤘

[@ronaldpalermo6882]

I was eyeing the Jim Root strat but now seeing this should I just mod my strat?? Great video!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Perhaps!

[@toriandicapmond161]

Mod it!

[@toriandicapmond161]

@@arnnoriega2734 hmm.. how did you get a reverse headstock strat? I appreciate reverse headstocks, quite a bit, too. Jacksons!

[@Hanto_san]

Not sure. The jim root is very different. It looks like a strat but nothing inside the guitar is a strat (different wood which change the sound a lot and different shape of neck and body to optimise a "faster" game). But for sure just mod a guitar is an easy way to change a sound to something we prefer.

[@arrakeen20]

The screamin demon from Duncan is pretty metal sounding

[@wce74wce15]

sounds epic

[@fransskully9506]

Awesome vid! i realy like the new sound 🎸 🤟🏼😎🤟🏼

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Cool Frans!🎸

[@The_JustJoshing]

Cool video! I plan on putting some blackouts in my Dean C350F and maybe even hydro dipping it one day

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Everyone says I've got to check out the Blackouts! Hopefully I'll get the chance sometime soon!

[@EVENMETAL]

Another great video Rob. Thanks homie. Looking to upgrade my strat knockoff.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Cool!

[@tonesguitars]

Awesome video, enjoyed it very much, now it’s sounding good and looking great! 👊 ⚡️🤘🎸

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Right on man!

[@roboshuffler555]

ruined with the knob placement

[@donniedollarhidejr.2766]

SD pickups are always a good choice. I recently bought an LTD Phoenix Black Metal with an Fishman Fluence ceramic and begin to dig that tone a lot.

[@AndrewStonerock]

I was hoping he got a duncan black out preamp pot. Those will make passive pickups into active pickups. They are solderless too. You don't need a ground with active pickups. Passive pickups use you as a ground, that's why it's ground to the bridge, which touches the strings. No ground can lead to noise and shocks. Also, when soldering you want shiny solder joints. Dull solder is called a cold joint. They break easier. Or at least that's what I've been told. I've never had a cold joint break.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Great tips!👊

[@AndrewStonerock]

@@RobArnoldWorld gotta keep it 💯

[@Fel1xF7W]

do strats only need one humbucker? i would want to put two on

[@RobArnoldWorld]

To each their own!

[@metalheadofmordor9169]

Great video! 🤘 Hope work on those projects are going smooth. Hear ya soon. P.S. Maybe some more interviews with Mark on his stream, maybe some q&a with Jim, damn. And hows with Andols and his drums?

[@RobArnoldWorld]

🤘 No news on Andols unfortunately.

[@ericwright1985]

Basically he made his own older model Tom Delong Strat. Sounds good though

[@joekil1278]

Sounds good. NILE is using the Invader for their extreme Death Metal in drop A tuning. And I have heard, that even Master Of Puppets was recorded with it back in the days!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Cool!!

[@TheFlarry1]

Sounds exactly like my Mexican strat!! Say, any update on the drum kit delivery to NC and Andols getting back behind the kit?? 🤘🤘

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Cool! Unfortunately, there's no good news on the Andols front.

[@taylorwyatt333]

I'm thinking about switching from EMG's to Fishman in my Jackson Kelly, but I'm a little gun shy because I don't know to do it or how much work I'd be signing myself up for.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

A Kelly! NICE! You don't see those too often nowadays! But here's the thing man, I'm sure there are a bunch of quality tutorials here on youtube that could show you exactly how to go from emg's to fishman's. Search around and lemme know! I'm curious!

[@deceased66]

Before you go and completely switch brands, really look at EMGs site. They have a lot of different pickups for different sounds out there. I just swapped the pickups from the blue ESP viper(the one in the video) to the EMG Fat 55 set. I’m very happy with them.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

@@deceased66 Watcha gonna do with the old set of 81's? Perhaps someone would want them?😉 Holla if you do!

[@deceased66]

I think they would look and sound great in someone else’s guitar! Open to offers! ;)

[@bjstein4242]

Rob, just reviewing this one.. that "tinny" sound remains but does give you the grit you are looking for.. the bridge is most likely at fault.. changing saddles to block type and adding a brass block would help a lot.. its not the bolt on as many bolt ons RIP.. also.. the soldering gun needed to be a slight bit hotter for sure.. lol.. rock on .. !!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Good tips man! Cheers🎸

[@johnnysguitarcorner5510]

Great job, nice tech work. Rob going passive, what is happening? Haha sometimes you have to change it up.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Thanks! I'm still an EMG 81 dude though through and through!

[@johnnysguitarcorner5510]

@@RobArnoldWorld for me the 81 was "the" pickup for many years, especially in the bridge position. Until recently I discovered the Fishman fluence line. Normally I am not into "trends" and "hypes" but man I was really floored by the KSE set I put, just to try out, in one of my guitars. From then on I tried moderns, Willie Adlers, Tosins and singles and I was blown away. What is really astonishing about these pickups is also the consistency. I had a couple of occasions where the 81 just sounded harsh and a bit trebly to my taste. So with other pickups there are al kinds of variables in play (windings, wire types etcetera). The Fishmans are so unbelievable consistent. Every set from the same type sounds excactly the same. I think it is that technology that creates a huge consistency.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

@@johnnysguitarcorner5510 I'm going to give the Fishman's a try!

[@johnnysguitarcorner5510]

@@RobArnoldWorld you will not be dissapointed, awesome hellyeah

[@RobArnoldWorld]

@@johnnysguitarcorner5510 Question- I looked at them briefly on Sweetwater last night. With the KSE ones, how do you switch between the three different modes? And it also appears, at least on Sweetwater, that they almost all come in sets of two, and neither are marked as neck or bridge. Does this mean they're meant for either position?

[@parsashamshiri1733]

Hey man do you think its possible to do this to any sss strat? If you change the pickguard ive found a strat i really like and and i wish to this

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Sure! Why not?!

[@Cycopace]

ouf! for a moment, I thought you were modding one of your precious ESP's....🤘🏻

[@WhiskersJelly]

I had the same thought

[@cazareza]

Why Invader? for me SH-8 is too muddy, for next you must tryin' with Seymour Duncan SH-6 Distortion with Sprague orange drop capacitor.

[@deceased66]

This is a pickup I had laying around from another guitar. I’m a very casual player and didn’t want to invest in another pickup. If I was buying a new pickup I would have tried something new.

[@mitchhatz57]

The only thing is the volume pot is a little close. Dont you think?

[@RobArnoldWorld]

In my opinion yes! But that's the standard placement on all Strats.

[@tonymont72]

@@RobArnoldWorld - Or when ordering a pickguard from Warmoth, you can specify a "Volume 1 Delonge Mod (Replaces Volume 1)". This moves the volume to a more desirable position.

[@blkmarinewolf]

I have a squier bullet that I want to do this to

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Go for it bro! Hopefully this video can help you along the way!

[@jacksonrobbins2288]

Question - I felt like there was a significant drop in sound quality between Resurrection and The Infection, and kinda guessed it was due to the Record Label cutting your recording budget. I always felt that if the album had been recorded at the same time as Resurrection (same gear, tones, mastering etc.) it would have hit way harder. Was there any actual reason for it? Technical or otherwise, or was it just the natural progression of the sound.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

That's just simply an opinion, and therefor I can't offer an explanation. There were no recording budgets cut, and an equal amount of effort and passion went into making The Infection. Stylistically our sound changed, and so maybe that's the difference you're hearing.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

@@jakeburgessdrums Gotcha!

[@Paul-lj3qw]

Why wouldn’t you use a a new 500k pot ?

[@oldmantod]

GEEEEOOOORGE!!!!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Ha!

[@bozeeke]

The only problem I have with this mod is that it should still have some type of neck pick up whether you're going dual humbucker or a single coil in the neck w no middle pickup. The Eddie Van Halen one pick up only guitar is kinda played out.

[@deceased66]

I’m sorry this mod wasn’t exactly to your liking. I believe the point of the video was for us to show that a strat can be modded to your personal liking. We hope people were able to take something away from a fun time we had working on one of my guitars.

[@bozeeke]

@@deceased66 no need to say sorry. Not everyone's gonna like every mod project

[@mitchhatz57]

I would have cut them also. Probably will never use that old Fender pickguard and setup again.

[@puredisgust]

An emg 81 woulda been sick.... js

[@coldpresence1733]

9/10 How it works in drop C

[@kissakmira]

superstrat

[@RomanDido]

"Threeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Haha🤘😝

[@OfMasses]

Tom DeLonge intensifies

[@RobArnoldWorld]

What do you mean?

[@OfMasses]

Tom (Blink182) used a single Invader loaded Strat back in the day, so my mind just associates this set up with him. I was half expecting you to bust out some Blink too!

[@RobArnoldWorld]

@@OfMasses Ahh makes sense now! "Work sucks.... I know". 🤘🤣

[@OfMasses]

Petition for a Blink182 cover now with the strat? 🤣

[@guitarste]

That volume knob needs moving 🙈

[@RobArnoldWorld]

I personally agree! But that appears to be the standard position on strats.

[@tonymont72]

When ordering a pickguard from Warmoth, you can specify a "Volume 1 Delonge Mod (Replaces Volume 1)". This moves the volume to a more desirable position.

[@illuddivinus3309]

What pot though? That’s 90% of the swap. OK people, before you go swapping pickups or ditching tone, please match the volume pots to your pickup of choice based on your playing.

[@RobArnoldWorld]

Good tip! A couple weeks later, we ended up switching to a 500k pot on this guitar. Turns out it made zero difference in my opinion. I was expecting something significant!

[@illuddivinus3309]

@@RobArnoldWorld Yeah I guess that would also depend on how players set their pick-up too. Like raising and playing high on the bridge, which will require a tighter and more resonant pot like a 500k. Low-value Pots like (250K) tend to sound warmer due to less resistance and usually do well with Fenders depending on the bridge. However like you, I usually go high-value pots like a (500K) since they sound brighter with stronger resistors. It’s perfect since that Invader runs hot af.

[@deceased66]

Yea like Rob said I did in fact swap that pot out for 500k. Very little sound difference was noted but I’m glad I did it because most people recommend a 500k with a humbucker.

[@47ravenlord]

Soldering......ffs, watch a few videos on it, please, lmao.

[@wce74wce15]

who cares, they never said they were experts. good effort. not everyones an expert like you KarenLawd.

[@47ravenlord]

@wce74wce15 there is being an expert and not knowing how to solder whatsoever....this is the latter. Why not research the basics before trying?

[@wce74wce15]

@@47ravenlord why not go hang out with your master wanka soldering fiends channel?