Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's vs Custom '69 Pickups

[@TerryMasri]

Exquisite intro essay!

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Thanks for noticing. I was considering cutting out the intro essays for future videos, so it's good to know some people like them.

[@TerryMasri]

It's genuine and brilliantly done. Why quit?!

[@ES295]

Im into the 69s - thanks for taking the time to compare - very helpful.

[@fugabe]

After trying sooooo many different sets over 4 or 5 months, I ordered Fat 50s and they are nothing short of perfection. The perfect representation of a classic "Fender Stratocaster" tone to me. They also keep their character intact if you are playing through a lot of pedals. LOVE them.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

BB they definitely have the classic sound. I have one of the American vintage reissue 56 strats and the fat 50's are a bit punchier but otherwise very comparable.

[@robertclarkguitar]

Videos such as this have given me a deeper appreciation for the blues and rock in their infancy and beyond. I've always loved pink floyd. Gilmour was and is my favorite. However I can listen to this dude all day.

[@ramencurry6672]

Fat 50s are great. It seems like every time there’s a comparison, the Fat 50s are usually not chosen on the internet. Could be because they’re so common and so easy to find.

[@danielkelleyhoward]

69s sound amazing, more consistent tone throughout the range of the guitar and more consistent volume. I did like the bridge on the 50s though

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Daniel Kelley Howard yeah they are really sweet pickups.

[@ramencurry6672]

The 69s lean towards Hendrix while the Fat 50s is sort of more Jeff Beck direction.

[@sneaky_general]

Those Fat 50s just sound so sweet. I played them through a 65 Deluxe Reverb RI and they were perfect to my ears.

[@jacoblopez6075]

This is my favorite demo video I have ever seen lol. Great Job.

[@hgostos]

Excellent. I have a set of 69s and I am very pleased with the result

[@telecasterbear]

My 2013 american standard came with the stock fat 50s and i really like them.

[@simonpatrickgabriel]

Thank you very much for your video and comparison. Really enjoy your style of voice over too!

[@mgumodena]

Well, after many, many videos I’m finally decided thanks to you: it’s a ‘69 I want! Great sound and awesome playing, love your style. And kudos for the intro.

[@ricoamordavila7496]

69s are awesome Never regretted buying them

[@surfer5072]

Thank you for your efforts on a very good demonstration of sounds. Well planned and executed and no doubt much effort. My personal taste is '69 in pickups and wish I was back there again in 1969 with the knowledge I have now... oh well....

[@michael_caz_nyc]

69's more Balanced throughout the entire tonal range. I'd do neck & middle - 69's and bridge fat 50's.

[@shred5]

Normally people go for a louder bridge so they balance with the neck and middle better.

[@ryanzaborowski2215]

Great demo. Haunting voice over at the beginning. You should do audiobooks.

[@DanBlake3rd]

Very nice comparison. My 2012 American Standard Strat came with Fat 50s. Not sure about other years, but it’s a superbly made guitar.

[@theguitarelectric5218]

I have them both. The fat 50's tone has seemed to change over time. I am really liking the 69's, very punchy in the mids, smooth too. Nice demo. The Strat is such an iconic instrument, often copied but never truly duplicated.

[@TP-xe2hi]

Great videos...I just subscribed! I have CS hand wound reverseP fat 50 in middle and handwound CS 69 in the neck in my custom team built reissue 64 relic strat! I do find myself playing middle position a lot more now than my other strat with am std pickups! My bridge pickup is SD custom/hybrid with a coil tap...absolutely the best trio of pickups I've ever played! Thanks

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

TP91711 that sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[@earlycuyler8719]

One thing to consider is that the 69s sound better with rose wood and when you play them loud through a black or silver face they sound good with the tone rolled off a little. The 50s are more of the type that likes to be played with a stronger pick attack and they love a tube screamer. It's like lenny vs number one, you can't get everything from one guitar, therefore they are equal in their own place.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Clowers Hiball good call

[@guitarforudude]

Another thing to consider: tonewood is a myth.

[@earlycuyler8719]

guitarforumdude so is Bigfoot but some people believe lol! Wood tone matters less with hotter pickups and sometimes we players hear things the crowd would never hear so it becomes moot. However the one exception is the fretboard wood, it really makes a difference in the pickup attack or how subtle they can be. Maple is brighter and therefore responds to chicken picking type things. I think the wood and pickups are a starting point, the magic happens in your hands. Sometimes I pick lightly holding the pick like Albert Lee between the tips of the thumb and finger and sometimes I hold it tight between the tip of the thumb and first knuckle of the finger and really hit the strings like srv. And I do all this while hunting Bigfoot!!!

[@brianf.9130]

You add a bass, drums, keys and a singer to the mix and the slight difference between tone woods goes right out the window. And in regards to the chicken pickin comment: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5iVn3iqr9V7gLM Sounds pretty bright and snappy to me.

[@manifestgtr]

Sound better with rosewood. How did you come to that conclusion? My pickups tend to sound like my pickups regardless of the neck I have on there haha

[@Em_Dee_Aitch]

NECK: Custom '69 MIDDLE: Fat 50s BRIDGE: Texas Special

[@riverviewvineyard1143]

Installed Fat 50's in the present build I'm working on, before seeing or should I say hearing this video, I now feel comfortable about my choice,

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Riverview Vineyard they're great pickups. I'm sing that pink guitar a lot currently.

[@linkinparkmania1]

Fat 50's neck, Custom '69 middle and whatever you like in the bridge is a great combo.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

ricardo zapata that would be a cool combo. I like the fat 50's bridge quite well. Not too "bitey."

[@TP-xe2hi]

Would have to try that some day. I have CS hand wound reverseP fat 50 in middle and handwound CS 69 in the neck. I do find myself playing middle position a lot more now than my other strat with am std pickups! My bridge pickup is SD custom/hybrid with a coil tap...absolutely the best trio of pickups I've ever played!

[@Texasbluestunes]

Fuuu@k yeah! My 95’ AmStd strat pickups were the most lifeless and characterless pups I’ve ever heard. TX specials were too hot, etc. the 69’s are in to stay! Thanks for the vid!

[@Theweeze100]

Great demo, thanks for taking the time to give us some backstory. I am presently in a quandary regarding strat pickups. I just pulled the 70s style pick ups out of my SQ 1983 made in Japan Squire. Three bolt neck, it has all the classic 70s Mojo going on. I bought a set of Seymour Duncan Custom shop pups from a friend of mine, they were purchased back in 2007 and had only been installed once for a brief period. Both sets of pick up sounds great, they just don’t work for the same stuff. It’s as if I purchased pick up sets from one decade, and put them in a guitar meant for another decade. Will have to see how they sound live, as what sounds good in my practice room rarely sounds the same with a full band. I think the bottom line is that I will need to have three different configurations depending on the gig. Not sure if anyone else out there runs into this problem.

[@llwonder]

Nice tone king. Cool back story. Thanks. Great playing too

[@hermannmaier0]

to me, 69's have greater dimension, more attack/sensitivity dynamic to sound.

[@jakefit2013]

They certainly seem to punch the kids a little better.

[@jakefit2013]

+John Swan hahaha. Obviously that was supposed to say "mids."

[@hermannmaier0]

+John Swan I figured you were using a metaphor for "having more sack" to them, or more "kick to the nuts". Thats one's "mids/kids" too. Even by accident,....a great metaphor is born.

[@michaelpham5146]

Nice! I laughed out loud pretty hard when I read this. Funny typo :)

[@unabonger777]

more dynamics, but less output

[@juanbomberg9628]

Man i looked so long for a good comparisment on those two pickups, wanted to go with the 69s first but now that i've heard both i have to say that the fat 50 catch me a bit more. Thank you so much

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Juan Bomberg no worries. There’s another comparison video on my channel somewhere that adds Texas specials to the mix.

[@sixfoursoul2538]

I likes the 69s curious how it sounds if you roll off the middle tone knnob, becuase if you can get the the little warmer sound of the 69's like you can with the 50, I'm all in for 69's.

[@adenval7]

i cant decide which pickups, i guess I'll just have to pick some and never know if i picked the right ones cuz I'm going to keep changing out pickups over and over.

[@JVMyers]

Thank you. I can tell you put a lot of work into the video. I have a pair of stratocasters; one with fat 50s, and the other with 65 gray bottoms. I lean toward the 60s, but 50s sound better in the 2 and 4 positions when playing clean. 60s edge out on position 1 and 5 with a little dirt.

[@Jordan-rb28]

I just realized the intro song lol

[@jerryarm4160]

Yeah, ditto.

[@hellypalli]

So what your saying is you make all guitars sound good? I agree

[@gearoftones8585]

The last 2 minutes illustrates the difference will. The Fat 50s just have so much more honk. Whether you like that or not is a personal thing but I think it sounds great.

[@leftymadrid]

Great! Nice to see another lefty :-) I think the 69's sound excellent, to my ears... It's crazy how many Stratocaster guitars there are out there, and everyone sounds different. So in my humble opinion it is a fantabulous & a wonderful feeling when after playing for many years one finds his preferred Stratocaster sound, I can tell you it is NOT an easy task! And what's surprising is that some single coil pickups that are not expensive, or well known can be the biggest mistake, OR be a miracle in your Stratocaster!

[@BadMofoMusicCritic]

69s seem to have a little extra sparkle. Think I'll go with those and something else in the bridge - ssl5 or fs1. Thanks for a great video

[@AlejandroAntonioGonzalezYañez]

Someone can explain me how to know the difference 😅 I know that I want a very classic strato sound and it’s in my head but I get confused with the 3 positions and can’t identify witch is for me.. help!

[@briantinsley7864]

Follow up, are those the 69's wound by Abbigail and certified ? It's an older review. Abbigail retired in 2013 so it's hard to know exactly what you'll end up with. As mentioned, I have tried a ton of pickups, and have all the tone I want, but split between several guitars. I ended up with sounds I wanted in guitars I didn't expect by accident ! My Epiphone Les Paul from the 80's has a really old Duncan APH-1 that when split, sounds like the best strat neck pickup I've ever heard. Go figure

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

I’m not sure. They just came from Fender as a set. I have a set of custom shop el-diablo pickups that are the only ones I could compare to the 69’s.

[@BillDutton]

Well done! I'm leaning towards the Fat 50's to replace the stock Fender p'ups on my 2014 American Standard Strat.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Thanks Bill. I might be wrong, but I think the 2014s might have come standard with fat 50's.

[@BillDutton]

Well I just did a quick bit of research and they sure did! Maybe this explains dragging my feet because the guitar sounds so good...a sure sign to leave well enough alone.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

+Bill Dutton good stuff. I think that was how I first heard the fat 50's. You can always play with the height adjustments a little to tune the sound.

[@jharmon1071]

Botg sound good . the 69s sound more vintage than the fat 50s . the big difference is no reverse wound middle pickup in the 69s , so lots of buzz and no sweet 2 and 4 position.. Tough choice but good tone with either of these pickups. Nice video man! Thank you !

[@williamseling7957]

Great comparison. Definetly the 69 in the neck, that fat 50 in the bridge though, wow, very distinct strat tone. I just hate messin with pickups....to me....tone comes from your hands and your amp....that's just me though. A good blues junior, champ, and a strat, doesn't matter

[@markmacalik9693]

were the heights of the pickup or distance from the strings the same?

[@recklessrocker1096]

I really like both but lean toward the ‘69 pups. The middle position actually sounds quite good too which is unusual.

[@froosh4561]

please help me, i want more bass and body on my strat (maple neck) and less mids with good high end, which pickups are the best for me, i'm actually using a JTM 45 on my modeler. Nice video bro

[@melvynrutterreedbeds]

nice & easy info, straight to the point, like this review style lots, thank you

[@MattWhatsGoinOn]

Maybe slightly more top end clarity with the 69's - which is especially good for the 2 and 4 positions - but so close that I might base my decision on the 50's having a rw/rp middle pu. Depends on which is more important to you.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

MattWhatsGoinOn they are pretty close

[@gearoftones8585]

Do the 69s not have a reverse wound pickup in the middle?

[@briantinsley7864]

I'll make it easy, keep the 69s. In many demos, I don't hear much difference, but I have 45 strats and have tried many pickups, and currently use Dimarzio Injectors with a Duncan Custom Hybrid that I put a roughcast Alnico 2 in. It's all noiseless, and works well for all around stuff, but the Injectors don't sound "fender enough." I'm taking another strat and making it sound like a strat, and not a "does everything" guitar. Your 50s sound a bit like the noisless hot vintage 50s I have in another pickguard (with an EC Boost) but sound better, more quack, but not quite as full (boost off.). A pickup winder I know says to get the best strat sound, do not use the RWRP middle. Thats what I listened for in the 2 and 4 positions on the 69s: quackiness. They sounded full bodied, and passed the test, and I liked their sound. I'll keep this review in mind, but next in line is a Suhr Michael Landau (ML) because every time I hear one in the neck, I love it. The hum cancelling is nice, but I use my volume knob much more than I used to, and sometimes the original design is better.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

I think there’s a suhr ML review somewhere on the channel.

[@ariannagiorgione8283]

This is the reason why you cant just have one strat !

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Arianna Giorgione pretty much.

[@BasicCoverMan]

I was searching for this comparison because I've seen two guitars available loaded with each set. I've come to the sad realisation I need to get both of them

[@Germinalx]

I am interested to find the “69s have a power rating of 1 and the FFs 5!

[@mishasumi6827]

To me, the 69's have more body or depth to the sound. Where as the fat 50's are more jangly and bell-tone like.

[@shred5]

I never really liked the Fat 50s very much. It's not that they sound downright awful (although I do prefer the 60s pickups sound), it's just the staggered pole pieces give absolutely horrible string to string balance, even on a 7.25" radius neck.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

shred5 yeah there is some volume variability there for sure.

[@jessd1952]

I thought so to when I first bought my strat with fat fifties. I eventually set my pick-ups flush with the pickguard and that is where they are staying. The quackiest strat I've heard.

[@jeffreytunning8852]

Fix those pole pieces yourself man! I can attest to the awfulness that staggered poles give. Darrell Braun has a fantastic video teaching how to fix them yourself, I've done it

[@MrEpic-lf4gn]

shred5 Fat 50s, 69s, Texas Special - they all have the same staggered pole pieces.

[@MrEpic-lf4gn]

@@jeffreytunning8852 I don't know who Darrell Brown is. I have a Fat50 set and a Texas Special set. There was a problem and I solved it as follows - I took a hammer and hammered the pole pieces of the 3rd and 4th strings deeper.

[@cdane7]

Great video and stellar playing! Can you tell me what kind of pickups came stock on 2010 MIA Standard Strat?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Christopher SheffieldChristopher Sheffield I think they were just called American standard pickups at the time. I believe they went to fat 50's around 2013 or 2014. I think the red guitar here is from the 90's - they weren't that bad - I have a 2011 American standard that sounded a little lifeless. I put Texas specials in and that fixed it. Apparently changing the wiring schematic to the old-school one also brightens them up a bit.

[@mojogearfx]

Do you changed the capacitor with smaller value or something else to give it more brightness? I like the 69's very much! Just purchase one set:) I'm after this mid scooped sound( John Mayer) Right now I'm using tonerider surfari and they are very good, but I', aiming at different tone.

[@robertromero9488]

Would this work?Bridge: ssl-5 (Seymour duncan SD)Mid: RWRP Fat 50s OR rwrp ssl-1(SD)Neck: cs 69I want rwrp in middle for hum cancelling in position 2 and 4.

[@michaelcraig9449]

Thanks for using the JTM-45!

[@RTGuitar10]

What a beautiful, great, exceptional text!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fender should pay you to use it!!!!!!!!!

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Haha. Thanks. I do more writing than guitar playing these days.

[@timwilliams8192]

Do the 69 custom pickups buzz when you turn the volume up

[@rydes68]

Fat 50's, said it before in your other comparison video (which was also excellent as well). The question is, your wife lets you have all that gear in the living room!?!

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

rydes68 good question. I've been politely asked to put a lot of it up for sale recently.

[@diegovillacreses7071]

@@foxxygearreviews7754 don't let them go men! Strats are for life

[@kswannie]

Great video and lovely playing - love your note choice and phrasing. The '69s sound great with fuzz, while the fat 50s are all-round warmer in every position. I have an American Standard w/- Fat 50s and very happy with it. What do you think about the mid-boost Clapton circuits?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

kswannie thanks man - yeah those circuits look like they'd be quite handy - his is a passive mid boost I believe which apparently is somehow controversial because it's really a mid-cut or something. I picked up an anderson raven that has a similar circuit and I can attest to its usefulness.

[@hollywoodteo]

Great video!! the 69 are beautiful What's the name of the song that you play in the intro?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Matteo it's kind of that Gotye song - Somebody that I used to Know

[@mr.purple250]

69 neck 50s mid ssl5 bridge

[@stepheno889]

69 neck, tv 65 middle, ts bridge❤

[@Julianjahbless]

Can I buy lefty fat 50's?? I'm also left handed

[@77Kaczoszka77]

Very good review, thank you for posting it.

[@jakeah1175]

Cool voice, enjoyed this a lot

[@O_Towne_Bear]

Having just picked up my first Strat and looking into p/ups: I can hear things I like (love) in both sets which leads to consider buying another one that I can have both the 60s and Fat 50s.

[@willem9688]

I bought the 69's about 2 years ago after doing a lot of research, but they're still in the box. I just really like the stock ones that came with my 3t sb rw 2003 American Series that I bought new in 2004. I really love that guitar, it's a beautiful instrument. ☺

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Willem welcome to the guitar part acquisition disease. I started with a set of pickups and then thought “I should build something to put these in.” But then that came with pickups too - and it just kind of snowballed.

[@willem9688]

Foxxy Gear Reviews I've been quite familiar with the GAS for a while now haha It's great! But this Strat means a lot more to me than the other stuff, I will never sell or trade it. I'll pass it on to my son, that's the only way I'm willing to part with it ☺ Thanks for the great upload!

[@diederikmuld3r]

@@willem9688 Hi Willem, are you from Holland and still didn't got them out of the box? I am interested if you want to sell them. ;)

[@willem9688]

Diederik Mulder Hoi Diederik, ik heb ze inmiddels geïnstalleerd. Had dat veel eerder moeten doen, ze klinken erg goed.

[@robertclarkguitar]

Lovely intro. And great video. Thank you. You've caught the element perfectly to me

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Robert Clark thanks!

[@robertclarkguitar]

Foxxy Gear Reviews thank you sir..Awaiting my first strat. Delivers today. Special edition looks like the gilmour. MIM. Stoked. Love the video. Every element. Please make plenty more!

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Robert Clark will do. Enjoy that Strat!

[@robertclarkguitar]

Foxxy Gear Reviews man. I'm in love. My first real guitar actually. All these years as a drummer and keys. I gave my son the attention and gear over the years. Many times I secretly wished I could keep a few. Lol. Well decided it was my turn. Lol. Going to learn now. I uploaded several under my name here of my new adventure. Lol

[@subzero308]

I'm putting the 69s in my lefty strat...

[@mikepj1025]

69s in every way to my ears. They have all the strat tone you could ever want. I have 57/62s on one Strat, Tex Mex on another Strat and just recently put these Custom 69s in my 3rd Strat. The 69’s have become my go to but all 3 have there places and are not going anywhere.

[@einsteincreative]

Glad to see someone using a bad cat. This helps more for me now since I use a Hot Cat and can’t decide which pop either.

[@manchicheng23]

What song is that in the beginning?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Universal Liberty just kind of riffing on “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye.

[@manchicheng23]

Thanks, I think the song sounds better on the Strat than the singer!

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Universal Liberty haha. Can’t go wrong with a strat.

[@gabovalin666]

Good Video. Im like so miuch your demos and your super gear. What tubes use in your Fender Vibrolux? I have the same fender custom vibrolux, i change new tube tungsol, but this tubes make a bad noise. I sent to ingeniering tech. :(

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

gabovalin666 thanks man. I think it just has standard groove tubes

[@gabovalin666]

@@foxxygearreviews7754 I hope the problem is solved with a BIAS setting or the circuit. I also just bought a MESA / Boogie MKV: 35. What cabinet 4x12" do you recommend, the marshall or the MESA?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

gabovalin666 I guess it depends on how you use the amp - Marshall generally sound higher in the Mids and Mesa are a bit more scooped. The mark v can sound like either. I have a 90 watt mark v going into a Mesa single cabinet I believe. It’s a pretty good sounding setup. Very versatile.

[@nikolastanic2999]

are 69 hum canceling in 2 & 4 position? nice demo btw

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Technically I don’t think they’re supposed to be because they don’t have the reverse wound middle pickup

[@nikolastanic2999]

thanks very much for the info!

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

69 in neck and a fat 50s in the mid. That's what I got in a strat i have. Bridge is a Maxon Greco pickup. Pickups work well together ☺

[@mojorisin3717]

How do you buy individual pickups? I want a 69 on the neck and a 54 on the Middle but Im not willing to pay for 2 full sets just for 1 pickup

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

MojoRisin' I bought 2 secondhand. The neck sounded like the perfect pickup for the neck and the middle was too bright and sharp sounding. I sold it to my girlfriend and found a rw/rp Fender fat 50s secondhand. And sounded much nicer. Bit more fat on bones ☺ Since that post I changed the bridge to a Tonerider alnico 5/3 mix magnet pickup ☺ can't remember the exact name but it sounds very good in the bridge. You can buy the set and sell the others individually. You can sell them for the same price secondhand as people want just one.

[@LevonsWound]

awesome video, i have both fat 50's and 69's installed on two strats. i really enjoy both, however the set of fat 50's is my favorite due to the crisp sharp highs, im not sure if you can get a more true fender sound outside of the fat 50's. the 69's sound great, and as advertised they sound very woodstock, for the youngsters as a reference listen to the woodstock album, if you like that sound these are the pickups for you.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Agreed - I just built another strat with fat 50's. I think I like the 2 and 4 position on the 69's a little more and the 1,3&5 on the fat 50's more.

[@LevonsWound]

Also agree, I forgot to mention that my favorite positions with the fat 50's are 4 and 2, 4 being my overall favorite. I was planning on installing seymour duncan humbuckers for a metal sound but after hearing the sound of the fat 50's it made me a huge fan of the classic fender sound. This revelation came after playing les pauls for nearly 40 years, i wish i had learned sooner. Thanks again for taking the time to make this video, I subscribed and look forward to checking out your other videos.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

+LevonsWound thanks for the support man - if there are any specific videos you want to see just let me know. If I have the gear I'll do it.

[@lauralara3104]

Bro ,amazing tone what about hum with the cs69?????????

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

It’s barely noticeable to be honest.

[@raptorperegrine]

What would you recomend me for a squier afinity strat. Specially for the bridge.

[@nickrook5519]

Diego Barba 69s

[@ces69]

Diego Barba I’ve got Fender Tex-Mex in mine with a “Loller base plate” added to the bridge, (gives it a Tele type bite) with 250k CTS pots, really sings!

[@onemoregod]

Thanks... 69 neck, Tex mex middle, ssl5 bridge.

[@Ragnar-Viking]

Looping demo or pickup demo ??

[@kenaiello4851]

whats the 50's set up height at? MM?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Good question - I'm trying to figure out what I had them set at in this video - I've changed them since. Of all my pickups for some reason these ones need to be set lower to avoid killing sustain. I tend to just play around with them until they sound "right" to my ear.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

+pedalnsquares oh - I just meant that I'm always adjusting pickup heights - pretty much any time I change strings I adjust them to balance them.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

+pedalnsquares there's a good premiere guitar article about pickup heights on a strat - I generally start with their starting position and then adjust to my ear. With the fat 50's I think I take the middle pickup down by about a mm (so 2.0 high E 2.5 low) and the neck by even more (1.5 high 2.0 low).

[@kenaiello4851]

I found that 3 mm bass and 2 mm treb side works decent

[@philbustard]

Great review!

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

+Philip Bustard thanks phil - we'll need to do a "phillesode" soon.

[@cdane7]

Thanks for responding. I have a 2010 A.S that was actually given to me as a gift a couple years ago. Nice gift! Mostly being an acoustic player I haven't played it much till recently and now I'm really getting into it. Ordered a Peavy Classic 30 to play it through cause my old solid state is lacking. Hoping the tubes will bring it to life but as of now i'm not too thrilled with the middle and particulary the bridge pickup. Sounds thin and as you said a bit lifeless but again hoping its just the amp i'm using. However I really like the sound of the 2nd position a lot. If it turns out I decide I want new pickups which ones would you suggest to thicken up the bridge without losing that quack in the second possession? I can't tell which sound better on your video they both sound amazing! Help if you can, Thanks.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Christopher Sheffield I did another video a little after this one that might give you a bit more info - there are Texas specials on the next one - they might be closest to what you're talking about. Really can't go wrong though.

[@ces69]

Christopher Sheffield If you want to “thicken up” the bridge have you thought about adding a “base plate” to it? I’ve got a Loller base plate fitted to my Tex-Mex bridge pickup, made all the difference! It’s a cheap and easy option to try and may just give you what you are looking for!

[@Caliscris]

Is that "Dogs" backing track?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

I think I meant for it to be that Gotye song

[@jamieb7799]

Much appreciate the comparison

[@jgmedina]

Differences between am standar pickups pre 2012 and these cs fat 50s?

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

jgmedina i didn't care a whole lot for the American standard pickups from 2009 until they changed to fat 50's. I can't put my finger on it but they sounded a little flat compared to the really dynamic fat 50's

[@nyalarhotep]

I think these pickups are actually much more similar than your vid shows. In your vid, `69s sound much louder, which shouldnt be the case given their somewhat lower output. My guess is that the pups are set closer to the strings on your red strat.

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

nyalarhotep it could be though I generally set them all up the same. I wonder if the microphone is more sensitive to midrange. The 69’s definitely have stronger mids than the fat 50’s.

[@nyalarhotep]

That should be the case only for middle pickup position, according to output EQ that Fender provides on the package. 69`s are the same pickups in every position, sligthly scooped mids, 5-4-5. Fat 50`s output should be; bridge: 7-5-5 middle: 5-3-5 neck:- 6-5-5

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

nyalarhotep you might be hearing a difference in the pots as well - there are a few unknowables I guess. I will say I have a couple guitars with fat 50’s that all sound very close to one another. Who knows? There’s a second video somewhere where I added Texas specials to the mix and a different fat 50’s guitar but you’ll hear about the same sound.

[@nyalarhotep]

Wow... Texas specials should be a whole different animal... I wouldnt be surprised if all this time everyone was placebo-ing around the tone difference, with output being only real variable :)) And guys in Fender have a really good laugh :)

[@lousekoya1803]

Thanks for the video ! For me , the 69's had more manhood mojo !!

[@sgtmac62]

Great review and demo. Just as i was gonna replace my Fatties for a more fender-ee 1962 "sound". Big Fat(lol) Nope! The sounds are perfect for me. The '69 seems a bit more of a clean Jazz sound. Very glassy. Not bad at all. Just not me. Thx Fox.

[@CristiNeagu]

That '69 neck pickup is incredible.

[@manchicheng23]

I think 69 sounds better on the neck and Fat 50s sounds better on the middle. Greg Fessler Master builder has this pickup set. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYWrZ2V3ds-Ki5I

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Universal Liberty sweet. I have a soft spot for those gold sparkle stratocasters.

[@FernandoFrancaN]

You are Eric Clapton clon in 86.

[@nbfam1312]

It was a weird phase. Sadly, I’m fatter now.

[@deepsouthakronallstars-hoo8207]

Having tried them all, I went with '59 RI in a maple neck / alder body ....ROUNDER...The CS 69 were a big disappointment (so much for the Abby thing) I use Robt Cray CS in a rosewood neck ash body "Mary Kaye" duplicate......need nothing between those two....these videos can never be a live situation sound........

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

HOODOO YA LOVE funny - a lot likely depends on the type of music you play. I find myself gravitating towards the 69s more than anything else because of the mid range that cuts through the mix a bit better. Lately though, I've been playing an AVRI 56 almost exclusively. The pickups are thin sounding but somehow very nice. The bridge pickup doesn't bite either so I use it quite a bit.

[@joebubbit]

Have you tested the 57/62's?

[@PegasusVDK]

Nice comparison👌Very complete... I love FAT 50 ⭐

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Pegasus VanDerKlyne thanks!

[@parlance.electricco]

Fat 60s are my fave.

[@TheGreekPhysique]

I like them both, so I need 2 Strats 😜

[@User-ew6cs]

2:19 3:01 3:31 4:20

[@ayidn.h]

Hands down Custom Shop Fat '50s!!! Its Alive!!! No kidding

[@lukespataro6204]

Finally!! Another lefty!!

[@Martin_Coyote]

More twang on fat 50's.. for me, i prefer that oldie and pure sound Fender

[@12166971]

Mine 50 Neck and Middle, 69 Bridge. Maple neck . Heavy relic . Keep till the day I .... . Thanks for your Video .

[@stepheno889]

You kidding, 69 bridge😮

[@curtrod]

69s fo sho good playing tasty licks

[@jtm45stratman69]

nice to hear some aussie music up hear