How to Make Your Cheap Strat Sound Like a FENDER | Amazon Loaded (prewired) Pickguard Review & Demo

[@vince8081]

One super important thing about HSS strats (that always have 500k pots), you have to connect a 470K resistance from the neck pickup tip of the selector switch to the volume ground, and another 470K resistance from the middle pickup tip of the selector switch to the volume ground. Now the 2 single coils sees the 500k volume pot for a 250k one. The 2 single coils sounds too bright and harsh if you don't make that modification (that only cost less than 1 dollar).

[@deadbang241]

Game changer !! Wow !! Installed new loaded pick guards on my Tagima strats and they not only brought them to a new life visually but in audio also !! One has the SSS Alnico , the other has the HSS hot rails , for an additional 2 0 dollars , money well spent, both times ! If there was only a way to make all the screw holes line up these loaded pick guards would be a product from heaven ! Thanks for the tip. AWESOME

[@RichardDuenaz]

just put all the stuff in your original pickguard easy peasy

[@peskypesky]

Honestly, the ceramics sound good with overdrive and distortion. Played clean, the alnicos are far better-sounding to my ears. Thanks for this video!

[@coldnhot369]

I just picked up a busted guitar for $10 and this’ll make my repairs a lot easier and hopefully sound a lot better too! Thanks!!❤

[@BarbarasMilk]

Even better - get the tonerider city limits set! Huge upgrade from these pre-loaded pickups but doesn't cost as much as dimarzios or seymours.

[@justinbishopmusic]

Good advice!

[@hickman63]

Good video. You were correct in the first instance - the large bar on the bottom of the pup is a giveaway for ceramic. Amazon often confusing! The surf green guitar sounded better - warmer sound

[@jorgesxbass7606]

Yep...

[@gkarone3228]

These pup's are great and if you lower them almost flush with the guard you'll get that chimmey strat ring the 5th position is awsome rock on my friends

[@chitownkid8716]

I recently picked up a squire bullet and just purchased one of these loaded pickguards. Can't wait to install

[@airpros9927]

I do this a lot with bullets….sounds great huh?

[@chitownkid8716]

@@airpros9927 it turned out to be so good of an upgrade that I just got another one from stratosphere on ebay in the HSS setup. Problem is now I need another strat for my SSS loaded pickguard 🤣

[@tjforgey7854]

I tried 2 musiclily loaded pickguards,25 bucks each,the buckets were waxed,and they have high outputs.what a difference on my cheap strats,way better.

[@0000song0000]

Yeap... I got an 18 bucks set of zebra humbuckers... Haven't installed them yet... But they have the 4 wires wiring and look (construction wise and aesthetics) way better than the ones on my old yamaha

[@mcgrath16511]

watched video.. i have a Squier strat i installed a set of 62z's from Guitar Madness,, wired tone control to the bridge p/u.. what a difference! really woke the guitar up.. great stuff there!

[@davidmarks5400]

I bought two of the same loaded pickguards off eBay for less than $30 each-alnico V. They're pretty hot wound 8.8k-10k they sound pretty good. You might have to roll off the treble a little because the highs are there, but the mids and lows are good. Through my amps they sound better than on this video. They do have smaller pots, but for a few more bucks they also have the full size pots and what looks like orange drop cap. I didn't see the full size one until I already bought the first two. At that price, they're a steal.The same company also has a fully loaded pickguard with alnico V hot rails ,HSH, and HH . If people catch on to these,the price will no doubt go up.

[@SamJ_M]

I had a spare neck, body and a bridge laying around so I'd decided to buy this cheap loaded guard to make a guitar and sell it. I was amazed at how good they sound for the price!

[@qddk9545]

Nice video but you got something wrong. Alnico comes in bar magnets OR rod magnets, and the same is true with Ceramic magnets. So you can not tell which type it is on the magnet shape alone. I am not completely sure, but I think Alnico is more shiny/polished and Ceramic darker and sometimes rough. But for sure the sound is different. Alnico comes in at least 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 variations, and 5 is used most. Strange enough the strength (brightness) is 3, 2, 4, 5 and 8. It is relatively easy to change bar magnets on single coil PU´s from for instance Ceramic to Alnico.

[@justinbishopmusic]

It’s hard to verify in my online research…someone commented that Alnico V is actually the brand name of this particular pickup company. 🤷‍♂️

[@qddk9545]

@@justinbishopmusic That is complete nonsense. AlNiCo is a metal that magnets are made of, consisting of Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt. It was also used for speaker magnets in the days, and still is for certain models. For instance Celestion Blue Alnico speakers, used in VOX amps. Just Google it, it does not take much research.

[@darkomtobia]

I try to picture a scene as I listen to each. Generally, I "see" a different sound. I liked the alnico pickups.

[@justinbishopmusic]

They just seem to speak to me more, too. I play a couple hours each day, and I don't like to wear down the frets on my higher end guitars so much. So when I'm just practicing or learning something, I pick up this seafoam strat...man, the alnico just makes it sing and makes me wonder if I need to quit saving for a Fender...

[@redjp44]

I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but Alnico V is their brand name. The pickups in that pickguard are ceramic, the Amazon page even admits it. They do sound way better than the old ones and that is what matter the most!

[@justinbishopmusic]

I’ve been had!

[@kman8809]

Are you guys sure about this? I checked multiple listings of the same loaded pickguard and it clearly says they are alnico magnets...

[@bluwng]

@@kman8809 Alnico uses slugs Ceramic has a bar magnet underneath which is clearly visible. Any magnet will work, everything you were taught is guitarist superstition, they aren’t scientist and I am.

[@kman8809]

@@bluwng and the pickups in the video have slugs. That's why I double checked.

[@bluwng]

@@kman8809 slugs refers to magnet slugs , ceramic has pole pieces to distribute the magnetic field. The poles look like slugs but their not, you can’t tell by sight unless they are screws which makes it apparent that it isn’t a magnet.

[@bluwng]

Magnet material is only a very small factor on frequency response also ceramic pickups are easier to work with and don’t muddy up so easily when distorted. Will changing pickups help, yes, it can, is Alnico better than ceramic…nonsense.

[@justinbishopmusic]

I’ve heard some good ceramic pickups but they are usually much more expensive. Maybe it comes down to how much distortion you prefer? Maybe cheaper ceramics are actually better for more high gain?

[@camtoobouncy5430]

Is there a way to get the same pickups not preloaded? i want a pearl pickguard thooooo

[@iyona14granturismogt6gtspo7]

Omg! Omg! I just installed the Humbucket Single Single black pre wired pickguard in the thumbnail! It is so gorgeous it has to be seen! Not real Alnico though.

[@Michael-jv2cn]

Not a sticker.

[@yatishsinghrautela2247]

Hey man nice work . One question will this fit in a squire strat ?

[@justinbishopmusic]

I had to drill some holes to get it to fit the Indy Custom, so my guess is, yes, but you might have to drill a hole or two.

[@rockygrazny]

I just installed the cream Alnico V pre wired pickguard into a strat project. It sounds fantastic.

[@richg1221]

How did u wire it? I assume as mine has 2 red and 1 white. The red and white go from pot to output jack. Single red wire gets grounded to tremolo claw in the back....

[@rockygrazny]

@@richg1221 yeah, I think pretty much the same

[@markmullins2756]

Ceramic pickups are warm and smooth ???

[@0321ReconMan]

These are going on my travel Strat for sure 🎸

[@richg1221]

I just received my Alnico 5 loaded for my sons build. I'll let ya know how it goes.

[@justinbishopmusic]

Hoping they’re still good!

[@thewayithastobe]

I heard a Govan lick in your playing. West Coast Grooves?

[@matthewotremba9230]

How are the pots and wires I am pricing harnesses for something And may get this and use my pups

[@justinbishopmusic]

Sorry…i don’t really know what I’m looking at. They look neater and more organized than what I took out. The pots are bigger. That’s about all I know. 🤷‍♂️

[@99rpm]

Anyone knows if the Alnico V logos on the pickguard covers are removable, like a sticker, or is it baked onto it like on the volume and tone control knobs?

[@gustavospiniteixeira9065]

this is a work of engineering. Cool video man! 👌

[@justinbishopmusic]

I was so scared I was going to burn the house down the first time I tried the soldering iron! But it wasn't as hard as I thought...just felt like I needed 3 hands to do it right!

[@jorgesxbass7606]

@@justinbishopmusic há há há nice Job Clap!!!Clap

[@dave23024]

I love how strats are just generic guitar bodies that use a one-size-fits-all pick guard to change the pickup configuration. Then they actually have what they call a "cheap version." Am I the only one who sees the irony in Fender's strategy?

[@hortenseear7765]

guitar fetish how some alnico pre wired pickguards for like $50 not a bad option, dope video appreciate it.

[@bgqs]

Excellent review mate. Are these the Korean Artect pickups ? I have removed them from my strat and put custom shop fat 50s in....big difference !

[@wis3_483]

would one of these be better than a squier strats pickups

[@justinbishopmusic]

Either one. They’ll make it sound more like a Classic Vibe. If you play heavier stuff, get the HSS

[@marceliptero]

Ceramics sounded cheap and without dinamic, alnico v were fantastic

[@mikerobo2112]

Ceramic has a wider sound. Might be good for tele custom neck pickup.

[@ozoneswiftak]

The cheap ceramic pick ups sound warmer.

[@inrediblegamer492]

Will it work on a tanglewood baretta electric guitar

[@justinbishopmusic]

That looks like a very different shape, so I kinda doubt it would fit. You would probably have better luck just buying separate pickups. I’ve had luck with pickups from Guitar Fetish.

[@thawthaw03]

lol i found this vid while i was looking this up on amazon. haha

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I have a degree in science, and we hated ceramic magnets because the right circumstances they can lose their magnetic charge really damn fast

[@rev.jeremyhall]

i love that you review the kind of gear that i am curious about! do i need a $35 preloaded pg? no... but its $35 and i want it!

[@justinbishopmusic]

I think it’s the best value purchase I’ve made! I’ve tried individual pickups, but if you don’t upgrade the pots, the results are underwhelming. But this is a killer deal for $35.

[@rev.jeremyhall]

@@justinbishopmusic You know what i really need help with? Budget power supplies. Ive got a big fancy one on my main board, but when i need to run a small board or a secondary mini board for a specific sound I need something better than a daisy chain and less than one of these $300 boxes. I took a chance on one on amazing for $20 and despite claiming to be isolated and grounded... its neither and so noisy its almost unsuable. I was just looking at some other listing and products claiming "isolated" and other desirable features have reviews saying that those features are not present on the product itself... got any tips?

[@justinbishopmusic]

@@rev.jeremyhall This is the best budget one that I've found: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KVT1DMQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@chitownkid8716]

@@justinbishopmusic I have a Chinese EVH knockoff with alnico v 16k humbucker that I like better than my EVH brand with Wolfgangs.

[@schoennagel]

Will these fit a Samick Korean 1995 Strat?

[@justinbishopmusic]

You would probably have to drill holes.

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

Oh, I’ve done it but I spent way much more than $35 in ceramic pick ups can get demagnetized really easily

[@tjforgey7854]

You can't buy the separate parts that cheap.i know,I have tried.i believe that like everything coming from china,it's going to get more expensive,and harder to get as time goes by.

[@gittarpikk]

yes you can , there is a complete electronics package at Amazon for $9.95 but gets sold out often. You can find 3 pickups for less than $20.

[@brendanbehan2289]

I have bought a few of the Anico 5 pickguards, all good .

[@ANGELICHUMANANGEL]

Awsome Video Presentation 👌

[@f1s2hg3]

Opinions are like 👍 you got it so get it okay 👍 some like it ALNICO V and some like CERAMICS I HAVE BOTH!!! AND ITS ONLY YOUR OPINION NOT THE GOSPEL OKAY REMEMBER EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT TONES AND SOUNDS SOME PREFER NOTES OVER CHORDS ITS ALL AN OPINION OKAY GOT IT? 👍

[@drenmusic]

Hello, is this really Alnico v pick ups?

[@justinbishopmusic]

It’s unclear, but I can tell you for sure that it does not have the big ceramic bar magnet. And I think it sounds better than the ceramic ones that came in my cheap guitar.

[@drenmusic]

@@justinbishopmusic thanks Justin. I just need to upgrade mine and not to spend so much money. And I forgot to tell you that this video is awesome! This help me to decide to upgrade.

[@justinbishopmusic]

@@drenmusic I’ve had good luck with Guitar Fetish (GFS) pickups as well. Happy upgrading!

[@At9ra]

Can you explain to me what a "cheap strat" is? Cause every strat online is at least $1500

[@justinbishopmusic]

Just an off-brand with the Strat shape. Squier makes them cheap. Or Glarry. Or Donner. If you want super cheap, most local music stores have some in the back under $100.

[@At9ra]

@@justinbishopmusic ohhh okay I gotcha. In that case I have a Kramer VT-211S strat style and I'm definitely considering upgrading the humbucker on the bridge

[@justinbishopmusic]

@@At9ra if it’s just one pickup you need to upgrade, check out “Guitar Fetish” or “Planet Tone” pickups for a Budget friendly upgrade.

[@davidriel7805]

Awesome. Definitely can tell

[@pupmusic2281]

Fender ceramic sounds good too

[@SamuraiBud]

My ceramic pickups are more twangy than alnico v

[@gittarpikk]

What?...alnico V's not as 'hot' as ceramics...thought the fact was actually the opposite. Please explain

[@justinbishopmusic]

"Alnico magnets are softer and typically weaker than ceramic, contributing to a lower-output and responsive pickup. Often, the tone is described as warm, smooth, musical, or sweet." Most players prefer the alnico sound even though it might not be as loud...ceramic can be "brittle" sounding, but it is generally preferred by metal guitarists (as in those who prefer active pickups, which are usually ceramic). www.guitarriver.com/alnico-vs-ceramic-pickups-whats-the-difference/

[@swaroov9236]

It's easy for you not for me,I suck At technical works

[@outoforder9348]

I’m doing it

[@richardfinney3169]

Alnico pickups are bright and raw to me , ceramic are dark and warm. Just my opinion.

[@ranman58635]

I mixed mine, one alnico, one original ceramic and a vintage overwound flat top from the 70s with a sprauge cap and treble bleed and wow! I don't want to change it.

[@markstewart8171]

No i cannot tell mych a difference though my phone speaker.

[@bgqs]

PS...how do I win that Strat ?! Haha 😂

[@Rock-Cafe]

👍👍👍

[@travelisttv7747]

well fender pickups is easy to copy by chinese, thats why i dont buy expensive guitar, you can ge cheap and decent tone

[@leo78915]

基本上我用hss pickup都當第二段報銷!因為怎麼調那音色就是悶悶要脆不脆要飽不飽音色聽起來死死實實不太自然!就沒有sss的第二段透感!

[@thelolguy007]

Tbh they don’t sound much different 🤷‍♂️

[@davidramos4317]

Man whatever pickups are in the tobacco burst guitar SUCK

[@BeamMonsterZeus]

I legitimately got confused as to which were which for a bit. The gain woke that cheap guitar right up

[@flukyreview9128]

Rubbish. Pickup choices are subjective. Nothing wrong with ceramic pickups. Work on your guitar playing rather than gear like how musicians use to do 30+ years ago. There aren’t any true musicians today because the young people don’t have the patience to learn and it shows on how the music is today.

[@explosiveshitting]

are you stoned