Strat Base Plates: Do They Work?

[@davidkastin4240]

Some commenters said they couldn't hear the difference. I definitely can, on my cell phone too.

[@Krunchtastic727]

I understand both. To me it sounds like 1 is warmer and fuller mid is is boomier/bassy and well to me 5 is....not as good as the non plated. The 2/4 positions are identical enough that I don't care.

[@MrWholphin]

Nice subtle bass boost to my ears

[@mdallen5]

And again, as soon as I get curious about something.... you've made a video with an answer. Thank you

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Aha no worries Michael - happy to be the resident nerd :P

[@EversonBernardes]

Tighter bottom end and little bit of a zing to the high mids. Definitely makes the Strat "rockier".

[@javiceres]

Tighter bottom end usually means less bass frequencies, are you referring to that?

[@101Volts]

@@javiceres It seems like he wasn't. I hear more bass with the plates than without.

[@javiceres]

@@101Volts So I think but...

[@randyschock7374]

Great video! Thanks. Love how the comparisons were 1-2. No talking in between.

[@sadlsore]

This was an extremely helpful video. Thank you. I think I’m going to go with bridge pick up base plates for my Strat, for the same reason you mentioned. Thanks for posting this video!

[@alenamusic888]

Wow I'm surprised how different it actually sounds to me. I really liked both sounds and would be happy with either -but I think I kinda preferred the base plates under all three pickups actually 🤔 Very interesting -thank you for doing this 👍😊

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

No probs Alena :-) I ended up taking them out, but if you're wanting to beef up a Strat they're ideal!

[@alenamusic888]

@@JoePerkinsMusic For sure, and I might try it someday. -But - in all honesty I have found that anytime things get changed in my signal chain (including the guitar) I can almost always find a way to get the sound I want and make it work for me if I work at it. So with or without the plates I'm sure I could find comparable sounds with some adjustments -it just depends what starting point you prefer I guess 😄 Still very interesting vid, thank you again for the experimentation I know its allot of work! 👍

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

@@alenamusic888Yeah absolutely, there's generally a way to adapt your gear to get the sounds...base plates or turning up the bass/low mids will achieve similar results! :-)

[@ramencurry6672]

If you want more beef, the base plates should be picked

[@daemon_zero]

A bit more of volume in the bottom end, makes for better riffwork. I heard through reference monitors.

[@RobynCrest]

I would have done just the same as you. I think Strats are wonderful guitars and that they would be even better...if they had a Tele pickup in the bridge! And this base plate sort of gives the bridge pickup that little something that it lacked, which makes the 1st position sound closer to a Telly.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Yep, absolutely! To be honest, I did end up taking the plate out of the bridge as well in the end - I liked the rockiness, but I'd prefer to use a Tele for that & keep the Strat nice & quacky!

[@velvetonecustomshop5026]

Check out Professor Clevis youtube vid, he's playing one of Our StellCaster guitars... Strat Hardtail with Tele Bridge and Tele Bridge pickup... 6 way switch too for the Tele 2 pickup sound.

[@stephenchow5161]

thanks for this. was just wondering about this the other day.

[@gabrielcortereal8944]

You have to ground them on the negative of the pickup too, it seems to have made a difference but for better efficiency you have to ground them!! 🤘🤘

[@nobodys.shapeshifter]

Liked how thick it made the cleans, but it made some of the distorted tones too muddy.

[@frs2112]

It's a nice improvement to the classic stratocaster alnico single coil pickups. I can hear a pleasant difference with a bit more lower end and gain. That plates do really work. Thank you very much for sharing this valuable mod. Well done indeed! Greetings, stay safe. Like button👍

[@ramencurry6672]

It kind of reminds me of a humbucker in the bridge

[@paulstaffordcook8799]

Wow! I came here after your recommendations today on your Q&A vid. My goodness, a definite difference! I’m a guy who wants his Strat to look like a Strat, but NOT necessarily sound like one.... So this might be perfect for me. Cheers Joe 👍

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

No probs pal - they're a cheapish way to get some beef! Definitely worth an experiment :-)

[@marcusjeanpirae7450]

They work GREAT. I have a Radioshop pickups one on my bridge and it’s So so much better now. 💥🎸

[@z4570]

I like the idea and am having one fitted on my Stratocaster bridge with Pickup Wizard Pickups in Toronto Canada.

[@smokepeddler]

Base plate needs to be larger than the pup itself. Like it is on a tele.The whole concept is based on making the magnetic field wider on the bottom and more focused on the top side of the pup, creating a gumdrop shape magnetic field. By the plate being the same size as the bottom you still have an hour glass shape magnetic field with the middle slightly elongated towards the bottom. A very subtle change.

[@ces69]

Ryan Lewis I added a base plate to the bridge of my Tex Mex pickups because I found it a bit too bright and harsh! Made a big noticeable improvement, the pickup is far more useable now!

[@testbeeld2877]

@@ces69 dit your Bridge pick-up get a Little bit microphonic?

[@artysanmobile]

Nice job on this video. Such things are very hard to pin down on one’s own.

[@KUM0]

This make me appreciate my tele more

[@Sirstarfish]

I got a duo sonic that I think would benefit a little added baseplate beef

[@Wolf_K]

I can hear it even on iPad speakers. It’s a fuller sound, more pronounced on the low strings. An improvement IMO.

[@snakebite8925]

good demo again. I like the fact that the bottom and mids are increasing and the top decreasing. Just what I need. But I will make them from aluminium. In that way the pickup will not get hotter but the top high freq will be decreased

[@garrettstiles7808]

Wow the effect is definitely there, cool comparo vid! I liked it best in the middle strangely; didn't seem like much of a change in the bridge even though that's where these are most commonly applied. Only position I preferred stock was the neck.

[@popsfereal]

I'd like to try one in the bridge position on some of my strats.

[@VanjaSpirin]

It works. Sound is tighter and bigger. Good vid.

[@Pngnuod]

Can I add them to my pickups?? I have staggered pickups (like a silver sky se) and the magnet poles are not flat against the bottom base, is that possible??? Sorry for the bad English :(

[@MixYourWay]

Sweet video! Awesome side by side comparison, thank you for doing this!!!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

No problem mate :-)

[@ZeroMod]

Good Job! Effective demo of the concept.

[@edwardbristow9331]

To my ear it sounded as though it were adding the kind of gain you get from hitting the strings a bit harder. Quite subtle but definitely there. I'd love to see a three way comparison between plates/no plates/boost pedal, to see if the same can be achieved with a good boost. Great video, thanks for sharing these results!

[@martycopley]

Install a switch, temporarily and run the wires out of the cavity a d a\b and make a very informed final decision.

[@attilabalaton981]

Where did you buy those baseplates? Also, is there any chance that you know their thickness and material? I can’t really get them in Hungary and I was thinking of making them for myself since they are just steel/brass plates in a single coil pickup base shape.

[@CamiloPefaur]

It's not a big difference. The plates make the pickup bassier and louder. Super useful video

[@alessiograziani6355]

First question: did you change the strings between the two tests? Second question: is the pickup height the same in both two tests? A base plate mounted on a pickup change the inductance of the pickup itself. It si measurable with a multimeter. Low level Inductance pickups (around 2-3 Henries) are typical of Strato pickups and produce a sound very rich of high frequencies. The more the inductance raises the more the high frequencies are lowered and the more the mid frequencies are hemphasized. This is the reason why you prefer it on the bridge pickup (I totally agree with you). In my opinion adding a base plate and activating the tone potentiometer of the bridge pickup really adds a lot of versatilty and new tones to a Stratocaster. One final thing, it is also important the material of the base plate because brass, steel and nickel have a different way of affecting inductance.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

1) Same strings - just slackened off then retightened 2) Yep, they didn’t move at all. I just took off the pickguard, placed the baseplates on (the magnetism holds them in place - they don’t need screws) then put the pickguard back on. So nothing changed apart from the plates. 👍

[@alessiograziani6355]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Very good! I'm personally winding the set of pickups of my Strato, and only the bridge pickup will have its steel base plate and will be a little overwound, so I'm glad that you had my same feedback, it is a confirmation of what I thought. All the best

[@qddk9545]

Brass will not work, because it is not magnetic.

[@Roy-xe9is]

Dude nicely done

[@K1C2]

After 4 years, no one else has come close to making such a useful comparison. I liked position 1 and 5 better with the plate and 2 , 3 and 4 better without. Assuming you played the guitar with a baseplate on the bridge only, how did position 2 sound?

[@Livelaughlimpbizkit]

Crazy, it made the most difference in the neck, I noticed the closer to the neck those positions it was more noticeable. Almost nothing on the bridge.

[@cpfs936]

I think Duncan makes a Strat pickup with a plate called the "Twang Banger" or something like that.

[@paulsmith1807]

great video and super helpful 🙂

[@roscius6204]

The difference could be purely volume down to a stronger magnetic field but to me it also sound stronger and more even in the lows.

[@indridcold4210]

I agree with your preference. Baseplate on the bridge only.

[@johnarney8022]

Hey Joe! Thanks so much for comparison. Going to add plate to bridge of Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials set. The darn bridge needs more gusto and the added metal plate should do the trick. Also adding the on/off switch to the neck (aka David Gilmour modification) and oil/paper Russian .033 cap. Take care and keep experimenting. Cheers from USA.....

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Cheers John :-)

[@javiceres]

How did it turn out? 😀

[@digitalcthulhu143]

Wow interesting... Gonna try out a base plate with a lipstick pickup and different capacitors to see what happens

[@sebbo1496]

there's seems to be a volume difference. so it's kind of hard to tell how big the difference is. but it's an easily reversable cheap mod. no brainer really. can't wait to try

[@KLucero22]

The people who can’t hear a difference also can’t hear the difference between a Strat and a Tele 😂

[@presentelaw]

Hi Jeo, another solid video! Question: did you simply put them on and screw them in? Where there any soldering or taping off the poles to avoid shorting etc? I saw those things in other videos and thought gees that's too much work for a baseplate. Please let me know. If it's simply putting them on I'll do it. Thanks.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Hi - some of them might be different, but with these ones they just slotted over the pickup screws and the magnetism held them in place. All I had to do was take the pickguard off, drop them onto the base of the pickups and that was it...no soldering, no removal of pickups, no screwing...nothing. They just rest there and the magnets hold them :-)

[@markwright9352]

I agree can’t hear a difference in the neck or middle really, but you can hear a notable difference with the bridge pickup, I’m looking at getting a chris buck Id set that as the plate on the bridge!!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

The bridge is the only place I'd consider using one, to be honest. Makes a Strat a lot more suited to rocking out! :P

[@davidkastin4240]

Hi Joe. Your friend Dave in the U.S. here. Beautiful Strat you have. Love seeing the wood grain. My preference is the sound without the base plates. Truer Strat tone. If anything I'd put a hot rails in the bridge and then it's more of a killer axe than it is already. Nice comparison video 👍✌

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Thanks Dave :-) Yeah, after living with them for a while I took them all out :P

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

Hell, I didn't buy it at first, but there *is* a noticeable difference. With the bass plates, it just a little bit more pronounced and im your face, with an ever so slight boost to the low end.

[@asdaven1]

It does improve it...more bass response. Kinda driving the amp harder in a way with the plates. But seems to thicken up the sound. I would just use it on the bridge pickup. I like mine and I put wax and a piece of masking tape on it to avoid microphonics and its fine. Never heard of putting baseplates on all 3. Moves the instrument more into Tele territory.

[@ramencurry6672]

If you want more beef, the plates are the way.

[@gotfiddle]

Definite difference. I would leave it on the bridge pup only.

[@warmothgmc]

Max Jones yeh, I like the sound of my Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot set with the base plate under the bridge only on my USA Hamer Daytona Strat. It’s a natural swamp ash body with maple neck and fingerboard.

[@Frankie84]

@@warmothgmc Lindy Fralin pickups reign supreme, in my humble opinion. I have the P.A.F.s for my Les Paul copy, but my next purchase will be a loaded pick-guard with the base-plate installed in the bridge position - I really do want the tone to exist somewhere between pure strat and P90.

[@snflip]

I hear a difference. Mostly in the playing.... Thanks for putting this up.

[@gregcsefko]

I only noticed in position 5 that there was an increase in volume.

[@picksalot1]

The demo was very useful. I really liked the beefier sound on the bridge pickup, and it is exactly what I'm looking for. Do you have a link to where they can be purchased, brand information, etc.? Thanks

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Glad it was useful :-) I can't remember exactly where these were from or who made them, but plenty of people make them and lots of pickup manufacturers offer them as options/spares. Monty's do a set which look good: www.montysguitars.com/products/montys-strat-baseplate

[@picksalot1]

@@JoePerkinsMusic I have Kinman Noiseless pickups, so I contacted them first to see if a plate would work because the bottom of the pickup was not magnetic. They said no. So, by cutting the pickguard, I moved the treble side of my bridge pickup so it was parallel with the bass side. I was then able to achieve the growl, and volume I wanted by doing that, as I could set the pickup higher without the trebles being too loud and spikey . Thanks

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@picksalot1 I’m trying to visualise exactly what you’re saying you did BUT I just can’t imagine what you could do to a Pickguard to change the sound of a pick up?!🤔 Can you go into more detail, please?

[@picksalot1]

​@@BeesWaxMinder Normally on a Strat, the treble side of the bridge pickup is closer to the bridge than the bass side of the pickup. I temporarily removed the bridge pickup and pickguard, then cut/enlarged the bridge pickguard "slot" so I could treble side of the pickup could be the same distance from the bridge as the bass side of the pickup. That means that the treble side of the bridge pickup is now about 1/2 inch closer to the neck than it would have ordinarily been. I also had to drill a hole for the bridge adjustment screw. I plugged the gap where the treble side of the pickup originally was with some extra pickguard material that I had. Hope that makes it clear what I did.

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@picksalot1 ah RIGHT!🙏 Thanks 🙂👍 So, basically, you made all three pick ups be completely straight and none of them angled?

[@robertdamron898]

I Definitely heard a difference. Me. Personally. I would keep all of them installed. I’m sold.

[@momogris6159]

Exactly like you said 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@raymondmoore2707]

Baseplate wins. Flawless victory. Cleans up the signal greatly.

[@marvinstorm9153]

Yes, a diff. I'd put 2 plates on or the thickest. On bridge definitely asStrat bridge pups are a bit weedy.

[@PeteAxeShields]

If you can't hear the difference I can recommend a good ear specialist. Blimey :-) I had a successful claim for industrial deafness after years working underground in a coal mine and the difference is quite substantial .... even to my damaged ears lol

[@ClausAqua]

It looks like your volume and tone knobs are both turned about half a notch between the takes. Did you take the plastic caps off when installing the base plates or was this an oversight?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Ooh - I don't think I took the knobs off doing this video, from memory. Certainly wasn't intentional if they're slightly moved. Though I played with the base plates for a good few days & can definitely confirm that the findings in the video are accurate...so any 0.5mm turn of the knob in the video was having negligible effect if any. Certainly wasn't done on purpose!! :-)

[@gfd4897]

very helpful video

[@hiroprotagonitis]

Ya there's a difference but not sure if it'd be a deal breaker playing on/listening to it on a record

[@davidboucher6450]

I'm positively surprised to see how close it gets to a telecaster. It takes all that weak strat tone and turns it into something much more interesting.

[@elonmush4793]

In my experience it can make your Strat microphonic like some Teles. I think wax between the pickup and the plate can help with that. But you have to decide if the slightly beefed up tone is worth it. It would probably be less of a hussle to just get higher output pickups.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

It's more a matter of tone than pure output - but yes, different pickups (or different style of guitar!) might be more sensible if microphonics are a problem.

[@EdEddnEddyMercury]

It might be less of a hussle to get higher output pickups, but it's a lot cheaper to get base plates

[@Duskydog419]

This is awesome

[@nigelsmith4948]

Really nicely demo of a question I've been asking myself. I can hear a difference, all be it marginal. For me, it's not enough of a difference for me to pull my strat apart and start soldering. Cheers

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

No soldering needed :-) They're held in place by magnetism alone

[@youtubeceaer823]

@@JoePerkinsMusic слышал, что магнитное поле магнитов AlNiCo нельзя закорачивать. Это может стать причиной размагничевания стержней и уменьшению мощности зввкоснимателя. Нужно делать через немагнитную прокладку, как у DIMARZIO Virtual Vintage Technology

[@jeffrowlette]

No difference to me.... But - I thank Joe for posting this so I don't waste time and money. I watched it twice and the second time I didn't look, I only listened.... NO DIFFERENCE.

[@GCKelloch]

I don't know who claims the Steel "reflects" the magnetic field back up, but that doesn't make sense. Steel is much more permeable and conductive than AlNiCo. If anything, it draws flux away from the AlNiCo, but may also draw the flux lines from the strings down more directly through the coil, while slightly increasing coil inductance and rolling off highs.

[@giambibolla70]

They do work, but they seem to add what I usually avoid by adjusting amp tone controls to my taste: bass frequencies. I don’t like too much of bass freqs , they always out put me in trouble playing in a full band context. When I need to cut through the mix instead of cranking up the volume (always wrong) or the mid (not always effective), I turn the bass down instead.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I took them off soon after shooting this video....they do what they do, but it's certainly not for everybody :-)

[@fishwigy]

They actually give the same character as my cheap ceramic pickups of the 80s, that had a thick bar magnet on the bottom. Very thick sound.

[@canjuy]

Great video, but, how i put the base plates in my pickup, just solder the pickup ground to the base or there is some more? Thks

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Not even that - they're just placed on the underside of the pickup & the magnetic pull holds it in place :-)

[@ces69]

Joe Perkins When I bought mine it was recommended I attach them with wax! I melted a little candle wax on to the plate and allowed to cool till solid. Put the plate on the bottom of the pickup and warmed with a soldering iron till the wax softened and stuck to the pickup. Once cooled was solid! And don’t forget to make the soldered wire connection! Put mine on a Fender Tex Mex bridge pickup which I found very ice picky! Made a massive difference to me, making the bridge pickup much more useful and useable!

[@dtmateo]

Sounds richer with the plates but does not make it sound like a tele

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

That’s exactly the point 👍

[@the.communist]

A change of pick ups will make a bigger difference

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

…to your bank balance also. The point of these is to adjust the sound for minimal cost.

[@paolo-1283]

Where to buy them?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Have a look on eBay - quite a few people sell similar things

[@godsinbox]

for us not being in the room, the pickup height would make the same difference to recorded tone

[@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921]

Now here's Jimi after the castration. "Excuse me while I kiss this guy!" La, la, la, etc. (just joking) Thanks for taking the time to make this video. If you ever do a relic-ing video, don't use that Strat. It's f-ing gorgeous! Pick placement. Perhaps that would be a good topic for a video sometime? 4:44 could be an example.

[@klodianberisha9696]

They work

[@klauscottonswab2322]

Holy ....!

[@popsfereal]

Headphones say- "plates have a marked effect on the clean sounds".

[@rockngpa5094]

I’m not noticing any difference after my 2nd different video ... and then if you want that tele experience on a Strat move 5 way switch to the 4th position or go buy a Tele , just saying. And NO , I won’t be adding these plates because I’ll just go buy a Telecaster to get tele tones.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Nobody is trying to sell you anything - it’s all good! 👍

[@valueofnothing2487]

Are you just increasing the magnetic field of the pickup? Does the shape of the magnetic field do anything? Does it change the frequency response? Clearly a pickup that has the reversed polarity sounds the same.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

It's not reversing the polarity of the pickup - I believe (though I'm no expert!) it's reflecting the bottom of the field that would usually be lost underneath the pickup upwards...so it increases the output & gives a thicker sound overall. Essentially making a Strat pickup closer in design to that of a Tele bridge. As I said though, I'm no expert...I just know it beefs it up :P

[@peterlucas8629]

Definately hear the difference.

[@Sirstarfish]

Ever so slightly fuller low end

[@artysanmobile]

I hear almost entirely low end addition.

[@Tonetwisters]

Too bright! Fenders are plenty bright, and need some bottom end added, if anything.

[@abhiruproy919]

Just pump up the bass, mids on the amp, and you are done....

[@topopops]

Sounds the same

[@57stratkat]

5 lbs. heavier in the upper thighs.....

[@takitobutface6805]

no difference

[@toneloke7489]

nothing significant

[@Liberty-hw9dh]

FATTER AND LOUDER