Strat Pickups in a Legacy - Do they fit?

[SmooveTaste]

Has anyone installed Strat pickups in a new USA Legacy? Did they drop in, or did you have to order a new pickguard with Strat pup-sized holes?

[Sprinter 92]

Stratocaster pickups will drop right in and your Legacy will sound better!

[Miles Smiles]

Stratocaster pickups will drop right in and your Legacy will sound better!

Funny statement and of course completely wrong.

The Legacy already has Stratocaster pickups installed. My Legacy from 1994 has Seymour Duncans installed, which had been done that days by the factory. In the meantime G&L build their own alnico Strat pickups, but they are pretty much like these old Duncans, as far as I know.

When changing pickups one should first put a new set of strings on the guitar. Play your guitar and record the sound of the new strings with the old pickups. Then install the new pickups, mount new strings or remove the neck with strings an reattach it, when the new pickups are in and then you may compare.

No doubt, there are some boutique pickups on the market, which may sound better than these G&L ones, but they are few.

[louis cyfer]

depends on which start pups you put in whether you see improvement or not. sd's not likely. ay of fender's offering not likely again. kleins, fralins, d allens, you'll probably see significant improvement, but it depends on what sound you are actually looking for. the legacy stock pups are not well balanced bridge to neck, but neither are a lot of other pups.

[bloodied_fingers]

depends on which start pups you put in whether you see improvement or not. sd's not likely. ay of fender's offering not likely again. kleins, fralins, d allens, you'll probably see significant improvement, but it depends on what sound you are actually looking for. the legacy stock pups are not well balanced bridge to neck, but neither are a lot of other pups.

What do you mean 'not well balanced' ?

I'm pretty happy with my legacy pickups but maybe I'm just blissfully ignorant, being a newb and all

[louis cyfer]

depends on which start pups you put in whether you see improvement or not. sd's not likely. ay of fender's offering not likely again. kleins, fralins, d allens, you'll probably see significant improvement, but it depends on what sound you are actually looking for. the legacy stock pups are not well balanced bridge to neck, but neither are a lot of other pups.

What do you mean 'not well balanced' ?

I'm pretty happy with my legacy pickups but maybe I'm just blissfully ignorant, being a newb and all

the output of the bridge pup is too low compared to the neck to balance well. you either have to have the bridge pup too close to the strings or the neck pup really far to get an even volume.

[SmooveTaste]

The reason I ask is... I have a new USA Legacy with G&L Alnico Vs. Not bad sounding, but I've played some of the American Standard Strats with Fat 50s and prefer the sound of these guitars to my Legacy, so I'd like to at least give a set of these Fat 50 magnets a spin in my Legacy.

The question is this: Has anyone made a Strat pickup (Fender or aftermarket) fit in a new Legacy without modifications? Chandler, who I understand makes G&L's pickguards, sells them at http://pickguards.us/. They sell two different 'guards for the current-model SSS Legacy; one for "use with stock G&L single coils which are slightly larger than other brand after-market single coil pickups" and one for "use with after-market single coil pickups (SD, DMZ, Lollar, etc.), G&L single coils will not fit."

OK, so the G&L pups won't fit in the 'guard made for the aftermarket magnets, but will Fender or aftermarket pickups fit in a stock G&L pickguard?

I measured the Fat 50s and they are the same width, but about 1mm shorter, which means that they should fit in the holes, (with a .5mm gap on the top and bottom) but will the screw holes line up? The screw heads are different sizes, so it's real difficult to tell without removing the pickguard.

I asked in hopes that someone who has actually tried it will respond to the post. Thanks everyone for your input.

[louis cyfer]

the american standards don't have fat 50's as stock. but the pups will fit without modifications. people get confused if you call them magnets, as the magnets can not be changed.

[SmooveTaste]

the american standards don't have fat 50's as stock. but the pups will fit without modifications. people get confused if you call them magnets, as the magnets can not be changed.

Pretty sure the American Standards do have Fat 50 magnets... I mean pickups.

http://www.fender.com/guitars/stratocas ... /#features

[louis cyfer]

the american standards don't have fat 50's as stock. but the pups will fit without modifications. people get confused if you call them magnets, as the magnets can not be changed.

Pretty sure the American Standards do have Fat 50 magnets... I mean pickups.

http://www.fender.com/guitars/stratocas ... /#features

that's a new addition for this year. were you trying brand new ones? i have one from a year ago and it did not have that. i do have the fat 50's though, but i don't care for them too much. the only fender pup i dislike more is the texas specials. the 57/62's are the best fender pup i have heard, but still very much lacking compared to the klein, fralin, d allen, etc. still, it's hard to know what would work best for you without knowing the tone you are after.

[SmooveTaste]

The American Standards have had Fat '50s since 2012 model year. I like them, personally. Thanks for your input.