Are you looking for the best Fender MIM Strat pickup? Then, you’re in the right place.
The Fender Stratocaster is the most remarkable creation and most stylish, iconic, and versatile guitars. They appeared in 1954, but no guitar can attain the sparkly and sweet tones without the top-quality pickups.
In this post, we have put together the best Mexican Strat pickups to help you find the perfect Strat sound and match your budget. So here we are going in-depth at six best MIM Strat Pickups on the market.
Best Fender MIM Strat Pickups – Comparison Table
Tonerider TRS1 (Editor’s Choice)
The Tonerider TRS1 Strat pickup is one of the best-selling sets. These pickups are perfect for tones like Knopfler, Gilmour, and Clapton. If you are in search of a good Strat pickup, then these will not disappoint you. The bridge is rigid and bright without being picky.
This vintage-style Strat pickup set is value for money. It gives new life to your gear. The noiseless pickup and lovely sound make it worth money. Upgrade your guitar with this Strat pickup, and no other Strat pickup set can beat this set as it performs well at this price tag.
Features
- Even volume with calibrated winds
- Push back cloth wire
- Rwrp and wax potted reduces hum and feedback.
Pros
- Versatile
- Noiseless operation
- Excellent response
Cons
- None
Seymour Duncan SSSL-1
If you are searching for the Alnico V Stratocaster pickup replica, then Seymour Duncan SSSL-1 is here to end your search. They considered all the details to create a top-notch model. The high-end crisp bite and bell-like tone made it famous.
It features the combination of Alnico V and Alnico II magnets. The fantastic harmonies and superior output add to its feature.
It aims at chime-like qualities. However, low-end is not missing too and well-rounded. Beautiful ring-out chords add excellent definition to note, and bright lead tones make it popular among players. The overwound bridge pickup offers additional punch, and the RWRP eliminates the humming in the middle. These deliver more midrange than other single-coil pickups and provide a unique tone that you rarely find in other Strat pickups.
Features
- The perfect combo of Alnico V and Alnico II magnets
- Single coil pickup for rock sound
- Excellent harmonics
- Overwound
- High output
Pros
- Versatile
- Made in America
- Noiseless working
Cons
- Heavy
Fleor M00152-4-5-6
Fleor is an excellent pickup at this price and sounds incredible on single-string stuff. It is fantastic on chords where most of the Strat pickups lose clarity. The Fleor Strat pickups are well made and offer an easy installation. You can use this strat pickup as it is excellent for the money.
This single-coil pickup perfectly fits Fender Strat electric guitar. It uses Alnico V and features flat fixed pole pieces. In addition, this Strat pickup uses ABS plastic making it more durable. The package includes three parts of Strat pickups with six springs and six screws. These are easy to install and adequate for a Stratocaster.
Features
- Single coil pickup replacement
- Alnico V magnet
- Flat fixed pole pieces
- ABS plastic white cover
- Neck and middle resistance 5-6K
- Bridge resistance is 6-7k.
Pros
- Maximum output
- Clear music
- Balanced output
Cons
- No marking
Seymour Duncan California 50’s
Seymour Duncan California is a vintage-style pickup that assists in recreating vintage sound. This Strat pickup set allows enjoying the rich, classic, and warm tunes. This pickup ensures to enhance the variety of styles such as pop, country, and rock. Seymour Duncan comes with reverse polarity middle, and it gives an improved range of single-coil tones. The use of the Formvar magnet wire gives vintage vibes to the music.
Guitarists fond of playing country, pop, classic rock, surf, blues, and rockabilly can choose this pickup. This Strat pickup will not disappoint anyone who loves to play different music genres. The pickup circuit suppresses the hum and allows enjoying the classic tone without any disruption. The pickup is factory re-tuned, so you need not take stress for re-tuning it. However, it does not mean that you cannot use it in your bridge and middle settings.
Features
- Hand-made Forbon fiber bobbins
- Formvar magnet wire gives vintage vibes.
- Sharp black color
Pros
- Well-calibrated
- Clean clarity
- Superb manufacturing
Cons
- Must be more robust at the bridge
Seymour Duncan SSJBJ-1B
Seymour Duncan SSJBJ features waxed hookup pushback wires and tinned cloth.
The waxing reduces squealing. The reverse polarity allows humming cancelation in the music. The humbucker is wax potted and has a ceramic magnet with adjustable pole pieces that helps a lot of fine-tuning for the fantastic sound. The start pickup has a warm tone and medium output with crisp cleans. Its versatile and beautiful gain makes it perfect for jazz, blues, classic, and country. It copes with heavy rock also. It is a value for money and best for all music genres.
The main attractive points about these pickups are sensitivity and smooth clarity. The balanced tone is adequate for large style ranges, such as blues, country, and rock. In addition, they give a smooth and precise response and play clean. With the best, these pickups can shred if you crank the gain.
Features
- Perfect for everything from heavy metal to heavy blues
- Single coil high output
- It equally works well with rosewood and maple fingerboards.
- Great high-end harmonics
- Hookup cable with four conductors
Pros
- Well made
- Suitable for all guitarists
- Cost-effective
Cons
- Bit flat and mellow in some music styles
Tonerider TRS5
Tonerider TR5 is a US-made tough Strat pickup. This pickup set is a modern version of TRS1 giving high output, making you familiar with vintage tones. They have RWRp middle and have a hot pickup. The potted wax feature makes it perfect for reducing feedback. These are easy to install as they feature push-back vintage cloth wiring. Wax potted makes it versatile and suitable for blues, classic, and funk.
The TRS5 offers a bright, compressed, and warm attack with a perfectly sustained tone. These are perfect for guitarists who love brightness and clarity without compromising the tone. The balanced output, the glassy tone is what adds to the features of this pickup.
The dynamics and focus will impress you as they are commonly not found in factory pickups. This cost-effective pickup is the best solution for a clear tone, and these are perfect for the heavier genre. The potted wax pickups eliminate squeal and offer both cut and warmth depending on the music style. These are, overall, some of the best pickups that will not disappoint you. The careful strikes allow getting the balanced tone that you need.
Features
- Single coil pickups
- Alnico III magnet
- Even volume with calibrated winds
- Push back cloth wire
- Rwrp and wax potted reduce humming and feedback
Pros
- Less wiring required
- Vintage style
- Affordable
Cons
- None we could find
Frequently Asked Questions about Fender Mexican Strat Pickups
Are the Stock MIM Strat Pickups Today Different Than Back Then?
Pickups, electronics, and wood are all different when we compare the latest with the years back. Pickups can be different depending on the build and model. However, most of the pickups are quality products. The new Stock MIM Strat pickups are good and maybe too modern or hot for the taste. You may not get vintage sound with glassy cleans.
How Bad Are the Stock MIM Pickups? Do I need a Replacement?
Stock MIM pickups are not bad, but they sound a bit generic. Thus the replacement of stock MIM pickups depends on the player who wants different tones and is more serious about the tones. When upgrading, you may never get back dollar for dollar, but it makes more to your liking, and thus you will play it more.
There are several upgrading pitfalls, like spending many dollars and still not being happy with the result. Maybe you feel that the feel and sound are not up to the mark after repeated changes. So it is better to buy a high-end guitar by spending a little more. As we have already mentioned in our article about the best Strat pickups for blues and classic rock, you can compare and then buy.
So, What’s the Best Fender MIM Strat Pickup?
The Strat pickup design has changed over time, but many love the classic layout. There are competitive product options available on the market in which some are affordable while others are a little pricey. Some give a single coil sound, while others offer much.
Here we have suggested some of the best MIM Stratocaster Pickups, and we recommend the Tonerider TRS1 Strat pickup as they sound excellent and provide noiseless operation.