50's vs 60's Strat Pickups - What's The Difference?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Let's learn about and hear the differences between 1950's Stratocaster pickups and 1960's strat pickups by comparing 2 sets from Kloppmann pickups: ST56 vs ST67
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I miss videos like this. I know some people hate talking, but RJ’s personality is just fun.
I really enjoyed the 50's sound from clean to overdriven.
Dude! Now I need both. I love the nuance of the 50's but the mid rock drive of the 60's
Both are fine, your playing is really nice to listen to
So cool to see fellow German Kloppmann pickups being featured on here! I have a set of his 50s with a custom humbucker in the bridge in my custom built S-style. He's one of the best Strat-style pickup builders, in my opinion. I'm a fan of dynamic 50s style Strat pickups, as I mostly play my strats clean or barely crunched.
Came for the demo, but had to grab my guitar and learns some of these licks. Great playing.
R.J. has the best guitar videos on TH-cam, hands down.
Thought I was more of the 50’s sound fan but those 67’s have won me over. Excellent video. Thank you!
Happy Monday RJ! Interesting video as always! I like how 50s pickups sound in this video.
Love it! I tend to lean to the 50s pickups, to my ears they sounded a little clearer, the 60s sound hotter but both sound really good regardless.
I have a 50 reissue from fender. Thought I’d always like the 60’s more. I think I’m stay put. Thanks for the video!
Great video! Both sets sound awesome, however the 60s are more my kind of sound with the extra punch in midrange.
Absolutely a great demo....Thanks! I have 54's in my Strat and have been thinking about some 60's....i like the brightness of the 50's over the midrange of the 60's!
I have Fender's 57/62 Set in my Strat.. and I love them!
great video. Just what I needed to decide my new pick ups for my not so new strat!
let's go for the 60's
Great video R.J. For the neck i slightly prefer the 60's over 50's, they definitely have that Hendrix thing. But for every other position and combination i prefer the 50's.
Wow... Thx for this video... I was thinking I'm fan of 60's... But this 50's... Maaaan so great..!
Thank you for posting this. It's interesting: they sound so much alike though I can detect some nuance. While the 50s sounds a hair more open to my ears and "sweeter", that 60s thing is more what I'm used to with my strat. I have Texas Specials which I know kind of a mix meets a "mistake" due to the accidental overwounding of the originals, though I think the alnico 5 and higher output plants it more in the 60s thing which I'm just a bit more used to. Though both are wonderful and I still would like to put a 50s style pickup set in something one day.
What I love about pretty much all pickup manufacturers is that when they design a pickup set based off a certain era, they always try to nail the sound of a great sounding Strat from the era. Works out for those of us trying to get that holy grail sound!
Really nice A/B between the two guitars. I can't say that I have a favourite between the 50s and 60s sets. Both are outstanding pickups with their own character. That said, I have CIJ '72 pseudo-reissue and that '67 set could be a really nice match for making my '72 sound as period-correct as possible. I've been strongly considering the Custom Shop '69 drop in pickguard, but now I'm not so sure. Really liked the Kloppmanns.
I like the way the 50's tone blended in the second and fourth positions.The 60's had a spikiness and harshness to them to my ears. Thanks RJ ,great video. Blessings, Rock on.
Can't really tell if I prefer 50's or 60's. But I definitely loved the way you play. Beautiful, emotional and no show off.
Great video! I needed this. Thanks RJ!
So much depends on what you are into. One guitar can't cover it all. You can drive yourself crazy trying different things and twisting knobs, new pedals, pickups, and amps, etc. But eventually you just need to find what you like and are happy with and just go with it. For me, the 50's pickups light my fire because they are brighter and because of that they might be a better studio / recording type of gig instead of a loud and proud live band thing. But it is up to you and you alone to find you "thing" and groove with it. As usual RJ just nails it. I've learnt more from his TH-cam channel than any other so that sums it up for me.
I could hear the differences -- pretty much just like you described. 50's were brighter, 60's had more mids. I thought the 50's position 4 sounded a lot like the 60's position 5 -- fatter and more rounded. The differences were (to me) less noticeable with OD and even less with fuzz.
The thing is, they both sounded fantastic. Put a gun to my head and I'd go with the 50s sound, but I can't really say why other than what you played sounded more like the sound I want to be able to make.
Thanks for this. I already was going to be looking for a strat in the next few months or so, so this was really helpful (though I know how tricky A/B tests can be).
I read a fender historian said fender changed from Alnico 3 to Alnico V in '56. And i always prefer 009's on a maple neck too.
50s for me! Great playing and A/B comparison.
I can't figure out which one is awesomer 🤔 Cheers RJ! 🤠
Loved both. If I had to go with one only, it would be the 50’s pups. I love that glassy sound in all the positions clean and I prefer the overdriven/fuzz sound as well. I think the 60’s pups are great but less defined in all cases to my ear. Still awesome though! Thanks RJ!
great video. very cool , useful and clear info and demo results
I have a set of Custom Shop '50 and a set of Custom Shop '69 by Fender and yes these Kloppmann nails the difference between the two "era": more "light" sounding the '50s (perfect for stuff like surf, country, rockabilly, etc.) and more "bold" and say "rock" the '69s. I mounted a mix ('69 for neck and bridge and '50 for the middle).
Genius video! Love it! I guess I'll go with the 60's pickups. Love the bit muddy sound
Love the fact that you included George Harrison in the video, criminally underrated in my opinion.
True, George was a Fine Guitarplayer and Songwriter ! He was standing in the shadow of John & Paul.
I think when it came to the instrumental aspect of the Beatles George was the best. Not only a great writer but easily the best guitarist as well as instrumental to introducing the Sitar into the 60’s western popular music sound.
Really easy to hear the comparison. Thanks for another great video and fantastic playing!
Bought a '63 Strat for $175 from a guy being evicted from his appartment back in the late '70s. Best, nicest guitar I ever played in my life, and I've played hundreds, including '50s Strats. Tragically, I sold it a few years later.
Love the 50’s pickups this helped a lot thanks
Cool video RJ! I think the clear answer is we all need at least two strats!! Question - will you be doing a video talking about your first strat following the Plek set up etc?
Thank you! Too many 'tone testers' don't do what you do. You played all over the fretboard, you didn't hide the true tone with heavy distortion...great demo! I now have a very good idea of the difference in the pickup tones because of you...I know I prefer the 60s style pickups.
Word
Great comparison video. I like the 60s clean, but really enjoyed the clarity of the 50s with some fuzz. Bizzaro World here I come.
Great demo. The 50's suit my taste better and I have Rocketfire 60's on my current strat and they always sounded a bit dull to me. Hadn't heard of Kloppmann before so checked out their site. They have great demos on there and they are all very consistent. Definitely in the mix if I make the move. Thanks for posting!
great pickup demo, but man that was a sick guitar lesson, never disappointed when the bell pings a new video
I'm in love with the 50's!! WoW
Hi R.J. Great comparison video. I'll try to describe what my ears picked up on those particular sets of pickups.
The 56's were definitely brighter sounding, which gave them a lot of sparkle and clarity, I guess that's what some people refer to as "twang." They sounded pretty good in the neck and middle positions clean, and could hold their own in a mix like that but the bridge pickup on a clean setting had no low end or mids at all and would get buried in a mix. With the overdrive and the fuzz though, that high end helped that guitar cut through with a lot of definition and clarity in all pickup positions. That's where those pickups shined their brightest IMHO.
The 67's on the other hand, had much more bass and mids, but lacked the highs that would characterize a Stratocaster. I liked the warm low end response with the clean settings, especially with a clean tone.That would definitely sit in a mix more prominently, but without a little more high end to accent the clarity, I would never guess those were Strat pickups. With the overdrive and fuzz tones, those pickups seemed to get a bit muddy.
Which of those two sets would I choose? Neither one. I would look for a pickup that has the high end of the 56's, but with the mids of the 67's also. A bit less in the low end frequency than the 67's and that would help it cut through the mix clean or dirty. That's just my personal preference of course.
Thank you for posting
I love em all. Have had over 30 Strats. My favorite are the darker mid 60s and moreover, the neck pickup through a Marshall at all “11”s lol😂. Btw: I still have some hearing loss from those stacks. My band mates nicknamed me “Earache” 😅
I liked the 50's sound the best. But I couldn't help but wonder, what size fret's were on the two guitars. The white looked like jumbos. The blue looked a bit smaller.
Golly! They both sound great! Hard to choose really. FWIW, I changed out my American Standard Strat with Fat 50's that had a HB in the bridge to Custom Shop '69s and have been really pleased with those. Great Demo R.J.!
Wow, I love this comparison. The 50's are the sound for me.
I've always preferred 50's style pickups in the 2 and 4 positions and for clean tones, but 60's style pickups in the neck and bridge positions and with dirt or fuzz etc. I've actually used mixed sets at times.
Awesome!!!! 50's sound amazing
Interesting, in this video I prefer the 50's however, I have been to the Kloppman website many times and there I am loving the 62 set...
50s are the pick for me. The voicing is amazing :)
Hey,buddy,great video,good job,I have a question,it is 50s or fat 50s pickup? Thank you
I like them all. 50s are thinner sounding, more stringy but wonderful if you like the old sound ! 60s are more softer & more midrange . I want two Strats , one with 50s and one with the 60s pick ups and i´m the happiest Stratplayer !
I had an American Fender strat deluxe with Lace gold pickups that gave a 50's sound AND I loved the clean sounds I got from it. Beautiful sounds.
I got an 87 Strat plus and a standard with Jeff Beck signature hot noiseless. The gold lace sensors are still the better pickup. The noiseless are nearly there but lack a slight bit of top end.
Great video. Great player!
Both sounded great but I think that can be attributed to your masterful playing. Having said that, I prefer the tone of the 50s pickups in every sample. But the real question is, since you were the one playjng, which one gave you more inspiration while playing? Thanks for demo.
I have the Custom Shop Handwound Fat 60s in my Strat and it’s the best sound I’ve ever heard. I also have that Daredevil Pedals shirt.
This was such a good video. I could tell the 50's sounded brighter and the 60's sounded fuller. I think i'm still gonna have to get both though. lol
GREAT informative video!
The last killer Strat PU's were the last ones Leo Fender designed himself in '64 ...and were only available on the 64-65.He designed them to have a higher output. BIG BUT! He stopped when going hotter killed the Strat chime. Hendrix had a '64 himself. It was the only Strat he kept safe at home and ONLY used to record tracks that needed a killer clean sound.
That's the way a comparison demo should be done. A to B then A1 to B1 then A2 to B2 etc. Sensibly, logically and most important, helpfully. Usually we get A, then A1, then A2, then, after we've forgotten what A sounds like, the demonstrator goes to B, B1 etc.. Stupid and not as useful. Plus, you always want the demonstrator to have serious rhythm and lead chops because experienced players know how to dial in good amp settings and get the most out of whatever gear they are demoing. Thanks, for doing it right R.J. That cleared up some questions I had.
Thank you. Amazing. I now know What I prefer.
You know, since Sound is actually a matter of taste, I prefer 50s. and I can say that you played perfect samples fits the tone. Cool, Awesome, Great!!👍👍👍
Great video as usual from the maestro RJ. I preferred the clarity, chimey-ness and glassiness of the 50s. But it's not like theylre worlds apart.
I have an Alnico II set and it sounds very, very crispy and cristalline. I'm planning to mix Alnico II and V to create the best compromise (for me).
Interesting pups. Wasn't aware of this pup builder before now.
Always prefer rosewood fretboards, but like the top end of 50s pups. Can always dial in bass and midrange, but top end is better if it's already there in the guitar.
At least to my ears.
The 60s pups drive the fuzz easier.
Definitely 60s has more mids.
Great vid. Thanks again👍😎
this was super helpful
Not many guitars are worth picking the nits of the subtle differences in pickups over time.... But the Strat is definitely worth it.
I am a Texas Special man, so put me down for Team 60s
Thanks, great videos it really helped me defined those sounds.
My Favorites are 50's neck and bridge, and I like 60's punch in the middle position. I wonder how it would affect the notch positions (leaning toward the 50's again).
Overall I discovered I'm more of a 50's guys.
Congratulations from Brazil Ronquillo!
Excellent review....I loved the 50's ones.
More defined, brighter and richiest sound.. from clean and dirties tones.
Please, make a comparison between fender vintage noiseless X SCN X N3 X 4th generation noiseless pickups from Fender.
That would be an amazing comparison.
Great Video mate.. 50s for totally clean.. 60s for the drives... and der for the fuzzes... more balanced eq because of the extra mids... that gives the right bite... anyway i feel blessed that o got a standard mexican.. those cheapo ceramics are killer... for cleans and dirt... sound less straty but i like to live with that.. the fact that they are bit hotter can make them biteeeeee
In addition to my previous comments: this is a good comparison of mid 50's and mid 60's Strat pickups. My main point before was that there's more to it than 50's and 60's. Those from '54 were unique in (originally) being the only Strat pickups with A3's, so they're somewhat in a separate category. Other than those, they could really be divided into 3 groups: mid to late 50's, early to mid 60's, and late 60's. This video compares those first 2, even though it includes "67 style". Late 60's style were not typically strong in the midrange, but were more mid-scooped. See Fender CS 69's, Klein Epic 69's, and Rumpelstiltskin Gray Gypsy. Most, if not all, 50's styles are more full and woody than late 60's. Using the same brands as above, see Fender PV 59's, Klein Epic 59's, and Rumpelstiltskin Miller's Daughter (Pre-CBS).
Yes, thank you! Excellent info!
Good to know. You mentioned late 60s to be more scooped - what are the characteristics of the former two categories? From this video I'm guessing early to mid 60s were heavier on the mid-range, maybe a bit more output? What about mid to late 50s?
@@peterklein5861 Feel free to double-check with various boutique winders, but I would say that, overall, mid to late 50's are a bit more balanced frequency-wise. Not too much or too little of anything. Some might say "prettier" sounding---not as much grind or cut as early 60's, not as crisp and snappy as later 60's. There were surely exceptions, but resistance readings seem to have slowly increased through the 50's, with the highest readings in the early 60's. The more resistance, the more midrange.
@@markflemmer1326 Cool, thanks for getting back to me.
I have FCS Texas Specials in the neck and middle and a Hot Stacked wound by my friend in the bridge, but I would have to buy another Strat to get that vintage sound as I will never change the combo I have now as they are perfect for my Strat sound.
The 50's sounded cleaner to me and a bit brighter. My only question would be, did the pot differences in the two guitars affect some of the tone. Normally in these kinds of tone videos I can never hear the differences in a blind test. I really like your videos and your playing.
Both sounded great, but I preferred the '50's set. Then again we all know relic'd=tone right? The biggest difference to me was when played clean, once there was some breakup I didn't notice as much character difference between them. I'll check out Kloppmann though-thanks for the heads up.
How can you compare pickups on different guitars???
I like my orig ‘75 strat pickups!
Dammit now I gotta have both! Each has it’s own voice that is so distinctive that I can’t choose!!! Definitely can hear the mid range boost on the 60’s compared to the 50’s style. But both sound so good especially played with your awesomeness!!
Wow! I’m kinda shocked how much of a difference there was. I preferred the 50’s on every position. The 60’s sounded muddy and generic to me. The 50’s sounded sweet AF. Awesome playing as always 💪🏼🤘🏼
I like them both. Maybe the 50's pups with a mid-boost switch would do the trick?
In my head I’ve always thought I like the “60’s” sound but in this case I liked this ST-56s better. Both sound great though, just a little different flavor to each set.
Man that’s exactly how I felt! The 50’s what’s Rockin!!
While I'm at it, I would love to hear this pickup difference on two Stratocasters with rosewood necks! What do you think RJ? Would that be worth another video?
Everything affects tone to some degree or another. Since maple feels different to your hand than rosewood, that right there is going to change how you play. Hence, a tonal difference.@JSlikbeer-ni6xf
impossible to choose ONE ! Need BOTH ! ^^ Thank you for the proof ! :D
This is somewhat eye-opening (ear-opening?) for me. Do 60's sound more scooped? I preferred the 60's neck timbre, but preferred the 50's bridge and middle solo'd or combined. I also really liked the 60's bridge overdriven on its own.
Which fuzz ui you use? And mm hight of pick up?thanks
R.J.ronquillo good demonstration of Kloppmanns strat pickup variations how they refer the Tones to the Amp ,the white strat is with brass saddles the blue not so ya can hear the difference even if it is pluged in or not .i think most Kloppanns are hand wound and ya can expect they are not cheap so they are unique each one like other hand wound pickups and like a Tire has no Speed ,so not one Pickup has a sound the transport that what ya do with the Strings in different manners but in R.j hands i think every Guitar sounds very good😁
50's middle-neck pu position is unmatched, it surely pops a lot
I can heartily recommend Kinman pups fyi they are my fave ever and are under rated vastly
What more 'budget' 50's pickup would you recommend that can come quite close to the pickups in this demo?
What are the specs on the white strat?
If you axe me (?) it's the 50s that win. Great and informative deno! Interesting info about the wire difference!
Loved them both. Can't decide which one I prefer. Maybe the 60s, brighter and a bit more cutting, but I love the barrier more buttery tone of the 50's. Guess I need one of each.
Bassier, not barrier. Darn auto correct.😉
@@christopherguzzi1316 they did set a barrier haha
I am completely smitten with the sound of the 50's set!
Many bass guitarists love their sound punchy to the bone and some guitarists love the same effect in vintage guitars the shrilling yet strong punchy responses of the guitar 1950s were the golden age for that type of crystalized glassy sound.
paid a visit to Andreas Kloppmanns Workshop in Bremen, Stuhr in Germany two weeks ago, left my Schecter Nick Johnston there in order to change middle and neck PU to Real 62´s (leave the BKP Holy Diver in the Bridge).... Now I am waiting for the call that my guitar is ready for pickup.....
Please do one for Tele, 50's vs 60's with Kloppmann pickups
I can’t say one is better then the other , they’re both best at what they do . I have both and it’s a nice change because the characteristics are really noticeable after playing each one for an amount of time
At 6:30….heavenly funk. That’s where the 50’s live and then the clip after as well.
Great video, I watched it three times and I can't decide which ones I like more! May I ask what kind of fuzz pedal you use for the demo?
Understanding how pickups are made and how nothing at all has changed will help, the difference is the wire gauge and how many wraps around the bars. Also maybe the old ones have tarnished a bit give a slighter difference over time. I could be wrong.
Ironic I've trying all the 50's style pickups I come across when the 60's style hear was the "tone in my head". Now to track down a rosewood/V neck combo strat to load some 60's pickups in haha