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negninegaw wrote:Thanks for your interesting information. I replaced the original pickups of my '89 Strat plus with '57/62 ones and the sound is better.
Only thing is: I have to turn the volume much higher than with the previous pickups, which were also about
6 Ohms. I used to gig with the volume of my Deluxe reverb reissue on 4, now it seems that volume on 7 is necessary. Is this something familiar?
If not what could cause this?

My Fender Classic Player 50s Strat has 57/62s on and is as loud as my other guitars so not sure what's happening there

The 6 KOhm resistance - have you measured it or simply read it in a set of specifications?

The DC resistance is as near a proxy for impedance as you can easily measure. If it's the same resistance as the previous pickups, the only practical explanations for loss of volume are:

(a) the new pickups have been set up further away from the strings,

(b) there has been a wiring fault when soldering the new pickups into the circuit, or

(c) there is an unrelated but coincidental fault downstream from the guitar (a lead, an echo unit, etc).

Or possibly a combination of two or more of the above.

If I recall right the resistance of the 57/62 are all the same at 5.7k.

Thanks, I measured the pickups myself; they were not exactly the same: 6.04, 5.88 and 5.90. I put the 6.04 in the bridge position, assuming that Fender does not want them to be mounted in the same order as they were in the package.

It is true that these 57/62 pickups were set lower, as the special magnetic field of the original Strat Plus pickups allows them to be set pretty close to the strings. I used the recommendation of 2.4 mm on the bass side and 2.0mm on the treble side. Space between pole piece and underside of the string, while pressing the string onto the last fret.

I assume that when all pickups work properly with the 5 way switch, soldering mistakes are not likely, although I would like them to be the problem.

negninegaw wrote:Thanks, I measured the pickups myself; they were not exactly the same: 6.04, 5.88 and 5.90. I put the 6.04 in the bridge position, assuming that Fender does not want them to be mounted in the same order as they were in the package.

It is true that these 57/62 pickups were set lower, as the special magnetic field of the original Strat Plus pickups allows them to be set pretty close to the strings. I used the recommendation of 2.4 mm on the bass side and 2.0mm on the treble side. Space between pole piece and underside of the string, while pressing the string onto the last fret.

I assume that when all pickups work properly with the 5 way switch, soldering mistakes are not likely, although I would like them to be the problem.

Here are original 5762 specs quoted. Maybe Fender have changed latest specs , if so it's a different PU . I know the original set were not reversed polarity on middle pu either , yet they are reverse on my Classic Player 50s strat which has them fitted, so maybe Fender changed them. Naughty really because they are selling a product that is unlike the original using the original name.

https://fendershop.co.nz/product/099-2117-000/

Hi Roger,
What distance (mm) from polepiece to the string do you use (string fretted at the last fret)?

negninegaw wrote:Hi Roger,
What distance (mm) from polepiece to the string do you use (string fretted at the last fret)?

I set them to Fender spec then I fine tune them for my optimum sound and balance. I usually adjust the bridge firstly to get the right volume and sound repeatedly playing pieces and adjusting till it sounds good. Then I adjust the middle and neck so they match the bridge output near enough.again checking some tunes against these pickups. I do not use any EQ or echo and set the amp up how I like it. 2mm treble and 2.4 bass side is a good starting point.

I think its important to get the neck relief and string height right before you finalise this. Too high an action and the strings are further from the pickups and duller sounding. Again I go for Fender string height spec of around 4/64s but I have found 12 thou neck relief better than the 10 thou Fender quotes.You may need the 6th string slightly higher but not much. If you like higher action though you will need to raise the pu heights to compensate.

Your loss of volume I suspect is due to some electrical issue. Try taking pedals out straight into amp and different guitar leads. Check against the sound from other strats if poss. I would not think all three pickups could be faulty at once , highly unlikely. Check soldering joints and wiring correct ?

HTH

I don't know what pick ups are fitted to the '62 AVRI, but I never touched them on either of the guitars and the originals were/are the best original early sound I ever had. I don't know the spec of the pickups on these guitars, but it's possible that you are correct Roger and that they are indeed 57/62s that are now sold as an aftermarket option.
I had a fifties Classic Player and it sounded amazing, I only sold i because I didn't like the colour (Shoreline gold)
I do have the sixtes Classic Player and that has the Custom shop 69s fitted, sounding equally good.

dave robinson wrote:I don't know what pick ups are fitted to the '62 AVRI, but I never touched them on either of the guitars and the originals were/are the best original early sound I ever had. I don't know the spec of the pickups on these guitars, but it's possible that you are correct Roger and that they are indeed 57/62s that are now sold as an aftermarket option.
I had a fifties Classic Player and it sounded amazing, I only sold i because I didn't like the colour (Shoreline gold)
I do have the sixtes Classic Player and that has the Custom shop 69s fitted, sounding equally good.

Dave I checked out the 62 AVRI on the internet and the specs include 57/62 pu's , just to be sure I was correct.

You can usually tell these by the pronounced chamfer on the pole pieces. If yours has this pronounced chamfer on them it's likely they are the original spec 57/62 pu's.

HTH

Having looked at photographs of my now sold first USA AVRI Stratocaster, the pickups do not have the chamfered pole pieces that the after market 57/62 pickups feature. Neither does the latest AVRI that I bought from Keith Mantle at the beginning of this year, which is the exact same model, built back in the nineties when they were the fore runners for the Fender Custom Shop, in fact theses models became the 'Closet Classics' when the Custom Shop released them.
I do remember the Classic Player's pick ups having the chamfered pole pieces though.
It's my opinion that the 57/62s were different pickups to the ones fitted to my examples of the AVRI (American Vintage Re-Issue). My colleague in the band also has one of these so I'll check his too.