Best "hum-free" pick-up-set for Fender Custom Shop-strat?

    Quote from Elcap420

    Wow, great deal!! Congrats!! Let us know how it goes :)

    It's even better, because I ordered in the Netherlands I don't have to pay VAT, so it's just 118 € (148 $) shipping included, I think that's a great price. ;)
    I'll let you know how it works.

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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    Quote from guenterhaas

    It's even better, because I ordered in the Netherlands I don't have to pay VAT, so it's just 118 € (148 $) shipping included, I think that's a great price. ;)
    I'll let you know how it works.


    That's a great price. Are you planning to do only one guitar? Or will other's follow later? Certainly not your 60's guitars, but others?

    Quote from Ingolf

    That's a great price. Are you planning to do only one guitar? Or will other's follow later? Certainly not your 60's guitars, but others?

    I would like to try it on one of my teles ('70 Candy Apple Red, photo attached), there's a good review about the Ilitch Noise Cancelling system for teles.


    Of course I have no interest to use it on my '58 and '66-strats, I don't take these guitars on tours anyway.


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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    I'm a great fan of noiseless single-coils and I got actual several sets here:
    EMG DG20 (Strat)
    Fender N3 (Strat)
    DiMarzio Area Set (Strat)
    DiMarzio HS2, 3, 4 (Sterling Silhouette)
    DiMarzio Virtual Vintage DP402, 403 404 (LAG Strat)
    Bill Lawrence (Fender Cobalt SCN) Tele Set
    DiMarzio Cruiser (Ibanez AT10)
    Music Man/DiMarzio Custom Wounds with hum-cancelling electronics. (EBMM Silhouette Spec.)


    All pickups seem to be made to be played through the KPA (or vice-versa), the sound is fantastic! "Real single-coils" are sounding weak and thin in my ears compared to the stacked ones (maybe I'm mutated meanwhile :D).
    If I'd to decide which is my Top-3 rating I'd vote


    1. DiMarzio Cruiser, MusicMan with hum-cancelling
    2. DIMarzio Area/Fender N3
    3. Bill Lawrence Set
    but the differences are minimal.


    I tried several Seymour Duncan single-coils but replaced each and every model after test. I couldn't find any SD SC sounding proper or indivdiual, can't understand the hype around these pickups. Imo it's ordinary industrial stuff - nothing more.

    Quote from Dlaut

    Ilitch invented and patented the system, and licensed it to Suhr. Suhr has made it sound like "he" developed it....he did not. I agree, buy it from Lindy Fralin. I have one, and you won't look back!


    Just to be clear, Suhr have always acknowledge that the first version of their noice canceling products were based on tech licensed from Ilitch.
    They now have a generation 2 available that are not based on Ilitchs design, for two reasons. There were some limitations on the original design that made it hard to mix PU's with different properties.
    And the licensing fee made it unnecessarily expensive.

    Quote from Janne

    Just to be clear, Suhr have always acknowledge that the first version of their noice canceling products were based on tech licensed from Ilitch.
    They now have a generation 2 available that are not based on Ilitchs design, for two reasons. There were some limitations on the original design that made it hard to mix PU's with different properties.
    And the licensing fee made it unnecessarily expensive.


    Well, it "Suhr" hasn't brought down their prices any!! ;)

    Quote from CUBE

    "Real single-coils" are sounding weak and thin in my ears compared to the stacked ones (maybe I'm mutated meanwhile :D).

    Not if you would hear the pickups of my '58 and '66 strats and my '66 and '70 teles, they have such a great punch and power, unbelievable. :thumbup:


    But I like I said, I want to keep the sound of my Custom Shop-strat as original as possible and I don't look for more powerful pick-ups. That's why the Ilitch-plate might be the best solution. I'll keep you informed....

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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    Today the Ilitch-plate arrived, installation is a bit tricky because the wires are tiny.... the whole system seems to be very fragile. However, it works, less noise now, seems to be equal to my custom made strat with Seymour Duncan Hot Rail and 2 Hot Stacks.

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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    I don't notice any tone change and the noise ist reduced significantly. If the Ilitch-plate is a good "weapon" against interspersals on big stages, I can't tell before the end of November. Right now I'm really satisfied, the unit itself seems to be a bit fragile, but carefully installed and isolated, it will stay inside the guitar and won't make any problems. The installation itself is easy, the Ilitch-unit is placed between the three ground-wires coming from the pick-ups and the plate, here are some photos:


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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    ^^ Glad you are liking it so far Guenter. It's certainly a good way to cancel hum without changing too much of a guitar, of course for major collectors every solder joint has to be original but guitars are meant to be played IMHO. Looks great! Its too bad that the trim pots couldn't be fit in the back with the back plate, it would certainly make it easier to adjust once it is up and running. How easy did you find the sweet spot on the trim pots? Did you put the trim pots outside the pick guard and hook everything else up first or were you able to make the adjustments while the pick guard was still off?

    Quote from Elcap420

    ^^ Glad you are liking it so far Guenter. It's certainly a good way to cancel hum without changing too much of a guitar, of course for major collectors every solder joint has to be original but guitars are meant to be played IMHO. Looks great! Its too bad that the trim pots couldn't be fit in the back with the back plate, it would certainly make it easier to adjust once it is up and running. How easy did you find the sweet spot on the trim pots? Did you put the trim pots outside the pick guard and hook everything else up first or were you able to make the adjustments while the pick guard was still off?


    I think it's a great solution, because you can keep the original pick-ups and sound. My Fender Custom Shop strat ('56 reissue) sounds terrific. :love:


    You have to adjust the trim pots only once, to find the spot with the lowest noise/hum is very easy and then you can leave it like that. First I had the trim pots outside of the pickguard, so I could play with all strings on the guitar and find the right spot. I'll be on tour at the end of November and then I can tell more about the noise/hum-reduction on a big stage.

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    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    Like 1
    Quote from guenterhaas

    I think it's a great solution, because you can keep the original pick-ups and sound. My Fender Custom Shop strat ('56 reissue) sounds terrific. :love:


    You have to adjust the trim pots only once, to find the spot with the lowest noise/hum is very easy and then you can leave it like that. First I had the trim pots outside of the pickguard, so I could play with all strings on the guitar and find the right spot. I'll be on tour at the end of November and then I can tell more about the noise/hum-reduction on a big stage.


    I am really happy you decided to go this route. I have two of my Strats and a Tele that could benefit from this in the near future! Thanks for posting the great pictures of it too!