About the .strandberg* Custom OEM pickups?

The .strandberg* Custom pickups used for the Essential, RESQ:D and some Standard & Classic series guitars are made for us by PSE Pickups in Indonesia, wound to our own specifications. Each set is voiced for the instrument it sits in: Alnico 5 magnets on 6-string models for warmth and dynamics, Ceramic 8 magnets on 7- and 8-string models for tight, articulate lows. Here is what each pickup sounds like and where it shines.

6-string humbuckers

All 6-string humbuckers use Alnico 5 magnets, which give a warm, responsive sound that reacts to how hard you pick and to your volume knob.

Hot Bridge (open coil or chrome cover). A high-output bridge pickup with a midrange focus, tight bass and fluid, singing sustain. It drives an amp hard and keeps chords defined under heavy gain, which makes it a strong choice for rock, metal and lead work. Available in black, parchment, or chrome with the .strandberg* logo. Coil wire: 44 AWG plain enamel, a traditional choice found in many classic humbuckers.

Neck. Clearer and rounder than the bridge, with extra treble sparkle and upper mids so single notes stay articulate. It works well for warm leads, smooth cleans and fast legato lines. Available open coil in black, covered in black, or chrome with the .strandberg* logo. Coil wire: 43 AWG.

6-string single coils

Our single coils are a 60s-style design with Alnico 5 magnets and 42 AWG Formvar-coated coil wire, the same type used on vintage single coils, wound slightly hotter than a typical vintage pickup. The result is a balanced tone with classic chime and glassy highs, plus a little extra body so they hold up with drive.

Neck. Round, bell-like and expressive, ideal for clean rhythm, blues and soulful leads. Available in black or parchment.

Middle. Reverse-wound and reverse-polarity (RW/RP), so when you combine it with the neck pickup the pair cancels hum and gives you that hollow, quacky in-between sound. Available in black or parchment.

7-string humbuckers

The 7-string humbuckers use Ceramic 8 magnets for a tight, focused low end that stays clear when you tune down or play fast riffs on the low B.

Bridge. Deep and powerful with defined highs. Chugs stay tight and chords stay readable, even with plenty of gain. Coil wire: 43 AWG.

Neck. Lower output than the bridge, with better note definition. It gives you smooth, clear leads and full clean tones without getting muddy. Coil wire: 43 AWG.

Both come in two versions, and the difference affects the tone as well as the look:

• Soapbar (black covered). Mounted at an angle to follow the multi-scale fret and bridge layout, so every string is picked up at a similar distance from the bridge. This gives an even, consistent response across all seven strings.
• Open coil (black). Mounted straight across the body, so the multi-scale layout "angles" the tone for you: low strings sound fatter and high strings snappier.

8-string humbuckers

The 8-string humbuckers share the 7-string design and voicing, scaled up to cover the wider string spread. They also use Ceramic 8 magnets, so the low F# stays tight and punchy instead of turning to mud.

Bridge. Deep and aggressive with clear highs, built for extended-range riffing and djent-style precision. Coil wire: 43 AWG.

Neck. Smoother and more defined, for leads, cleans and ambient parts. Coil wire: 43 AWG.

Like the 7-string pickups, they come as an angled black soapbar for an even response across the strings, or as a straight-mounted open coil for fatter lows and snappier highs.

Wiring for mods

All humbuckers have 4-conductor shielded leads, so you can split coils or wire them in parallel. The single coils use classic cloth-covered vintage wire.

If you're not comfortable soldering, we recommend having a qualified guitar technician do the work.