I just got a new Strat ...

It's a Mexico Strat ... it feels and plays real nice.

What I have in mind is:

Swap to a better Trem Bridge ...

Install a nice set of Schaller "locking" Tuners ...

And go with the EMG DG20 Electronics.


I'll be palying this through a Carvin X100B amp and a decent 4X12 Cabinet loaded with Celestions.

Any thoughts on this rig?

and no I don't play for a living just for fun.

emg 81's and 85's are about as hot as most would want, anymore will grind all the time 81 and 85 MAY depending on gain settings .

I do want to maintain the basic "Stat" configuration and function ...

Looking to get a little more versatility out of it on tone selection opportunities ... and eliminate most (or all) of the annoying pickup hum.

The EXG (expander) and SPC (presence) controls seem like a great set-up ... I haven't actually heard the set-up, but I have never heard anyone complain about the set-up and I've done a fair bit of searching info out.

From the EMG site ----> EMG-DG20

The DG20 comes with SA single coil pickups, wired with an EXG Guitar Expander, an SPC Presence Control, and master volume
The EMG-EXG Guitar Expander circuit increases the bass and treble while reducing the mids, perfect for chord definition at higher volumes, while the SPC makes the SA's sing by boosting the mids and turning your single coils into full blown humbucking!

end of text
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The complete piece can be had for just over $250.00 and once you take the assembly out of the box it (pretty much) ready to put in the guitar.

and cause I'm so I'll cheap I'll start off saying if it's playing nice and staying in tune why bother with the expense of the tremmy and turner upgrades?

The Gilmore set up looks damn nice but it ain't cheap...ok I'll get to the point.

I've never heard Dave live...but I know he has a pedal board that looks like it could control a shuttle launch, and in the studio well, there ain't no limits...I just don't think that boy has ever met a note he didn't alter electronicaly. But if you know what the DG set up sounds like and it's what ya want...do the deed dude.


I'm a big fan of swapping the single pole bridge pup on MIM's...my personal experience with them...I have 2 MIM's is that it's a weak ass piece of garbage can clank, loud and booming at the top and and tinny and dead at the bottom, and no amount of playing with the damn things has ever fixed them, but the middle and neck sound great. I'd hesitate to swap them.

Try tearing out the bridge PUP and tossing a Strat sized HB in it's place. Do it cheap...then throw more pedals in front of that Carvin cause thats what Dave does;)

Then with all that money you save....look for a smaller amp to overdrive...anything that weighs less than joe's cock and has a tube in it is a good place to start looking.

may as well have some fun while I can

I agree that bridge pickup is pretty thin as it now sits.

I have another Fender I might go humbucker on once I get this one decked out.

As far as swapping stuff out ... I guess I treat my guitars like my cars ... "It ain't mine til I've torn it apart and put it back together again"

I'd say go with a Callaham Mexican bridge upgrade ($106 last I checked), the Schaller locking tuners are great (been using them for a while), can't comment on the pickups, I'm not a fan of EMG, but that's just me.

Scott V

I see the Callaham site says thier "Steel" is the best ... I see some "Brass" out there as well (floyd rose) for instance. Some places selling brass saddles etc.

Anyone have the scoop regarding Brass and it's advantages (if any) compared to the rest of the options??

A strat and a tele, i like the bridge on the tele, I never much use the bridge on the strat, except if on a high gain type thing then the treble does that cutting through the buzz of the gain. But for single note stuff I'll go back up to the neck for long sustain. If I thought new pups would make me play better I might have gotten some long ago, but you know, mostly its the way you play not what you play.

But I do enjoy "tinkering" ...

That can include my own attempts at playing ... or ... taking things apart and putting them back together again.

Any time I want to hear one of my guitars "Sing" I can simply take it down to where ever my friend Mike Vaughn is playing that night, put it in his hands then just sit out front and listen to him run out "Reel'n in the Years" (or some such thing) while I have a nice cocktail.

Infact, this Strat will make it's way there very soon, I know Mike has never played a Strat set up like this and I can't wait to hear it out in live action.

On the other hand, when his guitar has problems ... it comes to my house for help.

I have never heard a Strat sound like this ...

I got the DG-20 in it (and also the Schallers locking tuners) ... strung it back up and WOW.

Simply Amazing ... from where I sit.

Here's a cool outfit that makes nice pickups for a nice price
http://store.guitarfetish.com/60grboovstse.html, Bill Lawrence is another pickup maker who gives you more for your buck than most, I have one Strat with the Lawrence single coils that sounds really nice. If you like a Tele vibe for your Strat, Lindy Fralin offers Strat PUPs that have the steel plate under the bridge PUP, I think they also offer the steel plates to add to your own PUPs too.

The first upgrades I would make are Sperzel tuners and a Graphtech lubricated nut.
What tone are you after?
If you want to sound like Ying-Wee that is a totally different setup than SRV.
For a versatile beefy "Strat" tone, I would go with Harmonic Design Vintage Plus pickups.
www.harmonicdesign.net
If you want a Les Paul Jr tone, the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pup in the bridge will do it.
Duncan also makes strat sized version of several of their humbuckers (JB Jr, Lil 59, etc..).