Should I change my pickups?

First, I'm a brand new member here and like everything so far.

I'm also new (again) to guitar. I took some guitar lessons as a kid and then life put it on the back burner. Now at 48, I've picked it back up and I'm having an absolute blast!

I bought a Squier Affinity HSS Strat and I'm loving it but being in a technology profession, I can't leave anything alone so I immediately started upgrading it. I've already put on locking tuners and changed to 500k pots, new pick guard, graphite nut and about to upgrade to a 2 point trem. All of these upgrades have been fun and fairly inexpensive, but upgrading the pups will put me close to the "I should just buy a standard strat" category.

So, my question, the guitar comes with the standard Fender Strat pickups in neck and mid and the humbucker is just described as "standard humbucker". Given that I'm new and don't have what I would consider a honed musical ear, should I invest in new pickups? I've been looking at the Seymour Duncan stuff but I also want to make sure I retain that 'Strat Sound'.

Thought? Recommendations for 'strat sounding' pups?

Hi grepico,

I think modding your guitar is one of the best and most fun aspects of owning a guitar. If you put this much time into your Squier, I say you should just go all the way and put some new pickups in there!

It'll be cheaper to put new pickups in that to buy a new strat.

That's my 2 cents!

Also, if you're putting in new pickups, I suggest any of the Fender pickups, or Bareknuckle, or as always Seymour Duncan, can't go wrong!

Best,

Billy

Agreed with Billy. You're most of the way there, might as well go the whole nine yards. Also agreed that going high end on pick ups wouldn't make sense. You might want to skip getting Fender Texas Specials and get Fender Tex-Mex pickups at about $110 savings (apply logic you whatever brand you prefer). At minimum, it's good experience and helps you to understand everything about the guitar and really helpful to do your own repairs.

I used to most of my own setups many, many years ago but I've lost my confidence in doing so..also, I was pretty broke in my 20's and had to do setups because of $$$$$, so there's that.

I've been kinda wanted to do some mods on my Strat (I've had some parts for years) but it's a 30 year old Fender American so I'm still a little hesitant.

For you, good experience on this first guitar and if you get spendier instruments in the future you'll be less of a 'fraidycat like me.....

Thanks for the feedback!! I ended up going with the Seymour Duncan SH1 for the neck and mid and the SH8 for the bridge humbucker.

I like it, but I did lose some of the signature Strat tone. I've ordered the Fender Tex-Mex set to run in the neck/mid, but I'm sticking with the SH8 humbucker (I can't recommend it strongly enough!).

Thanks again for the responses!