Ever since the birth of the electric guitar, enthusiasts have been using the most common type of pickup – The Single Coil. Though it produces clear tones making it a favorite for blues and early rock music players, it has one flaw and that’s the slight hum it produces.
Getting rid of the hum can be achieved by replacing the single coil with a noiseless Strat pickup and seems like more of a logical solution than replacing or changing the guitar.
Taking this into account, there are a handful of really great noiseless Strat pickups that you can buy. Let me take you through some of my favorite noiseless Strat pickups that are in the market today.
- Seymour Duncan STK-S9
- Fender Strat Hot Noiseless
- Fender Generation 4 Noiseless Single-Coil
- EMG SA Active Single Coil Pickup
- DiMarzio Area ‘67 Single-Coil Pickup
- Seymour Duncan California ’50s Strat Pickup
Table of Contents
Best Noiseless Strat Pickups
While many guitarists may not pay much heed to the lingering hum, some may find it annoying. For this reason, I’m going to provide you with my personal opinion on which are the best noiseless Strat pickups and where you can buy them from.
Before we get into the top 5 noiseless Strat pickups, let’s go over a couple of things.
Why do guitarists prefer a Noiseless Strat Pickup?
Strats are something that are easy to master, they’re ideal if you’re looking for a clear and snappy tone. Although single coil pickups are well known for how clear they sound, they’re also frowned upon because they can tend to get noisy at the same time.
Noiseless Strat Pickups were engineered to eliminate the lingering hum without making changes to the output capabilities of your guitar.
Should I go in for an Active or Passive Pickup?
It clearly depends on the situation. Like, if you’re in an open arena playing live or if you’re in a recording studio/in-door venue.
Active pickups are required if you’re going to play live as they have tonal consistency, are loud and improved sustain. If you’re concerned about the noise then active pickups are the best at eliminating the hum.
Passive pickups are great for in-door venues and studios and are known to be the best compromise between distorted sounds and clean sounds.
So, in order to decide which pickup is best suited for you, you’d have to first understand what you’re doing, where you’re going to play and if you’re comfortable with a hum or not.
Here are the Best Noiseless Strat Pickups you can buy on Amazon
Seymour Duncan STK-S9
Nowadays, we can’t talk about guitar pickups without mentioning “Seymour Duncan”. They’ve been able to successfully make a range of pickups from the humbucker to the P90. One of their most popular pickups is the STK-S9 Hot Stack Plus Pickup which has their patented Stack Pickup design allowing it to have a higher output than the “Classic Stack Plus”.
The STK-S9 comes factory tuned allowing it to cancel out those annoying hums while playing.
Recommended for pop, blues, rock and country musicians, the STK-S9 can be positioned on the bridge of the guitar. If you’re planning on upgrading to a versatile, hum-free setup then the best way to go is to have a Classic Stack Plus positioned in the neck of the guitar as well.
The STK-S9 is available on Amazon for $89.00.
Features
- It comes with a three-conductor cable that allows splitting. Once split middle pickup is reverse wound and cancels out the hum when used alongside a neck pickup.
- This pickup is designed for all types of well balanced instruments including maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- It’s a high-output Stacked pickup/humbucker.
Specifications
| DC Resistance | 20.26k Ohms |
| Peak Resonance | 3.23 kHz |
| Cable | 3 Conductor (Shielded) |
| Magnet | Alnico V Rods |
| Price | $89.00 |
Click here to buy it on Amazon
Fender Strat Hot Noiseless
Fender has been known for their brilliantly designed music instruments and no pickup list would ever be complete without a Fender Strat. The Hot Noiseless is a pickup that delivers true hot vintage Strat sound and comes in a beautifully aged white color.
These Strats have incredible definition and high output regardless of the position. They’re actually affordable considering the brand name and are sold in packs of 3 online for $199.99.
It is capable of combining warmth and punch alongside bluesy articulation to deliver clean, full sound that is free of hums.
Features
- The Hot Noiseless features a polysol-coated magnet wire and ceramic magnets to deliver an impressive output.
- It comes with a Vinyl-coated output wire and plastic bobbin.
- The pack of 3 comes with the installation hardware which is necessary.
Specifications
| DC Resistance | Neck/Middle/Bridge: 10.4K Ohms |
| Inductance | Neck/Middle/Bridge: 3.5 Henries |
| Magnet Wire | Polysol Coated |
| Output | Hot 5/5 |
| Price | $199.99 |
Click here to buy it on Amazon
Fender Generation 4 Noiseless Single-Coil
The Gen4 Noiseless is a single coil pickup that is capable of delivering powerful distortion without any hum. It’s quite similar to a humbucker and packs quite a punch even when the gain knob is set at max.
This pickup is available in a nice creamy white shade and looks perfect giving your guitar a nice vintage look. It gives you an actual vintage Fender sound with a tight low end, punchy mids and clear defined highs.
The Gen4 is considered a modern classic with its ability to provide clear, crisp over-driven tones that are just waiting to be rocked out.
You can buy this pack of 3 pickups on Amazon for $199.99.
Features
- The Gen4 features shielded wiring for additional noise reduction and comes with installation hardware which is required.
- It has a noise-free, vintage style Fender tone and offers crisp and clear cleans.
- An Alnico 5 Magnet is used and it delivers impressive output.
Specifications
| DC Resistance | 10.3K Ohms |
| Inductance | Neck/Middle: 3.2 Henries; Bridge: 3.6 Henries |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 |
| Lead Wire | Shielded |
| Price | $199.99 |
Click here to buy it on Amazon
EMG SA Active Single Coil Pickup
Some of the best Strat pickups available in the market today are from the brand EMG. This company manufactures Strats that are far from being considered low-end.
This SA Active pickup combines the older Fender tone with higher outputs and additional mids.
The Alnico 5 bar magnet allows for the output to remain balanced allowing it to make a beautiful articulate tone. Its mid-range warmth creates sublime tones that are clear and expressive.
The EMG SA Single Coil is available on Amazon for $89.46.
Features
- The SA Active Pickup eliminates noise with internal shielding along with a low impedance pre-amp allowing you to retain the authentic single coil tone.
- It comes with an Alnico 5 magnet that helps produce the unmistakable Strat sound – bright, airy and a rich bottom end.
- This single coil pickup is designed for a great sustain and allows for easier bends and solos.
Specifications
| Resonant Frequency | 3.75 kHz |
| Output Impedance | 10 kOhm |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 |
| Battery Life | 1,000 hours |
| Price | $89.46 |
Click here to buy it on Amazon
DiMarzio Area ‘67 Single-Coil Pickup
The DiMarzio ‘67 is a single coil Strat that produces bright and clean tones without any hum or interference. It’s a part of the DiMarzio Area series that’s dedicated to replicating the iconic sound of the 60’s.
This pickup is quite interesting as it can be positioned either on the neck or the middle if you’re looking to mimic the 60’s sound. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for tonal clarity and is able to cut out all the harshness and maintain the authentic punch of a Classic Strat.
It comes with the Alnico 2 magnets that offer less pull resulting in better note sustain. This is great as if there was more pull you’d probably face issues with the modulation or pitch.
You can buy the DiMarzio Area ‘67 on Amazon
Features
- The Area ‘67 offers a light, bright and happier sound.
- It features an Alnico 2 magnet that has a reduced magnet pull by about 40% allowing it to have improved sustain and clarity.
- There’s an internal pre-amp which rejects even the slightest hum and buzz offering a noiseless operation.
Specifications
| Resistance | 5.86 kOhms |
| Wiring | 4 Conductor |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 2 |
| Position | 2 and 4 (Neck and Middle) |
Click here to buy it on Amazon
Seymour Duncan California ’50s Strat Pickup Set
The Seymour Duncan California ’50s strat pickups are single-coil pickups that have been designed to reproduce sounds from the golden era of music. Seymour Duncan has managed to retain the tone of the 50’s and 60’s with these strats.
They used vintage components to ensure that the sound reproduction comes as close as possible to an authentic classic tone. This noiseless strat is made up of Alnico V magnets and a formvar magnet wire with hand-made bobbins.
Here, the middle pickup has a reverse polarity and a reverse wound design allowing you to attain a wider range of tones. While using this strat pickup you will notice the elimination of noise from positions two and four of your pickup selector.
You can buy the Seymour Duncan California ’50s Strat Pickup Set on Amazon
Features
- The California ’50s offers a light and refined 60’s sound
- It features an Alnico V magnets and a formvar magnet wire with hand-made bobbins allowing it to have improved sustain and clarity.
Specifications
| Number of Conductors | 2 Wire |
| DC Resistance | 6.5K |
| Magnet Type | Alnico V |
| Position | 2 and 4 (Neck and Middle) |
Click here to buy it on Amazon
Conclusion
The pickups listed are the cream of the crop when it comes to pickups for your guitar. These vintage-style pickups are noiseless which is impressive considering the amount of Classic Strat Tone they’re able to produce.
If you’re looking for something that falls within your budget then you can go for either the EMG SA or the Seymour Duncan as they’re two pickups that are phenomenal when it comes to cutting out noises while being easy on the wallet.
Meanwhile, if price is not an issue you can go in for either the Fender or DiMarzio Area ‘67.
At the end of the day, they all work marvels and i would not suggest just one, rather pick them all up and use them based on the kind of music you’re going to perform.
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Greetings! My name is Michael and this is my website.
I've been specializing in audio equipment and accessories for a while and have a little something in store for every kind of hi-fi enthusiast.
Based in California, I keep attending special launch events across the globe. This has helped me understand the products better, and with a unique hands-on experience I'm able to provide you with easy to understand reviews about the best in audio tech from around the world.
