My relationship with Strat pickups is lengthy and complicated. Strat player of 45 years so a LOT of pickups have come through the door. I’ve also gone through a few musical style changes over the decades so pickups need to be flexible to those variations. I don’t care for traditional 50s strat tone nor do I want Hot Rail levels of output and mids attack. Finding the sweet spot in between seems to be a struggle. There is always a trade-off somewhere. Enter the Blues Special pickup set. Wow! The right amount of competitive output without slamming the input AND a mid push that puts the pickup in the right place in a band mix. I don’t play blues music but feel these are more “all-rounder” pickups. These satisfy across the frequency spectrum and provide articulation in complex arpeggios. Set aside the “blues” moniker and make the purchase if your goal is balanced Strat tone with some heft added.
