A lot of guitarists often wonder which Stratocaster pickups are better – Fender Pure Vintage ’59 vs Fender Pure Vintage ’65. If you’re wondering which single-coils should you get, you’ve come to the right place! In today’s article, I’m going to take a close look on both of these sets.
The truth is that both Pure Vintage sets by Fender (’59 and ’65) offer a fantastic quality. They aren’t that cheap, but they are definitely worth the money. They are perfect for all lovers of the ’60s rock music!
Let’s dive deeper with research to find out what exactly makes these pickups so popular all around the world. Firstly, we’ll start with a quick overview of both of these sets. Of course, there will also be a few sound demos included as well, so you’ll be able to decide which one of them is better for you.
Fender Pure Vintage ’59 Set – Overview
The Pure Vintage ’59 set is one of the most popular Strat pickup sets that are currently manufactured by Fender. These single-coils guarantee a really classic, bright and oldschool Stratocaster tone!
What makes them so special? Well, they feature the formvar-coated magnet wire which makes them sound very clear. They are also equipped with the Alnico V magnets, so that’s an another big advantage.
Additionally, the authentic cloth wire and fiber bobbin construction significantly improves their final tone and responsiveness. This is really important, especially if you’re looking for a vintage tone straight from the ’50s.
When it comes to pricing, let’s be honest – these pickups aren’t that cheap. But considering how good they are, they’re definitely worth the money! Surely, all guitarists will benefit from adding them to their Strats.
Here’s the sound demo – feel free to check it out below.
Fender Pure Vintage ’65 Set – Overview
The Pure Vintage ’65 is an another excellent set of pickups suitable for a lot of different styles of music. These single-coils are perfect for everyone who loves the sound of The Who, Byrds or Cream. They’re perfect for psychedelic rock!
If you’re into that kind of music and you want to turn your Strat into a vintage axe with a sound straight from the mid ’60s, you should definitely consider adding these pickups to your own guitar.
I had the pleasure to test these pickups on my own and they have that mid-60’s charm. It’s really difficult to explain it – you just have to hear it.
Here’s the sound demo – feel free to check it out below.
’59 vs ’65 – Sound Comparison
Choosing between the ’59 and ’65 Pure Vintage pickups is not that easy! Since both of these sets sound great, it all comes down to you and you own personal preferences.
In my opinion, the ’65 pickups have a bit more punch and bite. The ’59 single-coils are a bit softer, but they still sound really vintage.
Personally, I’d choose the ’65 pickups, but that’s only my subjective opinion. I’m sure that a lot of you will choose the ’59 ones instead!
Here’s a really good sound demo that highlights and compares the tone of both of these sets – feel free to check it out below, it explains a lot!
Too Expensive?
If you’re not satisfied with the quality or high price of Fender Pure Vintage sets and you have a feeling that they won’t be a good fit for you, that’s not a big problem! There’s still quite a lot of other pickups that are also worth checking out.
Of course, it all depends on what you’re searching for and how much are you willing to spend.
Firstly, you should definitely check out the Fender Tex Mex Stratocaster Pickups. This is an another extremely popular set of very versatile and great sounding pickups. In fact, they are a bit less expensive than the Pure Vintage ones.
Additionally, you can also check out the Fender Original ’57/’62 Stratocaster Pickup Set. These pickups aren’t that cheap (just like the Pure Vintage ones), but they’re perfect for all lovers of vintage tones. I highly encourage you to check them out!
If you’re tired of the regular three single-coil Strat pickup setting, you can also check out my article about the best humbuckers for Stratocasters. There’s a really high chance that your next favorite pickups are somewhere on that list!
Installing New Pickups
If you don’t know much about replacing the Stratocaster pickups but you still want to upgrade your own Strat, that’s not a problem! If it’s too challenging for you, you can always go and visit your local luthier.
However, changing the Strat pickups isn’t that difficult. Even if you’re not an advanced musician, it’s pretty easy to understand how it’s done.
Here’s a really good video that describes that whole process – feel free to check it out below.
Want to find out more about Fender?
If you want to learn more about Fender, make sure to visit their official website.
Summary
As you can see, both Fender Pure Vintage pickup sets (’59 and ’65) offer a really good sound quality. No matter which one you decide to choose for yourself, you will most likely be really satisfied with your choice. These pickups can quickly turn an average Strat into a killer and extremely versatile axe.
What do you think of these pickups? Do you think that they’re worth the money? Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think, I’m really interested to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for checking out today’s review, hopefully it was helpful and you found what you were looking for. If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:
