Musiclily Pro ST-DPLA Alnico 5 Rail Blade Single Coil Sized Humbucker Pickup 6.2K para Guitarra Elétrica Estilo Strat

I installed it on a parts Start. I expected an Alnico 5 to be hot and bright, but I was surprised at how much of both.I like to tweak pickup height and pole piece screws but, with this design, I'm left with just coarse side to side and I struggled to get a balanced tone and response that I liked.I play humbucker guitars (Les Pauls, SGs, and the like) for higher energy output while I prefer single coil Fender-style guitars for cleaner, more defined tones. This kind of pickup seems designed for players who like the radiused feel of Strat necks but want a beefier output.I may not be the intended audience for this pickup but where I think it might shine is on a lap steel where you're going for a dirtier tone.

Installed in the middle position in the photos shown.This middle pickup is for the people out there who've yet to find the use for one!Paired with a Ceramic HO on the neck and a Duncan Phat Cat, this AlnicoV humbucker is the perfect gap between the for thick low end and output of the neck and the extreme crunch and sizzle of the bridge pickups.In the Middle position this pickup adds bass but still retains the bite you would get being at the bridge position and really opened my eyes to what a nice transitional pickup can sound like!Split into single coil mode, and you really get a feel for the clarity difference that the Alnico produces versus the Ceramic. Much more vintage but not PAF level of sterile (yeah I said it!)I'm sure it works great in any position, but this is a must get if you need that perfect middle pickup!

For the price this is actually a great single coil pickup

Looks good, and instructions are clear for what each wire is for this pickup. I needed to look up how to wire pickups from my single coil Strat to this humbucker that has more wires. And then I need to determine WHICH wiring I should use... that aside, it should be a nice complement to put in the bridge position where it should provide the best overall sound.

These pickups sounded interesting, don't really see Alnico V pickups in a HotRail style for a strat?! Popped this into a cheap Squier, WOW! Much better than the stock Fender pickup that was in there, and these are only $20! Immediately heard string clarity at rolled off volumes, and full creamy thick mid-scooped sounds when volume cranked. What was important to me is that I can get pretty good tones now with high gain pedals, and I get that clarity back when using fuzz pedals, that articulation is there and sounds really good. Def worth trying. Minimal instructions included, wire is a bit thin so just be careful installing. Pickup had a bit of manufacturing glue on the housing and rails, was easy to remove.