Pickup Upgrades: Does It Make a Difference?

Have you ever wondered if upgrading your pickups really makes a difference? Yeah, me too. When I reviewed my Tease ST1, my friend Roy left a comment saying he'd like to send me a set of Fender Tex-Mex pickups. Thanks to his generosity, that's exactly what we're doing in this episode. We're taking my favorite Strat in the shop, removing the stock ceramic pickups, installing a set of Fender Tex-Mex pickups, and asking a simple question: **Do pickup upgrades make a difference?** Along the way we'll compare resistance readings, install the new pickups, listen to tone samples before and after the swap, and talk about what changed... and what didn't. Now, I'll be the first to admit that my old rock-and-roll ears don't always pick up every subtle nuance. Some players can hear differences that completely escape me. That's why I'm counting on you. After listening to the tone samples, let me know what you heard. • Did the Tex-Mex pickups sound different? • Were they warmer, darker, fuller, or louder? • Was the upgrade worth it? • Which set did you prefer? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. A huge thank you to my friend Roy for sending these pickups and giving me the opportunity to explore something I've wanted to try for a long time. As always, thanks for hanging out with me and talking about guitars and life. Is This the BEST $179 Strat style Guitar on the market? | First Look at the New Tease ST-1 SPR https://youtu.be/hsvHHyCFKG4 Fender Tex Mex Strat Pickup Set https://amzn.to/4wZu8iI TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Do Pickup Upgrades Make a Difference? 00:12 Welcome Back to the Channel 01:54 Roy Sends a Set of Fender Tex-Mex Pickups 02:22 The Experiment 04:02 Stock Pickup Tone Samples 08:52 Back at the Workbench 09:09 Measuring the Stock Pickups 10:16 Removing the Pickguard 10:59 Fender Tex-Mex Pickups Overview 12:47 Measuring the Tex-Mex Pickups 13:30 Installation Complete 13:30 Fender Tex-Mex Tone Samples 20:32 So... Did They Make a Difference? 23:43 What I Heard 25:42 My Final Thoughts 26:32 Was the Upgrade Worth It? 27:06 Thank You Roy 27:44 Closing Thoughts ____ Shoutouts: @Roy_Gaber @TeaseGuitars (Torston) @StringsnPucks (Jeremy) @2Yards (Yard) Checkout our playlist page for more series and journeys https://www.youtube.com/@TedTalksGuitars/playlists Special Thanks to "The Jacks" our channel members Want to support the channel? Buy Me a Coffee (or a diet coke and a soft pretzel - smile) https://buymeacoffee.com/tedtalksguitars Merch Store: https://tedtalksguitars-shop.fourthwall.com/ Channel membership options: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBr6kaWeOvldTHvntB3tnMg/join Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3W3PZox *If you click on this link to shop at Amazon the channel will receive a modest financial commission from your purchases. Disclaimer: This video is not sponsored. Some links are affiliate links. If you buy something I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Guyker Referral Link: https://www.guyker.com/?ref=tedtalksguitars If you use the link you will save 15% at Guyker Use the coupon code: TEDSMITH #PickupUpgrade #FenderTexMex #Stratocaster #GuitarTone #GuitarMods #BudgetGuitars #ElectricGuitar #GuitarRepair #TeaseGuitars #TedTalksGuitarsAndLife #fender