Switching out humbucker

[kellyfan161]

Okay so I am looking at this MIM strat online - I want all 3 pickups as single coil and on this one, it has 2 single coils and a someone installed a humbucker in the bridge - how hard is it to change out the humbucker for a strat single coil??? It's only 250 and it's exactly what I want aside from the humbucker . Thanks for all the help!

[saxonblue]

Has it been retrofitted or did it come from the factory as HSS?

In any event the cavity at the bridge end is now bigger so a s/c will fit in there no worries.

You will need a new SSS pickguard but ones in white or basic patterns/colours come pretty cheap. Not a biggie.

[Bob Womack]

Most non-custom-shop Strats come with a "bathtub route," a route that allows any combination of pickups to be fitted. All you need is a new pickguard that is configured SSS. You pull your parts from the HSS pickguard and assemble them onto the SSS pickguard along with the single coil pickup and hey presto you are in business. Just count the perimeter screw holes in your pickguard and order a replacement with the same number.

Bob

[jpjr50]

Just as easy as swapping the pickguard over with single coils already installed.

Buy some copper shielding (two sided) and put inside the cavity while the pickups are out. Made a huge difference on my Telecaster as single coils can get noisy. I bought a roll of copper guitar shielding for like $10 on Amazon. I would provide a picture but photobucket is down right now, maybe later.

[Dru Edwards]

Just move the electronics over to a S-S-S pickguard. Also, as Bob said, count the screw holes to make sure you get the right pickguard.