Any after market pickups that are like MFD pickups?

1st post!

Hello, all. I have had this haunting memory with me for about 15 years. I was in a small guitar shop in Cincy and saw an ASAT on the wall. I played it and was blown away by the warmth and complexity of the pickups. I asked the shop dude what the pickups were and he told me they were MFD. The ASAT was $1500. Too much scratch!

15 years go by with very little run-in with other G&L's (no dealer near by, no friends with one).

So, much time passes and here I am looking for something that has that same mojo as the MFD's to put into a Fender Jananese E-series strat that I have picked up. I would like it to maintain a good portion of the 2/4 position tone, but otherwise, I am willing to go off the strat reservation. I really like what I have read about the S-500 pickups. I had hoped to win the perloid pickguard on ebay from an S-500, but that too got too rich for my current blood.

So, does anyone make clones out there or are there similar pickups offered by bigger after market builders. I know that some sellers do sell S-500 pickups, but I don't think I can afford them at this point.

Thoughts from those in the know?

I haven't come across any that sound the same.

I put some MFDs in my mexican strat and haven't looked back.
There's wasn't much room for height adjustment once I squeezed them in, the MFDs are deeper than the stock pickups...but they do fit.

To keep a good quack in the 2 and 4 positions you'll probably want similar pickups for the whole set, otherwise you might get a sort of unbalanced filtered tone. I put in one MFD first and realized I would need to put the whole set in to get similar output when switching to different positions. MFDs are noticeably hotter than most single coils.


Did the ASAT have the larger 'soapbar' pickups ? They have a fuller sound IMO than the S500 style...similar to an old P90 but a little hotter.

Keep watching ebay and you might want to post a want ad in the marketplace here.
good luck

Thanks for the thoughts, Elwood!
I am leaning toward doing the same thing.
BTW, is was an ASAT classic sized MFD.

Elwood,
I wasn't allowed to post in the Market Place since I am not a member (don't own a G&L right now). Strikes me as a little odd, I can't post a wanted add for G&L stuff because I don't own any, but no bother. I do want to purchase some G&L MFD pickups for that Strat. Anybody have any suggestions?

I thought you were looking for an aftermarket MFD-type pickup? New ones can be purchased in the G&L online store... Right?

replyman,
Thanks for the response.

I was/am looking for aftermarket, but from Elwood's response it sounded like aftermarkets don't exist. Unless someone else knows otherwise. My current issue with buying from G&L is to get 3 MFD for a Strat is $300+ship. I don't have that kind of cash at the moment. I can certainly be patient and wait until I do, but if there are other options...
I would prefer G&L pickups over aftermarket, but would rather find them used, if possible. I there is not a timely way to get real G&L pickups, I was hoping for an aftermarket alternative.

Hope that explains my goals. Thanks for the help.

replyman,
Thanks for the response.

I was/am looking for aftermarket, but from Elwood's response it sounded like aftermarkets don't exist. Unless someone else knows otherwise. My current issue with buying from G&L is to get 3 MFD for a Strat is $300+ship. I don't have that kind of cash at the moment. I can certainly be patient and wait until I do, but if there are other options...
I would prefer G&L pickups over aftermarket, but would rather find them used, if possible. I there is not a timely way to get real G&L pickups, I was hoping for an aftermarket alternative.

Hope that explains my goals. Thanks for the help.

You might try finding a used Tribute S-500. It's got the USA MFD pickups.
Have you checked eBay or craigslist? There's at least one seller who regularly parts out Tributes on eBay.

Here's a post to some search tools which might help your search.

Hope this helps.

Probably not the ones you're after but these are worth making a not of here. I've not personally heard them so cannot vouch for them being better than standard (I reckon it's unlikely) but they seem to be the only other option for ASAT owners.

http://www.riograndepickups.com/scart/Categories.asp?productname=FOR%20ASAT

Thanks for the suggestions! Keep them coming!

I don't know who the first comapny to offer AST aftermarket pick-ups is, but before hearing of the RioGrandes (first time here), I've been told nice things about Nordstrand. http://www.nordstrandpickups.com/guitar ... ndex.shtml
They have an alnico version of ASAT pick-ups that may be worth investigating (I don't have first hand experience on these).