Hum’s the word

Why the Pro II’S pickups offer a distinct proposition

The pickups here are the result of some carefully considered R&D. Fender’s Double Tap humbucker is not a traditional coil-split affair and features some unique wiring plus mismatched coils to reduce the difference in output when switching between single-coil and humbucker modes with the push-push tone control. The other two V-mod II pickups are an enhanced version of Tim Shaw’s original Pro design using mixed magnets to create hum-cancelling single-coils; the neck uses Alnico II on the bass-side magnets and III for the treble while the middle again uses Alnico II for the bass with V for the treble.

some hot rod ‘bucker – it’s an extra voice to transition to. So it’s not ideal for death metal, but is articulate and doesn’t jar when transitioning too and from the positions. In offering two extra voices (bridge and position 2), it brings the total to seven.

That makes for a serious array of tones when combined with the two volumes’ incredibly effective treble bleed circuits that encourage you to explore the extremes of their taper in combination with the tone pot. You can effectively set the controls here to activate tone presets without touching a pedal.

The Strat spank and sparkle is all here, and the more we play, the more we discover. We can’t resist some heavier riffs and rhythm through a Victory Countess with an EHX Soul Food pedal and this guitar just keeps revealing more versatility with every test. The neck pickup handles higher gain very well – articulate and percussive.

So yes, this is as close to a stock do-it-all Strat we’ve played, and yes, you do get a real prize workhorse for your asking price. The pine finish will turn some people off, but other options are available and, along with the standard version, it’s the most user-friendly and seamless switching we’ve played in a Strat. It’s another great example of a timeless design that’s found another way to successfully evolve here.

Rob Laing