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All of our Strat replacement pickups come standard with Vintage Cream Covers (as seen in photo). If you need a set with Black or White Covers...then be sure to include that in your order notes. Our Strat Pickups are built to vintage specs and will fit covers made for USA built Strat pickups.
Feel + Nuance = Legendary Blues Tone
If you’re the type of player who believes blues tone is about feel and nuance, then you’re the type of player we built these for.
If you know that the way a Strat blooms under your fingers should be as expressive as your voice, then welcome in. You’ve found your pickups.
Most Common Trade-Ins for 1959 Blues Strat Pickups
The ToneSpec 1959 Blues Strat pickups are a true Pro-Level Strat set, built for players who demand exceptional feel, harmonic content, and dynamic response from their instrument.
This is the set serious Strat players move to when they want the expressive response, touch sensitivity, and musical bloom associated with the best late-50s Stratocasters. Many players arrive here after spending years trying other well-known Strat pickups.
Through the ToneSpec Pickup Trade-In Program, we consistently see the same Strat pickups being traded toward the 1959 Blues Strat set.
The most common trade-ins include:
• Seymour Duncan Antiquity
• Fralin Blues Special
• Fender Texas Special
• Lollar Blonde
• Bare Knuckle Irish Tour
These are all respected pickups with strong followings. However, many players eventually move to the 1959 Blues Strat set when only the best feel, harmonic richness, and vintage-style Strat response will do.
If you currently own one of these sets, you can apply it toward a 1959 Blues Strat upgrade through the ToneSpec trade-in program.
We also accept trades from many other pickup brands. Contact us to see if your current set qualifies.
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1959 Blues Strat – Specifications
DC Resistance
Mid 5k to mid 6k ohms, consistent with original late-1950s Strat pickups. Unlike vintage sets, each pickup position is individually calibrated so the neck, middle, and bridge work together perfectly, maximizing balance, output, and tonal response across all five switch positions.
Magnet Wire
Period-correct Heavy Formvar magnet wire, the same insulation used on original late-50s Strat pickups. This contributes to the open highs, strong harmonic bloom, and musical compression associated with great vintage examples.
Magnet Type
ToneSpec Proprietary Alnico magnets, engineered to deliver the dynamic response of Alnico 5 with the warmth and sweetness of Alnico 2. The result is a Strat pickup that stays articulate while maintaining rich midrange and smooth highs.
RWRP Middle Pickup
Yes. The middle pickup is reverse wound and reverse polarity, providing hum cancellation in positions 2 and 4. Our special proprietary process cancels while maintaining the classic "alive" Strat in-between tone associated with vintage non-rwrp pickups.
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1959 Blues Strat – Tone Profile
The ToneSpec 1959 Blues Strat set was designed for players who rely on touch, dynamics, and harmonic expression. Like the best original late-50s Strat pickups, these pickups respond directly to the player’s hands. Pick lightly and the tone opens up with clarity and shimmer. Dig in and the guitar pushes back with strong midrange presence, warmth and natural compression.
This is the sound serious blues players look for when they want a Strat that feels alive.
Neck Pickup
Warm, vocal, and incredibly expressive. Notes bloom with a smooth attack, rich mids, and clear highs that never become brittle. Perfect for singing blues leads, slow bends, and soulful rhythm playing.
Bridge Pickup
Focused, warm, and harmonically rich. The bridge delivers the bite and authority players need for expressive blues solos while still retaining the sweetness and dynamic feel of a great late-50s Strat. This pickup also benefits from our proprietary Infinite Bridge Technology, giving the bridge position more sustain, balance, and musical response than traditional Strat bridge pickups.
Middle Pickup
Clear, balanced, and dynamic. The middle pickup adds articulation and sparkle while maintaining enough body for expressive rhythm playing and layered lead tones.
Positions 2 & 4
Classic Strat “in-between” tones with beautiful clarity and dimension. These positions produce the quack and harmonic complexity that make Stratocasters so expressive for blues rhythm and melodic phrasing.
Dynamic Response
These pickups are built for touch sensitivity. The harder you play, the more the pickup responds, creating natural compression, harmonic bloom, and sustain without relying on excessive output or heavy EQ.
The result is a Strat pickup set that allows the guitar, the amp, and the player to work together naturally. When players talk about “great vintage Strat feel,” this is what they mean.
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What Makes the 1959 Blues Strat Different
Many Strat pickups attempt to replicate a specific year or vintage specification. The reality is that original late-1950s Strat pickups were never identical. Some were magical. Others were thin, harsh, or uneven between positions.
The 1959 Blues Strat set captures the harmonic character and expressive feel of the best late-50s Strat pickups while solving the balance issues that often existed in vintage sets.
Each pickup is individually calibrated so the neck, middle, and bridge function as a complete system. The result is a Strat that feels more responsive, more balanced, and more musical across all five switch positions.
The bridge pickup also incorporates ToneSpec Infinite Bridge Technology, giving the Strat bridge position the sustain, body, and dynamic response players often struggle to achieve with traditional Strat bridge pickups.
The goal is simple: preserve the magic of the best vintage Strat tone while eliminating the weaknesses that made many original pickups inconsistent.
Who These Pickups Are For
The 1959 Blues Strat set was designed for players who rely on touch, dynamics, and expressive phrasing rather than sheer output.
These pickups are ideal for Strat players who want:
• A warm, vocal neck pickup for expressive blues leads
• A bridge pickup that stays full and musical instead of thin
• Classic Strat chime and quack in positions 2 and 4
• Rich harmonic response and natural sustain
• Vintage output that allows the guitar and amplifier to breathe
Many players arrive here after years of experimenting with well-known Strat pickups, eventually looking for a set with greater balance, harmonic depth, and dynamic response.
The 1959 Blues Strat set was built for that player.
Obsession of Tone
The year 1959 was the turning point. Strats from this era had warmth, shimmer, and a depth that made them the ultimate blues machine. Capturing that wasn’t about cloning specs, it was about chasing feel.
“This is kind of where it all started for me. I was trying to build the perfect Blues Strat, but none of the 'blues' pickups on the market had the feel you need to really express yourself like those late 50s Strat Pickups. I set out to make the most expressive 50s style strat pickup with unmatched feel & warmth. I feel honored by the response of our clients”
— Randall Van Dyke (Founder, ToneSpec)
The 1959 Blues Strat Set delivers the voice of an era—open, soulful, and alive with nuance. Notes bend, bloom, and sing exactly the way blues demands.
This isn’t production. This is obsession—turned into tone.
Focus on Pro Tone
ToneSpec pickups aren’t just another option—they’re what pros reach for when they need the guitar to speak.
-Trusted by Grammy-winning composers
-Played by first-call session pros
-Built for players that demand the best for their music
And when you hear it from the players themselves, it hits even harder:
“Oh man, Randall, I really like the feel of these. Every note feels exactly like it should.”
— Wilbert Crosby Jr. (formerly of BB King Band)
“I’ve never played a Strat with this much dynamic range. When you play soft it’s clean, when you dig in they make the amp scream. These are killer”
— Mike Machado (Blues Guitarist)
Passion of Perfection
Perfection isn’t an accident—it’s deliberate.
-Built to vintage standards, matched for perfect string-to-string balance.
-Aged Proprietary Alnico magnets charged and tested for the soulful ’59 response.
-Each set goes through ToneSpec’s environmental protocol—temperature and humidity shifts—so they deliver night after night, gig after gig.
If you’re the type of player who believes tone should respond to your hands, not just your amp—you’ll hear it here.
Vintage Blues Tone without Vintage Prices
Original ’59 Strat pickups cost thousands—if you can even find them. This set gives you that same expressive voice, rebuilt for today—for a fraction of vintage, backed with a lifetime warranty.
And now they’re yours—if you’re ready to upgrade from average to elite.
Act fast—ToneSpec sets are built in small batches and often sell out before we restock
BEHIND THE TONE