Hi Phil
It never ceases to amaze me the claims and counter claims on pickups, and that similar sounding phrase as almost holy grail rediscovery of that die for or lost 59 sound.
Firstly I have to laugh , as what would these young guns guitarists know of a 59 Strat sound, older than their tender crinkle free bum years ?
Secondly, just how many times can the wheel be reinvented ?
The pickup windings of Fender Stratocaster pickups through the years has been well documented, but almost every day some one somewhere and no disrespect comes along and praises a new designer brand of pickups. Started off with Dimarsio years ago, then we got Duncan Seymour then Kinman, now we have Tonerider, and everybody saying how fantastic they are, then people suddenly selling them and disenchanted. And finally these guys you mention.
The lunacy of certain guitarists maybe even members here with more dosh than sense who buy a Custom shop guitar, and then within weeks rip the pickups out to put something else in that's what ? better than the Fender originals ? give me a break. It's all claptrap IMHO and the perceived sound of what a vintage Strat sound is. It's different to every guitarist and even if you were a 60's guitarist, the memory of guitar sounds and tones has been argued until people have gone blue in the face and no-one giving an inch of ground on their beliefs.
The number of windings , the magnet alnico type and the copper gauge once stated are the limit to the design of the pickup. So if someone winds 10 extra turns then of course the sound will change, but then it's no longer vintage or true spec.
Similarly we have scatter winding concepts, and also bearing in mind that the bobbin winding girls probably never ever wound two pickups ever the same, between yacking about the latest hunk, or the baby or between fags and chit chat about cheating husbands. I suspect such idle and loose quality control produced once in a blue moon a perfect Strat sound,and by same laws of physics and logic, bummers too.
So put a Squire or Encore in Hanks hands with a MagicStomp and you will still hear that great sound we love,so much. So is it really the pickups ? err No, but it's a great way of making money and keeping the dream alive from suckers like us.
:)