Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Pickup
Seymour Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered Pickup Set
A hotter, modern-voiced staggered single-coil set built for players who want more output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character.
18 guitars checked: 13 likely drop-in, 5 needs verification.
Where to buy
Reverb
See current price at Reverb
Being re-verified
Part specs
Pickup type
Single Coil
ConfirmedDimensions (L × W × D)
Not published
Needs verificationGuitars we've checked
18 guitars checked: 13 likely drop-in, 5 needs verification.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
Fits the standard Strat single-coil route. You will need to solder it in.
Why we say this
Standard Strat single-coil route and mounting, no different from any other SSS Stratocaster. A popular, versatile hotter-output option.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
Fits the standard Strat pickup route. Expect to lightly file the pickguard openings to fit, a common, easy step reported by other SE Silver Sky owners. Needs soldering.
Why we say this
Standard staggered-pole Strat single-coil, same body route as the stock single-coils. Multiple independent owner reports on PRS's own official forum confirm standard Strat pickups fit the SE body, but the pickguard's pickup openings commonly need slight enlarging with sandpaper.
Soldering
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
Why we say this
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
Soldering
A higher-output single-coil for players who want more push without losing single-coil character. Fits the standard Strat route. Needs soldering.
Why we say this
Hotter staggered-pole Strat single-coil, standard route and mounting, for players who want more output than the stock or vintage-style sets while keeping true single-coil character.
Soldering
Fits the standard Strat pickup route regardless of handedness, but this set is explicitly staggered. Check that a left-handed stagger is available before buying. You will need to solder it in.
Why we say this
Standard Strat single-coil route, not affected by handedness for mounting. This is explicitly a staggered-pole design by name, so a genuine left-handed stagger would need to be confirmed and ordered to avoid a string-balance issue.
Help confirm this fit
Soldering
Fits the standard Strat pickup route regardless of handedness, but this set is explicitly staggered. Check that a left-handed stagger is available before buying. You will need to solder it in.
Why we say this
Standard Strat single-coil route, not affected by handedness for mounting. This is explicitly a staggered-pole design by name, so a genuine left-handed stagger would need to be confirmed and ordered to avoid a string-balance issue.
Help confirm this fit
Soldering
Fits the standard Strat pickup route regardless of handedness, though expect to lightly file the pickguard openings. The poles on this set are staggered, so check that a left-handed stagger is available before buying to avoid an uneven string balance.
Why we say this
Standard Strat single-coil route, not affected by handedness for mounting. Multiple independent owner reports on PRS's own official forum confirm standard Strat pickups fit the SE body, but the pickguard's pickup openings commonly need slight enlarging with sandpaper. This is a staggered pole design, and a right-handed stagger installed in a left-handed guitar causes a real, documented string-to-string volume imbalance. Confirm a genuine left-handed stagger is available before buying.
Help confirm this fit
Soldering
The SE Silver Sky is well documented as an easy fit for standard Strat pickups with light pickguard filing, but owners report the Core USA Silver Sky may have different, larger pickup routs. Worth confirming fit on your specific guitar before buying.
Why we say this
PRS's own official forum has a real, unresolved split on this question. Multiple SE Silver Sky owners confirm standard Strat pickups fit their body with only minor pickguard filing, but at least one forum thread claims the Core USA Silver Sky's pickup routs are cut larger than the SE's, referencing a third-party teardown video (not independently confirmed here). Treat the Core body as a genuine open question rather than assuming the SE's easy fit carries over.
Help confirm this fit
Soldering
Fits the standard Strat pickup route regardless of handedness, but this set is explicitly staggered. Check that a left-handed stagger is available before buying. You will need to solder it in.
Why we say this
Standard Strat single-coil route, not affected by handedness for mounting. This is explicitly a staggered-pole design by name, so a genuine left-handed stagger would need to be confirmed before buying.
Help confirm this fit
This page has 5 open questions
If you have fitted any of these to this SSL-5 Custom Staggered Pickup Set, tell us what you found and we'll update the data.