Hi banjoplayer thanks for the info, I can only compare this to what I have owned in the past. That is two American one Jap and one Mex strat. the only one I really liked was the jap 50s reissue photoflame which was purchased new in the early 90s. I havn"t found the pickups thin on my cutlass but I might just of been lucky. My mate has a American strat I think purchased in 2000 and that has pickups in it that sound overwound to us, his luthier friend says its definitely one of the