Proper Pickups “South of the Border”
Handwound Stratocaster Pickup Set — Lifetime Warranty Included. If you send us back the defective pickup, we ship you out a brand new one.
The South of the Border set was built after years of chasing the perfect balance between vintage Strat clarity and a little more authority in the mids.
This is essentially a slightly hotter version of our 1964 Closetcaster set.
More push. More vocal midrange. More attitude.
Still covers all of the bases.
These pickups stay open, dynamic, and responsive while giving your amp a little something extra.
From Jalisco up to Boston — this set was designed to cover everything in between. Blues, reggae, indie, soul, garage rock, classic rock, funk, alternative, psychedelic stuff… these just work.
Every Proper Pickup set includes at no extra charge:
• .033 Paper-in-Oil capacitor
• 220pF treble bleed volume cap
• Cloth push-back leads
• Vintage-correct construction
• Individually tested and balanced
• Lifetime Warranty
Specifications:
• 52mm pole spacing
• Alnico 5 magnets
• Neck: 6.1k / 2.6 Henries
• Middle: 6.1k / 2.6 Henries
• Bridge: 6.5k / 2.9 Henries
• Handwound one-by-one in the USA
• Black pickup covers
The South of the Border set was designed to feel alive under your fingers — responsive, musical, and inspiring the second you plug in without breaking the bank.
We don’t just love Strats—we adore them. Proper Instruments redefines the simplicity of Leo’s original design. Most Strats are muddy when the tone controls are below 7. Players just live with it—or add a treble bleed.
That’s child’s play.
Proper Passive is built to be usable from 0–10—you can’t get a bad sound, even at bedroom volumes. 0 starts your journey—JM/BB-style. 10 delivers full SRV bite and presence. Everything in between is there for the taking.
All with no batteries or useless blender controls, Ever.
Setup, overhaul, or full restoration—we’ve got you.
Every guitar is different. We take the time to understand what you have and what you want before recommending our services. No upsells. No guesswork. Just real guidance backed by experience.
For larger or specialty work, we partner with Boylan Guitars in Harrisville, RI—our community partner.
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