Seymour Duncan Custom Shop - Philip Sayce 'Big Daddy' ltd edition Strat pickup set - PRE-ORDER
Please use the tabs below to read through the information about this product.
IMPORTANT NOTE - I have secured my second (and likely last) batch of these limited edition pickups, and those are due to arrive with me by Friday 19th June. This listing is for a pre-order, so you can secure a set from this batch. Based on the inquiries recieved, this seemed the most helpful method for those who have expressed their interest in ordering. So if you place a pre-order, you will be secured a set from my incoming stock, due to arrive by Friday 19th June latest. And I'll inspect and dispatch the set to you ASAP upon receiving. Many thanks!
About Seymour Duncan Custom Shop
Seymour Duncan have long cemented themselves as the leading aftermarket pickup brand in the world, offering a staggering selection of models, and doing so affordably too. Throughout their range they have created iconic models that stand the test of time, popular for a variety of guitars and music styles. The Custom Shop is their most exclusive offerings and a separate entity to the main SD co. Developed and made by a very small team, the key three being Maricela Juarez, Derek Duncan or Seymour W. Duncan of whom you will more than likely see the initials of on most Custom Shop made pickups. These three people having personally made pickups for the likes of Slash, Billy Gibbons, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Steve Harris, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Albert Collins, Eric Johnson, Joe Walsh, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Fogerty, Stevie Ray Vaughan and so many more.
About the 'Big Daddy' Philip Sayce Strat pickups
What SD say:
"The Philip Sayce “Big Daddy” Stratocaster® Pickup Set is inspired by the pickups in one of Sayce’s favourite vintage guitars, capturing the power, character, and punch of classic early-’60s Strat® tones—shaped by over 60 years of use and high-intensity performance.
A modern blues powerhouse, Philip Sayce is closely associated with two iconic 1963 Strats: Mother and Big Daddy. While Mother features slightly underwound 1958 pickups with a clear, airy ’50s character, Big Daddy delivers a bigger, more muscular sound that defines the best of ’60s Strat tone. Following the 2025 Custom Shop recreation of the Mother set, Sayce set out to give Big Daddy the same treatment.
Early ’60s Strat pickups evolved toward higher output and a punchier response, which drew Sayce to 1963 models throughout his career with Jeff Healey, Melissa Etheridge, and as a solo artist. After years of searching, he found Big Daddy—a 1963 sunburst Strat that became a go-to guitar on stage and in the studio. It retains its original neck and bridge pickups, paired with a carefully chosen early-’65 grey-bottom middle pickup. Together, they deliver what Sayce describes as a “steamroller” tone—his ultimate choice for a powerful Strat sound.
To recreate this, the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop meticulously matched the originals’ tone, feel, and output: a full-bodied neck, a “greasy,” expressive middle, and a distinctive bridge with strong highs that cut without harshness. As the original bridge pickup aged, its copper windings contacted the Alnico 5 magnets, subtly smoothing the top end. To replicate this, Duncan engineers added a micro-capacitor to gently shift the resonant peak, producing a sweeter, more balanced treble response.
To honour the original 1963 guitar, the first 630 sets are specially aged in the Custom Shop, include signed certificates of authenticity from Philip Sayce and Seymour W. Duncan, and feature Sayce’s signature on the flatwork.
The result: a bold, vintage-inspired ’60s Strat pickup set with the huge, expressive tone behind Philip Sayce’s most powerful performances."
Please note - Each set is individually numbered, so please note that each set will be a different number, and not the numbered set shown in the photo examples here on the product photos.
Nerdy specs
Type - Passive
Wire type - 2 conductor
Special detail - 75 pF Capacitor on the bridge to reproduce the original pickup’s sweet high end.
Neck - Alnico 5
Middle - Alnico 5
Bridge - Alnico 5
DC Resistance guide (with +/- tolerance)
Neck - 6.46k
Middle - 5.61k
Bridge - 6.8k
Cable Type:
Neck - Waxed Cotton
Middle - Waxed Cotton
Bridge - Waxed Cotton
Recommended wiring - Ultimately, this pickup model was closely designed to match an original set of 1963/65 Strat Pickups in Philip's 'Mother' Strat. Vintage Strat specs of that period usually consist of 250k pots, with a 0.1uF tone cap.
What's included?
Inside the box you'll find custom shop pickups with custom shop aged covers, along with your mounting screws and rubber adjusters for each, and a wiring guide which covers traditional wiring install and a signed certificate of authenticity by Philip Sayce and Seymour Duncan
Demos
Installation
These pickups are a direct replacement in terms of sizing and spec for a traditional Strat single coils. They are 2 conductor wired as standard. If by chance you aren't comfortable installing these pickups yourself, and are local to the Home of Tone, then I offer professional in-house installation. If you are installing them yourself, then I am of course here for any installation advise too.
Why buy Seymour Duncan pickups from the Home of Tone?
The Home of Tone are an authorised main dealer for Seymour Duncan. What that means is stock is carried here on site for prompt service and dispatch as well as assurance you are ordering your new pickups for an official, authorised dealer. Having long been specialising in guitar electronics, I can offer you installation advise, as well as installation services on site along with any support required. As well as offering friendly, knowledgable advise prior to ordering too. I offer a broad range of quality hand made pre-wired kits, which may also help with your project. You'll also be supporting a small, independant business in the process too which is always hugely appreciated! Thank you for considering your new Seymour Duncan pickup set from the Home of Tone.
Ordering/shipping
Local pickup - If you are local and wish to collect any items or order in advance for collection on a specific day, then you can still place an order online and select local pickup at the checkout. Or drop me a message and I'll reserve the items ready for your visit.
For online ordering and dispatch - In stock, non made to order items are processed and dispatched 4 days a week; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday.
For orders that are placed on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday I have an order cut off time of 14:00GMT (with Royal Mail shipping services only) to allow me chance to process, pack and dispatch your order same day.
For non dispatch days (Saturday, Sunday, & Thursday) there is no order cut-off time, and these will be processed, packed and shipped on the closest following dispatch day.
I will always endeavor to fulfill orders as quickly as I can and if you have specific requirements for a delivery date please do let me know and hopefully I can help.
If you have more queries regarding order placing, processing, fulfillment or general shipping then please see the FAQ page HERE
Please use the tabs below to read through the information about this product.
IMPORTANT NOTE - I have secured my second (and likely last) batch of these limited edition pickups, and those are due to arrive with me by Friday 19th June. This listing is for a pre-order, so you can secure a set from this batch. Based on the inquiries recieved, this seemed the most helpful method for those who have expressed their interest in ordering. So if you place a pre-order, you will be secured a set from my incoming stock, due to arrive by Friday 19th June latest. And I'll inspect and dispatch the set to you ASAP upon receiving. Many thanks!
About Seymour Duncan Custom Shop
Seymour Duncan have long cemented themselves as the leading aftermarket pickup brand in the world, offering a staggering selection of models, and doing so affordably too. Throughout their range they have created iconic models that stand the test of time, popular for a variety of guitars and music styles. The Custom Shop is their most exclusive offerings and a separate entity to the main SD co. Developed and made by a very small team, the key three being Maricela Juarez, Derek Duncan or Seymour W. Duncan of whom you will more than likely see the initials of on most Custom Shop made pickups. These three people having personally made pickups for the likes of Slash, Billy Gibbons, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Steve Harris, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Albert Collins, Eric Johnson, Joe Walsh, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Fogerty, Stevie Ray Vaughan and so many more.
About the 'Big Daddy' Philip Sayce Strat pickups
What SD say:
"The Philip Sayce “Big Daddy” Stratocaster® Pickup Set is inspired by the pickups in one of Sayce’s favourite vintage guitars, capturing the power, character, and punch of classic early-’60s Strat® tones—shaped by over 60 years of use and high-intensity performance.
A modern blues powerhouse, Philip Sayce is closely associated with two iconic 1963 Strats: Mother and Big Daddy. While Mother features slightly underwound 1958 pickups with a clear, airy ’50s character, Big Daddy delivers a bigger, more muscular sound that defines the best of ’60s Strat tone. Following the 2025 Custom Shop recreation of the Mother set, Sayce set out to give Big Daddy the same treatment.
Early ’60s Strat pickups evolved toward higher output and a punchier response, which drew Sayce to 1963 models throughout his career with Jeff Healey, Melissa Etheridge, and as a solo artist. After years of searching, he found Big Daddy—a 1963 sunburst Strat that became a go-to guitar on stage and in the studio. It retains its original neck and bridge pickups, paired with a carefully chosen early-’65 grey-bottom middle pickup. Together, they deliver what Sayce describes as a “steamroller” tone—his ultimate choice for a powerful Strat sound.
To recreate this, the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop meticulously matched the originals’ tone, feel, and output: a full-bodied neck, a “greasy,” expressive middle, and a distinctive bridge with strong highs that cut without harshness. As the original bridge pickup aged, its copper windings contacted the Alnico 5 magnets, subtly smoothing the top end. To replicate this, Duncan engineers added a micro-capacitor to gently shift the resonant peak, producing a sweeter, more balanced treble response.
To honour the original 1963 guitar, the first 630 sets are specially aged in the Custom Shop, include signed certificates of authenticity from Philip Sayce and Seymour W. Duncan, and feature Sayce’s signature on the flatwork.
The result: a bold, vintage-inspired ’60s Strat pickup set with the huge, expressive tone behind Philip Sayce’s most powerful performances."
Please note - Each set is individually numbered, so please note that each set will be a different number, and not the numbered set shown in the photo examples here on the product photos.
Nerdy specs
Type - Passive
Wire type - 2 conductor
Special detail - 75 pF Capacitor on the bridge to reproduce the original pickup’s sweet high end.
Neck - Alnico 5
Middle - Alnico 5
Bridge - Alnico 5
DC Resistance guide (with +/- tolerance)
Neck - 6.46k
Middle - 5.61k
Bridge - 6.8k
Cable Type:
Neck - Waxed Cotton
Middle - Waxed Cotton
Bridge - Waxed Cotton
Recommended wiring - Ultimately, this pickup model was closely designed to match an original set of 1963/65 Strat Pickups in Philip's 'Mother' Strat. Vintage Strat specs of that period usually consist of 250k pots, with a 0.1uF tone cap.
What's included?
Inside the box you'll find custom shop pickups with custom shop aged covers, along with your mounting screws and rubber adjusters for each, and a wiring guide which covers traditional wiring install and a signed certificate of authenticity by Philip Sayce and Seymour Duncan
Demos
Installation
These pickups are a direct replacement in terms of sizing and spec for a traditional Strat single coils. They are 2 conductor wired as standard. If by chance you aren't comfortable installing these pickups yourself, and are local to the Home of Tone, then I offer professional in-house installation. If you are installing them yourself, then I am of course here for any installation advise too.
Why buy Seymour Duncan pickups from the Home of Tone?
The Home of Tone are an authorised main dealer for Seymour Duncan. What that means is stock is carried here on site for prompt service and dispatch as well as assurance you are ordering your new pickups for an official, authorised dealer. Having long been specialising in guitar electronics, I can offer you installation advise, as well as installation services on site along with any support required. As well as offering friendly, knowledgable advise prior to ordering too. I offer a broad range of quality hand made pre-wired kits, which may also help with your project. You'll also be supporting a small, independant business in the process too which is always hugely appreciated! Thank you for considering your new Seymour Duncan pickup set from the Home of Tone.
Ordering/shipping
Local pickup - If you are local and wish to collect any items or order in advance for collection on a specific day, then you can still place an order online and select local pickup at the checkout. Or drop me a message and I'll reserve the items ready for your visit.
For online ordering and dispatch - In stock, non made to order items are processed and dispatched 4 days a week; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday.
For orders that are placed on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday I have an order cut off time of 14:00GMT (with Royal Mail shipping services only) to allow me chance to process, pack and dispatch your order same day.
For non dispatch days (Saturday, Sunday, & Thursday) there is no order cut-off time, and these will be processed, packed and shipped on the closest following dispatch day.
I will always endeavor to fulfill orders as quickly as I can and if you have specific requirements for a delivery date please do let me know and hopefully I can help.
If you have more queries regarding order placing, processing, fulfillment or general shipping then please see the FAQ page HERE