feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

[gottaplay]

Hi,

I have a swamp ash strat with maple neck/rosewood board and floyd rose trem, hum in bridge, single coil in neck, no middle. My bar band plays a lot of 80's hard rock, and I also like to record instrumental smooth jazz at home. I'm looking for recommendations for a pair of p/ups that will match well in terms of the sounds I'm after as well as output levels (to date I kind of like the jb for the 80's dirty tones, and an emg sa for clean tones).

I appreciate your feedback,

Keith

[Rainmaker]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

Welcome to the forum!

What about a Jazz/JB combo? Seymour's favourite. Jazz isn't named because of its use for Jazz, though, meaning its name is kinda misleading.

[rinse_master]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

Yeah, the Jazz is a nice clear even type pick up, doesn't soubnd too bad dirty either...

[Maggot]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

Is that guitar super bright with the swamp ash and the floyd?

[gottaplay]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

Yes, the s.ash/floyd combo is bright, but the rosewood board darkens it a bit. I had a Duncan trembucker distortion and hot rails combo in it, but the DD is a little too muddy for me and it overpowers the hot rails in terms of levels when going back and forth between p/ups. The hot rails doesn't clean up too well for really clean sounds either.

[rspst14]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

I'd go with a Blues Trembucker in the bridge, and an Alnico II Pro single coil in the neck. The JB might be a bit too bright in that guitar, given the maple/swamp ash/Floyd combo. The Blues is my absolute favorite Duncan bridge pickup, I highly recommend it for brighter sounding Floyd guitars. It will easily handle all the tones you're after.

Ryan

[Gearjoneser]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

The Blues Trembucker would be a good one, as well as a tremspaced Custom Custom.
If it were my guitar, I'd probably be one of the first to get a trem CC nickelcovered, with either a vintage style neck like a Surfer or SSL-1 with faux chrome plastic cover.
Or, if you want your neck single to sound thicker, a Cool Rails or maybe Hot rails.

In my alder/rosewood strat I use a trem C-5/ 2 Surfers. In an ash strat with a Floyd, I'd go to the CC, so there's less icepick. I like to think of the C-5 & CC as hot versions of vintage A-5 or A-2 PAF's.

[Johtosotku]

Re: feedback in selecting versatile pickups for cover band

I have a JB in my Jackson superstrat with a maple neck, rosewood board and poplar body. It's a fantastic sounding guitar, and quite bright. I find the JB perfect in it for 80's rock and metal. I like to play stuff like Van Halen and Iron Maiden with it.

I haven't got the single coils sorted out yet, but the classic stacks have been recommended to me here, and they seem great in the tone clips. Check the thread if you want! Here's the link: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=23460