New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

[donaldr]

I searched and read, searched and read, searched and read so many posts!!!

I want to swap the pup in my custom made HSS super strat. I don't know the wood of the body but the neck is maple with rosewood fingerboard. Currently (HSS) is EMG81-SA-SA. I don't like them, bridge 81 is one-dimension, middle SA is too dark and neck SA is flat.

So for the last couple of weeks I'm looking Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan. I like '80 hard rock and metal, but want something with a little more bass. I'm not new Metal at all. I also like blues like Kenny Wayne Sheppard and the like (with character). I say I would go a little bit more Les Paul sound (sorry no money yet for one). I'd also like to have a good clean tone for neck.

For wiring I now have VTT, but want to go V (bridge), V (neck+middle), T (neck). So no problem having 500K/250K volumes for bridge or neck-middle. I also may have pull-push volumes to have coil-split if it's wrth it.

I was thinking of:
Bridge: Custom Custom (or JB)
Middle: Vintage Hot Stack Plus (or ???)
Neck: Little '59 (or Cool Rail)

Am I on the right path? Any comment?

[Rockstar216]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

So you want blues and metal I first have to ask what do you play through? Amps, pedals?

[Frogman]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

If it were me:

PATB-1 - Area 67 - Area 61

or

PATB-1 - Area 67 - Area 67

or

PATB-1 - Area 61 - Area 67

[donaldr]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

So you want blues and metal I first have to ask what do you play through? Amps, pedals?

I play thru an Avid Eleven Rack, so I have a bunch of amps/cabs/pedals at my disposal to sculpt tones!!!
When I say metal, it's more old school metal (Iron Maiden, Metalica, etc).

[donaldr]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

If it were me:

PATB-1 - Area 67 - Area 61

or

PATB-1 - Area 67 - Area 67

or

PATB-1 - Area 61 - Area 67

For Dimarzio single coil, I was more eying the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 for neck or middle.

[SFW]

New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

JB with two SSL-1s. I'd wire a push pull for the bridge tone pot to do series parallel.

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

JB with two SSL-1s. I'd wire a push pull for the bridge tone pot to do series parallel.

+1. Love SSL-1s in an HSS, especially for bluesy stuff. I might consider using a Demon instead of the JB in view of balancing with the sc's. It will still do 80's and I like closer to PAF response in HBer for blues.

[dotsdad]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

Iron Maiden uses Dimarzio Super Distortion. The Fender Dave Murray Strat has a Super Distortion bridge and PAF Pro neck. The Jackson Adrian Smith uses Dimarzio Super Distortion bridge and Fender Samarium Cobal Noiselss neck & middle. IF you want Maiden in an HSS Strat, that's your answer. You can get SCN's cheap on ebay-they are great distored, but have absolutely NO TONE when clean.

Duncan JB is also a great classic metal pickup. It is smoother than the SD; especially the rhythm is not so fizzy and the lead is not quite so shrill. If you ever lusted for a Kramer Baretta, JB's your toy.

If you plan to play anythng other than metal; perhaps in a cover band or maybe a praise band, requiring you play both clean and distorted; then Demon+STK-S4+STK-S4 is a GREAT combnation. I play just about everythng and have tried just about everythng; I think it is THE combinaton. It is very musical, very flexible, well-balanced - a fantastic all-around set for the guy who plays everythng. If you only play metal though, you probably won't like it.

[Robbiedbee]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

Two of my Strats are HSS. The one pictured here has a JB in the bridge (w/push pull) and a Lil '59 in the neck. As you can tell by my avatar, Iron Maiden are my favourite band. This axe is possibly my most versatile.

The JB covers an awful lot of ground, especially as you can split it really well, and it nails 3 decades worth of rock tones really well. Depending on how aggressive you want to go with your metal tones, you might want to consider something a little hotter; Super Distortion is my go-to pickup for metal. Duncan Custom gets a lot of praise, but haven't played that myself.

The Lil '59 is a great little pickup too, it has a lot more about it than the Cool Rails, which might suit the JB (or something hotter, whatever you choose to pair it with) better. I personally like the slightly fatter neck pickup distorted tones, but SSL-1s would do the job perfectly too.

[donaldr]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

If you plan to play anythng other than metal; perhaps in a cover band or maybe a praise band, requiring you play both clean and distorted; then Demon+STK-S4+STK-S4 is a GREAT combnation. I play just about everythng and have tried just about everythng; I think it is THE combinaton. It is very musical, very flexible, well-balanced - a fantastic all-around set for the guy who plays everythng. If you only play metal though, you probably won't like it.

Yeah, I want a flexible axe, not only for metal for a bunch of thing (as stated in my original post).
Demon+STK-S4 seems a good combination. What will be the same combination but with a bit more output?

[donaldr]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

Two of my Strats are HSS. The one pictured here has a JB in the bridge (w/push pull) and a Lil '59 in the neck. As you can tell by my avatar, Iron Maiden are my favourite band. This axe is possibly my most versatile.

The JB covers an awful lot of ground, especially as you can split it really well, and it nails 3 decades worth of rock tones really well. Depending on how aggressive you want to go with your metal tones, you might want to consider something a little hotter; Super Distortion is my go-to pickup for metal. Duncan Custom gets a lot of praise, but haven't played that myself.

The Lil '59 is a great little pickup too, it has a lot more about it than the Cool Rails, which might suit the JB (or something hotter, whatever you choose to pair it with) better. I personally like the slightly fatter neck pickup distorted tones, but SSL-1s would do the job perfectly too.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]39753[/ATTACH]

Exactly what I had in mind!!! What do you have for middle picukup to fit those 2 humbuchers?

[Robbiedbee]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

Simply a stock MIM ceramic pickup. In this situation it's rare that I use it on it's own, but in the middle/bridge position (with the JB full or split) it gives some great tones.

[donaldr]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

Simply a stock MIM ceramic pickup. In this situation it's rare that I use it on it's own, but in the middle/bridge position (with the JB full or split) it gives some great tones.

I'm really juggling between the JB/Custom Custom with the Little '59.
And I really like the Demon/STK-S4. Maybe a Demon with the STK-S7 will do the trick.

[donaldr]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

After reading many threads and watching lot of videos I will follow dotsdad recommendation and will go with a tb-11 screamin deamon bridge but with an stk-s7 neck instead of the recommended stk-s4. I will also go HS instead of HSS.

I want to do it myself (I know how to solder!) but I know nothing about how to do it. Now it's wired VTT 5-way switch but I want it VVT 3-way switch, reversed volume config (bridge volume first, neck volume second and tone third):
- 1st pot: 500K, volume for tb-11
- 2nd pot: 250K, volume for stk-s7
- 3rd pot: 250K, tone for stk-s7
3-way blade switch: neck pup, bridge coil split, bridge full

Are the pots the right value?
What capacitor to use for the tone?
Can a 3-way telecaster blade switch be used?

Anyone can do me a diagram of the wiring please?

[AAAHHH79]

Re: New pickups for my HSS cutom strat

DiMarzio Chopper in neck