Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

[Dreezy2250]

Ok so now I'm at a crossroads with my Strat. It's a 2002 American Series with stock pickups. The neck, neck/middle, and middle positions sound great! I hate the bridge alone or bridge/middle position on it though. It sounds really ice picky and thin. I guess I'm kinda used to something more powerful in the bridge position like Hot Rails or a Gibson Humbucker.

So originally I was going to go with a JB jr in the neck, Vintage Rails (bridge version) in the middle and Hot Rails on the bridge. Now that Ive been looking into the Quarter Pound pickups (SSL-4) and the SSL-6 and SSL-5, Im contemplating either keeping my middle and neck pickup a dropping a quarter pound in the bridge OR mixing and matching the stock with the SSL-6/7 OR all SSL-6/7 and SSL-4??

I don't like the hum i get from the single coils BUT the clean sounds good and slightly dirty they sound good too! I play rock/alternative type of music like Nada Surf, Circa Survive, Thrice...

My heads spinning! LOL

Any suggestions??? Your experience is really needed here!

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Since you closed your other thread, just thought I'd post a comment about it here.

In response to..."The bridge version of a pickup is usually brighter/higher output?"

No, it's usually higher output, but a little darker or more mid-rangy, not brighter.

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Since you closed your other thread, just thought I'd post a comment about it here.

In response to..."The bridge version of a pickup is usually brighter/higher output?"

No, it's usually higher output, but a little darker or more mid-rangy, not brighter.

So, for example, if I had a two humbucker setup with an Invader at the neck position, SD has already tweaked the second humbucker pickup for the bridge....... I've noticed in the tone chart but good to know the difference in actual sound. Thanks...

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Ok so now I'm at a crossroads with my Strat. It's a 2002 American Series with stock pickups. The neck, neck/middle, and middle positions sound great! I hate the bridge alone or bridge/middle position on it though. It sounds really ice picky and thin. I guess I'm kinda used to something more powerful in the bridge position like Hot Rails or a Gibson Humbucker.

So originally I was going to go with a JB jr in the neck, Vintage Rails (bridge version) in the middle and Hot Rails on the bridge. Now that Ive been looking into the Quarter Pound pickups (SSL-4) and the SSL-6 and SSL-5, Im contemplating either keeping my middle and neck pickup a dropping a quarter pound in the bridge OR mixing and matching the stock with the SSL-6/7 OR all SSL-6/7 and SSL-4??

I don't like the hum i get from the single coils BUT the clean sounds good and slightly dirty they sound good too! I play rock/alternative type of music like Nada Surf, Circa Survive, Thrice...

My heads spinning! LOL

Any suggestions??? Your experience is really needed here!

If you like the sound of the neck and middle then keep em! For a bridge position you have several options:

*Put full sized HBer there
*Put a lil 59er (or lil Scream Demon...ect) there.
*Put a rail pickup there (hot rails, cool rails...)
* Put a hot single coil there (SSL5.....ect..)
* Put a 1/4 lber there
* If you want more HBer tone but want to keep the SSS looks there's the DMZ Solo or something like that

[jumble jumble]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Before you do anything else, put an SSL-6 in the bridge, leaving everything else stock. That'll probably fix your issues in a single stroke. Be aware that you'll need to use the black wire for hot and the white for ground so that the phase matches with the stock pickups.

The only other suggestion I would have is to put an STK-6 in. Same pickup but noiseless, so if you were using a bit more gain for the bridge alone sound, you'd not have hum trouble.

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Since you closed your other thread, just thought I'd post a comment about it here.

In response to..."The bridge version of a pickup is usually brighter/higher output?"

No, it's usually higher output, but a little darker or more mid-rangy, not brighter.

Oooh good to know! Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

If you like the sound of the neck and middle then keep em! For a bridge position you have several options:

*Put full sized HBer there
*Put a lil 59er (or lil Scream Demon...ect) there.
*Put a rail pickup there (hot rails, cool rails...)
* Put a hot single coil there (SSL5.....ect..)
* Put a 1/4 lber there
* If you want more HBer tone but want to keep the SSS looks there's the DMZ Solo or something like that

Hmmm, Cool. I'm going to keep the stock middle and neck pickups then (makes sense, especially since i do like them, haha)! SO for the bridge, I looks like its SSL-4 (Quarter Pound) or the SSL-6.

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Before you do anything else, put an SSL-6 in the bridge, leaving everything else stock. That'll probably fix your issues in a single stroke. Be aware that you'll need to use the black wire for hot and the white for ground so that the phase matches with the stock pickups.

The only other suggestion I would have is to put an STK-6 in. Same pickup but noiseless, so if you were using a bit more gain for the bridge alone sound, you'd not have hum trouble.

So the STK-S6 is the same pickup but with hum cancelling? I was looking for a sound sample but there is none on the SD site so I'm guessing it is the same pickup then?

[jumble jumble]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Yes, same pickup.

The only demo of that pickup I have at the moment is this one.

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Awesome, thanks!

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

So now its between the SSL-4 and SSL-6 (or STK-S6) in the bridge!! I want to beef up the bridge (dont really like the twang/thin sound in there) but not go full HB. If I can reduce hum, even better!

[jumble jumble]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

SSL-4 is much closer to a humbucker. The SSL-6 and STK-6 retain a little single coil flavour while sounding beefy, but the QP sounds more like a humbucker or a P90 perhaps.

STK-S6 is definitely the one to go for first - don't forget there's a 21-day exchange policy in the US.

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

SSL-4 is much closer to a humbucker. The SSL-6 and STK-6 retain a little single coil flavour while sounding beefy, but the QP sounds more like a humbucker or a P90 perhaps.

STK-S6 is definitely the one to go for first - don't forget there's a 21-day exchange policy in the US.

Ok cool, thanks!

[Dreezy2250]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

If i get the STK-S6 in the bridge (which is essentially a noiseless type of pickup), will I have to change my volume pot to 500k? Or can i keep the 250k pot?

Also, IF i wanted to change out the neck and middle pickups, what would be good neck and middle pickups (noiseless) that would compliment the STK-S6 in the bridge?

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Sooo many pickups, only one Strat...

Keep the 250k pots.