Hello all. I own a Strat with Duncan Antiquity Surfers including the custom Surfer for the bridge. I absolutely love the neck and middle positions, but the the bridge isn't anything special to me. I typically like to use the bridge positions for singing, sustaining lead tones and I'm starting to wonder if the custom surfer isn't the right pickup for that. I still want to maintain some vintage tone though. Is the SSL-5 what I'm looking for?
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Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
I'm not sure that what you're looking for really exists in a pickup. I have a SSL-6T in my Strat and it's great for the singing lead tones you want, but it really doesn't sound vintage in full output mode (about 13K). In tapped mode (about 6.5K) it's close to vintage but maybe slightly thinner sounding, though this may be due to how I have the height set. If you really need both sounds you may be better off using something like a pickup booster for your leads. OTOH if close is good enough, I strongly recommend a tapped SSL-5/6.Originally posted by crusty philtrumAnd that's probably because most people with electric guitars seem more interested in their own performance rather than the effect on the listener ... in fact i don't think many people who own electric guitars even give a poop about the effect on a listener. Which is why many people play electric guitars but very very few of them are actually musicians.
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
No, I perceive those overwound Antiquity "custom bridge" pickups as not right, way too compressed, and I see the SSL-5 the same way, if anything worse.
If you rig has some capabilities to fatten up a Strat bridge pickup I would put in another surfer. My Strat with 2 surfers has a Fender CS Texas hot in the bridge which is a bit smoother (but vintage wind).
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
I wish that tap point wasn't at 50%. It's just too weak. Normally a 6.5k wind is healthy, but the SSL-5 is 43 AWG AFAIK, and if you were to wind any coil with 43 AWG up to 6.5K, it's going to sound a lot weaker than if it had been wound to 6.5k using 42 AWG.
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
"singing and sustaining lead tones"? No offense but it sounds like you should find a way to get those from your neck pickup and save yourself a lot of trouble.
Vintage strat bridge pickup tones are what I like, but at the same time I feel like the application is more like "cutting, stinging, jangly leads" and that's what they are good for! Everything else, use the other switch positions!
Do you have a tone control wired to the bridge pickup? This is about the only way I can imagine getting some creamy, fluid leads from a vintage-style strat bridge (barring any other gear besides the amp), and pick around the 20th or 21st fret or so.
I have used the SSL-5 in the bridge before and it gets closer to being a vocal-like lead tone but at the cost of too much of the vintage strat bridge "jangly and cutting" stuff and it throws the bridge/middle position tones way outta whack. But they do sound good with power chords for sure!
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
I really don't understand the response you're getting for this. The SSL-5 was developed for David Gilmour, a guy who is specifically KNOWN for his singing, sustaining bridge tones. (Before the SSL-5 was made in the late 70s, he used a Dimarzio FS-1 pickup in the bridge which had the same idea) So what if you lose a bit of the open character, what you get for it is a much smoother, warmer and more driven sound. That's the point. You will still have 4 positions with perfect vintage clarity and cluck.
Sounds pretty 'vintage' to my ear (theres one in the bridge of this guitar stock)
But yeah, if you prefer fat singing leads to 'cutting jangly leads' (both are valid, you aren't wrong for liking one over the other), the SSL-5 is going to do a lot more for you than a vintage strat pickup. Though really.. who are we talking vintage? The SSL-5 was developed in the late 70s, it's plenty vintage too..Originally posted by BigAlTheBirdI just got oiixed in the mung by a Canadian.
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
Originally posted by TimmyPage View PostI really don't understand the response you're getting for this. The SSL-5 was developed for David Gilmour, a guy who is specifically KNOWN for his singing, sustaining bridge tones. (Before the SSL-5 was made in the late 70s, he used a Dimarzio FS-1 pickup in the bridge which had the same idea) So what if you lose a bit of the open character, what you get for it is a much smoother, warmer and more driven sound. That's the point. You will still have 4 positions with perfect vintage clarity and cluck.
Sounds pretty 'vintage' to my ear (theres one in the bridge of this guitar stock)
But yeah, if you prefer fat singing leads to 'cutting jangly leads' (both are valid, you aren't wrong for liking one over the other), the SSL-5 is going to do a lot more for you than a vintage strat pickup. Though really.. who are we talking vintage? The SSL-5 was developed in the late 70s, it's plenty vintage too..
In any case, those shows show that a EMG SA in the bridge, without going more wind or otherwise fatter than the neck pickup, provides proper singing in the hands of Gilmour.
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
Without going to far off track, I have an EMG SA loaded strat. It will do the Gilmour Pulse tone, but it doesn't sound anything like any lower output traditional singles coils that I've tried. They are smooth, sustaining, even (maybe a little bump in the mids), compressed, and can even get pretty heavy with the right amp. I think you'd need extra EQ-ing to make them go from being snappy single coils to big and smooth sustain-monsters.
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
Originally posted by uOpt View PostI don't think that the SSL-5 is still in the black Strat at the time of the Pulse and On An Island live shows.Originally posted by BigAlTheBirdI just got oiixed in the mung by a Canadian.
Timmy - 1
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
I use G&L Legacys with a vintage style Alnico. One of my secrets for getting that tone is in the global Passive Treble and Bass controls that Leo Fender designed. It's really effective at shaping the tone of the bridge pickup.
One of my Legacys has the Texas Hot Custom bridge...that's a GREAT bridge pickup, and with the PTB, a tremendous range of tones.
BillWhen you've had budget guitars for a number of years, you may find that your old instrument is holding you back. A quality guitar can inspire you to write great songs, improve your understanding of the Gdim chord while in the Lydian Mode, cure the heartbreak of cystic acne--and help you find true love in the process.
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Originally posted by uOpt View PostI don't think that the SSL-5 is still in the black Strat at the time of the Pulse and On An Island live shows.
In any case, those shows show that a EMG SA in the bridge, without going more wind or otherwise fatter than the neck pickup, provides proper singing in the hands of Gilmour.
EMG red strat was only used sparingly for shine on u crazy diamond in few shows during last tourLast edited by koshikas; 09-03-2014, 09:46 AM.
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Re: Should I Buy SSL-5 For My Strat?
Originally posted by koshikas View PostPulse is done with EMGs but on an island is all done with 'black strat' having SSL-5 in the bridge
EMG red strat was only used sparingly for shine on u crazy diamond in few shows during last tour
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