BBQ in Strat

[oliver]

Hey guys

Does anyone have experience with a Rio Grande BBQ in the bridge of a HSS Strat and how it sounds?

I have an American Deluxe HSS Strat rosewood FB. I like to play classic rock/ and blues. I am looking to get a thicker sound out of the bridge with some highs but not too much.

Thanks

[rspst14]

Re: BBQ in Strat

I've never tried one in a Strat, but it sounds like the BBQ would be perfect for you. Just one suggestion though, you may want to stick with 500k pots. Otherwise, it might be too dark.

Ryan

[oliver]

Re: BBQ in Strat

Would I need to replace both the tone and volume pots? The American deluxe has the s-1 switching which uses the volume pot to engage.

Would that inturn change the sound of the single coils?

I am kind of a novice so any help would be appreciated.

[rspst14]

Re: BBQ in Strat

I'm not familiar with the S1 switching system, so I'm not sure about that. If it requires some sort of special pot, you may not be able to change the value. This is why I don't like using humbuckers and single coils in the same guitar, you end up having to compromise on the pot values. 500k pots will make the single coils a little brighter, but you can always turn down the tone control. But if you go with 250k pots, the BBQ might be too dark. It's a warmer pickup to begin with, so I can see some potential problems if you were to use 250k pots.

Ryan

[Gearjoneser]

Re: BBQ in Strat

BBQ might be good, although it could be too dark. I'd suggest a tremspaced CC.

[rspst14]

Re: BBQ in Strat

Unless your guitar is abnormally dark-sounding, you should be okay with the BBQ. I've tried a CC, but it just didn't have any low end at all. I could see it working well if you have a really bassy setup, but all I heard was pure midrange. I remember when I first installed it and plucked the low E string, there was so little bass that I thought I'd mistakenly hit the D string. They are two very different pickups, but I like the BBQ a lot better. It's not as dark as most people think, it's just that it has a bit more warmth than you would normally expect from an alnico 5 pickup. But again, I would strongly suggest 500k pots if you go with the BBQ.

Ryan

[oliver]

Re: BBQ in Strat

I've thought about putting in a CC but it does seem to have not enough bass for me.

I've wanted something sorta like SD the blues trembucker( which I have) but more normal looking and maybe just a bit more balls. I haven't seen any other SD HB's that are in the mid output range ( this area seems a little misunderepresented in my opinion) that are a take on the classic PAF in a strat.

That is why I have been looking at other makes like the BBQ. Does anyone know of any other humbuckers that might fit the bill?

[Edgecrusher]

Re: BBQ in Strat

I've havent had the BBQ in exactly a strat per se... I've had one in a Robin Medley which is a 25.5 scale bolt on guitar like a strat. From what you've described I think the BBQ would be a good choice. I dont know of another pickup from any maker that is really quite comparable. The BBQ pairs nicely with the Muy Grande singles. I havent had any problems with the Muys being too bright with a 500k pot. They still have some strat edge too them but not that ice picky bright you get from some singles and a 500k pot.

[dr.barlo]

Re: BBQ in Strat

I too would first go for a CC, instead of a BBQ. BTW whether or not a pickup works for you depends on the particular guitar. And I have to say that I saw CC creating miracles on strat bridges.

Would you say EVH had not enough bass in his tone?

B

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: BBQ in Strat

Would you say EVH had not enough bass in his tone?

EVH didn't use a CC.

[rspst14]

Re: BBQ in Strat

No one really knows for sure what he used on the 1984 album. It does sound like a CC, but who knows. I like that tone, but yes, I would actually say that he could've used a bit more low end in his setup. That's just my personal preference though. I like mids, but not so much that it totally chokes the natural sound of the guitar, which is what I felt the CC did. You can't dial in something that's not there in the first place, I could crank the bass to 10 and still not have a satisfactory low end response from that pickup.

Ryan

[dr.barlo]

Re: BBQ in Strat

No one really knows for sure what he used on the 1984 album. It does sound like a CC, but who knows. I like that tone, but yes, I would actually say that he could've used a bit more low end in his setup. That's just my personal preference though. I like mids, but not so much that it totally chokes the natural sound of the guitar, which is what I felt the CC did. You can't dial in something that's not there in the first place, I could crank the bass to 10 and still not have a satisfactory low end response from that pickup.

Ryan

Right on Ryan. It's all about personal tastes.

BTW the contribution of the body of the guitar cannot and should not be overlooked. For a flatter sounding body (having not that pronounced bass) CC ain't the one to go for. But I think generally strats have already have a healthy dose of bass, and highs. Comparing to LPs, I think what they lack is mids, especially because fo the thinner body (especially thin wood around the bridge) and the steel of the bridge. That I think tends to emphasize highs and lows, and not mids. Then CC helps to wash off that "metallic" tone very well. In my case (with the guitars I have) BBQ did not do that on 3 guitars I tried it in. 2 fat strats and 1 floyd equipped ibanez s. On the other hand CC could "tame" all of those guitars. Sometimes I used an alnico 3 magnet to get extra highs, that's all.

Do I love CC to death? Hell no, I think it could use a little scooped features of C5's, and a little less spongy and more in your face bass. That's why I am a big advocate of using alnico 3's in CC's. In my opinion what clearly dominated BBQ was not CC or C5, but C3! See?

B

PS. I. After designing the CC, EVH did Fair Warning no? And I think I see right through what EVH wanted in this hardash bodied tremolo bridge equipped guitar. More MIDS while keeping the PAF character - in fact he a PAF in his first 2 albums! And for me that formula that Seymour and EVH invented seems to create miracles when it comes to the metallic tone from tremolo equipped bridges.

II. Another fine tuning to be done for the CC tone is doing what BachToRock does, that is using the slug coil of the CC and screw coil of the 59b. With an a2 magnet the results are really good. It becomes a little more open than the C3 (way more open and less blurry than the BBQ) but still has that CC growl. I personally would prefer to keep a C3 and PGb in two guitars, instead of having a hybrid. But that's just me. And I see why so many experienced folk in here love that hybrid.

[dr.barlo]

Re: BBQ in Strat

To sum up what I mean to say is: It is all about matching the pickup to the particular guitar in question. Thus there is not such a thing as a pickup being the best. No way!

I have timbuckers I loved and adored in my R8. But the same pickups gave a very "wild" tone (bright, not round at all, ...) in my R7.

And in my personal experience I could not match the BBQ/Texas set I had to any of the guitars I had.

B

[rspst14]

Re: BBQ in Strat

I forgot about the C3, I remember liking that pickup best with an A3 magnet...but not enough to keep it in the guitar permanently.

Ryan