Need new strat pickup advice

[tritheory]

Hello,

I own a 1962 American Vintage Reissue Fender strat with alder body and rosewood fingerboard, 6100 frets, compund radius 7.25-12.0 radius

Right now the guitar is way too dark sounding. I chose pickups that were way too dark and overwound since I am a usually a humbucker player, playing in a hard rock band.

In the neck and middle are SSL-5 Custom staggered, middle is RW/RP, in the bridge is a SSL-3 Hot with callaham baseplate.

Guitar also set up with .10's, want to go back to .009's easier.. to bend and play on higher frets, we also tune down a 1/2 of step in E flat....


For clean neck tones: Eric Johnson, Knopfler, Malmsteen, Hendrix, SRV, Gilmour, The Edge

Overdrive neck tones: Malmsteen, SRV, Gary Moore, Scott Henderson, Kenny Wayne Shepard

Overdriven bridge sounds: George Lynch, John Petrucci, Chris Poland, David Gilmour, Vai

I was thinking about the Twangbanger for the bridge?
APS-1 or SSL-1 for neck and middle?
Or surfers or Texas hots for neck and middle?

Was going to try noisless, but with good shielding, don't think will be necessary and most noisless don't have that strat type quack and chime...

Thanks for the advice in advance...

Steve

[flank]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

Twangbanger - Surfer - Surfer would be hard to beat

[Benjy_26]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

My MIJ 62 RI is set up with an Ernie Ball/Duncan Albert Lee Sig. set. It's basically a pair of slightly modded APS-2's in the neck and middle with a slightly overwound APS-2 in the bridge with a steel bar underneath the poles.

With this set, I have no problem getting SRV, Hendrix, Gilmour, Edge, KWS, and Knopfler tones.

As far as the Lynch, Petrucci, and Vai tones go, you might be better of with a full sized 'bucker. A Screamin' Demon would be a great choice for the Lynch stuff (of course), though it might not be hot enouch for the Vai and Petrucci sounds. If your amp has enough gain though, you might be able to pull it off.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

Twangbanger - Surfer - Surfer would be hard to beat

Yeah, get this combo! It's probably the best Duncan strat set.

I'd strongly advise against changing string gauges down to 9's though, especially since you tune down half a step. It's arguable, but your tone will suffer. If you were in std tuning, you MIGHT get a good tone, but it'll be too loose with 9's in dropped tuning. Just my 2 cents.

[Luke Duke]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

I LOVE my APS'! I can get vintage tones-modern tones. I have APS-1's in the neck and middle (RWRP) and an APS-2 in the bridge. The APS's can get close to the Yngwe territory, that's why I've loved them so much lately. The can get sooo thick it's ridiculous.

The Twangbanger in the bridge would give you more oomph though.

Also I'd look into the antiquity surfers neck middle, and Texas Hot bridge.

Luke

[tritheory]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

Thanks for the advice so far.

I wonder if the Texas hots might be better with the hot bridge Or can you use the twangbanger with the texas hots?

Steve

[Armotron]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

Thanks for the advice so far.

I wonder if the Texas hots might be better with the hot bridge Or can you use the twangbanger with the texas hots?

Steve

You can use the Twangbanger with Texas Hots easily, definetely a nice setup either way you go, Texas Hots or Surfers are both great. Surfers will give you more quack and chime (Dire Straits, Hendrix etc.), Texas Hots will give you some more mids and be pretty smooth, either way, both awesome. Twangbanger is an awesome choice for the bridge pickup.

[Luke Duke]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

Armotron hit the nail on the head, surfers give more chime, Texas Hots more grit.

For the hum cancelling affect you can hook up your middle pup backwards too.

Luke

[tritheory]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

How about the lil screamin demon, lil 59 or jb jr with the surfers in neck and middle?

Also the SSL-3 with the baseplate that is now n the bridge along with the surfers?

Wasn't sure if the high output on this would cause a huge mismatch?

Steve

[stevie_bees]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

I use Twangbanger-SSL-1-SSL-1. Covers most things on your list for me.

[koolkat]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

I would definitely go with the Surfers in the neck and middle (or SSL-1's if you don't want to spend the $$). These could easily nail many of the tones of the artists you listed. The Twangbanger is a great bridge pup for a strat, but I don't think it will get you the heavier Vai/Petrucci/etc. sound. These guys all use high output, full-sized humbuckers. You may want to check out the hotrails or JB Jr.

[Luke Duke]

Re: Need new strat pickup advice

I don't know if you've noticed but there are 2 strat vintage style camps (outside of the antiquities) the SSL-1, and the APS-2. I like the APS' because they are smoother and more OD/Dist friendly. The SSL-1's are more vintage correct (A5 mags).

I recommend listening to the sound clips till your ears bleed.......then doing it some more.

Luke