STK-S4n / Cool Rails position in an HSS Strat?

[ArtieToo]

This isn't a critical question, but I'd love to hear anyone else's 2-cents worth on this. I'm doing a customers HSS Strat right now. He provided the pickguard, and a white Pearly Gates. He's hoping to use two singles from my personal stock for the N/M position, to keep cost down a little. They must be noiseless, and they must be white. That narrows it down to two: my STK-S4n and a modern Cool Rails. I think both could sound sweet in there. But what order? They're all noiseless, so I don't really have to worry about RWRP stuff. But what would look better, and which would play nicer with the PG in the #2 notch position. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do auto-split on the PG in that position.

I'd love your thoughts.

Artie

[jeremy]

if it were me, cool rails neck, stack middle. better notch tones and a broader palette of tones

[ArtieToo]

Cool. That's what I'll do. I'm curious to hear this combo. It's not something I'd normally do myself.

[Mincer]

This would depend on sound, too. The STK-S4 will sound better with the PG. But it really sounds great in the neck position on its own, too. Which position is more important?

[ArtieToo]

I don't think it matters. This is an older "beginner." He just want's it to sound good, (and be noiseless), but wants the PG. He's going with my advice and parts on hand, so to speak.

[Mincer]

It will sound good no matter what order you use. If you lose a quacky bridge + middle position, you gain a good neck position. Win either way.

[ArtieToo]

Cool. I'll know for sure before the day is over.

[Teleplayer]

I would also suggest the cool rails in the neck. It will be a touch fuller and better for chords and clean tones. I think it makes sense for a beginner guitar. On the other hand, to play rock and blues, the stack in the neck is more strat like. Both will work.

The question on my mind is what control pot values should be used. If it was me, I'd probably put 500k pots with a parrallel load resistor for the pearly gates.

[ArtieToo]

I may do that. I'm working on the diagram now. Somewhere, in my archives, I have a diagram that auto-splits the PG in #2, and auto-switches in the load resistor when its full humbucker.

[Synapsys]

I own a Hot Rails / Classic Stack / Classic Stack set in a ash body, 22 fret maple neck and board ESP LTD ST-213A. Versatile axe, kinda tricky to balance out volume output, but got it. The CS neck handles high gain surprisingly well, but its clean tones are stellar.

Ot themother hand, I have a Full Shred / Vintage Rails / Cool Rails set on a poplar body, 24 fret maple neck and rosewood board Jackson DK2. On that axe I have the Cool Rails wired for series/parallel switching. Excels with gain, but clean tones are fuller than the Stack, even when in parallel. Great cleans too, but a different flavour of it.

With the set you have available, it kind of depends on what styles your client wants to play, and also on amp/ effects. That said, I'd go PG / CS / CR, and get a push/pull pot for series / parallel on the latter, keeping all noiseless.

[EC Strat]

STK 4 in the neck for a vintage Strat tone

[Mincer]

STK 4 in the neck for a vintage Strat tone

Yeah, the Cool Rails has a really clean humbucker sound in the neck. To me, the neck position would be more important than the in between sounds, but other players might feel differently.

[Teleplayer]

Any updates on this project?

When I used a APH-1 in a strat I simply wired a 510k load resistor to the hot (black) wire on the humbucker so its hard wired to always be in parrallel, no matter coil split or not. The APH-1 was bight compared to the other pickups so the parrallel resistor did the trick.

[ArtieToo]

Got 'er done, and she came out sounding great. Lots of tonal options. I'm not crazy about push-pull's in a Strat, mainly because the knob style doesn't lend itself to that. Push-push's are ok, but the only one I had was a long-shaft meant for an LP. It wouldn't fit this thin Affinity body. So I went with a Schaller Megaswitch ver "E", 3x500k CTS pots, with master vol, master tone, and spin-a-split for the Cool Rails, but it's only in the circuit for pos #3 & #4. Really came out sounding good, while keeping a stock look. Also used a Pure-Tone output jack.

[Mincer]

That's a good diagram. I use the Megaswitch E for the same switching in my Warmoth, and all positions are hum-cancelling. It really is a great system that should be the most popular for an HSS setup.