Revisiting putting a Twangbanger in bridge of Tokai Strat

[PRW]

Posted a while back about this, I'm zoning in on what I want to do and am tossing it out again to see if I can get more specific detailed input. (I'm fully aware I'm not going to know until I do it, and that it's easy to swap pickups back if I don't like it, but I always try to avoid PITA situations LOL.)

I have an '80s Tokai Strat (alder body, maple neck) currently equipped with GFS Vintage Alnico Stagger pickups. I am wanting to change the bridge pickup to a Twang Banger to get Tele flavor, again fully aware that it will not be 100% like a Tele. (I also posted wondering if the Twang Banger had been discontinued, because I promise I absolutely could not find it in the listings anymore, but it's back now.)

I use the bridge pickup an awful lot already; I'm into jangly Peter Buck/Johnny Marr/Big Star "September Gurls" type chordal and arpeggio stuff, clean or only moderately dirty, and always use a compressor and pick down close to the bridge to accentuate that. (I know that's more in a Tele's ballpark than a Strat, but I've never gotten along with Teles ergonomically and closing in on my mid-60s with increasing arthritic problems in my fingers ... especially the thumb joint, that's the worst ... the soft V on this Tokai is pretty much all I can play comfortably anymore.) I also use the middle pickup alone a lot, I don't really care for quack but I will use the bridge and middle combo on occasion.

I already have the bridge pickup wired into the tone control to get a little more oomph from it and plan to keep that. I also plan to have at the same time I do the pickup change to add the modification where I can get the neck/bridge and all three pickups combinations.

Given those variables, I'm looking for suggestions at what to pair with a Twang Banger in the bridge. Or should I just keep the GFS and see what they do? Or a wild card in the deck, I have the original gray bottom Tokai pickups that were included when I bought this guitar, I've actually heard that they're really good pickups although I've not found any samples online to hear them in action.

Thanks in advice for any input!

[Mincer]

First, I would try the Tokai pickups you have. If they don't do it for you, figure out what you don't like about them and post it here, so we can get a better idea of what your guitar needs.

[Benjy_26]

If you like what the middle pickup is doing for you already, I'd keep it as is, along with the neck. If you aren't happy with it, then maybe we can steer you towards something that's more suited to what you want to hear.

I have a Rio Grande Stelly in a parts-caster combined with some Guitar Madness 62z in the neck and bridge wired up in the same scheme that you described. It's not the exact same set as you're talking about, but I think that they're in the ballpark, i.e. a pickup made to get a strat to sound like a tele. I think that the Stelly blends well with the mid 5k, staggered, alnico V pickups in the neck and middle of my guitar. If the GFS pickups in yours are similar, I don't see why they wouldn't blend well with the Twang Banger.

[PRW]

First, I would try the Tokai pickups you have. If they don't do it for you, figure out what you don't like about them and post it here, so we can get a better idea of what your guitar needs.

Basically I want a little more oomph out of the bridge pickup even more than I’m getting with the tone engaged, but something that isn’t overly high output and still has the single coil-ish sparkle. In my heart of hearts I’d like to do an HSS Strat with a jangly humbucker like a Filtertron in the bridge, but I really don’t want to do any routing on this guitar and I know I would also have to do some wiring modifications aside from the pickup combinations so the Filtertron would see a 500 pot.

I’m not that displeased with the other Alnico 5 pickups in the guitar. I know GFS are cheaper pickups, but that doesn’t make them bad, I don’t want to upgrade just to spend more money if I am not going to get any improvement in tone.

The pickups in the Duncan catalog that have interested me are the 5-2’s, I wonder how they would work with a Twang Banger bridge.

On edit, just to clarify, I have never heard the original Tokai pickups in the guitar, the GFS had been installed when I bought it.

[GuitarStv]

Keep the GFS neck/mid with the twangbanger. If you decide they don't sound right, then maybe pop in some SSL-1 or 2s.

[Mincer]

The Five Twos are exceptional pickups, but it depends on what you want to change about the pickups in there. If you are just hoping for 'better', I say, wait until you have clearer tone/power goals.

[PRW]

The Five Twos are exceptional pickups, but it depends on what you want to change about the pickups in there. If you are just hoping for 'better', I say, wait until you have clearer tone/power goals.

I will probably wait, but I think my tone/power goals are pretty clear, I’m not interested in massive power and the tone I'm interested in is jangly. Quite frankly ... and I know it may be a Mission Impossible and I'm not going to get there completely. somewhere in the ballpark is fine ... I want to make this three-pickup, double-cutaway ST-style guitar modeled after the original design of Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton and Freddy Tavares sound as Rickenbacker-ish as is humanly possible.

[Mincer]

Then a set of SSL-1 (or -2) is what you want.

[eclecticsynergy]

You already have two good Strat sets on hand, both based on the traditional formula.
I'd be willing to bet you can get what you want in a neck & middle from them.

Myself, I'd reinstall the original neck & middle when putting in the Twangbanger, just on principle.
IMO those stock pickups just kinda belong in the Tokai unless it turns out they really lack something.

My 1980 Tokai Strat has great stock pickups - classic tone & feel in spades. I think you won't be sorry.
I doubt those GFS are any better. Some of the mid-80s Fujigen pickups are truly excellent.
If you find you don't the vintage pickups after giving them a real tryout you can always drop the GFS back in.
But I'd be willing to bet the Tokai neck & middle will pair very nicely with the Twangbanger.

If neither set can give you what you need, then would be the time to consider alternatives.
Still, my best advice is to try out the Tokai pickups when you put the Twangbanger in.

[PRW]

You already have two good Strat sets on hand, both based on the traditional formula.
I'd be willing to bet you can get what you want in a neck & middle from them.

Myself, I'd reinstall the original neck & middle when putting in the Twangbanger, just on principle.
IMO those stock pickups just kinda belong in the Tokai unless it turns out they really lack something.

My 1980 Tokai Strat has great stock pickups - classic tone & feel in spades. I think you won't be sorry.
I doubt those GFS are any better. Some of the mid-80s Fujigen pickups are truly excellent.
If you find you don't the vintage pickups after giving them a real tryout you can always drop the GFS back in.
But I'd be willing to bet the Tokai neck & middle will pair very nicely with the Twangbanger.

If neither set can give you what you need, then would be the time to consider alternatives.
Still, my best advice is to try out the Tokai pickups when you put the Twangbanger in.

Thank you, that is exactly what I'm going to do. As noted, the GFS had been installed when I got it, but thankfully the others were included. I absolutely would like to give those a try, if those don't do anything for me then I'm leaning toward SSL1 maybe as Mincer suggested.

Appreciate the input from everyone. And maybe I will do the HSS with a Filtertron at some point with another Strat, might get a Squier as a modding platform, but as noted I don't want to hack away at this nearly 40-year old guitar. I know there are differences of opinion as to whether that has any impact on tone, I just don't want to do it on general principles.

[Benjy_26]

One thought: are you using any kind of compressor?

I find that I get more chime and jangle if I set up my tones to use a touch of compression.

[ArtieToo]

I'm watching this thread. I've got a Twangbanger and Five-Two laying around here looking for a project.

[jeremy]

i have those hangin around too. i have a lot o f great pups layin around come to think about it... must need more guitars

[Mincer]

I'm watching this thread. I've got a Twangbanger and Five-Two laying around here looking for a project.

Put these in something soon. They are both remarkable pickups. The Five Two is my ideal configuration for a vintage Strat pickup.

[ArtieToo]

Put these in something soon. They are both remarkable pickups. The Five Two is my ideal configuration for a vintage Strat pickup.

Thanks. I will.