Revisiting putting a Twangbanger in bridge of Tokai Strat

[PRW]

Revisiting once more, if I put the SD Twang Banger in the bridge with the already installed GFS at least to start with, will that cause any polarity issues in Position 2, the bridge/middle combo, that need to be addressed?

[jeremy]

hard tellin not knowin. if you put the tb top to top with the gfs in the middle, do they attract or repel?

[Benjy_26]

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

I put a SSL-5/Texas Special in a Squier Mustang HH after a pickguard swap. A 5-2/Twangbanger would sound GREAT in one, I think.

[PRW]

OK, I did it. Had TwangBanger put in the bridge and also had a Mojotone blender pot harness installed.

Thoughts:

1. The TwangBanger is a KILLER bridge pickup, love it!

2. I pretty much lost the 1/2 position quack. though. Now, I've never been a quack devotee, but I notice that it's gone a lot more than I thought I would. The setting now sounds a lot like the bridge only setting sounded in the previous configuration, other than a bit of hollowness to it. I don't think it's a deal killer to where I'd want to switch back, and I have found that if I dial a bit of the neck pickup into that setting, like about 3, maybe 4 clicks, it seems to give it a bit more quack although it might just be a sonic illusion. I'm inclined to live with it at present because if I start swapping out middle pickups looking for something that matches better, it's going to screw everything else up.

3. Because I like pretty much everything else about this setup, especially the neck/bridge setting that's available with the blender pot, and I like the all three pickups on that's available with the blender pot, with the neck pickup dialed back just a smidge.

4. Right now I don't see any compelling reason to change the other pickups other than just to change them. And I don't think that's a compelling reason.

5. And I don't know if this is just me imagining it or what, but in the 3, 4 and 5 settings, it sounds like this harness is a significant sonic upgrade. (And I may just be imagining it because it already had a Mojotone harness upgrade, albeit without the blender pot.)

[Mincer]

Thanks for the update! I am happy the set up is (mostly) working for you!

[eclecticsynergy]

I wonder if SD makes a tapped Twangbanger? I bet position 2 would quack nicely if autotapped.

Worked pretty well with a tapped Zhangbucker Paul Bunyan, and a Pinktone bridge from Onamac Windery too.
Planning the same for my D Allen Echoes bridge the next time I open up the guitar it's in.

Have thought about doing that with a tapped Quarter Pound one day. But neither of my QPs has a tap lead.

[Mincer]

I wonder if SD makes a tapped Twangbanger? I bet position 2 would quack nicely if autotapped.

Have thought about doing that with a tapped Quarter Pound one day. But neither of my QPs has a tap lead.

I've never heard of a stock Twangbanger that was tapped, but you could order one through the Custom Shop. Tapped Quarter Pounds are available, but I think the tap is still pretty hot.

[jeremy]

the tapped qp has a pretty big tonal change between full and tapped outputs but those big ass rod magnets do keep the output up a bit.

as far as a tapped twangbanger, its not that hot to begin with but if you had a tap at 5.5k or something it might quack a bit more. the a2 magnet and baseplate arent helping with the quack but thats part of what gives it the character it has

[eclecticsynergy]

the tapped qp has a pretty big tonal change between full and tapped outputs but those big ass rod magnets do keep the output up a bit.

as far as a tapped twangbanger, its not that hot to begin with but if you had a tap at 5.5k or something it might quack a bit more. the a2 magnet and baseplate arent helping with the quack but thats part of what gives it the character it has

With the QP I'd probably just autotap in position 2; not really looking for a vintage output option.
My Strats all have a little extra beef at the bridge, except for two vintage classics and one stand-in for live.

I can definitely see how a Twangbanger's fullness could take away from the quack.
Weak bridge tone is a pretty important element of the OG position 2 sound, I think.
Even an A5 bridge doesn't quack quite like the old ones if it's overwound by much,

[PRW]

Two months later follow-up ... I think I'm going to go ahead and replace the neck and middle pickups, I think the GFS Vintage Alnicos are just a little bit too weak to play nice with the Twangbanger like I want them to.

I actually reached out to Seymour Duncan, and Dennis Russell of their staff replied to me and echoed what people here have said in suggesting the APS-1 and the 5-2 as options, and suggested that he'd go with the 5-2 and I was leaning toward that anyway, so I'm going to make that happen and then will fill y'all in on how it works.

The great thing about a Strat is that it's easy to switch pickups (although that can also make you go crazy if you keep doing it LOL).

[Mincer]

The Five Two is a remarkable pickup that should be more popular.

[jeremy]

i just put a 5/2 in the bridge of a strat with the hendrix pups neck and middle. forgot what a cool sound it is!

[PRW]

Revisiting once more ... and considering all options ... does anyone know the polarity of the Twang Banger? S up or N up?

[jeremy]

my tb is south up, but its totally possible that i could have remagnetized it at somepint