Pickup suggestions for my HSS Godin Session HT

[hamster_funk]

Hello all, long time browser, first time poster.

I recently purchased a Godin Session HT in their transparent cream finish (identical to this one). It's a fantastic guitar, but if it has a weakness it would be the pickups. They aren't bad per say, they are just kind of blah and uninspiring. Since I can't afford GAS this will be my instrument for the foreseeable future, so I want to trick it out to meet my tonal needs.

My goal here is versatility - I want this guitar to cover as much ground as possible. Primarily I will be playing blues and classic/hard rock (Clapton, Hendrix, Zeppelin, ACDC, GnR) but I also play a lot of clean pop and RnB style. I don't really play heavier styles of metal, but I would like to be able to approximate some classic British heavy metal tones (Maiden, Priest, Sabbath) when called for.

My amp is a Marshall Origin 20C, vintage voiced tube amp. Beautiful sounding amp, great pedal platform. It is not a very high gain amp and has quite a bit of headroom, so I'm wondering if if makes sense to put some higher output pups in to push it a little and coax out some more of that awesome crunch it's capable of. But I'm also a little wary of going too hot and losing some of the cleans, especially on the neck pup.

The SD pickup finding tool suggested a 59/Custom Hybrid or JB in the bridge, and a pair vintage hot stacks for the single coils. I don't have much experience with either so I am open to your thoughts and opinions on this configuration or other suggestions.

Also - COLOR! Should I bother changing the pickup color scheme? I like the covered HB but the traditionalist in me feels like it might look better uncovered on an HSS strat style guitar? Should I stick with white single coils or switch to black or even cream to match the body?

Internet points for your thoughts!

[beaubrummels]

Welcome to the forum

My first thought was a Custom 5 bridge with Vintage stacks for middle/neck. 59/Custom would be fine and work similarly. JB is known to work well in basswood guitars, though it's not known for cleaning up very well. A JB I think might put you in more 80's shred land with a basswood/maple guitar. With the push/pull split, the JB, the 59/Custom and the Custom 5 would all have good Strat-like tones, the Custom models more so IME (a split Custom coil almost gets a Strat 'quack' tone by itself). You'll need to measure the humbucker spacing that is in the Godin to get the right model Duncan. I'd advise measuring the single coil size also. (For example, the stacks didn't fit in my Jackson, though that is direct mount. I don't know how big the routes are under the Godin pickguard. I'd recommend measuring what you've got to make sure all the Duncans will fit)

Covered or uncovered changes the sound a bit. Covered would smooth out and sweeten the top end a bit, which might be advisable in a basswood/maple neck guitar.

[hamster_funk]

Welcome to the forum

My first thought was a Custom 5 bridge with Vintage stacks for middle/neck. 59/Custom would be fine and work similarly. JB is known to work well in basswood guitars, though it's not known for cleaning up very well. A JB I think might put you in more 80's shred land with a basswood/maple guitar. With the push/pull split, the JB, the 59/Custom and the Custom 5 would all have good Strat-like tones, the Custom models more so IME (a split Custom coil almost gets a Strat 'quack' tone by itself). You'll need to measure the humbucker spacing that is in the Godin to get the right model Duncan. I'd advise measuring the single coil size also. (For example, the stacks didn't fit in my Jackson, though that is direct mount. I don't know how big the routes are under the Godin pickguard. I'd recommend measuring what you've got to make sure all the Duncans will fit)

Covered or uncovered changes the sound a bit. Covered would smooth out and sweeten the top end a bit, which might be advisable in a basswood/maple neck guitar.

Thanks for your feedback, I hadn't really looked at the Custom 5 before. SD site says it has a bit of a scooped mid profile, do you feel like that would complement the mid-heavy nature of the Marshall? Or do you think it's a better idea to double down on the mid range EQ?

[GuitarStv]

Personally, I'd aim for a lower output PAF type humbucker and pair it with classic sounding single coils in the neck and middle. Something like SSL-2s and a Seth Lover maybe. Cleans will sound better than with higher output stuff and you can get great hard rock and metal sounds out of a PAF with the right boost or overdrive pedal. Doing this the pickups will match a bit better in volume and tone than using a hot humbucker in the bridge with regular output singles.

[TVFV]

The 59/Custom has become a pretty standard response for anyone inquiring about an HSS setup around here. For good reasons though.

[Synapsys]

Considering your tonal requirements, I would suggest going with a 59/Custom Hybrid for the bridge, and with two Vintage Hot Stack Plus for the middle/neck positions, preferably with a volume push-pull pot for series/parallel wiring on the bridge humbuckers

These, combined with the Marshall head you own -and guessing you already own a couple of pedals- will give you all the versatility you need.

On the aesthetics, I'd go with a zebra humbucker and two cream stacks, as I did on my Ibanez. That would your Godin better than white pickups, IMO.

[beaubrummels]

Thanks for your feedback, I hadn't really looked at the Custom 5 before. SD site says it has a bit of a scooped mid profile, do you feel like that would complement the mid-heavy nature of the Marshall? Or do you think it's a better idea to double down on the mid range EQ?

Kind of depends on your preference. For the music you cite, I did all of those kinds of bands with a Custom 5 in my Jackson, an SG and LP Studio. The Custom 5 could be scooped or bright for you, in basswood. (I haven't heard your amp or setup, so...). in which case you could go Custom Custom if you need a warmer, more mid sound to balance the basswood/maple brightness. Either of the Custom models are slightly hotter than the 59/Custom, so they might push the Origin a little more. The 59/Custom is a little more even in EQ compared to all the Custom models. It's bright, clear, articulate, with a little bit of push, but not all that hot, not as hot as any Custom IME.

[Blille]

I used to have a Godin with basswood body where I put a Custom hybrid and was very happy. This was the version with tremolo though.

[donaldr]

I have an SS Strat copy (ash body) with STK-S4n and STK-S7b. I would suggest Classic Stack (STK-S4) for neck/middle instead of Vintage Hot Stack (STK-S7). I had the STK-S7 in the neck position and found it a bit too dark (but it was with 250k pots) and don't think if would clean enough if you want to play PopRr&B. The STK-S7 was also overpowering a Sceamin Demon (TB-12) in the bridge. So if you decide going with STK-S7 neck/middle I would suggest a darker bridge pickup with enough juice to match neck/middle.

And if you want more out of the neck/middle, the STK-S4 handle overdrive very well.

[Mincer]

And if you want more out of the neck/middle, the STK-S4 handle overdrive very well.

Indeed it does, and balances well with many humbuckers...I use mine with the 59/Hybrid Custom.