How come I don't like the bridge position.

[beandip]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

I've got an SSL-5 in the bridge of one of my strats, w/ the jumper mod. I totally love it. I dont know how, but awhile ago I had it to where I could change my SSL-5 to sound like an SSL-1. I dont know how, but I turned the pot backwards (at 10 it sounded like the SSL-1, at 0 it sounded like the SSL-5) and if I could figure out how to do that again, I would.

[rumplstratskin]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

I find the easiest thing to do is to level out the bridge saddles by tightening the trem springs first. Then the truss may also need just a slight turn to compensate the extra tension. The point is to adjust your 11 setup incrementally till it's similar, playing wise to 10's, then set your intonation, otherwise, you're kind of trying to hit a moving target.
Going from 10 to 11's shouldn't present to many problems, though - just go through your setup routine step by step making minor adjustments till you're there.

You're right Curly. I just took the easy way out. KFC will be after me for sure now. I'm glad I put tens back on it though. Now that I'm getting the pups set up I have all the sound I need from the tens. I have more than enough punch in the pups now so there was no real need to go heavier at this time. Got ahead of myself yet again.

[brinton]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

I like the sound of other people's bridge tone (EVH, Page, Satriani) now I notice those are all humbuckers and two of them use strat style guitars. However amps & other crap play the biggest role for anyones tone (plus I still don't want to have to change pickguards whenever I want a sound with a little more......raw beef). I find that the best sounding pickups (bridge) in the audio clips on SD are the teles JD & Broadcaster are my favorite then the Blues Saraceno for HBs. I've been thinking about that twangbanger (I'll put a post on that) and it seems like maybe it'll actually let me like all 5 positions on my strat.

[beandip]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

I tried a local guitar w/ a twangbanger and aps-1s in the neck and mid. I think that when I get some money rollin my way, thats whats gonna go in my MIJ strat. The twangbanger was great, and if I wasnt in a store, I wouldve cranked it and rocked out, but I have respect for the other folks there, unlike alot of the other dudes.

[some_dude]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

I have a JB in one Strat and a Super Distortion in the other. No shortage of bass in either. Big strings help.

I don't like the bridge on clean, particularily with those two pups, although they are good for overdriven clean stuff. I use the bridge for rhythm and lead work.

I like the neck for clean and overdriven work, but it falls apart and turns muddy under high gain, where the bridge stays tight and punchy.

[brinton]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

here's the thing though, I love the vintage strat for pos. 1-4, but that bridge is too thin. when you get a HB you might like the bridge sound and get enough bass but then what happens to the 4th pos. I don't think that splitting/parallel functioning a HB could sound like a strat, at least after you try a PRS 22/24 CU or standard (no offense, great guitars, but doesn't have the coolest tones). I think something like the twangbanger will give me a useful tone in the bridge, and maybe even a cooler rhythm tone for the 4th pos. with the extra twang and punch it could make it a little more charateristic instead of that even sounding slash rhythm which I like for stuff like floyd (brick in the wall part 2 or something, "we don't need no education" rhythm. The lead has of my favorite tone of all time, the strat neck is KING! ). Anyway, change is mostly good and I guess with every pup set there are it's down sides.

[midnite_man]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

that's pretty close to what I like ... I have APS's with the SSL-3 bridge, and get a nice tone spectrum.
I love the APS in the neck, but I'd like to try an SSL in the mid spot, and a Twangbanger bridge. Not really big contrasts as much as variations on a theme. the basic tone is there !

I'd go with APS-1's in neck and middle of this guitar, but the mid pup always sounds brighter than the neck pup in that axe, so I'm thinking the SSL-1 will compensate the tone nicely in the neck. The trick right now is finding a rw/rp version of the APS-1.

[bvc310]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

here's the thing though, I love the vintage strat for pos. 1-4, but that bridge is too thin. when you get a HB you might like the bridge sound and get enough bass but then what happens to the 4th pos. I don't think that splitting/parallel functioning a HB could sound like a strat, at least after you try a PRS 22/24 CU or standard (no offense, great guitars, but doesn't have the coolest tones). I think something like the twangbanger will give me a useful tone in the bridge, and maybe even a cooler rhythm tone for the 4th pos. with the extra twang and punch it could make it a little more charateristic instead of that even sounding slash rhythm which I like for stuff like floyd (brick in the wall part 2 or something, "we don't need no education" rhythm. The lead has of my favorite tone of all time, the strat neck is KING! ). Anyway, change is mostly good and I guess with every pup set there are it's down sides.

some HBs split do not sound strat single coily, but I used to have a a JB in the bridge of my strat, and when it was split it had very straty qualities, great pup. i wired it to be in series only when in pos. 4 and stay full in pos.5, there shematics for it on the seymour website.

[mjsever]

Re: How come I don't like the bridge position.

I agree with that statement completely, Gary!
Especially after taking 4 guitars in the last 5 years and swapping pickups out of every one of them at least 3 times each. These poor axes didn't know what they were going to sound like from one month to the next. I never really got to know them that well until I settled down with what's currently in all of 'em and finally played them enough to make acquaintances. Only I'm getting ready to go round #4 with old Mr. 60's Strat that I love dearly, but hasn't ever quite been able to capture the tone I've searched for in that axe. I'm going with a SSL-3 in the bridge, an APS-1 in the middle, and a SSL-1 in the neck this time, and I'm thinking this time I'm gonna get close.

I have a JB that I'm considering switching out- it's too bright in my naturally bright guitar, even with 250k pots. The Jazz in the neck sounds real nice, but I think it's a bit of a waste to only use the neck pickup all th time. What did you switch out your JB for and prefer?

It's amazing how different the JB/Jazz combo sounds in different guitars- I tried a Schecter and then a Charvel that had that combination, and I was amazed at the variation in the resulting tone. My guitar- too bright. The Schecter- too dull. But that Charvel.... it was like they were made for it.