banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

pickup suggestion for clean tones

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • pickup suggestion for clean tones

    hello forum-people,
    i am new to this forum and newish to electrical guitars as well.
    i got a 97 MIM strat made of poplar, SSS. i would like to pimp it by getting a callaham bridge and block as suggested in a different thread. now regarding the PUPs. i would like to get them changed and would be glad if pointed in the right direction. i am not into distortion or overdiven sound. important is a rich clean sound which can be modulated well. so far i thought something like the a Fat 50 fo the neck, 69 for the mid position and a Duncan SSL5 for the bridge.
    do you guys have some ideas?
    many thanks!
    michael

  • #2
    Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

    What you described will work fine . . . but you might find that the SSL5 is a little too powerful for your tastes if you're only playing very clean. It sounds great, but I don't ever use the SSL-6 in my Charvel unless there's some gain going on.

    For only clean and modulation stuff, you might want to go with very low output neck and middle, and maybe a low-medium output bridge. Something like a '69 neck and middle for very delicate and touch responsive bell clean sounds, and a twangbanger bridge will be a little more vintagey snap without the terrible ear destroying bright jangle (and will sound better clean than the dark/middy SSL-5). Underwound neck + mid is how John Mayer gets his slow dancing in a burning room type clean (assuming you've already got a great clean amp), and will give you great funk tones . . . but you want a little more winding in the bridge.

    Just my 2 cents.
    Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

    Originally posted by Douglas Adams
    This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

      I'd go for a set of Duncan Antiquity II Surfers with the Antiquity II Surfer Custom Hot bridge pickup.

      The Antiquity Surfer Hot bridge pickup is comparable, according to some reviews, to the SSL-5.
      “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

        I think most any pickup reproducing 50/60s style pickups will get you a great clean sound with a Strat. Including SD SSL-1s, Antiquity Surfers, Fender 57/62s, Lollars, Fralins. The list goes on an on, there's really too many to choose from.
        I would think the Fat 50s and the overwound SSL-5 are more geared toward overdriven tones, but they should still work clean. But you might be happier with all 69s, if you like that late 60s tone (which I think is usually a bit more mid-scooped), and 57/62s for the more rounded tone.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

          If you like John Frusciante's tone you'll like the SSL-1 set.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

            Originally posted by Lewguitar View Post
            I'd go for a set of Duncan Antiquity II Surfers with the Antiquity II Surfer Custom Hot bridge pickup.

            The Antiquity Surfer Hot bridge pickup is comparable, according to some reviews, to the SSL-5.
            This right here is the definition of 'rich and clean'.
            Administrator of the SDUGF

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

              Originally posted by Lewguitar View Post
              The Antiquity Surfer Hot bridge pickup is comparable, according to some reviews, to the SSL-5.
              i dont agree with that at all, i have both and the ssl5 is hotter and darker still a very good pup though

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

                many thanks for your suggestions!
                the antiquity surfer i have never heard of, very interesting. thanks @ all!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

                  Originally posted by jeremy View Post
                  i dont agree with that at all, i have both and the ssl5 is hotter and darker still a very good pup though
                  I agree with you. But the two do get compared in reviews. The Surfer Custom Bridge pickup has a nicer "snap" or "twang" to it.

                  Some people think of the SSL-1, SSL-1 and SSL-5 set as being a less expensive version of the Surfer set tho.
                  Last edited by Lewguitar; 05-30-2020, 06:25 AM.
                  “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

                    Ok, so short feedback. Althoigh the antiquity surfers sounds awesome, they are crazy expensive, not sure if i am going to pay 140€ for each pup.
                    Do you guys have experience with the new v-mod / treble bleed set up from the pro series, wouldn't that be a good alternative also? Thanks again!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

                      What is the price of an SSL-1 or -2 set where you are? That is a great choice, too.
                      Administrator of the SDUGF

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

                        yeah, they are around 200€ for 3 of them. thanks!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: pickup suggestion for clean tones

                          Originally posted by hanuman View Post
                          yeah, they are around 200€ for 3 of them. thanks!
                          The SSL-1 set is a great set of pickups, especially for clean tones. Dire Straits, Hendrix, SRV...

                          If your guitar is wired old style with a neck tone and middle tone but no bridge tone control I'd want to connect the second tone control to my bridge pickup instead of the middle pickup.
                          “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          X