2 humbuckers for ash bodied/maple fb strat?

[strangegrey]

Hey folks,

I'm looking to turn my Fender texas special strat into a double fat strat.

The strat has an ash body with a maple fretboard. Here's a little what I'm looking for, perhaps you guys can offer suggestions...

* Bridge pickup needs to be hot but not blazing hot. I absolutely hate the feeing of an unbalanced neck/bridge humbucker...like you get on the burstbucker loaded gibson les pauls.

* Neck pickup needs to be soloable.

* both the neck pickup and bridge pickup need to sound good together splitable and together as two humbuckers.

* The guitar is used for covers...so I will be playing everything from 70s rock/funk straight on up to creed and foo fighters.


I think that about does it. The reason I'm making the switch to a double fat, is becaus I often find a need for a humbucker sound in the neck...and the texas specials don't work in that regard. I also don't particularly like the Pearly Gates plus, as I find it a little honky and a little too underpowered.

Again, any help or suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Frank

 

[walt]

I would highly recommend that you stay with low output humbuckers. I've done the same with my 2 strats that you are looking to do with yours with 59s along with a stew mac maga switch to get some more versitility out of the instrument. Some others here like the APH2 which is another good option. For me, 59's are the ticket, if you dont like them send them back within 21 days and exchange them for the other.

Regards,
Walt

 

[Jocelyn]

I WOULD SUGGEST A 59 IN THE BRIDGE WITH AN APH2 IN THE NECK.

 

[strangegrey]

Could you tell me why you recommend to stay with lower output pickups.

I specifically want to stay away from obvious volume drops between the two pickups...which will happen if I put a 59N and 59B in there....or the aph2 in the neck.

 

[walt]

Could you tell me why you recommend to stay with lower output pickups.Quality of sound

I specifically want to stay away from obvious volume drops between the two pickups...which will happen if I put a 59N and 59B in there....or the aph2 in the neck.

You shouldn't have any volume drops with a set of 59s or APH2 or a mix of the two.

 

[strangegrey]

Thanks for the response.

Unfortunately, I don't agree at all. Quality of sound is not exclusive to high or low output pickups. There are high output pickups out there that sound good and bad...and there are low output pickups out there that sound good and bad.

I also don't see how I can't have a volume drop with a set of 59s. The difference in overall resistance between the Neck and Bridge model is .7K. That was roughly the same difference I had in my Les Paul with Burstbucker Vs (a perfect example of sh*tty low output pickups) and the volume drop I experienced from neck to bridge was ghastly.

 

[walt]

Thanks for the response.

Unfortunately, I don't agree at all. Quality of sound is not exclusive to high or low output pickups. There are high output pickups out there that sound good and bad...and there are low output pickups out there that sound good and bad.

I also don't see how I can't have a volume drop with a set of 59s. The difference in overall resistance between the Neck and Bridge model is .7K. That was roughly the same difference I had in my Les Paul with Burstbucker Vs (a perfect example of sh*tty low output pickups) and the volume drop I experienced from neck to bridge was ghastly.

First of all if we all thought the same the world would be boring:1: Secondly, I have not heard a high output pup sound as good clean as a lowout pup (ex. Invader vs 59 clean). I used to use a lot of high output pups in earlier years but have learned that it is a whole lot easier to take a pup that is low output and push it to where you want it to be (overdrive/distortion tone wise) because you can always bring it back (clean for those moments you want to do funk, blues etc), than to have a pickup that is already pushed out (overdrive/distortion tone wise) and try to make it sound clean.

Eddie VanHalen started by using a PAF pickup in a strat on the first VanHalen lp and folks have been chasing that tone ever since. Lower output pickups tend to let you the player experiment more with what you want in your sound sort of like an artist with a blank white canvas, whereas higher output pickups are like an artist with a tinted canvas, you want to use the color blue but it doesnt work with a purple tinted canvas (only example I can think of at 5:40 am sorry).

If you are concerned about volume drops between the 2, ck the height of the pickups and adjust them accordingly. You can also put a bridge model in the neck position, but I would try to adjust the pickup height first.

Anyway that's my 2 cents.

Walt

 

[strangegrey]

Thanks Walt,

You've made some very good points. I will definitely take all of what you said into consideration!

-Frank