62 AV strat RI-Many questions-Set-up, pickups replacement, etc??

[tritheory]

Caution: Long post-many questions...sorry....

I bought a 62 AV RI strat in alpine white.
Mods done to the guitar:

Fingerboard re-radius (7.25 thru 12.0) compound radius
Refretted witrh dunlop 6100 frets
Callaham tremelo and block
Sperzel locking tuners
aluminum pickguard shield
star grounding and shileding of pickup cavity
Fender CS fat 50's in neck and middle (RW/RP)
Seymour duncan SSL-3 hot with callaham baseplate in bridge.
Fralin/Callaham blender pot

Getting ready to do the mike richardson seires mod to pickup switching with a push/push knob on the volume--Brian May type sounds...Anyone have this diagram?

Questions:

guitar pickups seem very shrill and bright (especially neck and middle)? wondering if use of different capacitor value or volume and tone pot values should be utilized?
Have to roll tone down quite a bit to get rid of annoying shrill sound. Had a blender pot installed and the sound of the guitar is alot thinnner sounding now...Wondering if was wired wrong? Blender pot bleed through..Also belnder knob is complicated in live situation.

I want to re-wire the guitar as follows:

1-neck
2. neck/middle
3. neck and bridge
4. middle and bridge
5. bridge

push/push knob on volume with treble bleed bypass

1. all three in series
2. neck/middle series
3. neck and bridge series
4. bridge/middle series
5. all three parallel

position 2-neck tone
position 3-bridge tone

Thoughts?

Rear pickup SSL-3 is microphonic with baseplate on it? Wonder if not enough wax on plate? Or.. will this pickup even benefit from a baseplate? Pickup too hot already for baseplate?

Also wanting a warmer neck pickup sound and fatter bridge sound? Recommendations? Fralin, Antiquity, others?


Pickups I am considering: Neck: SSL-3 hot, 5-2 nashville studio, antiquity texas hot
middle:?
Bridge: Hot rails

Want to stay single coil sized..no routing..

Clean neck and middle sounds I like: Eric Johnson, SRV, GImour
Dirty neck sounds: Beck, Malmsteen, satriani, Clapton
Dirty bridge sounds: George Lynch, Demartini, Van Halen,

If the tremolo is set up to float (3 springs), can I keep it in tune? Since I am using locking tuners.

Right now bridge set flush against the body and will not stay in tune with trem use....

.009-.042 strings, 1/2 step down in E flat.

Seems like it catches at the nut...Should I go graphite or earvana nut?

Additional considerations for tuning and tremolo stability: (want to be able to pull back on tremolo and have it stay in tune)

Hipshot tremsetter
Graphtech ferraglide saddles
Graptech string trees


Opinions and advice on the hipshot and graphtech products?


Thanks for advice in advance....

Steve

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: 62 AV strat RI-Many questions-Set-up, pickups replacement, etc??

OK, I don't know much about the wiring, but as far as the baseplate goes, I install the ones I make with RVT SIlicone Gasket maker (the orange, removeable kind), works really well and I have had no problems with feedback. Fi you want a bigger neck pickup sound, but don't want to go the Antiquity route, I'd go with a pair of APS's in the neck and middle. they won't nail the Vai OD with the neck, but should do well with the rest of the sounds. For the bridge, a Lil' or Rail series pickup would be your best bet for the sounds you want. Personally, I like the Cool Rails and Lil 59, though the Lil Screamin Demon might get yo uclose to the sounds you're looking for as well.

I have the trem in my MIJ 62RI floating with 3 springs about 1/8" from the top and it stays in perfect tune, even on up pulls. I use the Kluson style tuners with it and a bone nut. Get a good tech/luthier to cut a nut to your specific string guages (mine are 10-46 Everly B-52 Rockers) and action and you should be OK, especially with the Sperzel's.

Also, I loosen the middle 4 mounting screws a bit and let the bridge ride on the outer 2. Make sure you don't overtighten these either.

The Hipshot system is unnecessary if you have a proerly cut nut. The Graphtech saddles are cool if you break a lot of strings or dig in a bunch when playing, but I probably would not go with their string trees. I keep the stock ones on my strat and it stays in tune fine. Like the trem mounting screws, don't over tighten them.

Good luck, it sounds like you have a mighty fine strat on your hands. :burnout:

 

[tritheory]

Re: 62 AV strat RI-Many questions-Set-up, pickups replacement, etc??

Thanks..

I am looking into SSL-5 for the neck and middle
or APS-1 for neck an middle, or APS-1 neck, SSL-1 middle
or antiquity texas hot in neck and middle?? Too many pickups...too may choices...lol...

Not sure which combo would be the best with the SSL-3 and the style of music we play...The SSL-5 seems like the overwinding may be a good match for the SSL-3? and good for harder rock that we play..local music store has them in stock also have the rw/rp for the middle...

How much more output do you think the SSL-5's have compared to the Fender fat 50's?

Is the SSL-5 similar in sound/tone and output to the texas special or antiquity texas hots?

Can always test drive them and swap them out if they are not what I am looking for?

Steve