Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

[BlueStrings]

A dream I have is of owing a guitar that is comfortable like a strat, but with a short scale, fixed bridge and humbuckers.
So I am saving for building one with a luthier, but am unsure about what to pick for it. I think I will go with a 40-45mm Mahogany Strat body, Pau Ferro fretboard on Mahogany neck. Unsure if a TOM or Hipshot bridge. Bolt on, Gibson scale.

I know it needs a humbucker in the bridge, to avoid too much twangyness and harsh treble, but the neck can be anything that sounds good.
Sadly not much access to the hardware to test in person here, so I will have to go with youtube and word of mouth :/

Right now I am playing/wannabe kinda like this :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkeZZlUyh7o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm4AkI-j_3E
Low to mid gain instrumental, with some blues and jazz thrown in.
Current guitar is a Les Paul, which sounds good but not awesome, and feels weird and heavy. Uncomfortable.

I want a warm, slightly angry tone in the bridge, with enough bite but not piercing in the ears. Kinda like the bridge-pickup sections here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMrbz_gsYSk
A singing tone in the neck, smooth, but how much I am not sure yet. Close to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsmr8_DXJIY

Some other tones for benchmark:
https://youtu.be/CUZK_QlY4VI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX7QD6M5GZ8
The opening lead here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=splTH2iHA18

I read around this forum many times, I think I will like an Alnico II humbucker in the bridge, but as above, no idea on neck. And even if it sounds good solo, will it match with the bridge? Argh!
The Slash set sounds interesting(and will hopefully fit), the neck is said to be single-coilish which sounds interesting for me. But I am wary of it sounding thin.
The Custom Custom seems good too, but I am wary of it being too compressed/modern, and also overtaking a weaker(single coil) neck. Similarly I listened to the Dimarzio AT-1, but it can sound quite muffled, and some had problems with it being all mids (and I guess the project guitar is quite similar to an sg, would be worse, right?)
I know that listening around, Alnico 2 singles sounded weird on low gain, if I go with a single/p90 neck maybe I will prefer Alnico 5. Singles in general sound thin, but sometimes here and there they sound just right, which is why I even consider a single for the neck. But a humbucker is leading things in my head. Works most of the time I feel.

(If I had money I think I would slap some thornbuckers in, but they would be stupid expensive here...)

Thanks, and sorry for the rambling!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

The Slash pickups don't sound thin...in fact, I've never heard any Alnico II pickups sound thin. I think the Slash set is a good idea, or an Alnico II Pro/Custom Custom set, if you want things a little chunkier and more rockin'.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

SGs have the neck pickup in a different spot than usual, do you want that to be true of your guitar as well?

 

[VinceT]

Re: Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

My best word of mouth says, before you build, play a Reverend. For the specs you describe, I’d try the Double Agent OG (I play a Double Agent 3 - it’s a GREAT guitar) or a Kingbolt.

Second recommendation - Music Man Stingray, though I believe that’s a 25.5” scale.

Third recommendation - don’t discount the PRS options, particularly the S2 line - fantastic guitars (I play a Vela - which, put bluntly, sounds like a really well-recorded Telecaster).




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[BlueStrings]

Re: Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

The neck pickup will be in the "les paul position", for better contrast with the bridge.

Hmm, if they don't get thin then I must be in the right track. Will re-consider the custom-custom if by the time I build it I am doing more rock haha

Vince, those look cool, but I don't know if they are available over here, importing would make it more expensive than a luthier built.

I was listening around the Seths seem to have incredible cleans, but the bridge has weird mids sometimes. Maybe Seth neck and Slash bridge, for an all around set?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

I personally would hold off on any decisions r.e. electronics until after the guitar is built. I'd string it up, listen to what it does acoustically, and base my decision on that.

 

[Mark Cearlock]

Re: Advice request for an strat/sg hybrid

I personally would hold off on any decisions r.e. electronics until after the guitar is built. I'd string it up, listen to what it does acoustically, and base my decision on that.

Best advice yet, imo!