best humbucker in a strat
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dr.barlo
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Re: best humbucker in a strat
Regarding the ones I have tried on strat bridges:
1. Brobucker if you wanna go all the way. It is a custom shop pickup, and its TB version is a killer. Thick, clear, screaming, yet not icepicky. It's tight, has screaming highs, but is not earpiercing at all. It is actually somewhat a dark bucker. It is clear, very great pickup.
2. PATB-3, sounds similar to a brobucker, but is a bit more punchy, still thick, yet not as clear as a brobucker. However, I'd say it'd be my pick among the non custom shop Duncan buckers. The looks might not be ok, because it only comes in black. It's tight, its highs aren't icepicky at all. Turns a strat bridge position into an a5 LP bridge.
3. Custom custom. Creamy lead tones, very EVH Fair Warning. Thick, not as clear as the above. Somewhat lower mid heavy. But its soft and spongy bass is kinda turndown for me. Allen heads help, a3 magnet does too.
4. C5. Go for it if you dont need PAF type of clarity and mid scooped tones wouldnt bother you. It is a bit trebly, so could be a problem. However, it's tight. Great choice if you are into higher output buckers and your guitar is a full sounding one. (Still I'd go with a PATB-3 even in that case)
5. PG: Great bucker. I love them on LPs. Has that a2 PAF thing going with added a5 uppermids (texas sizzle
). Yet I feel that on a strat bridge (which I kinda think lacks a bit mids) its uppermids might become a bit stingy. However, if your guitar is a good one not lacking mids, it is a great choice.
6. 59b: Well one of the love/hate candidates out there. If your guitar is not a full sounding one, not ever think about it. Yet, if it is, a 59b is really hard to beat. The comparison between a PG and a 59 comes down to how tight you want your bass, and how much lowermids you want in your tone. If you like scooped tones with tight bass (provided that your strat is a full sounding one) go for the 59b. If not (again provided that your guitar is a full sounding one) PGb is a better choice.
7. A2P: Is like a PG but without the a5 type of uppermids. Actually, I think it is quite a good choice for the average strat which generally kinda lacks lowermids. Itd be similar to a CC, but with much more clarity and a bit lower output. Really, if you are into soft bass and creamy lowermids and don't wanna sacrifice the clarity, this is quite a good choice.
8. Jazz: Like 59b, however even more clear. The most non custom shop clear bucker. If your guitar is a full sounding one, and you are into clarity, great choice. It kills in the right guitar.
As you see, there is no clear cut answer. You gotta match the pickup to the particulars of your guitar and tastes.
Hope that helps and good luck.
B
Regarding the ones I have tried on strat bridges:
1. Brobucker if you wanna go all the way. It is a custom shop pickup, and its TB version is a killer. Thick, clear, screaming, yet not icepicky. It's tight, has screaming highs, but is not earpiercing at all. It is actually somewhat a dark bucker. It is clear, very great pickup.
2. PATB-3, sounds similar to a brobucker, but is a bit more punchy, still thick, yet not as clear as a brobucker. However, I'd say it'd be my pick among the non custom shop Duncan buckers. The looks might not be ok, because it only comes in black. It's tight, its highs aren't icepicky at all. Turns a strat bridge position into an a5 LP bridge.
3. Custom custom. Creamy lead tones, very EVH Fair Warning. Thick, not as clear as the above. Somewhat lower mid heavy. But its soft and spongy bass is kinda turndown for me. Allen heads help, a3 magnet does too.
4. C5. Go for it if you dont need PAF type of clarity and mid scooped tones wouldnt bother you. It is a bit trebly, so could be a problem. However, it's tight. Great choice if you are into higher output buckers and your guitar is a full sounding one. (Still I'd go with a PATB-3 even in that case)
5. PG: Great bucker. I love them on LPs. Has that a2 PAF thing going with added a5 uppermids (texas sizzle
). Yet I feel that on a strat bridge (which I kinda think lacks a bit mids) its uppermids might become a bit stingy. However, if your guitar is a good one not lacking mids, it is a great choice.6. 59b: Well one of the love/hate candidates out there. If your guitar is not a full sounding one, not ever think about it. Yet, if it is, a 59b is really hard to beat. The comparison between a PG and a 59 comes down to how tight you want your bass, and how much lowermids you want in your tone. If you like scooped tones with tight bass (provided that your strat is a full sounding one) go for the 59b. If not (again provided that your guitar is a full sounding one) PGb is a better choice.
7. A2P: Is like a PG but without the a5 type of uppermids. Actually, I think it is quite a good choice for the average strat which generally kinda lacks lowermids. Itd be similar to a CC, but with much more clarity and a bit lower output. Really, if you are into soft bass and creamy lowermids and don't wanna sacrifice the clarity, this is quite a good choice.
8. Jazz: Like 59b, however even more clear. The most non custom shop clear bucker. If your guitar is a full sounding one, and you are into clarity, great choice. It kills in the right guitar.
As you see, there is no clear cut answer. You gotta match the pickup to the particulars of your guitar and tastes.
Hope that helps and good luck.
B
T
Thunder
Guest
Re: best humbucker in a strat
The 78' works great!:cool2:
The 78' works great!:cool2:
bungalowbill
Luckybastidologist
Re: best humbucker in a strat
No I haven't....I like the mismatch of coils to be greater....gives it more of that singlecoil like clarity.
No I haven't....I like the mismatch of coils to be greater....gives it more of that singlecoil like clarity.
kgarvey@hotmail
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
Dr Barlo's reviews were fantastic. I love to hear what people love and hate about a pick-up and his reviews really did that. Saying you love a certain pick-up isn't very helpful because you might love it for a completely different application/style I might need one but detailing all your experiences with pick-ups (like dr. barlo) is so useful. But I suppose thats what make him a Dr........Cheers!
Dr Barlo's reviews were fantastic. I love to hear what people love and hate about a pick-up and his reviews really did that. Saying you love a certain pick-up isn't very helpful because you might love it for a completely different application/style I might need one but detailing all your experiences with pick-ups (like dr. barlo) is so useful. But I suppose thats what make him a Dr........Cheers!
ravendouglas
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
i have a fender show master,with a basswood body ,maple neck,rose wood board,and i have a 2 pick up configuration,a jb in the bridge and a mini screamon demon in the neck,and its better than wet panties for my tastes,which run from frank marino,to george lynch .this guitar can be seen in my thread what the hell is a fender showmaster.
i have a fender show master,with a basswood body ,maple neck,rose wood board,and i have a 2 pick up configuration,a jb in the bridge and a mini screamon demon in the neck,and its better than wet panties for my tastes,which run from frank marino,to george lynch .this guitar can be seen in my thread what the hell is a fender showmaster.
dr.barlo
New member
MasterKtulu
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
you can't go wrong with either a '59 or a Alnico II Pro, if you aren't afraid of low output pickups. For something hotter, maybe a C5 but it will probably drown the single coil pickups.
you can't go wrong with either a '59 or a Alnico II Pro, if you aren't afraid of low output pickups. For something hotter, maybe a C5 but it will probably drown the single coil pickups.
kgarvey@hotmail
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
The tone wizard recommends the '59 and alnico pro II for the bridge of a HSS strat but I haven't seen that many people recommend on the forum so I wasn't sure about trying them. I've heard a lot of people say the pearly gates is a better strat bridge humbucker then the alnico II pro
The tone wizard recommends the '59 and alnico pro II for the bridge of a HSS strat but I haven't seen that many people recommend on the forum so I wasn't sure about trying them. I've heard a lot of people say the pearly gates is a better strat bridge humbucker then the alnico II pro
El CHupacabra
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
man my set keeps on popping up everywhere. I use a Pearly Gates bridge/AlnicoII neck set and it works quite well. Putting them together is the key. The Pearly Gates gets huge bite from your average strat while the A2P balances out the mix with the mids that Slash loves. They both sound great seperate as well. A2P has clarity even when saturated while the PG gets incredible attack, almost Telecaster attack. If you do use one of them (or both) you have to wire them a tone knob each. That's the only way to get anything out of them. HOWEVER the A2P really only works if the guitar sounds good unplugged. I'd stay away from it if you have a floating trem. Vintage trem like an early Fender style though works very well.
man my set keeps on popping up everywhere. I use a Pearly Gates bridge/AlnicoII neck set and it works quite well. Putting them together is the key. The Pearly Gates gets huge bite from your average strat while the A2P balances out the mix with the mids that Slash loves. They both sound great seperate as well. A2P has clarity even when saturated while the PG gets incredible attack, almost Telecaster attack. If you do use one of them (or both) you have to wire them a tone knob each. That's the only way to get anything out of them. HOWEVER the A2P really only works if the guitar sounds good unplugged. I'd stay away from it if you have a floating trem. Vintage trem like an early Fender style though works very well.
Last edited:
astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Re: best humbucker in a strat
i got an invader in my alder strat and its great.
i got an invader in my alder strat and its great.
El CHupacabra
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
That's gotta be very loud.
That's gotta be very loud.
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: best humbucker in a strat
"Strat" is really useless to say without specifying whether it has a trem or not. The large sustain block changes the character severely, much more so than any of the wood choices (unless outright dead wood).
If you have the sustain block you will need a pickup that fills in some more volume on the bottom and low mids. The APH in the bridge is definitely the wrong choice there, it has nothing down there and relies on a Les Paul to fill it in. With a trem Strat this pickup in the bridge will be way too thin sounding.
If you don't have the sustain block and you have a Strat body with the large horn and body contours then you must not put in pickups that have large bottoms, because the whole thing will become way too boomy. Very suddenly bridge APH and '78 are great for Strats - hardtail Strats that is.
And don't tell me otherwise. I am one of, so it seems, few people who took one hardtail Strat-alike and routed it for a 6-point trem and I was left with my jaws open gasping. And cursing, because all my previous Strat pickup tests that I did with the hardtail were suddenly meaningless.
[/end rant]
"Strat" is really useless to say without specifying whether it has a trem or not. The large sustain block changes the character severely, much more so than any of the wood choices (unless outright dead wood).
If you have the sustain block you will need a pickup that fills in some more volume on the bottom and low mids. The APH in the bridge is definitely the wrong choice there, it has nothing down there and relies on a Les Paul to fill it in. With a trem Strat this pickup in the bridge will be way too thin sounding.
If you don't have the sustain block and you have a Strat body with the large horn and body contours then you must not put in pickups that have large bottoms, because the whole thing will become way too boomy. Very suddenly bridge APH and '78 are great for Strats - hardtail Strats that is.
And don't tell me otherwise. I am one of, so it seems, few people who took one hardtail Strat-alike and routed it for a 6-point trem and I was left with my jaws open gasping. And cursing, because all my previous Strat pickup tests that I did with the hardtail were suddenly meaningless.
[/end rant]
Re: best humbucker in a strat
its a trem, but not a strat type, actually its not a strat. Its a 2005 Ibanez sa160ah, but it is very similar to a strat aside from the bridge.
And I would like something with an alnico 5 (not necessarily jb), so that it agrees with the single coils
its a trem, but not a strat type, actually its not a strat. Its a 2005 Ibanez sa160ah, but it is very similar to a strat aside from the bridge.
And I would like something with an alnico 5 (not necessarily jb), so that it agrees with the single coils
Ironjose
New member
Re: best humbucker in a strat
i like a lot... the Distortion and custom but i dont remember which custom i have on my guitar...
i think is the ceramic one... i'm guessing is the TB-11 but im bot really sure...
these two have amazing output and overwhelming harmonics and tone!!!
like them both!!!
i like a lot... the Distortion and custom but i dont remember which custom i have on my guitar...
i think is the ceramic one... i'm guessing is the TB-11 but im bot really sure...
these two have amazing output and overwhelming harmonics and tone!!!
like them both!!!
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