Best humbuckers for HH strat??

S

southernspreadhead

New member
Well I have decided to adventure out and put two humbuckers in my strat. All this is inspired by Jimmy Herring, currently playing with Widespread Panic. What do you think are the best pickups for the strat?? Jimmy uses 59's in his, and I really like his tone but are they hot enough? I want pickups with a good strong output. Here are some pics and some videos of his tone that I like:
wsp1_1.jpg

jimmyherring.jpg


Jimmy with Widespread Panic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOrofHAs1J4&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ilvy1tT-HI&feature=channel

Jimmy on other stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYmBFKaFFE

Anywho, All advice is greatly appreciated!
 
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Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

I was gonna say "Jimmy Herring uses a couple 59s to great effect" :)

I would probably start with a '59 & JB, then experiment with magnets until I got where I wanted. I'd also make sure to have a spare A2 for the JB & A3 for the '59 on hand when I started, because I bet that's where I'd end up.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

I first used a CC & a PG in my main guitar, but thought the CC was to hot for any subtle stuff. And as I absolutely loved the neck PG, I replaced the CC with a bridge PG and was content for a while until I couldn't help noticing that it was too bright and I had very little tonal variance with the neck PG. After thinking a lot about the sound I was after, I've ordered a Alnico Pro II to replace the bridge PG. That will give me a smooth low output bridge pickup sound I want with an aggressive bright neck pickup (The complete opposite of what most guitarists want).

Now for your needs, if you want something hot for the bridge I would go with the CC. Although I removed it from my main guitar, I loved it for Hard Rock & Metal so I put it in my "Metal" Guitar. As for a neck PU, go with either a PG for a bluesy/70's rock sound, APII for smooth 80's neck leads, or a 59 if you don't know what you want.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

JB_From_Hell said:
I was gonna say "Jimmy Herring uses a couple 59s to great effect" :)

I would probably start with a '59 & JB, then experiment with magnets until I got where I wanted. I'd also make sure to have a spare A2 for the JB & A3 for the '59 on hand when I started, because I bet that's where I'd end up.
Click to expand...

took the words right outta my mouth:)
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

Screamin' Demon is like a 59, but a little more aggressive. One of my faves, had it in a Strat-type guitar.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

I once had a pair of Antiquity pickups in my mij HH strat. It was a lot lighter on my shoulder than my LP and I preferred to use it for classic rock, rather than my LP. Sadly I had to let that guitar go. I couldn't justify keeping it, as I already had 2 strats and several humbucker guitars. I kept the pups and put them in my LP, but I still miss that guitar. What a mistake...
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

southernspreadhead said:
Well I have decided to adventure out and put two humbuckers in my strat. All this is inspired by Jimmy Herring, currently playing with Widespread Panic. What do you think are the best pickups for the strat?? Jimmy uses 59's in his, and I really like his tone but are they hot enough? I want pickups with a good strong output.
Click to expand...

59's are a great set of pickups in a Strat. Sometimes the 59n has more bass than I need in a Gibson style guitar but that's a killer set in a Strat. Always reminds me of Allen Holdsworth's sound in the old days. The 59 has plenty of output...especially if Jimmy Herring uses them and you're inspired by Jimmy Herring. Seems like a no brainer to me.


MasterKtulu said:
I first used a CC & a PG in my main guitar, but thought the CC was to hot for any subtle stuff. And as I absolutely loved the neck PG, I replaced the CC with a bridge PG and was content for a while until I couldn't help noticing that it was too bright and I had very little tonal variance with the neck PG. After thinking a lot about the sound I was after, I've ordered a Alnico Pro II to replace the bridge PG. That will give me a smooth low output bridge pickup sound I want with an aggressive bright neck pickup (The complete opposite of what most guitarists want).

Now for your needs, if you want something hot for the bridge I would go with the CC. Although I removed it from my main guitar, I loved it for Hard Rock & Metal so I put it in my "Metal" Guitar. As for a neck PU, go with either a PG for a bluesy/70's rock sound, APII for smooth 80's neck leads, or a 59 if you don't know what you want.
Click to expand...

I went through a lot of that too. I still recommend the PGn to just about everybody looking for a great neck humbucker. I got tired of the CC though and after using it in my Strat and then in my Hamer I stopped using it. I actually liked the Custom better and still have a Strat with a PGn and Custom. The Custom does have a little harder sound than I'd prefer (I wouldn't call it to bright or to sizzley) but I can work with it. The Custom 5 I tried in the same guitar was just to bright and the CC wasn't bright enough. Bright, to me, is interchangeable with treble.

The humbucker set I've settled on in my main HH Strat is the Tom Holmes H450 & H455 set. To me, the Holmes pickups remind me of the PG's but they're a little fuller, richer and no one ever says they're to bright. I've had them for many years. Bought them directly from Tom back when they were still affordable.

vegetablejoe said:
I once had a pair of Antiquity pickups in my mij HH strat. It was a lot lighter on my shoulder than my LP and I preferred to use it for classic rock, rather than my LP. Sadly I had to let that guitar go. I couldn't justify keeping it, as I already had 2 strats and several humbucker guitars. I kept the pups and put them in my LP, but I still miss that guitar. What a mistake...
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Another great set. Smoother and more hollow sounding. Warm and vintage but plenty of output, IMO. Lots of mojo!

I don't think a guy would want hotter pickups than those vintage output pickups being mentioned to get a tone like Jimmy Herring's getting in those videos. To me he's getting a warm tone in those videos that were posted and the Antiquitys can get that tone easily...if you can pick like that.
 
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Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

My favorite humbucker set in a Strat is the Gibson '57 Classic in the neck and the '57 Classic Plus in the bridge. I still have that set laying around but not using them at the moment. They may end up in another Strat down the road.

Can't go wrong with a PG set or '59 set though.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

Not a strat but close enough - I have a Virtual PAF and Andy Timmons model in my Music Man Silhouette and they sound fantastic.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

gOgIver said:
How much more did you like the 57+ bridge vs the old PAF you had?

PS nice to see you back on the board!
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Which PAF? The DiMarzio? I didn't have the DMZ in it for long. Was more of an experiment. The '57 Classic Plus is everything plus more in the Strat I was running it in. The only reason I pulled it was because I went with a full Duncan HSS setup and it works better for what I need. If this Strat ever goes back to an HH config, it will be the '57 Classics that go in.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

I have a pair of shopfloor custom double-screw 59's in a Double Fat Strat. I put them in on a recommendation from Scott Henderson. Smoother than the regular 59's to my ear. I don't care for overly hot PUP's, so I can't really be of help there. I play a lot of Tribal Tech and Jing Chi type stuff and they're perfect for that as far as I am concerned. It's a really subjective thing, so...
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

I'd just got with a pair of 59's. If you want just a bit more punch and thickness from the bridge, opt for a PATB-3 in there. I bet you'll dig it.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

My first guitar was an MIJ Strat that had two JB's in it. I loved that guitar so much.
 
Re: Best humbuckers for HH strat??

If the wood of the body is alder or something similiar I'd say a bridge CC, good old paf tone on steroids, I had it on mine and sounded wonderful
But if you like singing solos a JB could be a good choice, to me is too much mid high pitched, but a lot of people like it, especially on ash strat
 
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