Best single coil pairing with PAF Pros in an HSH Guitar?

[FalloutMaster]

Looking to get a new single coil for my RG550 HSH, I don't particularly care for the stock one. PO of guitar put paf pro's in the neck and bridge and I'm wondering what would pair best with them. I'm kinda leaning toward the True Velvet, but I'm thinking a hum cancelling single coil Like the Area 61 might sound really cool with the PAF pros. Anyone have any experience with these pickup combos?

 

[Nagisa]

Re: Best single coil pairing with PAF Pros in an HSH Guitar?

I have a True Velvet middle now, and had an area 67 middle before. The T.V. is a much better choice IMO if you want real stratty tones. Hum annoys me, but so does the sound of noiseless single coils. That said, if you don’t mind a less traditional thing, and want something that sounds good with some medium gain, the Cruiser Bridge in the middle position would be one to look into. Andy Timmons does that and it really works for him.

Cleans only:
True Velvet or Fat 50 middle (others would surely work, but I like these)
Keep in mind they will be bright with 500k pots, but you can turn down the tone pot.

Gain too:
Cruiser bridge

Middle ground but a compromise on both cleans and gain:
Area series pickups

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Best single coil pairing with PAF Pros in an HSH Guitar?

I have a True Velvet middle now, and had an area 67 middle before. The T.V. is a much better choice IMO if you want real stratty tones. Hum annoys me, but so does the sound of noiseless single coils. That said, if you don’t mind a less traditional thing, and want something that sounds good with some medium gain, the Cruiser Bridge in the middle position would be one to look into. Andy Timmons does that and it really works for him.

Cleans only:
True Velvet or Fat 50 middle (others would surely work, but I like these)
Keep in mind they will be bright with 500k pots, but you can turn down the tone pot.

Gain too:
Cruiser bridge

Middle ground but a compromise on both cleans and gain:
Area series pickups

I generally kinda like the hum when it comes to single coils, it's part of the classic strat sound, but I have a strat for all the single coil tones I want, so I'm looking to do something a little different here. Really leaning towards the area series after what you said, I generally play clean and dirty on all my guitars and I really like the clarity of alnico 2 magnets. Which one do you think works best as a middle position?

Also, given that the Area series are hum-canceling, should I wire the guitar so the PAF Pro humbuckers in bridge and neck are are in parallel instead of split? Because I believe I've heard that split humbuckers have hum, which might sound strange with a hum canceling single?

 

[Nagisa]

Re: Best single coil pairing with PAF Pros in an HSH Guitar?

Edit: it appears people on the net like the paf pro split.

Yes when by themselves the parallels will hum cancel and singles won’t. In the notch positions, IF the middle pickup is reverse polarity (RWRP) then the notch positions (neck-middle, bridge-middle) will cancel hum when the buckers are in split mode. The area series likely doesn’t have reversed polarity middles as they are already hum canceling. So if you use an area in the middle and split the buckers, the notch won’t cancel noise.

As for the area middle to get, the 61 sounds like a good choice. Should have more clarity than the 67 which has more bass end if my memory serves me right. I think the 58 is more common in the neck.

Like I said though, the areas are not going to sound truly single coil. It’s a different flavor, but it seems you’re up for that. A lot of people love them.