Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

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nightwing122087

New member
Hey guys, haven't been on here in awhile. Anyway, I'm having a very tough time deciding what bridge pickup to put in my Strat. I've got a JB Jr in there now that I've had for a few years but it just isn't doing it for me anymore. It sounds "fake" to me. It isn't the most horrible sounding guitar, but I want something a little different. My own drummer even told me that my guitar "sounds sick", which I thought was pretty funny.

Anyway, I want to put a full sized humbucker in the bridge and I'm having a real tough time deciding and would like some input from you guys. I generally want a passive pickup that is either Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio.

As far as tone and output is concerned, I want something that sounds big and fat with balls and good sustain, while still having a warm, slightly PAFish quality about it. I sort of liked the JB Jr as far as the output was concerned, so I would like the output a little on the med/high side.

I would also like a pickup with an alnico magnet. It doesn't have to be alnico, but I prefer it, as I think that the ceramic magnet in the JB Jr may have a lot to do with why I think it sounds "fake" to me. Also, I would sort of like a pickup that has a bit of a "chug" to it on the low end. It doesn't have to "chug" like Dimebag or anything, but I do like a bit of a "chug" on the low end.

I never liked the clean tone on the JB Jr much, and while the clean tone isn't as important (I generally use the other pickups on the guitar for clean stuff), a pickup that cleans up nicely when backing off on the volume would make me happy.

Here are the type of pickups I have been sort of interested in:

Seymour Duncan

JB Model
Custom 5
Custom Custom
Duncan Custom
Allan Holdsworth
(I know the Custom has a ceramic mag, but it seems to fit the bill from the description)

DiMarzio
Norton
Air Zone

Thanks
 
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Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

Is this a Strat with a non-locking tremolo? Or else what bridge?
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

patb3

hot paf type tone that is nice and fat, sounds good clean, great sustain
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

I think the Duncan Custom would be right up your alley, even with the ceramic Mag.
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

Interesting, I am looking for something similar for a fat strat with rosewood fretboard. I was looking at the PG, Custom, Custom Custom, Patb3, Dimarzio Air Zone or Rio Grande BBQ.

Jeremy, is the Patb3 a better choice than my others I listed? :1:
Only thing that worries me is the lack of mids. For me it must be smooth and thick.
*** I take that back, since it is EQed 6/3/6, it is pretty balanced since the highs and lows aren't too over the top! Might be it! Right now the guitar has a PG.

Sounds nice though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKCJ5fLaWzc

Jeremey, what would be a good matching noiseless Duncan single set for neck and middle?
 
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Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

SD

1) PATB3
2) Custom Custom


Dimarzio

1) Norton
2) Fred
3) Breed
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

The EQ chart can't tell you the nature of the frequencies - A pickup can have thick sounding mids even though they may not be as loud as the treble or bass frequencies. A pickup with a lot of treble can be either sharp or sweet, and low bass on the chart doesn't equate to lack of chug or anything - those are just numbers, the recommendations are coming from people who have tried these pickups and can give you better insight than the chart alone.

edit: Oh, woops, I thought papersoul was the OP. My bad - good luck with your search nightwing.

double edit: and you too papersoul.
 
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Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

Jimijames, very good points my friend and well taken by me and will keep that in mind when searching!

Does the PATB3 have a fat, smooth lead voice? I really like smooth, fat sounding pickups.

Now I just need to determine which noiseless Duncan singles to go with it as well as the correct wiring to be able to split the humbuck to combine with the middle single.
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

I haven't tried the PATB-3 but the description matches the OP.

Of the ones I've tried I can tell you the Custom 5 and normal Custom are rocking pickups. You get a pretty big sound that crunches nicely with a broken up amplifier. Listen to The Darkness...something like Black Shuck. That's the kinda tone you can expect in a LP + Custom + Marshall. I know you have a Strat but that's the overall ballpark of those two Customs to me.

As for huge wall of sound pickups, I'll suggest the Holy Trinity of phatness...

The Invader
The Tone Zone
The Dirty Fingers

They're different pickups, but the one common thing that binds them is this huge sound. I don't have much experience with the Dirty Fingers, but the Invader and the Tone Zone are very good sounding on most "thin" or bright sounding guitars.

The Invader in a Stratocaster sounds big and ballsy. It's a big overdose of mids and bass that has a slightly fizzy (but not too noticeable because it doesn't have too much treble) high end and that with too much gain will turn into mush. Within reasonable amounts of gain I found it to be an amazing pickup with distortion. If you've ever heard a dude pumping out loud hip hop out of his car, you know, when the windows vibrate and seem like they're going to explode, you've heard an Invader. It's kind of a "controlled chaos" version of that.

The Tone Zone I tried out in a S Series Ibanez. Overall it had a similar character. Fat and whiny, but I found the Tone Zone to be a more "moderate" pickup. Like I gave away just a bit of that hugeness and traded it in for some clarity and tightness. It still wasn't an Evo or Full Shred in tightness though so don't expect it to be. I also think it had something to do with the fact that those S Series by nature have a thin, clear and biting sound that fits the whole "shred" mentality they're aimed towards. The Strat was a lot more balanced and had more juice at the expense of clarity.

Good luck!
tc
 
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Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

For a more vintage flavor to the Tone Zone would be the Air Zone! I still like Jeremy's recommendation. If he says fat, it is fat!
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

I think the dimarzio BREED bridge model is a perfect blend of fattness, PAF vibe,uber harmonics,Singing duncan JB style lead voice and sustain all in one pup! After all it was made to make a jem/ibanez rg and strat guitars sound like a les paul!
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

My Superstrat (alder with a all maple neck, hardtail) had a Custom, JB, Custom5, Demon, 59, Custom3, Custom8, JB8 and a Gibson rewind. The fattest tone was by far the Custom8. A Alternative 8 is waiting to go in. The Demon with an A8 was great too and had more thightness than the Custom8.
The PATB3 is not fat, but it makes a Strat sound like les Paul with 59 imo. I liked the very prominent but not boomy bass string - like a piano
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

hamerfan said:
My Superstrat (alder with a all maple neck, hardtail) had a Custom, JB, Custom5, Demon, 59, Custom3, Custom8, JB8 and a Gibson rewind. The fattest tone was by far the Custom8. A Alternative 8 is waiting to go in. The Demon with an A8 was great too and had more thightness than the Custom8.
The PATB3 is not fat, but it makes a Strat sound like les Paul with 59 imo. I liked the very prominent but not boomy bass string - like a piano
Click to expand...

How about the Trembucker, is that fat?
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

the patb3 isnt super fat but its pleanty meaty. if you get too fat you wont have a great clean tone or alot of crunch and chunk to the tone.

listen to the sound clips of a 59b then the patb3 and youll see what i mean.
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

Jeremy, what's a good middle and neck noiseless set to match? Also, anplace to get these all in a set with a pickguard.
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

no set with pickguard, if you really needed something like that im sure someone would do it for a fee.

you want a noiseless neck single coil sized pup? middle pup doesnt need to be noiseless?

what tones do you want?
 
Re: Big fat sounding humbucker for Strat bridge

Why doesn't middle need to be noiseless? I am looking for good single coil tones, especially the neck, but must matsh well with the PATB3. Good single coil clean tones - good clarity and good singing lead tones.

Do you know if it can all be wired to get that 4 position or is that 2? I am referring to where you have one coil of the bridge humbucker on with the middle.
 
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