Brand Noob....

[CookieMonster]

Whats up guys..I'm new to the forum and new the world of modding guitars...I have a 2005 MIM Fender Fat Strat running through Fender Deluxe Vintage Modified tube amp...I want to swap out the pups out of my guitar, but I don't know what to get..The kind of music I play is pretty typical of what one would play with a Fender rig..I have a problem with humbucker, when i kick my amp in the drive channel and play the humbucker position, it sounds like someone is stabbing my ears..I thought it might be my amp, but I beg to differ cuz I played the amp at the store with a different guitar and it didn't make my ears bleed...

The sound I'm going for is that classic surf tone and that old school blues rock feel (think Black Keys)...what pick ups would you suggest I look at to find my ideal tone?

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Brand Noob....

2 ssl-1s and a pearly gates trembucker.

 

[CookieMonster]

Re: Brand Noob....

I'll do some more research...there is just soo much out there that it's overwhelming...

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Brand Noob....

I play surf with lipstick tubes and I love it.

If your axe is routed Hum-Single-Single or Hum-Single-Hum you can just get a new pickguard.

If you are just using some light overdrive, noise won't even be an issue either.

For now...until you make your decision...try rolling off some volume or playing with your tone control. It won't get you where you ultimately want to be, but it WILL take the edge off the ice pick until you can spend the money.

 

[CookieMonster]

Re: Brand Noob....

I play surf with lipstick tubes and I love it.

If your axe is routed Hum-Single-Single or Hum-Single-Hum you can just get a new pickguard.

If you are just using some light overdrive, noise won't even be an issue either.

For now...until you make your decision...try rolling off some volume or playing with your tone control. It won't get you where you ultimately want to be, but it WILL take the edge off the ice pick until you can spend the money.

Thanks for the tip...What are lipstick tubes?

 

[CookieMonster]

Re: Brand Noob....

Thanks for the tip...What are lipstick tubes?

Nevermind, I found out what they are....that might be what I'm looking for....Is it possible to switch out the pickgaurd and go from HSS to SSS? I've never heard that before, but if I can do it, I will...Any thoughts on this type of mod?

 

[njstoehr]

Re: Brand Noob....

Pickups: I have been very pleased with 2 SSL-5's and a JB in the bridge (use 500k pots) this is a higher output setup but for me it works great. I get the impression from your post that a more vintage vibe may be what you are after so SSL-1s and a pearly gates may be up your alley as mentioned.

As for HSS to SSS, won't be a problem at all. Most of the MIM fender bodies that I have encountered are routed HSS. Only thing you will need is a new SSS pickguard. As long as you are proficient with a soldering iron, the mod will be a easy. Good luck.

 

[CookieMonster]

Re: Brand Noob....

Thanks for advice guys...That ice pick noise really bothers me in the drive channel, and I think the humbucker is what is making it really painful, but I will try out what LucyDiamond suggested and check out everyone recommendations and start from there....As far my sound and what I like to play, it consists of surf rock/blues at the neck and a garage sound like The Strokes...other bands I like are The Black Keys The Arctic Monkeys...Interpol...Joy Divsion...I haven't looked into buying another guitar because I'm not a gigging guitarist right now and my wife would not be happy if I just dropped some serious dough on a new axe, because women don't understand tone and why its so great...So in the mean time I want to just experiment with what I have and see where it takes me. I'm just using everyone's advice as points of interest before making a final decision....I do like the lipstick tubes and the idea of getting a new pickgaurd and going SSS...however running some SSL-1s with pearly gates sounds pretty choice also...I just have to figure out what suits my style the best.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Brand Noob....

Welcome! Good luck on the tone quest Cookie.

Let me ask this. What - more specifically, from the bridge, do you need more/less of?

Bass? and tighter/looser (tight for surf....)

Mids? More less?

Treble, More/less and fatter/thinner?

Are you sure the ice pick is in the highs, or is it upper miss?

Consider that surf is generally going to be a single coil, yet a humbucker in the bridge wired for a coil split may be very flexible, for both single coil Fender sounds and harder rocking humbucker tones.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Brand Noob....

2 ssl-1s and a pearly gates trembucker.

Beat me to it....definitely this!! Great combination

For angrier humbucking sounds if you wanted hard rock / some metal potential available: Screamin Demon + 2 SSL's

 

[Adieu]

Re: Brand Noob....

Nevermind, I found out what they are....that might be what I'm looking for....Is it possible to switch out the pickgaurd and go from HSS to SSS? I've never heard that before, but if I can do it, I will...Any thoughts on this type of mod?

Always possible. Singles fit humbucker routs, just mount differently, hence the different pickguard or conversion rings for singles in humbucker slots - but never heard of anyone having to do anything invasive like routing or having troubles fitting a single in a humb cut guitar

 

[CookieMonster]

Re: Brand Noob....

Welcome! Good luck on the tone quest Cookie.

Let me ask this. What - more specifically, from the bridge, do you need more/less of?

Bass? and tighter/looser (tight for surf....)


Treble, More/less and fatter/thinner?

Are you sure the ice pick is in the highs, or is it upper miss?

Consider that surf is generally going to be a single coil, yet a humbucker in the bridge wired for a coil split may be very flexible, for both single coil Fender sounds and harder rocking humbucker tones.

When I play Surf I use the neck pick up. The tone I'm looking for in the bridge is versatility to play most rock....I've always liked the idea of having the ability to split the humbuckers..but I would need all kind of new knobs and such...I will keep the humbucker and just get one that fits my style of play....I don't even know what upper miss means...sorry

 

[Adieu]

Re: Brand Noob....

When I play Surf I use the neck pick up. The tone I'm looking for in the bridge is versatility to play most rock....I've always liked the idea of having the ability to split the humbuckers..but I would need all kind of new knobs and such...I will keep the humbucker and just get one that fits my style of play....I don't even know what upper miss means...sorry

Typo, dude meant "upper mids", in the EQ sense.

Splitting doesnt necessarily require any new holes/additional parts: it can be accomplished with switch wiring (splits in certain positions automatically) or a pushpull potentiometer in place of one of the volumes or tones (2in1 functionality: works the same exact way as the one it replaces for turning it, but integrates a toggle button thats operated by pushing or pulling the knob up or down)....and you only need one such potentiometer or a differently wired up 5/7way pickup switch, not "all kinds" of new parts