Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

[chill]

Thinking about full size humbuckers for doing a superstrat with an Agile ST802W. Alder body, maple board, wilkinson tremolo. I'll probably start with the stock switch and 500K pots, .047uF tone cap, might eventually install a pull pot for running one or more of the pups in parallel, might convert one of the tones to a spin-a-split on one or two pups. lil 59 which I already have will go in the middle.

It would be used mostly for HR/HM into Marshall MV style amps, although I might also use it for some classic rock and other lower gain apps. Gotta have nice mids and highs with some cut and fairly tight bass.

Bridge: JB trembucker, CC trembucker, Screamin Demon trembucker?
Neck: 59, A2P, full shred?
Any other suggestions?
What say you, oracles of the intarweb?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

I like the Alnico 2 Pro neck and Custom Custom Trembucker combo. I'd go with a .02 tone cap...not .047. I just put a Custom Custom in my Strat...great tone: Fat and smooth!

For 60's and 70's rock tones, I also use the 59 Trembucker alot for classic Jeff Beck/Truth and Clapton/Cream type tones...but the CC is thicker and a little hotter and pushes the amp harder...lots of mids. Lew

 

[walt]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

I half agree with Lew. I would use the 59 over the CC. The 59 (to my ears) is more open sounding, meaning the instrument sounds like it can breathe verse a hotter wound pickup. I personally found the CC too middy and compressed sounding (for lack of a better term) for my personal taste.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

I half agree with Lew. I would use the 59 over the CC. The 59 (to my ears) is more open sounding, meaning the instrument sounds like it can breathe verse a hotter wound pickup. I personally found the CC too middy and compressed sounding (for lack of a better term) for my personal taste.

I like them both...and use both. You're right about the 59B though and your description is right on. :beerchug:

As for the CC, moving it very close to the strings and adjusting the middle 4 polepieces up from the flat work to match the arch of the fingerboard improves the treble response alot!

The CC does have alot of mids, but if you adjust it closer to the strings you can change the balance a bit and bring up the treble.

Lew

 

[ErikH]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

With a .022uf tone cap, go with the CC/A2P combo. The CC sounds amazing in an alder strat body.

With a .047uf cap, go with a JB/Jazz combo. The JB sounds really good with a .047uf tone cap. That harshness is tamed down and it seems more balanced. I noticed a difference right way when I went from no tone control to one with the .047uf tone cap.

 

[chill]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

How would you describe the low end of the CC? I do not need gobs of low end, but I worry about soft and undefined low end.

And how would you compare the CC to the Custom? -to the 490T?

As for the CC, moving it very close to the strings and adjusting the middle 4 polepieces up from the flat work to match the arch of the fingerboard improves the treble response alot!

Is that true for all pickups? And does it improve treble response of all strings, even the low E?

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

The CC has enough low end. Its just a bit...mushy. Not undefined as in when you fret a note on one of the low strings you can't hear it or its not articulate. Not the case. It just won't be "punchy" so to speak like you may get from a ceramic mag pick up or an A5 even. It will be sweeter and have more give so to speak. Hope that makes sense, its kind of hard to describe. I think the tone chart is a tad misleading in putting the bass at 3, its not the case, its just a different bass response than you'll get from a Custom/JB/C-5, etc.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Bridge/ Neck full size HB's for superstrat

Exactly what Jeff stated. It is different and I like how it is. It's the perfect bridge humbucker to me. That sweetness goes across the entire spectrum really. It's just a sweet pickup.