Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

M

ManuPuerta

New member
Hello everybody,

I need some help with choosing my bridge pickup. I have an American Standard Strat with the original pickups and I FREAKING LOVE its sound, but I feel kinda overwhelmed when playing with other guitarists with humbuckers in their guitars, and I want at least to get some more output. A guitarist I know recommended me to install a humbucker in the bridge, but I don't want to change the pickguard.

Also, some time ago I bought some Custom Shop 69s to replace the original pickups and see how it works, but now I think I want to put them only in the neck and middle positions and get a single coil sized humbucker in the bridge. Also, I'm considering splitting the pickup and installing a push/pull volume knob to control that and not lose the original tone of the strat guitar and the middle/bridge selection. Any suggestions, please?
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

If you are going for a traditional Strat sound, I'd go with either a Quarter Pound or Hot Strat. These are both single coil but have the output of a medium output humbucker. They also still sound Stratty. If you want to go single coil-sized humbucker, check out the Lil 59 for PAFish tones, or for hotter mid-focused mayhem, a Hot Rails. You can compare the tones of each pickup with our new website's compare function.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

+1 on the above suggestions also up for consideration is a Lil Screamin Demon or a Dimarzio Chopper.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Thank you for your help. The thing is that I think my current sound has already too many mid range (as all Strats do), and I want something more balanced and less Strat-ish for the solos. Also, I think that the single coil pickups with a louder output will make a lot of noise and microphonics when played with distortion, won't they?

I also have already heard about the Hot Rails and the SJBJ. What do you think about them?
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

there is a noiseless hot stack that looks like a strat pup but has way more output and cuts through a mix very well with distortion
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

If you put anything too hot in there you're going to overpower those 69's.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Mr. B said:
If you put anything too hot in there you're going to overpower those 69's.
Click to expand...

The thing is that I want the bridge pickup to have more output than the others, so I can get a lead output when necessary. My only fear is that wouldn't then the other pickups have a much lower output when playing, for example, rhythm clean or crunch?
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Other option, as I have seen around the Internet, is splitting the bridge humbucker to get a normal output and a single coil Strat-ish sound the majority of the time, and using the full Humbucker just for the times when it is needed. What do you think about that?
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

ManuPuerta said:
The thing is that I want the bridge pickup to have more output than the others, so I can get a lead output when necessary. My only fear is that wouldn't then the other pickups have a much lower output when playing, for example, rhythm clean or crunch?
Click to expand...
Custom for strat...SSL-5
its hotter than your 69s but its not stupid hot. Works great in the bridge. Excellent for dirty sounds and singing, sustaining leads but still sounds like a strat for clean and in between sounds.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

You can get a tapped Quarter Poundmade, which would give you 2 sounds. You can also go for something as un-Strat-like-but-more-output- Lil 59, and split it. It is always a balance between adding more power and still sounding like a Strat. The Hot Stack will do it too, and you can split that as well. Compare them all using our new Compare function on our website.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

I think you'll find that most vintage strat tones are actually more mid scooped than mid range heavy.

If you try to go too hot with the bridge you're going to have issues with balance. This is not just a volume issue but also an eq one. Having played many different pickups in Strat guitars over the years my current suggestion would be STK-4's all around or STK-4's in the neck and middle with the hotter stack (based on the SSL-5) in the bridge. The STK-4's sound great for vintage Strat sounds but, IMO, handle drive/distortion far better than most true single coils and the hotter bridge pickup will have more power and be a little less stock strat sounding. With the STK-4's I'm running them with some gain (think Blackmore) and I have zero issues with microphonics/squealing.
 
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Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

The CS69 are REALLY bright! A really fat bridge like the SSL5 will be too fat to work withvit. STK-S4b would work nicely...it still sounds very Stratty, but it is silent socyou can crank the heck out of the gaon with no hum. Brrrrrang!! Chunks chunka Screee!,,,
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Mmmmh... the thing is that I've come to think that a single coil soloing guitar will always be overpowered by a humbucker rhythm guitar. I'm sure it depends on the pedals and amps used, but in the same conditions it will never sound as wide and crushing, I think.

I've considered all the pups you guys mentioned and I'm now considering only three of them: DiMarzio Chopper, SD SJBJ and SD Hot Rails, and maybe splitting it in the future. The neck and middle pups would be my Fender CS 69s. What do you think about that?
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

My 69 inspired Strat has had two sets of pickups, the full CS69 set (which I love positions 2-5, but find very weak in the bridge as well) and a set of Dimarzio Injectors with the Area 67 in the middle. The bridge Injector is great, Strat like but very powerful, good for hard rock soloing and rhythm with the tone back a bit. The neck is too hot For me and the Area 67 is very "meh" compared to the CS69s. I'm thinking about putting the neck/mid CS69s back in but using either of the Injectors as the bridge pickup for more power and girth with noiseless operation for distortion.

So, I can't recommend that combo yet, but I might be heading down that path...

The other thing to consider is a Texas Special Bridge, single cool flavor with more meat and output than the CS69s.

Finally, one of the tricks of the trade from that era was a coily cable and Fuzz Face, both of those things fatten a strat bridge pickup. ;)
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

ManuPuerta said:
Mmmmh... the thing is that I've come to think that a single coil soloing guitar will always be overpowered by a humbucker rhythm guitar. I'm sure it depends on the pedals and amps used, but in the same conditions it will never sound as wide and crushing, I think.

I've considered all the pups you guys mentioned and I'm now considering only three of them: DiMarzio Chopper, SD SJBJ and SD Hot Rails, and maybe splitting it in the future. The neck and middle pups would be my Fender CS 69s. What do you think about that?
Click to expand...

I think the hot rails would really blow the '69 pickups away output-wise. I have used traditional singles with a full size JB (not the little JB) and as long as I used 250k pots they were okay. Maybe either one or both of these scenarios would work for you. I have zero experience with the chopper.

Whatever you decide let us know how it goes!
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

ManuPuerta said:
The thing is that I want the bridge pickup to have more output than the others, so I can get a lead output when necessary. My only fear is that wouldn't then the other pickups have a much lower output when playing, for example, rhythm clean or crunch?
Click to expand...

You are better off using a boost pedal for the extra output. It gives you the option of having the extra output when you need it, but not when you don't want it.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Farkus said:
I think the hot rails would really blow the '69 pickups away output-wise. I have used traditional singles with a full size JB (not the little JB) and as long as I used 250k pots they were okay. Maybe either one or both of these scenarios would work for you. I have zero experience with the chopper.

Whatever you decide let us know how it goes!
Click to expand...

As long as I know, American Standard Strat comes with 250k pots, doesn't it? I don't know, this is such a difficult choice!!! Hahaha

But, for sure, I'll let you know about my final decision and the results I get.
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Hello everybody,

I finally installed the neck and middle CS69s and put a single coil sized Jeff Beck Jr. in the bridge. It sounds as I wanted it to sound, the SBSJ sounds with slightly more output, but the cleans and crunchs are still Strattish and the distorted tones can roar as a freakin motorbike. Now I want to get some nice distortion pedals to complement the sound of my Mesa Boogie Royal Atlantic, and achieve the lead tone that I want for the most heavy things. If possible, I want to get the most versatile guitar that I can at an affordable prize, what do you think?

And, of course, thank you very much for your help, dudes!
 
Re: Bridge pup to fit with Custom Shop 69s

Well, I'd have to recommend the 805 Overdrive! A great overdrive/distortion pedal with an active EQ. Happy you like the JB Jr!
 
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