Can Someone Talk Me Through The STK line?

[BadAspen]

I'm looking at the STK line and all the names and numbers are confusing. It seems to me like the Classic Stack (STK-s4) are the most popular in the neck and middle, but there are a few different sounds for the bridge.

What does each pickup generally sound like and are there any 1:1 comparisons? What do u lose out with the noiseless pickups? What are common sets? Does the coil tap option on them make a difference?

 

[beaubrummels]

In order by output, as inferred by the resistance
STK-S4 Stack Plus, 9.62k neck, 10.36k bridge, 4-conductor, A5 rods
STK-S7 Vintage Hot Stack Plus, 11.97k bridge, 3-conductor shielded, A5 rods
STK-S6 Custom Stack Plus, 14.45k bridge, 3-conductor shielded, A5 rods
STK-S9B Hot Stack Plus, 20.26k bridge, 3-conductor shielded, A5 rods
STK-S2 Hot Stack, 13.2k neck, 20.6k bridge, 4-conductor, Ceramic bar
STK-S10N YJM Fury neck, tapped 12.20k, full 25.45k, 4-conductor, A5 rods
STK-S10B YJM Fury bridge, tapped 12.83k, full 25.65k, 4-conductor, A5 rods

I believe the Stacks have some equivalents in the regular single coil line (Mincer or Jeremy or someone else should correct me on this, I only have experience with some of these pickups, not all...)
SSL-1 / SSL-2 = Stack Plus (STK-S4)
SSL-3 = Hot Stack Plus (STK-S9B)
SSL-5 / SSL-6 = Custom Stack Plus (STK-S6)

...or something like that. Someone else might have a better/more accurate comparison list.

The lower output ones sound Fendery. They sound like normal singles to me without the noise.

Coil tapping makes them weaker and not noiseless. Only useful if you are going to combine that coil with another one, like one coil of a bridge humbucker and keep it noise-cancelling.

The STK-S4 is the typical SSL-1 Fendery single coil sound. Some people prefer a little hotter bridge to balance better, a la David Gilmour SSL-5. I believe the STK-S6 is that equivalent. The other bridge options are even hotter. But the hotter you go, the less Fender Strat sounding things can get.

 

[Mincer]

The STK-S4 has no drawbacks for me. It is dead quiet and sounds like a great Strat should.

 

[donaldr]

I have a STK-S4 in the neck of a Strat copy (LTD ST-201) that I really like. No middle. STK-S7 in the bridge: that pickup was designed to be in the bridge so a little more volume and bass, and a little less treble to match the STK-S4 neck IMHO. I think it's a perfect match.

BTW, I tried the STK-S7 in the neck position with 250k pots and found it to dark and bassy for my taste. Maybe with 500k it would be a very good match with an humbucker in the bridge.

 

[Chistopher]

This is actually very useful information to have in one spot.

 

[jeremy]

STK-S2 Hot Stack, 13.2k neck, 20.6k bridge, 4-conductor, Ceramic bar
STK-S10N YJM Fury neck, tapped 12.20k, full 25.45k, 4-conductor, A5 rods
STK-S10B YJM Fury bridge, tapped 12.83k, full 25.65k, 4-conductor, A5 rods

those are the older stack design so arent as hot as the numbers would suggest, still cool pups though

 

[Synapsys]

BTW, I tried the STK-S7 in the neck position with 250k pots and found it to dark and bassy for my taste. Maybe with 500k it would be a very good match with an humbucker in the bridge.

Currently own an Ibanez SEW761FM with the STK-S7 in both neck and middle positions, paired with a Custom/'59 trembucker in the bridge, and using 500k potes. The stacks now do for me everything the Classic Stacks didn't, and by that I mean balancing with a bridge humbucker.

Previousky I owned an ESP LTD ST-213A, a Strat clone, whcih had the STK-S1 in both neck and middle positions, paired with a Hot Rails in the bridge, and using 250k pots, but they were miles apart, EQ and output-wise. Thar guitar is long gone now.