Hello Everyone,
Well, it's been awhile since I've been on here! I can't seem to find some older threads, anyway...What I'm here for is opinions for my 2000 Fender Double Fat Strat. It's the typical Fender construction...alder body, Maple neck, rosewood fretboard, but this one is a hard tail, which I love for the extra sustain. I've been through many pickups in this thing and, for the longest time, it was an active guitar with EMG's in it, (81/60) combo. Now, I'm back to the PGP+/'59-RWRP in Parchment set that originally came with it.
I've since gone back to passive pickups and really haven't looked back, although I do love the dual 85X combo I have sitting around. I'm debating between a couple sets of pickups I have already or getting a different set for this guitar.The other thing I've done is gone back to the 500k volume and 250k tone control that was stock, as I prefer that set up on this strat.
Here's what I don't like...The PGP+ is still pretty harsh and bright on the top end and the midrange suffers and is a bit brash for my taste and this amp as well. It's hard to dial out on the guitar and I did have 500k pots all around at first. The '59 just doesn't have enough mids for me or to compete with the girth of the amp, even though it sounds ok all around.
Here's what I need. I've finally discovered, after playing my Epi Rivera with 3 P-90's, is I prefer a tone that's closer to a P-90 all around in the neck position, more mids and vowel- like tones dirty, but still fat and full clean. I do, however like humbuckers. I need to get the mids more like the APH-II tone like Slash in the neck. The bridge needs to be versatile and able to handle harder rock/prog metal but still clean up with attack and volume knob changes and do lighter music as well. I've found I don't need a ton of gain from the pickup either, as the amp can more than handle that. I like a singing full midrange that can crunch, but not be too harsh or so focused that it's more metal than anything else, if that makes any sense at all. The highs on this amp are very sensitive and I don't need a Pup that is too razor like in the bridge, as the treble is the most powerful control on this amp besides the gain knob, and is right after it in the chain on the amp.
I'm debating between using the JB/Jazz set I already have and going with the Custom Custom/Alnico II Pro which has been recommended by the pickup selector and Duncan. I don't have much experience with the Custom Custom and Alnico II Pro. My other option is using the EMG 85X set that I have as well. Does anyone have experience with the CC/APH-1n in a Stratocaster?
I've also found, while noodling around with the pedals in my closet, that I actually prefer the Boss DS-1 pedal I have for distortion, as I find the gain channel of the Mesa a bit hard to dial in correctly.
I welcome any experience with good sounding fusion/progressive pickups that work in Strats that will work will with a Mesa. I do like a good, hot PAF style sound but it doesn't have to be a metal sounding pickup. Thanks for the help!
Well, it's been awhile since I've been on here! I can't seem to find some older threads, anyway...What I'm here for is opinions for my 2000 Fender Double Fat Strat. It's the typical Fender construction...alder body, Maple neck, rosewood fretboard, but this one is a hard tail, which I love for the extra sustain. I've been through many pickups in this thing and, for the longest time, it was an active guitar with EMG's in it, (81/60) combo. Now, I'm back to the PGP+/'59-RWRP in Parchment set that originally came with it.
I've since gone back to passive pickups and really haven't looked back, although I do love the dual 85X combo I have sitting around. I'm debating between a couple sets of pickups I have already or getting a different set for this guitar.The other thing I've done is gone back to the 500k volume and 250k tone control that was stock, as I prefer that set up on this strat.
Here's what I don't like...The PGP+ is still pretty harsh and bright on the top end and the midrange suffers and is a bit brash for my taste and this amp as well. It's hard to dial out on the guitar and I did have 500k pots all around at first. The '59 just doesn't have enough mids for me or to compete with the girth of the amp, even though it sounds ok all around.
Here's what I need. I've finally discovered, after playing my Epi Rivera with 3 P-90's, is I prefer a tone that's closer to a P-90 all around in the neck position, more mids and vowel- like tones dirty, but still fat and full clean. I do, however like humbuckers. I need to get the mids more like the APH-II tone like Slash in the neck. The bridge needs to be versatile and able to handle harder rock/prog metal but still clean up with attack and volume knob changes and do lighter music as well. I've found I don't need a ton of gain from the pickup either, as the amp can more than handle that. I like a singing full midrange that can crunch, but not be too harsh or so focused that it's more metal than anything else, if that makes any sense at all. The highs on this amp are very sensitive and I don't need a Pup that is too razor like in the bridge, as the treble is the most powerful control on this amp besides the gain knob, and is right after it in the chain on the amp.
I'm debating between using the JB/Jazz set I already have and going with the Custom Custom/Alnico II Pro which has been recommended by the pickup selector and Duncan. I don't have much experience with the Custom Custom and Alnico II Pro. My other option is using the EMG 85X set that I have as well. Does anyone have experience with the CC/APH-1n in a Stratocaster?
I've also found, while noodling around with the pedals in my closet, that I actually prefer the Boss DS-1 pedal I have for distortion, as I find the gain channel of the Mesa a bit hard to dial in correctly.
I welcome any experience with good sounding fusion/progressive pickups that work in Strats that will work will with a Mesa. I do like a good, hot PAF style sound but it doesn't have to be a metal sounding pickup. Thanks for the help!
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