EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

[SoCalSteve]

I always assumed hard rock Strat players used the bridge pup but after reading an interview w/Robin Trower who said he mostly uses the neck pup, Ritchie Blackmore uses neck alot, and the Guitar One tab for SRV's The Sky is Crying recommends the neck pup, I guess I assumed wrong.

So my questions for long-time Strat users are these:

First let me premise it by saying what I want. I want BOTH a hard rock tone ala Trower, Blackmore, Gilmour but ALSO I like the bell tone in the notch positions.

So to get a thick rock tone and retain the bell tone in at least one notch position, do I:

A) Get a hot pup for the neck or bridge and vintage style for the other two pups

B) Stay away from hot pups and get ( you fill in the blank) pups

Recommendations, please. Thanks, Steve

 

[beandip]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

APS-1's w/ a Twangbanger. Or SSL-1's w/ a SSL-5 or SSL-3. You should get something a little or much hotter for the bridge since it just has that "hard rock" tone, but you can rock out in the neck positions. It's more about the playing style than pickups.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

APS-1's w/ a Twangbanger. Or SSL-1's w/ a SSL-5 or SSL-3. You should get something a little or much hotter for the bridge since it just has that "hard rock" tone, but you can rock out in the neck positions. It's more about the playing style than pickups.

Beandip is right...The amp you play through is every bit as important as the guitar and pickups you choose..Another important mod is to have tone control on your bridge pickup so you can dial out some of that toppy highend....I use the bridge pickup with distortion alot more than I do the other postions and normally go with a stronger bridge pickup..The neck and neck/middle pickups I use more for playing clean blues,though I will also use the neck position alot for overdriven lead things..The position I Use the least though,is the straight middle pickup..Depending on where and how you strum and pick notes,also determines the overall tones you get out of your strat and any guitar for that matter..You might find yourself working a bit harder on a strat,but you are always rewarded with alot of tone versatility and clear great tone..

John

 

[Wattage]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

Well so far my best Strat tones (rockin or clean) are from a set of Fender Custom 69's. The only position I am still screwing around with is the bridge on it's own, everything else is perfect. I find I use the neck a lot now, way more than I ever did before this set. I am toying with the idea of a QP tapped Strat bridge pup I think that'll nail it but I am still tweeking this set a bit first. For really rocking out I think I need a bit hotter single coil in the bridge than 5.5k area, it could just be habit though.

I am not 100% sure but I think the Ant II Strat pups are very similar to the Custom 69's.

 

[Farkus]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I'm a diehard Strat player...I've used lots of different amps, and I think that the amps are the real key to tone, along with your fingers/touch. I find it easy to get PF tones from my '75 strat, but Blackmore tones are more elusive. My '98 Lone Star strat does Blackmore much better, even with Texas Specials and the PG+. Even with that being said, give me the Strat with mid output singles, and it can do almost anything I want. I like my Fat 50's Fender pups...if I had to choose a set based on your needs, I'd personally go with Fat 50's neck and middle + the bridge pup of your choice (maybe a rails with the ability to coil tap). Some here would probably suggest the antiquity pups, but I can't since I've never tried them myself.

Good luck!

Farkus

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I've checked out the Fender CS pups (Fat 50's, 69's, 54's) but was disappointed they only come in white. I have a satin candy apple red w/black pickguard, pups and knobs and I love this color combo. The Fender CS stuff is priced competitively for a set of 3.

 

[Farkus]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

To change the pup covers to black is actually pretty cheap...

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I'm also considering the black Lace Hot Golds (sorry SD but 3 SD's are kinda pricey).
About $110 for the set.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I have a set of Fender CS 62's and they work very well in the neck and middle. I'm not a big fan of the bridge pickup, unless you play nothing but D i c k Dale tunes.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I've got the CS 54 pups from Fender in my Hwy 1, and like Wattage I'm very happy with all positions except for the bridge. I've got a new strat project going with an ash body and a rosewood board. I'm leaning towards the APS's in the neck and mid, and a SSL-6 for the bridge. That should cover just about every strat tone there is. In my highway 1 strat, I'm going to leave the CS 54's in the neck/mid, and put a PG+ in the bridge. I think that should be a pretty versital axe also.

If your strat is naturally bright, I'd go APS neck and mid, and SSL-6 bridge. If your strat is a warmer tone SSL-1's might be a great choice.

 

[jeremy]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

i think if i was in your position i would get a pair of ssl1's for the neck and middle and a lil 59 for the bridge to get a little extra push when ya need it, youll get great notch tone in pos 2 and if you split the lil 59 pos 4 wont be bad either. itll probably cost you around $170 for those but its worth every penny.
better to wait and get what you really want, whatever that is, then go for instant gratification and have to do it again

 

[Gamera]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

Any of those Fender CS sets will be an improvement over the MIM stock pups and help you with the tones you're after. And as long as you use a matching set (all 54's, etc.) you should get nice, quacky, notch position sounds. After installing the new pups you decide you'd still like some extra beef you can replace the bridge pup with something hotter. This may cause you to lose some quack in the bridge/mid position but you'll still have it in the necl/mid position.

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I use a HS-3 neck/ SSL-1 middle / JB bridge setup and i'm satisfied. The JB has a great split tone, very strat like. The HS-3 is smoother than the SSL-1, but i use it mostly split and get great quack. I had to set the SSL-1 a lower and the HS-3 closer to the strings, when all PU's are split there is no volume-drop and when i want a fatter tone, i use the JB in series.

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

PS. As a hardrock guitarist, i mostly use the neck PU for soloing and Bridge PU for "riffing". So i usual prefer the louder PU in the bridge position.

 

[stevie ray]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I always assumed hard rock Strat players used the bridge pup but after reading an interview w/Robin Trower who said he mostly uses the neck pup, Ritchie Blackmore uses neck alot, and the Guitar One tab for SRV's The Sky is Crying recommends the neck pup, I guess I assumed wrong.

So my questions for long-time Strat users are these:

First let me premise it by saying what I want. I want BOTH a hard rock tone ala Trower, Blackmore, Gilmour but ALSO I like the bell tone in the notch positions.

So to get a thick rock tone and retain the bell tone in at least one notch position, do I:

A) Get a hot pup for the neck or bridge and vintage style for the other two pups

B) Stay away from hot pups and get ( you fill in the blank) pups

Recommendations, please. Thanks, Steve

since when is srv hard rock? would counsider gilmour hard rock either but wateva

id say to be general get a mid-hot humbucking pickup in the bridge and for the other 2 position mind output single coils

 

[stevie ray]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

I've got the CS 54 pups from Fender in my Hwy 1, and like Wattage I'm very happy with all positions except for the bridge. I've got a new strat project going with an ash body and a rosewood board. I'm leaning towards the APS's in the neck and mid, and a SSL-6 for the bridge. That should cover just about every strat tone there is. In my highway 1 strat, I'm going to leave the CS 54's in the neck/mid, and put a PG+ in the bridge. I think that should be a pretty versital axe also.

If your strat is naturally bright, I'd go APS neck and mid, and SSL-6 bridge. If your strat is a warmer tone SSL-1's might be a great choice.

Which APS would you recommend? 1 or 2? I was considering ditchin the humbucker and goin for singles and see how that works for me... I was thinkin the Highway 1 with the Maple neck and fretboard... I guess that would make it somewhat bright.

I definately am curious to hear the SSL-6 in action

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: EXP. STRAT PLAYERS:Multi-faceted question....

since when is srv hard rock? would counsider gilmour hard rock either but wateva

id say to be general get a mid-hot humbucking pickup in the bridge and for the other 2 position mind output single coils

Well, they're sure aren't soft rock, wateva.

Smart ass. It's just the folks like you that cause me to spend less and less time here.