full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

O

overwound

New member
Greetings all. So I've searched and read a lot of threads, watched a lot of videos. Lots of times people are concerned about a high output bridge HB overpowering the other single coils in an HSS strat configuration. I don't really care here, so hope you can help.

I need a guitar for layering heavier, more saturated sounds in the studio, but harmonically rich. It's not super saturated metal, more on the punk/hard rock side of things (gain/distortion in the vein of green day, brand new, chevelle maybe?, just rockin gainier stuff). No palm muting, just power chords but I don't want it muddy, and need rich harmonics. I'd like a humbucker that can get nice and mean with gain, but allows the high strings to ring out when called to do so.

This would go into a mim standard strat that's configured for HSS. I don't care about the single coils because they'll never get used for recording, and this guitar/pickup wouldn't get used for clean sounds. guitar has a rosewood fretboard. It is intended to be a one-trick pony because I have other s/s/s strats for cleans.

I've heard everything under the sun about the JB - too nasal, most used pickup ever. My only experience with it is in some Charvel superstrats I've tried at stores. Sounded amazing. I don't know what wood those were made of though.

The amps I'd have at my disposal for this are marshall jmp, silver jubilee, mesa dual rec, and an orange tiny terror.

I'd welcome your wisdom.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I have the Jb in 2 strats... MIM, RW board. As far as I'm concerned Strat + 250k pots + Jb = Amazing
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I appreciate the info - the pots question was another thing frying my brain.

BTW - do you use the f-spaced/trembucker(?) version in your strats or the normal JB?
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I guess another thing I've always wondered because of the tom delonge strat - how is the invader in strats vs. the JB? Entirely different animals? I've never had the opportunity to play anything with an invader in it.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I generally have went with the standard spacing. My lead guitarist has a trembucker. To me, I haven't really noticed a difference. And I play his often as well.. In a strat, 250k pots and a jb, you'll be happy. We play some of the bands you mentioned, along with a lot of others styles and genres.. It's extremely versatile. I have mine paired with the JazzN also.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

overwound said:
I guess another thing I've always wondered because of the tom delonge strat - how is the invader in strats vs. the JB? Entirely different animals? I've never had the opportunity to play anything with an invader in it.
Click to expand...

I've never tried the invader. I know a few who have, and they swear by them. A friend of mine on here loves it.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

The two best pickups anyone new to replacement pickups to start with would be the Dimarzio Super Distortion and the Seymour Duncan JB. The JB can be hit or miss depending on the guitar, but the Super Distortion works in everything. They are good starting points because you can buy them used at a reasonable price and you wont have a problem reselling them if you don't like them. Also they will sound familiar and you won't be stuck with something that is only applicable to a narrow genre. They also make good points of reference when comparing to other models from each manufacturer.
 
Last edited:
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I would go with the JB Antiquity over the regular production model , well worth the extra money spent .
Or a Duncan Distortion for mean high gain tones without mud , you will cut like a knife even with tons of gain on top of it .
 
Last edited:
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I'd say...

I would go JB Trembucker. Trembucker is made to fit fender spacing and while there might be arguably no advantages, aesthetically it looks better and there are no disadvantages. The JB will do what you want beautifully. I prefer 500k pots. The difference is that a 250k pot will be somewhat darker than a 500k. I'd rather have the highs and turn them down at the amp or tone knob if I so choose. My philosophy is that I'd rather have and not need the highs, than need them and not have them.

The invader is IMO kind of the opposite of what you are describing wanting.

Also, used JB trembuckers are cheap.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

A wealth of info here - thanks guys. I'll admit I immediately started eyeing the antiquity JB because I love those antiquity surfers single coils.

My handbook before posting has basically been that keith merrow video that compares 12 duncan humbuckers. only problem is I don't own a guitar like that (baritone; though I do tune down a whole step or drop C it) or setup much like that. But the distortion and JB were my favorite sounds. Alt 8 sounds amazing but doesn't fit what I'm going for in this case. Thanks.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

overwound said:
A wealth of info here - thanks guys. I'll admit I immediately started eyeing the antiquity JB because I love those antiquity surfers single coils.
Click to expand...
You can save some money by putting a RCUO A5 magnet in a standard JB to get close to the same sound.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

With experience with the invader and jb in the same guitar doing exactly what you are doing, I think the jb is what you want. The invader is great for the job, but does a lot better with the palm muting, and doesn't let the high notes ring out near as well as the jb.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

A 1H pickguard, a JB and a 500kohm volume pot should get you sorted. A DP100 should work fine as well.

My guess is that wide spacing (trembucker/f-spaced) will offer better alignment. Measure your E-to-E string spread right at the bridge to make sure.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I haven't tried it, but I think the Perpetual Burn may be what you're looking for. I think medium output pickups would be easier to work with in a studio with layering. Let the amps/mics/effects do the work.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

a JB will do really well, plenty crunchy, with good bite, a bit loose bottom, inmense sweet singing lead tone, the bread and butter of punk and rock.

a Distortion will cut with more agression and punch, also will be less hit or miss while having a tighter bottom.

the Black Winter is like a clearer distortion with same punch and agression, but waaaay more clarity and articulation,

and finally, at the end of the serach for clarity and output, there is the dimebucker, not for everyone, not for all the guitars (put it in a bright guitar or a guitar with weak bottom and you'll die), just for those who search the meanest chainsaw, razor blade, sledgehammer pickup, the performance of that thing is at the output, clarity and articulation of active pickups, but with more evil and an unforgiving character for bad technique.

but, sincce i see you had a mesa dual rec, you had gain enough to use the last bad guy, this pickup is a rude, raunchy, tight as you can play, and mean as you add gain, the Pearly Gates Bridge model, really, no kidding, slap that ax with a pearly gates trembucker, plug in the mesa with the gain at full and enjoy.....
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

Thanks again guys. Wish I could just get em all.

If I could hijack my own thread...I notice that SD specifically mentions certain pickups work best in 'warm and balanced' guitars, and sometimes are especially good with a rosewood fretboard. Are strats considered warm and balanced? I'm guessing not (I think that's what EDX is getting at) - I'm guessing that means more like a basswood or mahogany guitar. So you could really go wrong with say a distortion in a strat with a maple fretboard? maybe I'm imagining it, but all my strats with maple necks do sound brighter..
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

I am very fond of the old SD Allan Holdsworth model humbucker. Goes nicely with high quality A500k pots. Since this pickup is discontinued, I suggest the JB with an A2 magnet. Plenty of amp gain. Make good use of the two control pots.
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

the strats i had heard were mostly bright and sweet, but i'm really not sure what were the woods, anyway, you may know but saying it isn't bad at all, the tone of an electric guitar depends of many things, the shape (a V, a Explorer and a Strat will absolutely and completily sound diferent, even with the same woods, construction, hardware, pickups and strings), the woods, the routing, the hardware material, the strings, the electronics, and finally the pickups.

i put the shape as the first thing and pickups at last, cause the shape has a big lot to do with the tone, and the pickups out will depend from all that's above, the shape dictates the amount of wood, the distribution of it, and the resonance of the guitar.

will a distortion sound bad in a bright strat, i think not, you can always get rid of anoying treble with the amp or with the correct electronics, but you can't cure muddyness so easy, also a lot of peaple talks about warm and balanced guitars, but depending the application you might not want a warm balanced guitar (personally i don't dig uber wet cocked wha mids, that's why my V, wich is dark heavy mid sounding with soft highs has in it a dimebucker, pickup that i love cause it made the guitar a total thrash metal machine and with my wiring the thing goes from AC/DC to Pantera), the pickups i suggest are what i think will fit what you want to play, while letting enough to dial in and out till you get the tone, except the dimebucker wich needs a guitar with a decent bass response to don't sound thin
 
Re: full size humbucker for one-trick pony strat - just distortion

Good post, EDX. I'll comment on one thing though.

EDX said:
will a distortion sound bad in a bright strat, i think not, you can always get rid of anoying treble with the amp or with the correct electronics, but you can't cure muddyness so easy
Click to expand...

Well, it depends. Having to tweak things after a pickup swap is normal and expected. But if you keep fiddling and twiddling those knobs and screws for hours and still get nowhere, it might just happen to be the wrong pickup for you/your guitar/your amp.

Annoying frequencies, whether in the treble, midrange or bass register, are still annoying. They might indicate a voicing problem. A pickup that's too hot might sound too much "full throttle all the time" or "constipated"; a pickup that's too tame might sound weak and anemic. Now that's a sign of a dynamic mismatch. To be honest with you, I think a bad match is a bad match, in other words there's no benefit in thin over muddy, or too hot vs too tame - it either is just right or it isn't.

In my experience, the DD performs its best in guitars with a strong low end. It's a rare feature in strats but never say never. I've had good results with the Distortion in maple necked, floyd loaded superstrats: a short scale Jackson with an ash body and ebony fretboard and a long scale Rich with an alder body and a maple fingerboard. It did well in both, giving them a well balanced sound.
I did try a JB in these before. While it nailed Marty Friedman's lead tone in the Jackson, it was a bit too thin for rhythm work; in the Rich it was such a muddy mess I couldn't get it out fast enough.

Still, for the given application, I stand by the JB as a recommendation. It's got the harmonics you're looking for and that classic sag. In a Fender Strat it should perform just as well as it did in the Charvels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top