H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe????

[Nostalgic Distortion]

H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe????

Hi, so I just bought another assembled guard off eBay, I am a man of many Stratocasters & many more guards to go on them, because it's easy & fun to change stuff around now & again! Unfortunately, it was like 3 a.m. & I didn't read the description as well as I should have before making an offer & this dude accepted it fast! Like before I could retract fast!!! Anyway, it's loaded with a TB-PG Pearly Gates in the bridge & a Phat Cat in the neck, 1 vol. knob & 1 tone knob. Awesome, maybe??? Here's the catch & the part I should have read before placing my offer, the guy put a cover on the TB-PG, probably in an attempt to make it match up with the Phat Cat, nickel on nickel??? I've had mixed experiences with Buckers that have been shielded after the fact. A few have come out great but a lot have ended up sounding tinny & just not good. Wax, no wax, there's nothing I can put my finger on & say "That's it"??? So, if this thing does become problematic the only other F-spaced Bucker I've got on hand is a Arcane Brownbucker but I'm a bit worried about output, the Brownbucker is wound pretty cool @ 8.7k & I don't know if it will keep up with the Phaty? Even with it pushed up as close to the strings as possible & the Phat Cat pushed down? I'm hoping the TB-PG is just good when it arrives & I emailed the guy to see what he did before covering it. I'd prefer a ugly uncovered Pearly Gates that sounds like a P.G. than a pretty one that sounds like a tin can! Does anyone know how the Brownbucker or any very vintage wound Bucker will hold up next to a Phat Cat? For those who don't know the Brownbucker is a recreation of the Humbucker that came on the very iconic 78 Super Strat!

 

[sosomething]

Re: H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe

Re: H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe

The Phat Cat is pretty beefy. It sounds insanely good in the neck position but I would worry about a real vintage wind under 9k keeping up.

I'd say give it a try - never rule anything out on specifications alone - but if it's just not keeping up, and your goal is to stick with the Phat Cat in the neck, try a 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge. I recently installed that pair (59/Custom + Phat Cat) in a friend's PRS and it was pretty tremendous.

 

[guitar74]

Re: H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe

Re: H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe

The PG is right around the Brownbucker in output, I think less actually so I would definitely go w/the 59/custom hybrid. Maybe another suggestion:The Perpetual Burn. Just put one in one of my axes and loved it, semi hot I Think 13.?k, and just seems to work well in a variety of settings, not just "Shredding".

I do like the 59/custom as well. I think it will go in my next project.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe

Re: H/H Strat guard, Phat Cat in the neck & a Arcane Brownbucker in the bridge, maybe

What do you guy's think about a Parallel Axis Trembucker in place of the TB-PG as a Bridgebucker & paired up with the Phatty? I have absolutely no experience with any of the Parallel Axis pickups but I've been quite intrigued by them for long while??? I had plans @ one point to do a San Dimas kind of thing using them in a H/S setup, but it fell through & I got going on a other project. So how do you think the original TB-PA or the TB-PA Distortion model would work? On one hand I want to go with something I know I'll like & I know will work good with the Phat Cat, a TB-11 Custom Custom, 59/hybrid, TB-JB, & all the other "common" pickups we have all tried, but on the other I kind of want to try something new? Almost all my guitars are loaded with Duncan pup's, but they are all loaded with Duncan pup's I've already tried & know I like, most of them I've tried in several different guitars made out of a bunch of different tone woods, so I know if this guitar is kind of bright I should go with a TB-11 & if it's a tricky one put in a JB because it works in everything? For the most part I know what I like & what I don't like as far as Duncan stuff goes, that being said if I never try anything else I'll never know if they are good or garbage??? I don't have the money to be buying stuff I'm going to hate & although Duncan are really cool with their 21 day exchange thing, it's a PIA for the both of us! I have to spend money to ship & wait, they have to re-ship it so they are out money too? This is why I'm hoping for some good suggestions, I'd like to avoid the hassle & get a pup that I'm going to love!!! The Brownbucker is just is not going to work in the same guard as the Phat Cat, there's a huge jump in output, even with it up as far as it will go & the Phat Cat down as low as I can get it???