H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

[Gidge]

I'm building a custom 7/8 size, 24.75 scale Warmoth strat, H-S-S configuration. (I'm a small framed woman and wanted a shorter scaled neck/body). Looking for pickup options since the smaller body/shorter scale may rob me of some tone. I do not care about preserving the 'strat' tone on this little bastard of a guitar......I already own PG+(b), classic stack and lil/59 and was thinking of installing that combo for yucks. Thanks!

 

[Kac]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

Hey Gidge, welcome to the forum, what kinda music do ya play?

~Rock On~

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

Welcome.

I think that combo will cover a lot of bases. If you feel that the PG+ is too bright (some do, but I love mine), try the CC at the bridge.

 

[Gidge]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

I'm more of a blues/jam style player. I don't need high output, I'm more interested in a really versatile axe. THinking of PG, duckbucker, classic stack combo. I know i'm sacrificing some tone in the smaller dimensions in lieu of comfort.....but I'm little, and can play, and the smaller dimensions are perfect for me! (and it's 24 fret)

Gidge

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

What's the amp situation, Gidge?

 

[Gidge]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

Amp situtation: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, minimal effects, i'm not that complicated. I like to keep it simple. I'm wiring this guitar with a standard five way, Fender TBX tone as master tone and a blender. I can get all the pickup combos with just the right amount when I want. I'm leaning toward a cool rails neck, classic stack mid, and pearly gates/59 neck. Nice and fat, but also maintains some strat tone.

Gidge

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

If you want bright and cutting tones from the bridge, go with the PG. If you need your bridge to be smooth and fat, look at the Custom Custom. Don't let the specs of the CC scare you away from it. It looks high output on paper, but it doesn't sound or feel like a distortion class pickup at all.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

I think that combo would work great in what is essentially a Jackson Fusion (no put down meant, just the specs are pretty much the same)

I´d probably want a hotter bridge like a Custom or Distortion, and maybe a Cool Rails at the neck....but that setup should cover quite a few bases...

 

[Robert S.]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

Welcome to the SD User Group Forum Gidge.

The Classic Stack in the mid and the lil59 in the neck are fine choices. I have a hot Stack and a lil59 in my Frankenstrat.

Try the PG+ and see what you think. I have a JB in my Strat but for your musicial choices a Custom Custom might be a better choice.

A couple of things I did to my Strat was to add a bridge pickup on/off switch so that I can combine the bridge with the neck pickup. Its a cool tone from a Strat, especially with a humbucker in the bridge and a single sized humbucker in the neck.

I also added a series/parallel switch to the bridge pickup. The bridge humbucker in parallel has a thinner, lower output tone simular to a single coil and this cleans up and thins the #4 position closer to a typical #4 Strat position tone.

You can do this with push pull pots and not change the look of the guitar.

 

[Gidge]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

Oh yea, I forgot to mention I'm using a vintage trem (Callaham) and therefore must use a trembucker for the wider spacing. My first bridge choice was a pg+, but the pole pieces didn't line up.....which lead me here. And they don't make a trembucker pg+.

If I went custom custom-b, classic stack-m, and cool rails neck will I still get strat like tone from the cool rails??? Or is that pickup more humbucker sounding??

With the blender wiring I'll be able to blend in my neck from #1 and #2 and blend in the bridge from #3 and #4. So the cool rails may be slighlly more versatile, or stick with the lil 59 in the neck?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: H-S-S suggestions for small strat body?

Both the CR and Lil 59 are more on the humbucker side of things. I like the CR better than the Lil 59 at the neck. It has more bite and snap, which helps it blend in tonally with singles better than the Lil 59.