HHH Strat

[Clint 55]

Custom 5, Phat Cat, Seth Lover



I didn't really like the LP for rock I just like the Gibson vibe for jazz. I also had the problem of going from super smooth neck tone to raw bridge tone. And then I couldn't get the middle position to sound good, weird quack that I don't care for. I tried a few other HH guitars but they sounded bad or felt bad or both. So I said eff it why not make an HHH strat. Strats sound and feel perfect to me and I have all these nice humbuckers lying around. It came out just how I'd hoped. Each pickup sounds good in its position and the P90 in the middle makes the quack positions sound good - better than 2 humbuckers quacking imo. I also have an Antiquity and a JB lying around that I can sub in if I want.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: HHH Strat

Well it's still HSH I like the middle/combined position on a select few two pickup guitars only, so I understand the concept of preferring three in Strat config.

I have a former preference for Gibsons, but I also wound up with a feeling that my last Les Paul (my first real Gibson) wasn't what I was looking for, right before I finally sold it after a few pickup swaps and went Fender-style only; just more my style/feel/sound. Like you say, the neck pickup was the best Jazz sound I could hope for... But I don't play/listen to Jazz. I still have a couple HH guitars, but I tend to only use the bridge Humbucker in both; in my 24 fret Jackson the neck sound is very useable but a bit close to sounding like a bridge tone "plus bass," and in my Lynch-style Strat I have a rail in the neck that has the opposite issue, just too muddy for most things...

I'd prefer a Fender single in the neck of either guitar; easy enough in my Strat, and for the Jackson I could see myself using a Stag Mag. Glad you found a combo you enjoy

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Yep still HSH hehe.

I, as well, really like the soulful sound that Gibsons can get. But it doesn't really feel right for rock. Something about the combination of the style/feel/sound huh?
So I would always end up playing blues... But then I like the Fender sound for blues better anyways so I realized it was unnecessary. (Except for a neck humbucker jazz guitar.)

I like hard rock but I'm not really a metal head so I don't need to build a guitar around that, I only need a high output bridge pup in 1 guitar. And then the trick was to find stuff that blended with the high output bridge hb. I didn't feel the need to split the hbs since I already have a sss strat. The Phat Cat was perfect, it will blend with anything. But it was too boomy in the neck, too thin in bridge, however just right in middle. It gets along with the pickups on each side of it great. So I have my vintage vibe bluesy hb guitar that's also as good for alternative or hard rock.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: HHH Strat

Cool use of a hum-size p-90

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

I bet the Stag Mag would be good for a neck humbucker. It sounds rock and it cuts.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Cool use of a hum-size p-90

Thanx

 

[Aceman]

Re: HHH Strat

Richie Sambora with a classic tonal twist. Diggin' it!

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: HHH Strat

I had a Stag Mag as many moments ago as it takes me to forget I ever did (I was seriously just like, wait, that guitar DID have one!)

I now have a Rose Picasso pickup in one of my Jazzmasters, you can call it a lower output Stag Mag. They're both a terrific amount of bright (I don't/didn't use it split,) and when I say "lower output," remember that the Stag Mag itself already has the lowest rated output in Mv of any Duncan humbucker. The Picasso and the Stag Mag are both quite suited to the neck position for those reasons.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Richie Sambora with a classic tonal twist. Diggin' it!

Thanx dude!

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

I had a Stag Mag as many moments ago as it takes me to forget I ever did (I was seriously just like, wait, that guitar DID have one!)

LMAO

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

I now have a Rose Picasso pickup in one of my Jazzmasters, you can call it a lower output Stag Mag. They're both a terrific amount of bright (I don't/didn't use it split,) and when I say "lower output," remember that the Stag Mag itself already has the lowest rated output in Mv of any Duncan humbucker. The Picasso and the Stag Mag are both quite suited to the neck position for those reasons.

Fo Sho

 

[chadd]

Re: HHH Strat

Interesting setup. I tried three mini-humbuckers in a strat once, not bad either

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Interesting setup. I tried three mini-humbuckers in a strat once, not bad either

Thanx, it worked out really well for a humbucker guitar. The mini humbucker strat sounds really good, I would have done that if I wasn't looking for a home for my full size hbs.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat



I think I've settled on the final build. I switched out the Custom 5 in the bridge for a JB and added a bridge pickup on switch and a split/parallel switch. It sounds good. I like neck/bridge position with the Seth and JB. It's taken me 6 months of experimenting with guitars, pickups, string gauges, pots and caps to come up with something that feels perfect. =) It has 10-54 NYXLs. Also a 1 meg linear taper volume pot with a 330pf cap only as the treble bleed. Then a 250k no load linear taper tone pot with a .047uf cap. I ran ground wires to the 5 way switch and the mini toggles. The solder wouldn't stick to the side of the mini toggles so I had to clamp the wires between the mini toggle and the pickguard. It's doing good!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: HHH Strat

this was one version of my '90 American Standard.

can't even remember for certain what was in there.

these days, it just has a pair of BKPs in there

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Righteous. I bet a maple fretboard is great for a bunch of humbuckers. Same with a single volume pot. I'm turning up the highs on my amp with a 1 meg volume and no load tone.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: HHH Strat

Same with a single volume pot.

that's a push/pull.

originally I set it up for down was all hum and up was all single.

then it became a series/parallel for one of them. may have been neck or middle. definitely not bridge.




current set up is the p/p is series/parallel for the neck.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Cool. I like the parallel sound.

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: HHH Strat

Nice build. I like three humbucker guitars, personally.

Here's one I built a couple of years back.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Clint 55]

Re: HHH Strat

Looks good. I'm a fan of natural finish. What kind of wood is that? How's a strat with crisp edges sound?