High output bridge pickup for this Strat?

[Wamel]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post.
I hope you can help me out!

The thing is:
I have a Strat, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, plywood body. (yes, plywood )
Sounds great nevertheless!
6-screw Tremolo.

Neck pickup is a vintage single-coil of unknown brand which has a surpringly high output for the DCR of just 5.6 kOhm!
Maybe it's because the magnets are ceramic, I don't know.
But it sounds fine, like a Strat's neck pickup should sound!

Middle pickup is an SSL-6.

Right now, the bridge pickup (of another brand) is not giving me the sound and output that I'd like, so I want to get another.

What I'm looking for, is a bridge pickup with high output (higher than the SSL-6 in middle position), while still sounding like a real Strat.

The music I'll be playing will be quite diverse: some reggae, some rock, but mostly blues(rock) and "heavy" rock n roll.
With "heavy" rock n roll I mean that the tempo's, gains on the amps, and the energy levels are quite high.

So what do you guys think?
Ofcourse, I could get a JB Jr. or something, but it won't sound like a Strat anymore.
SSL-3 suffers from the same problem, I guess.

As a last resort, I could move the SSL-6 to bridge position and get something else for middle or neck.

Can someone advice me on what to do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[STLMTLHD79]

Re: High output bridge pickup for this Strat?

i dont think a high output pickup is what you really need. Seems like you need something more versatile. If i was you, i would go with a full size humbucker in the bridge with a coil split-Either a 59/custom Hybrid or a JB with 250k pot. The JB IS high output, but splits with the best of them.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: High output bridge pickup for this Strat?

ssl-6 to the bridge and get another middle pup.

 

[Mincer]

Re: High output bridge pickup for this Strat?

Well, thing is, when you start using a true single coil with higher output than an SSL-6, is that it stops sounding Stratty. A Quarter Pound might work, but it sounds more P90-ish than a clear single coil. I'd almost put the SSL-6 in the bridge, and get another vintage-output single coil like an SSL-2.

 

[jmcorey]

Re: High output bridge pickup for this Strat?

ssl-6 to the bridge and get another middle pup.

If you don't want a humbucker, this.

You could also put a hot for strat there. But that would be more P90-ish.

 

[Wamel]

Re: High output bridge pickup for this Strat?

Thanks you all for your replies!
I think it makes sense that a single coil with more output than an SSL-6 will stop sounding stratty.
I guess I'll have to move the SSL-6 to bridge position, and find another pickup for middle or neck position.
SSL-2 is definitely an option.
I'll have to find out what works well combined with the current neck pickup.

Thanks for your advice!