How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

[alexreinhold]

Hi all,

this is my first post, I'm happy to have become part of this awesome community. So, here's my problem.

I'm currently fully re-furbishing my 2002 HSS Strat American Standard Strat. The Texas Special Mid and Neck Single Coils sound awesome but I feel I could get a more punchy tone out of my Humbucker (which is currently an SD Pearly Gates). I've recently bought a SSS Charvel with an SD Hot Rails SHR-1B Bridge Pick-Up and I really love the high-output, "fatter" sound.

I usually like to play quite a wide range from Blues to Funk, all the way to Classic Rock and sometimes even Metal elements. I play Clean on position 5 and sometimes 4 (never on any other position), Crunch on position 5 and Rock/Metal rhythm on Position 1. Clean leads are only played on position 5. During distorted leads, I tend to switch between position 5 and 1. I really never ever use positions 2 and 3. Hence, I only use the humbucker for distorted rhythms and more "aggressive" leads.

Now picking a humbucker seems so hard because you can't do head-to-head tests. But based on quite some research (mainly looking at what some artists play) and my budget, I shortlisted these ones:

SD JB
SD Screamin Demon
DiMarzio Super Distortion

DiMarzio ToneZone - couldn't find any testimonials though
DiMarzio X2N - might be too metal

DiMario PAF Pro - might not have enough output but Kotzen, Satch, Vai and Paul Gilbert use them (maybe as neck?)
SD Dimebucker (MOST likely too metal but I do love his sound)

I would be very happy to get some honest feedback from you guys on a) my shortlist, b) alternatives to those and c) how to make the final decision.

Thanks,

Alex

 

[Mincer]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Welcome to the forum!

Is the volume balance between the neck & middle and the bridge important to you? I ask, because some of the ones you've chosen are high output, and will be significantly louder than the other pickups. Wanting a fatter sound is key, too, as a JB or Dimebucker are not only high output, but sort of the opposite of 'fat'. I would think a pickup like the Custom Custom might work, or even the 59/Custom Hybrid, which sound great at many different gain ranges.

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

With most of those high output pickups is there will much greater difference in output between neck and bridge. When playing with distortion it will be difficult to switch between pos 1 and 5, because the neck pickup will be so much lower output. The benefit of Pearly gates in the HSS config is the balance is closer, and you can retain stock 250k controls without any complex wiring. I'm not sure if you can find anything much better to use with the Texas Specials. My approach for HSS is to use Duncan Coolrails neck with PAF PRO in the bridge and the balance is reasonably close, but controls are 500k.

 

[Securb]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

If you want a great Strat thick humbucker try a Fralin High Output.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Custom-Custom or JB are my two best guesses. From Dimarzio, I would probably try the Fred, Norton, or Air Zone.

 

[esandes]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

I think you're looking for an alnico 5 HB bridge to work well with your existing single coils, pots and wiring. Your short list is on the right track.

Take advantage of the SD return policy to hone the selection. Maybe try the 59.

 

[alexreinhold]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

All, thanks so much for the support - super helpful. Since I have very little experience with pickups, I will go with the standard for now, i.e. get the JB (F-Spaced of course). From there, I will spend the next few years working my way forward and continuously try new pickups. For now I will just test the volume difference and, worst case, put back the Pearly Gates.

Though, I'm still very torn between the Super Distortion and the JB - so hard to make a choice...

 

[MikeS]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Is the pickup a Pearly Gates or the Pearly Gates + (the latter coming stock in some Fenders from that era, if memory serves). The main difference is the magnet type, and the A5 magnet from the PG+ might play a little nicer with the Texas Specials than the A2 Pearly Gates.

I agree with Mincer, if you're looking for fatter tones from the humbucker, the JB wouldn't be the first place I would look. As much as I love the Screamin Demon, I wouldn't look there, either. He also mentioned the 59/Custom hybrid, which while I don't have direct experience with, it's quite literally 1/2 of a Custom 5 and 1/2 of a '59, which I think would also play well with the Texas Specials and accomplish that fatter tone you're looking for. If I can throw another option your way, I would consider the Custom 5. Output wise it sits between the Pearly Gates and the JB (closer to the JB though), it will play nice with a Texas Special when split in the notch position, and has a slightly-scooped EQ like a bridge Texas Special would have.

Welcome, and good on you for already acknowledging that the tone quest you're on is a giant rabbit hole that sometimes leads you right back to where you started!

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Chech the parallel axis humbuckers and stacked single coil. It looks to me they were designed specifically for a perfect match of HSS. I have always wanted to get these as I really love the HSS configuration but they are impossible to find here in Mexico.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_EKi__E68c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiEdEL1KVds


Being that said, for medium and high output humbuckers in the bridge you may need more output then vintage single coils, maybe bridge pickups installed in the neck position or just "high output" single coils. I have been using the STK-S6 in the neck of my MIM Sambora which came stock with what the internet seems to agree is an OEM DiMarzio PAF Pro, they balance well and sound well with 250k pots, I don't put a tone knob on the bridge pickup. The STK-S6 does not sound like a vintage single coil but it has a good sound of its own and does a good quack in position 4 with an SSL-1 or SSL-2 in the middle (no need for RWRP).


I was impressed on how good the quarter pound sounds and matches the Warren DiMartini pickup which I understand is a customized JB. It is the snake skin guitar.
https://youtu.be/J5h9TIKH3_k?t=265

 

[alexreinhold]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Is the pickup a Pearly Gates or the Pearly Gates + (the latter coming stock in some Fenders from that era, if memory serves). The main difference is the magnet type, and the A5 magnet from the PG+ might play a little nicer with the Texas Specials than the A2 Pearly Gates.

I agree with Mincer, if you're looking for fatter tones from the humbucker, the JB wouldn't be the first place I would look. As much as I love the Screamin Demon, I wouldn't look there, either. He also mentioned the 59/Custom hybrid, which while I don't have direct experience with, it's quite literally 1/2 of a Custom 5 and 1/2 of a '59, which I think would also play well with the Texas Specials and accomplish that fatter tone you're looking for. If I can throw another option your way, I would consider the Custom 5. Output wise it sits between the Pearly Gates and the JB (closer to the JB though), it will play nice with a Texas Special when split in the notch position, and has a slightly-scooped EQ like a bridge Texas Special would have.

Welcome, and good on you for already acknowledging that the tone quest you're on is a giant rabbit hole that sometimes leads you right back to where you started!

Though being an active guitar player for 20+ years, I have never bothered too much about pickups (God knows why...). But ever since I've delved into the topic I can't stop researching, it's such an exciting field - I can't believe I missed PUps that much in my tone quest over the last years. I think I will actually go with the JB for now (knowing full well I might regret it) but it seems like the majority see this as the first option. And as I'm new to this game, I'll use the next years for closer examination/experimentation. What do you reckon?

 

[alexreinhold]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Chech the parallel axis humbuckers and stacked single coil. It looks to me they were designed specifically for a perfect match of HSS. I have always wanted to get these as I really love the HSS configuration but they are impossible to find here in Mexico.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_EKi__E68c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiEdEL1KVds


Being that said, for medium and high output humbuckers in the bridge you may need more output then vintage single coils, maybe bridge pickups installed in the neck position or just "high output" single coils. I have been using the STK-S6 in the neck of my MIM Sambora which came stock with what the internet seems to agree is an OEM DiMarzio PAF Pro, they balance well and sound well with 250k pots, I don't put a tone knob on the bridge pickup. The STK-S6 does not sound like a vintage single coil but it has a good sound of its own and does a good quack in position 4 with an SSL-1 or SSL-2 in the middle (no need for RWRP).


I was impressed on how good the quarter pound sounds and matches the Warren DiMartini pickup which I understand is a customized JB. It is the snake skin guitar.
https://youtu.be/J5h9TIKH3_k?t=265

Awesome stuff. Man, if I could I would buy 20 HBs now haha I will definitely keep those in mind for potential later upgrades.

 

[Nagisa]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

For a hot one, I love my Gravity Storm bridge and Injector neck.

For classic tones, I would try that duncan hybrid and the ssl-1s or something

 

[Mr. B]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

I do like the Super Distortion, but not in a strat with 250K pots. The JB works better in that scenario. A lot of humbuckers do no sound their best when connected to 250K pots, which are the norm in a Strat. That is why the Pearly Gates bridge works well in a strat. It is bright enough to work with 250K pots. The Screaming Demon is bright enough too, but I don't think it would mesh as well with the Singles.

 

[dystrust]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

It's rather popular to use 250K pots with a JB, so that may work for you. If it doesn't, give a Full Shred a try. It sounds counter intuitive but a friend of mine about 15 years ago ran a Full Shred with stock Fender singles & 250K pots in a HSS Strat and it sounded amazing. It didn't so much like a humbucker; more like the biggest, meanest Strat bridge pickup you've ever heard.

 

[Mincer]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

I used a 500k volume, 250k for the singles' tone, 500k for the humbucker tone. This was with a 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge. I did wire it so the combinations on the switch were all hum-cancelling.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: How to select the right humbucker for an HSS Strat?

Howdy. The pickups you listed can be grouped into moderate, hot and extra hot output. So how much of a volume/gain difference do you want between the singles and the humbucker? Minimal, reasonable or extreme, so that switching between the pickups sounds almost as if you changed an amp channel?