HSS set that will balance well.

[OceanMachine]

I have an old MIJ strat in an hss configuration. Ive been rocking a JB in the bridge, an ssl-6 in the middle and a hotrail in the neck for a long time and have no massive issue's with that setup, however I have another h-s-h guitar and would like to go back to a more traditional hss setup for abit of variety.

Tone wise ill use this guitar for practicing shreddy stuff, so a dynamic sound that reacts will to pick attack under gain. Main amp is a fender bassbreaker 15 combo.

I think I'm pretty set for a custom/59 hybrid in the bridge as the word on the forum seems to be that it's a great pickup that plays well with single coils however I am no expert when it comes to single coils and need some advice there.

I really love Nick Johnston's sound and I enjoy a glassy, gnarly neck pickup sound I can dig into for leads.

Worth mentioning the guitar is a 12 inch radius and I know its probably not Ideal but I'll run this guitar with a single 500k volume pot.

Any help appreciated.

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

True single or stacks?

True singles use an SSL-2 in the middle and SSL-2 RW/RP in the neck or an SSL-6T RW/RP in the neck if you want to go hotter*. I would recommend checking with the custom shop for a 65/35-ish tap or two different wire gauges so you can have something as close to an SSL-2 as possible when tapped and SSL-6ish when full.

For stacks go for an STK-S4M in the middle and something like an STK-S4B, or STK-S7 in the neck.

I'm assuming Seymour Duncan options. DiMarzio also makes a multitude of excellent single-sized pickups.

(*) Other than the Antiquity Texas Hot, Duncan RW/RP true single coils are North-facing, like the slug coil of the SH-16. If you want hum-cancelling and want to use the far superior Custom coil when splitting, you either need to flip the magnet or use standard wind/polarity in the middle, necessitating RW/RP in the neck.

 

[Mincer]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

I love the sound of Classic Strat Stacks along with a 59/Custom Hybrid. Add the idea that the Hybrid sounds so good split, and you have quite a combo there.

 

[Archer250]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Pearly Gates and 2 SSL 1s, or 2 Fender Fat 50s. Perfec match.

Sent from my EVA-L19 using Tapatalk

 

[OceanMachine]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Appreciate the quick replies guy's. Did some research and found a couple of videos of the STK-S7, the vintage hot stack. Would stack pups like this play ball better with the 500k pot?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

My favorite combo is as follows:

Neck: Stk-S7
Mid: Stk-S4
Bridge: Brobucker

If you don't want the custom shop pricing, basically any moderate output pickup will work. Higher outputs can match, but you gotta set the height properly.

And I wire my HSS Strats with 250k all around with no tone on the bridge. It works well, as the stacks were built around 250k pots and the single 250k volume is similar to the two 500k pots that bridge humbuckers usually see.

 

[chadd]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

I've always liked the Demon in an HSS setup. It's very dynamic and handles gain well.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Sorry, I didn't read you wanted a shred stick. My previous suggestion still works for metal, but if you want a dedicated metal guitar, heres what you want:

Neck and Bridge: JYM Fury
Bridge: Full Shred

It can handle loads of gain, and it cleans up pretty nice. In the blurb for the neck and middle models "fluidity" is used almost 100 times. The Full Shred is also super articulate, and it's name can be misleading as it works for more than just metal.

I'd recommend a single 250k volume pot if you go this route.

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Demon is great with singles, but the OP says he's pretty set with the SH-16 and I really don't think he needs to compromise away such an awesome pickup because he's also using singles.

If using a Demon, I'd definitely use stacks and would not split it. I'd consider splitting a Demon in the neck, but definitely not in the bridge; well maybe in a warm, bassy guitar.

 

[chadd]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Demon is great with singles, but the OP says he's pretty set with the SH-16 and I really don't think he needs to compromise away such an awesome pickup because he's also using singles.

If using a Demon, I'd definitely use stacks and would not split anything when combining pickups. I'd consider splitting a Demon in the neck, but definitely not in the bridge; well maybe in a warm, bassy guitar.

I must be the only one on this forum that doesn't like the sh-16.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

You have any luck yet finding out what pickups ya want?

 

[OceanMachine]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

You have any luck yet finding out what pickups ya want?

I like your suggestion of the stks7 in neck and the stks4 in the middle. Still set on the custom/59 hybrid. To run a humbucker on a 250k pot, how would that effect it? Make it darker/brighter?

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

STK-S7/S4M
STK-S10N/S4M
STK-S4B/S4M
DP422/STK-S4N
DP422/DP419

It's possible to load your singles to 250k and have a 500k pot on the humbucker. Easiest if you're cool with a 500k volume running either neck or bridge. I'd use a 500k tone control and keep it parked somewhere between 6 and 8.

5-way super switch configured to auto-split the HB (a JB hybrid will probably sound better split than a Custom hybrid). Fixed partial split (still auto) is a great idea, especially with hybrid humbuckers. Position 4/2 quack can still sound great with a humbucker as part of the mix.

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

I've always liked the Demon in an HSS setup. It's very dynamic and handles gain well.

Demon and JB Jr Neck are a great pair.

I'm currently running a Screamin' Demon Hybrid (with optional partial split)/JB Jr. Neck in the middle and Hot Rails Neck in the neck. I might go back to JB Jr in both neck and middle, just that I like the option to run the neck pickup in parallel and the JB Jr just doesn't have enough inductance.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

I like your suggestion of the stks7 in neck and the stks4 in the middle. Still set on the custom/59 hybrid. To run a humbucker on a 250k pot, how would that effect it? Make it darker/brighter?

I had that combo before I switched for the Brobucker. A single 250k pot will get you close enough to the sound of two 500k pots on the humbucker and the single coils will be a bit brighter than usual. You can put a 250k resistor on the single coils if you think they are too bright.

That pickup combo is also pretty nice if you ever need some quack in 2 and 4.

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

You don't want more than one resistor connected when neck and middle are together if you can help it (or two tone controls unless both are 500k).

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

I had that combo before I switched for the Brobucker. A single 250k pot will get you close enough to the sound of two 500k pots on the humbucker and the single coils will be a bit brighter than usual. You can put a 250k resistor on the single coils if you think they are too bright.

That pickup combo is also pretty nice if you ever need some quack in 2 and 4.

Are you splitting the brobucker, and if so, to which coil?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

I have it in parallel. I have it that way so I don't have to "split" the middle pickup in the bridge and middle position.

 

[gregory]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Cool. I like parallel wiring in the bridge with the right setup too!

 

[chadd]

Re: HSS set that will balance well.

Demon and JB Jr Neck are a great pair.

I'm currently running a Screamin' Demon Hybrid (with optional partial split)/JB Jr. Neck in the middle and Hot Rails Neck in the neck. I might go back to JB Jr in both neck and middle, just that I like the option to run the neck pickup in parallel and the JB Jr just doesn't have enough inductance.

I had 'lil demons in the neck and bridge with a duck in the middle of one of my strats, but I missed the iconic strat neck tone.