I need bucker pick-up advice for a strat, please

[vireo]

Howdy folks, I’m new here.

I need a pick-up recommendation.

I own a 1996 Lone-star Strat by Fender. It came stock with a SD Pearly Gates humbucker in the bridge position.

It’s hard to explain the tone issue that I have though I’ll try my best. I find that the pick-up is too bright and lacks warmth. When I switch between the single-coils to the humbucker I loose the rich tone that I get from the ‘texas specials’. I’ve played with the pick-up height and it still just sounds flat. I can fix the problem with a Boss GE-7 EQ pedal though I’d rather not use it (it takes something away from my overall tone when not punched on and it just seems ‘false’, if you know what I mean).

Here is my set up (just in case it may help with any recommendations): Keeley compressor > Boss Blues Driver > Marshall ‘Super Vibe’ Chorus > Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp. I also have a ts-808 in my chain for the occasional additional boost and a wah pedal as well (not to mention the casual use of a Maxon AD-80 delay and Fulltone Tremolo).

I’m not looking to replicate the tone of a 335 or what I get out of my Les Paul (stocked with JB and Seth Lover pick-ups, which I just love btw). I’m just looking for something a little darker with more warmth and richness.

At the moment I’m considering the JBs. Any other ideas?

Thanks,
V

 

[DonP]

Re: I need bucker pick-up advice for a strat, please

I don't see why you don't like the EQ. It's cheaper than buying pckups, but that's beside the point.

I assume you have looked at the EQ to see how you changed the freq. response. Try to find a pickup to match. A JB sounds like a winner.

Something else to check, your volume and tone pots. A 500K pot will give a brighter tone, a 250K pot a warmer tone. Usually HB's get 500K and singles get 250K, but yours is a mixed setup so I don't know. The bad thing it if these pots are shared with all pickups, it will impact the singles which you currently like.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I need bucker pick-up advice for a strat, please

I don't really like the PG either. I have the same taste in pickups, because I also like the Seths and JB. I still prefer to leave the 250K pots in strats, since it allows me to have the warmth I want out of A5 pickups. I much prefer A5's in strats, just like the singles that are already there. I'd suggest a TB-14 tremspaced Custom 5, TB4 JB, or TB-1 59.
I also like the standard spaced Jazz bridge, but it doesn't sound like you want a brightish pickup, so I'd stick with one of the ones I mentioned. I think you might like a C-5 in a strat. It's less midrangey than a JB, and has better lows than a 59.
The fact that it's fairly neutral in the mids means you won't get that honk when jumping from the singles to the humbucker.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: I need bucker pick-up advice for a strat, please

Vireo, WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!

Howdy folks, I’m new here.

I need a pick-up recommendation.

I own a 1996 Lone-star Strat by Fender. It came stock with a SD Pearly Gates humbucker in the bridge position.

First a distiction the pup that comes standard in our strats is not a Pearly Gates, it is a Pearly Gates PLUS. If you'll look at the bottom of your pup the sticker says PGP, where the regular Pearly gates will only have PG.

For a cheap pup conversion order an A2 magnet from AMPGE. This will give you a regular PG that will be MUCH warmer and thicker with a radically different EQ. The PG+'s EQ is similiar, if not identical to the 59's EQ. The A2 mag will give it a thicker, warmer sound over all.

The pup you should look into (IMO) is the CC. It will give you the warm thick sound reminicent of A2 PAF, BUT give you extra oomph. It will have a large low mids spike, a smooth low end and a slightly aggressive top end.

Hope that helps.

Luke

 

[vireo]

Re: I need bucker pick-up advice for a strat, please

Hey, folks.

Thanks for the advice. I'll be making my mind up between the JB or the CC soon.

Cheers

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I need bucker pick-up advice for a strat, please

I love the regular alnico 2 Pearly Gates, but the Pearly Gates Plus in the Lonestar is an alnico 5 pickup. The PG is wound with unbalanced coils and a special wind so it has a little more "Texas Sizzle". That works great with alnico 2, but with alnico 5 it's a differant pickup and alot of players find it to be a little to bright and edgey...you're not alone. I think the goal was to make it extra bright to better compliment the glassy tone of the alnico 5 Strat single coils.

In any case, I like the 59 Trembucker alot better. I use it in both of my Strats that have a bridge humbucker.

If you want something hotter and sweeter with more mids and less edge, the Custom Custom might be a good choice...but it might sound a little "dull" compared to the alnico 5 single coils in that guitar.

That's my pet peeve with S/S/HB guitars: it's hard to find one EQ setting and one volume setting on the amp that sounds great with both styles of pickups.

Lew