Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

A

alkeys

New member
So I've never played a strat style guitar outfitted with just a bridge humbucker and a neck singlecoil but I've noticed that more and more really serious guitar masters such as Vito Bratta, Andy LaRoque, Greg Howe, George Lynch, and tons of others sometimes play a super strat with a bridge bucker and only 1 singlecoil and it's at the neck position.

Any HS fans out there? How do you like it and why? Do you like it better than HSS? Is it a lot different than having a HH setup? I guess you can't really get that 2 and 4 position quack on a strat with only 1 singlecoil in the neck and no middle singlecoil- so what is it about the singlecoil you like?

Also- guys with an HS setup- do they have a 3 way switch (neck, both, bridge) or do they use a 5 way switch and wire it up a bunch of different ways?

I'd be curious to know. Thanks all.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I have a couple of H/S Superstrats, and I have them wired with 3-way switches and coil taps via a push-pull pot on the 'bucker. The middle position sounds kinda cool with the bridge pu split...:D
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I like the setup but not as my only setup. I think, and I could be wrong here, that that setup came from necessity. IOW, the players who were using the single bridge-position humbuckers might have wanted a little more from their guitars and the single-coil in the neck position lends itself to a whole lot of applications. It's also a little less "there" than a full-size humbucker.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I had this set up for a while and honestly I did not like it toomuch..... But I did have it on a beat up guitar..and the neck pup was generic...maybe someother pup would have been good.. the bridge was a JB.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

It's for those that don't care for the notch positions really.

For my Strat I have it HSS with a switch to turn the neck+bridge on (like an HS 3-way's middle) and I get everything I like, however for live situations a 3-way is more convenient and direct to a 5-way + a mini-switch...
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

They look silly IMO. Sorry, no offence, but there's no symmetry. Looks daft to me.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

Well, I guess it depends on the guitar itself.
Personally I cant' find ANYTHING wrong with this one, in fact I'd LOVE owning it, if only I had a place for it... :(
PH-600.jpg
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I never use the notch position if I have neck and middle single coil, but I still put in HSS or HH.

The problem with HS is that it looks goofy.

And the advantage of HSS even if you don't use the notch positions is that you get a slot for a different sounding pickup. I have one with a Quarter Pounder in the middle, and that gives you a nice sound that moves surprisingly close to Blackmore's clean "catch the rainbow" sounds without getting into huge equipment battles.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I threw this guitar together when I realized I had all the parts laying around except for the bridge. The pickguard was a single hum but I cut it out for a single in the neck only. It's got a JB in the bridge and a Fender single coil from a USA strat (bridge)......it's all business! I've got several HSS strats and wanted something a little different.
IMG_2335.jpg
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

Dunno guys, for me there's no sweeter sound than the N+M notch of a strat; that said, I like them almost just as much as I like HH. But I really don't see myself buying one (unless it was that Page Hamilton I posted above) unless like metlking I already had a bunch and was looking for sth different ;)
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

Metlking- That thing is BAD@$$ !!!! That's a beautiful looking guitar right there. Kinda reminds me of a Fender Lead. I like the vibe of that thing a lot better than that LTD.

I've been eying the Caparison Horus lately- another HS monster-totally beautiful.
I like the whole Charvel, Caparison, Robin kinda vibe in guitars.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

Although they have many similarities (including the woods used) they nevertheless are two very different guitars.
I love Strats and even more so, I love HSS Strats. I also love HH SuperStrats.

IMO both these guitars are sth different which I, regardless, like a lot.

BTW, here's an HS Strat I get VERY good vibes from, totally wicked:D:
 
Ahem!

Ahem!

Diocletian said:
They look silly IMO. Sorry, no offence, but there's no symmetry. Looks daft to me.
Click to expand...

Them's fightin' words, sir....:kidding:

l_1f77b4a0cc20cde98b49ed346e4bae44.jpg


That having been said, I too love notch positions, and have a couple of S/S/S Strats too...all depends on the sound you're shooting for at the moment.
 
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Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

jhale667, that's the go right there. Need a reverse maple fretboard though!

I'd reverse slant the single coil (treble side towards the headstock) too
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I don't really ever use the notch positions or the middle pickup, so I'd be perfectly happy with a HS setup. It's either that or an SS setup that's the best less is more setup. I do get along well with my single hum guitar as well, but sometimes I miss those neck tones, so I wouldn't want it as my only guitar.

Also some people claim that guitars sound better the less pickups -> less magnetic pull on the strings. That's a point to consider as well.
 
Re: Ahem!

Re: Ahem!

jhale667 said:
Them's fightin' words, sir....:kidding:

l_1f77b4a0cc20cde98b49ed346e4bae44.jpg


That having been said, I too love notch positions, and have a couple of S/S/S Strats too...all depends on the sound you're shooting for at the moment.
Click to expand...

They DO look amazing. But they'd look better with a different pup config! ;)
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

In a guitar with no pickguard, which is what a lot of those guys (lynch) were using back then, no middle pickup means more wood and less hollow space on the front of the guitar. It certainly adds a lot to the appearance of a wood top, since there is a large space between the pickups where the nice wood grain can show.

I don't think any of those guys cared that they didn't have the quacky notch tones that a traditional strat has, they weren't playing country or blues. I have two modified teles that are H-S, and they are both fantastic versatile guitars. Do they sound exactly like a strat/tele? No, and thats the point. One is running a JB, the other, a Duncan Distortion. One has a Texas special neck, the other a generic A5 magnet neck. The neck tones are awesome clean and the humbuckers are fat, solid, and meaty.
 
Re: Is an HS superstrat the final word in a less is more setup?

I've often thought about doing something like an HS Strat, since the Strat neck single coil is my favorite tone overall, and a bridge HB is tied for my favorite in that slot. However, I finally started using the Strat middle pickup, so I haven't gotten back to the HS concept. I do like the uncluttered picking space in the HS configuration, which is nearly as good as an Esquire or LP Jr. Maybe some day...
 
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