Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

[STRATDELUXER97]

Lew...As you know I'm in the process of building my own "blue" strat..So far it has a set of SSL1s in the neck and middle with a vintage bridge...The bridge position is currently a "hybrid" with an A2 magnet..I want to get a white pearl guard for this guitar and I'm leaning towards another bridge single coil..My choices would then be either one of the steel pole Fralins or something like an SSL3...I do want something beefy again in my bridge position since I use it so much...Is the steel pole a better overall pickup by comparison? Thanks lew...

John

 

[jeremy]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

id like to hear about that too!

 

[Curly]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I can't speak for Lew, of course, but I love the SSL-3 in the bridge slot!
Why? It's fat, nice mids, and sustains ... great for crunch chords, IMO.

http://www.bluestheater.net/ssl-3.html

Although I have it in with APS-2's, it might just be a better match with SSL's, and a tapped version would give you a little more versatility, especially for the notch position. But that strat has my favorite tone right now - it's not vintage, not stock, but a strat with a little extra. I mean, honestly, who wants a stock strat bridge tone these days? The SSL-3 makes those two positions a lot more fun to use.

I have the SP43, just haven't tried it yet.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I would recommend the TWANGBANGER!
OR... if you want a true single coil sound but don't mind a non-traditional look... the PHAT CAT would be devastating in a strat...

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I can't speak for Lew, of course, but I love the SSL-3 in the bridge slot!
Why? It's fat, nice mids, and sustains ... great for crunch chords, IMO.

http://www.bluestheater.net/ssl-3.html

Although I have it in with APS-2's, it might just be a better match with SSL's, and a tapped version would give you a little more versatility, especially for the notch position. But that strat has my favorite tone right now - it's not vintage, not stock, but a strat with a little extra. I mean, honestly, who wants a stock strat bridge tone these days? The SSL-3 makes those two positions a lot more fun to use.

I have the SP43, just haven't tried it yet.

Thank You Curly...Hoping you'll try your own SP43 out and give us all a comparison between that and the SSL3..I'm wondering if the tone is as good or better than the Fralin? This Fralin SP43 really is a great pickup and it acts alot like the way you describe the SSL3...I've used alot of Duncan single coils including the SSL5 and 6,but never the SSL3? Thanks again for chiming in buddy,as always!

John

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I can't compare...it's been to long since I tried a SSL-3.

When I get my mid 80's MIJ Fender "Curly-mon Signature" Blue Strat I'll have another test bed Strat to mess around with. I'm so happy with the pickups and set-ups in my current Strats I don't want to change any of them...but Curly sure seems to think a lot of the SSL-3 so I'll probably give it a test drive in the blue Strat.

I'll be trying some APS 1's with the Twangbanger in it and some others too. I'll probably try another set of the Ant Texas Hots too since I miss not having those in any of my guitars at the moment.

I can compare the SP43 to a 9.5K Antiquity I Tex Hots and Ant II Surfers tho, since I just did that on monday.

My Strat that had a full of set of Ant I Tex Hots now has a full set of a the Ant II's and my buddy AJ's Strat has two SSL-1's and the SP43.

The Ant II Custom Strat bridge is brighter than the SP43 and has more bass and highs than the Ant I (Texas Hot) Custom Strat bridge. It is not quite as full and loud as the SP43 but it seems to push my amps into overdrive almost as easily and has a little more snap and twang on top.

Lew

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I'll be slappin' a SSL-3 in my black Strat's bridge in just a few days. That guitar has an alder body and maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. I'm putting an APS-1 in the middle and a SSL-1 in the neck....replacing Hot and Classic Stacks.
I'll post a review of the SSL-3 when it's in, but I can't compare it to a SP-43 as I've never played one. I've went thru several pup-swaps in the bridge of this guitar, so I'm hoping the SSL-3 is finally the answer to what my ear wants to hear.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I haven't heard of the SSL-3 ever being compared to a P90...tho the SP43 is. I would think that would be one diff: the SSL-3 would still be more Strat like whereas the SP43 starts to take on some of the character of a P90, tho it still combines beautifully with a stock Strat neck or middle pickup and retains that chimey bounce in the M & B switch setting. Lew

 

[jeremy]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

how do ya like that twangbanger lew?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I've been eyeing the TwangBanger also....I'm looking at the SSL3 or maybe another fralin SP43 for this guitar...Trying to decide?

John

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

I like the Strat pickups I've tried with a bassplate...I think the bassplate does bring up the bass a bit and fill out the tone while not interfering with the snap and treble. I plan on putting the Twangbanger and a set of APS-1's in the blue Strat I just bought, to refresh my memory of them. I'll also try a set of Ant I Texas Hots in that same guitar to compare the two sets.

The Tex Hots, APS-1 and Twangbanger are all alnico 2 pickups...my own taste still runs to alnico 5 in Strats.

I just prefer the brighter, glassier, livlier tone of a5 to the warmer, middier, quackier tone of a2 in a Strat pickup.

Right now, I think the a5 Ant II set in my white Strat might be the best set of Strat pickups I've ever owned...I am blown away by them everytime I plug it in.

They sound even better than the vintage pickups in my original '63 Strat, IMO.

Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Lew..Can You Compare The SSL3 To The Fralin Steel Pole 43?

John, since you already have the Alnico 5 SSL-1's (and they are great pickups!) why not try a ANT II SURFER CUSTOM BRIDGE? It's the Alnico 5 version of the Ant I Texas Hot Custom bridge. I really like it and it has a little more bite than the SP43 or Texas Hot and would give you something else really cool to play with. Lew