Make my Strat rock

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watercarving

New member
I have a 1999 American Standard. Nice guitar but the sound is nothing special.

So far, I have put an SSL-6 in the bridge and a STK-4 in the neck. The 6 sounds good, the STK-4 is good but not what I'm looking for.

Basically, I want a guitar than can play classic rock and hard blues but that can also play some softer tones with delay like those used in modern praise and worship music. I'm not sure which pickups to put where for that. I have considered putting a L59 in the bridge and move the SSL-6 to the middle and put a ssl-1 in the neck but I have no idea.

Any thoughts on a good pickup selection for this?

Also, what guitar adjustments shoudl I do to get a good sound? I've though about locking down the bridge so it won't float. I don't use the tremelo at all. Is that a good idea? What else could I do?

Thanks!
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

I would take a long hard listen to the Antiquities. I have both the Surfers and the Texas Hots and it is really hard for me to pick which I like better. They have beautiful cleans yet the drive exceptionally well. I have them in a 57 RI Strat & a Custom Start.

Another consideration is the Fralin Blues Specials. I have these in a new Strat that I just put together last year and it's sound is really good too.
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

If you don't like the STK-S4 Classic Stack Plus, the SSL-1 Vintage Staggered may not be what you want either. It's the same pickup without hum-cancelling and with a vintage polepiece stagger.

If you want something a bit hotter and warmer, you might like the STK-S7 Hot Vintage Stack Plus.

A lot of people like a hot bridge and neck with a lower output, brighter middle for better quack.

One popular arrangement is SSL-6, SSL-1, SSL-5 (could use the SSL-2 & SSL-6 in the mid/neck if you prefer flat radius. Or go for left-handed stagger if you are a Hendrix fan). A hum-cancelling similar setup would be STK-S6, STK-S4, STK-S6 (or STK-S7 if you want a less hot, more fat vintage neck tone).
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

I would look into the YJM neck pickup. It's supposed to be soft and fluid both clean and distorted.
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

It's possible I don't have the stk-4 set at the correct height. Does SD have a page talking about pickup height ranges for each position?
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

Personally, I would not even begin to consider replacement pickups until you have done something about the stock bridge. IMO, bent steel saddles are fundamental to the sound of a Stratocaster. My first move would be Callaham replacement offset saddles.
 
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Re: Make my Strat rock

watercarving said:
I have a 1999 American Standard. Nice guitar but the sound is nothing special.

Basically, I want a guitar than can play classic rock and hard blues but that can also play some softer tones with delay like those used in modern praise and worship music. I'm not sure which pickups to put where for that.
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You should be able to do classic rock, hard blues and softer tones with stock fender usa pickups...Which amp do you use?
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

Funkfingers said:
Personally, I would not even begin to consider replacement pickups until you have done something about the stock bridge. IMO, bent steel saddles are fundamental to the sound of a Stratocaster. My first move would be Callaham replacement offset saddles.
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personal choice of course, but i like the american standard bridge so changing the saddles or not is up to you.
Howver seeing as you dont use the trem, then 5 springs cranked down is a good option for getting the most out of your axe.

My vote for pickups would be a set of surfers or fralin blues, but bear in mind that these are not noiseless pups so you will get a killer strat tone with all the buzz etc that that entails.
If you really want noiseless, the lace hot golds are great and versatile...
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

I had a full set of SSL-5s... the only place I'd put one is in the bridge. Far too overwound sounding for the neck - not fat like a humbucker but corpulent and polite. But, what don't you like about the classic stack plus? If it's too vintage sounding for you the SSL-5 might work.

The real problem is you may want a new amp as classic rock, hard blues and worship chime sounds were mostly made with ye olde low output pickups. Get a steel block+bent saddle bridge and a set of surfers with a twangbanger bridge. And a classic tube amp circuit that cranks out more fatness and less fizzy gain.
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

ParameterMan said:
I had a full set of SSL-5s... the only place I'd put one is in the bridge. Far too overwound sounding for the neck - not fat like a humbucker but corpulent and polite. But, what don't you like about the classic stack plus? If it's too vintage sounding for you the SSL-5 might work.

The real problem is you may want a new amp as classic rock, hard blues and worship chime sounds were mostly made with ye olde low output pickups. Get a steel block+bent saddle bridge and a set of surfers with a twangbanger bridge. And a classic tube amp circuit that cranks out more fatness and less fizzy gain.
Click to expand...

Word...

The Antiquity texas hot mid/neck is also a great choice for less biting tone
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

gibson175 said:
personal choice of course, but i like the american standard bridge so changing the saddles or not is up to you.
Howver seeing as you dont use the trem, then 5 springs cranked down is a good option for getting the most out of your axe.

My vote for pickups would be a set of surfers or fralin blues, but bear in mind that these are not noiseless pups so you will get a killer strat tone with all the buzz etc that that entails.
If you really want noiseless, the lace hot golds are great and versatile...
Click to expand...

i agree, i wouldn't do anything else until i had 5 springs in the back and had made any other adjustments to the general set-up.
 
Re: Make my Strat rock

If you don't use the trem you can block it off with a wedge of wood for additional sustain. It will sound different that just the 5 springs tightened down, which you may or may not like.
 
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