More harmonics with a Strat

[Herby]

I like the tone and sound I get with stock Strat SCs in the neck and middle position but the bridge pup doesn't give me the harmonic content I'd like. I don't really want a lot more gain because then I have to kick in the noise gate too high and it interferes with low volume positions. Is there a SC profile pickup size that will get me there? The guitar is routed for SCs

 

[ICTGoober]

The middle pickup on a Strat is not in the exact position to "hear" a lot of harmonics.

 

[Mincer]

Do you want to stick with normal single coils, or hum-cancelling ones?

 

[GuitarStv]

I like an SSL-6 in the bridge of a strat. It's a little higher output than a typical strat bridge, but balances well volume-wise with the regular output neck and middle. The SSL-6 gives more midrange, compression and harmonics but still sounds like a single coil.

 

[donaldr]

If you don't mind hum-cancelling, I thing the STK-S7 is one of the best bridge SC.
I have a Rose Buff Beauty real SC that I like also in another Strat.

 

[Teleplayer]

STK-S7 vintage-hot is a good one. Its a fatter than most single coils, but still quite cutting and will give plenty of harmonics. Dimarzio Chopper will also do what you asked, but its further into humbucker territory.

 

[Benjy_26]

I've got an SSL-6 in the bridge of a Mustang and it definitely beefs up the sound and fills in the mids while still sounding like a single coil.

With that said, I have a Stelly in a strat that has more top end bite, growl, and snap in the lows than the SSL-6. To me, the Rio Grande Stelly does pinch harmonics better and imparts a P90 meets Tele sound to a strat, which I dig.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Paul Bunyan Strat from Zhangbucker is a very good option. True single, genuinely Stratty, just a little more muscular.
Works well with vintage output singles and amp settings.

Consider the Duncan Quarter Pound too. Fat, punchy, good harmonics. Midway between Strat and P90 character.
Still has distinctive singlecoil attack and focus. Defintely gainier than stock singles though.

Rio Stelly sounds like a good rec too, or maybe a Duncan Twagbanger as a less expensive option.
Haven't used either one personally. Still, Tele-ish tone from a Strat bridge is a great target to aim for.
Not entirely sure they'd boost your harmonics as much as desired.

 

[Benjy_26]

Paul Bunyan Strat from Zhangbucker is a very good option. True single, genuinely Stratty, just a little more muscular.
Works well with vintage output singles and amp settings.

Consider the Duncan Quarter Pound too. Fat, punchy, good harmonics. Midway between Strat and P90 character.
Still has distinctive singlecoil attack and focus. Defintely gainier than stock singles though.

Rio Stelly sounds like a good rec too, or maybe a Duncan Twagbanger as a less expensive option.
Haven't used either one personally. Still, Tele-ish tone from a Strat bridge is a great target to aim for.
Not entirely sure they'd boost your harmonics as much as desired.

I REALLY like the Paul Bunyan for Tele that Dave makes. If his strat pickups are as good as his tele designs, I'd go with that.

The Stelly is on that level, though, tbh.

 

[Ascension]

Have run a number of sets of true singles in differnet guitars and have some favorite combos. So far the favorites have been in no particular order.
Antiquities Surfer II set with the hot bridge. Really sweet and very versatile set that with the right harness can be quite a rock machine but still have a nice glassy vintage Strat vibe.
The Antiquities Texas Hot set. Warmer and softer in attack than the Surfers but have a nice rude attitude to them. Really cool Blues rock set that still has killer cleans.
The SSL1 or 2 with a SSL 5 or 6 in the bridge. Traditional glassy Strat tones with a fatter hotter bridge and overall a very very versatile and classic combo.
The new Kiesel Marks singles. Hard to get outside of a guitar build but are outstanding. Calibrated for the individual positions and a very well balanced great sounding set. This is a surprisingly nice vintage strat toned with attitude set up. Alnico II mags scatterwound with a lot of harmonics and glass but also some real attitude with gain.
Loller Special Blond set. REALLY cool chimy true vintage strat tones set with a overwound fat sweet bridge. Outstanding set for a vintage strat tones with some attitude.
These are my absolute favorite single coil strat sets.

 

[Herby]

Do you want to stick with normal single coils, or hum-cancelling ones?

Howdy Mincer. Been a long time.

On my Strat. The way I run it. I get more high end than I need out of the bridge pickup. My middle tone pot is wired to the bridge pickup and I always have the tone set at or below 7. The pots are all 500K. The middle and neck pickups are used for most of my playing. The bridge pickup rarely gets used. I would like to trade it out for something more usable that will give me more harmonics and more gain (emphasis on harmonics). The type of pickup, whether SC, blade, or stacked is irrelevant. As long as it gets me what I need, which is more versatility.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I REALLY like the Paul Bunyan for Tele that Dave makes. If his strat pickups are as good as his tele designs, I'd go with that.

The Stelly is on that level, though, tbh.

I have two Paul Bunyans. Awesome pickups that add muscle without diluting the Strat or Tele character at all.
Loved the Tele version so much that I later bought a handwound, tapped Strat one.

David winds great pickups; I have a handful of his humbuckers too; they're wonderful.

He's also the last winder I know of who will actually hand-wind your coils for a slight upcharge.
These days 'handwound" has come to mean hand-fed onto a rotating bobbin.
Pure Handwounds from Zhangbucker are literally hand-wrapped on a stationary coil.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

+1 on the Antiquity Surfer II custom bridge too.
Sweet pickup with a little more juice but not an overwound feel.

 

[Mincer]

Howdy Mincer. Been a long time.

On my Strat. The way I run it. I get more high end than I need out of the bridge pickup. My middle tone pot is wired to the bridge pickup and I always have the tone set at or below 7. The pots are all 500K. The middle and neck pickups are used for most of my playing. The bridge pickup rarely gets used. I would like to trade it out for something more usable that will give me more harmonics and more gain (emphasis on harmonics). The type of pickup, whether SC, blade, or stacked is irrelevant. As long as it gets me what I need, which is more versatility.

Oh hey there! More harmonics and more gain....well, if we stick with singles, the more gain, the less harmonics as treble fades away in favor of mids as you increase gain. So I would probably opt for some sort of single coil-sized humbucker like a JB Jr which has harmonics and gain in spades. I might switch the tone pot out for 250k, though, which will make it more usable.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

If you're concerned about balance with your stock output singles, you might also research the Lil Screamin Demon.
It isn't as hot as the JB Jr, but still should give you richer harmonic content & extra body, without being over-the-top loud.
Has earned itself a pretty good reputation in bridge position.

Now, that's based on forum comments; I haven't actually owned the Lil Demon myself, but I like the full sized one.
They're in the hotter-than-vintage yet less-than-medium-output class.
Only a handful of Duncan humbuckers fall into that category.