My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

adnnan81

New member
Hi everyone, i replaced yesterday on my blade strat the bridge pick up with a new SSL5. Everything works properly, but it sounds to thin to me. I read many reviews and it should sound fat and thats what i need. Any suggestions what to do? Tnx
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

It is probably out of phase with the middle pickup. Try reversing the black and white wires
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Does it sound thin by itself (it shouldn't) or in conjunction with the other pickups? If it is thin by itself, I say there is something wrong with the pickup or wiring. If it is thin with the other pickups, it is out of phase.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Does it sound thin by itself (it shouldn't) or in conjunction with the other pickups? If it is thin by itself, I say there is something wrong with the pickup or wiring. If it is thin with the other pickups, it is out of phase.

Its thin by itself, in conjuction with oher sounds ok.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Yep, wrong wiring or bad solder joint. Does it have 2 or 3 wires coming from the pickup? With 3 wires it is a SSL-5T.
Can you measure the DCR? Should be round 13k ohms.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

What exactly is it replacing? You mentioned a rail pickup. If it's replacing something like a Hot Rails, then your amp's settings may not be ideal for the SSL-5.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

You may also try wiring it directly to the jack to bypass everything. It is reading just fine, so there is no reason it should sound that thin. It isn't a thin sounding pickup at all.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

What exactly is it replacing? You mentioned a rail pickup. If it's replacing something like a Hot Rails, then your amp's settings may not be ideal for the SSL-5.
Second this. It's a fat pickup compared to a vintage single coil but compared to a hot bridge humbucker it will sound thin.

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Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

What exactly is it replacing? You mentioned a rail pickup. If it's replacing something like a Hot Rails, then your amp's settings may not be ideal for the SSL-5.

It is replacing normal strat pick up in the bridge position, it sounds better than the old one, but not that fat like everyone said, really more thin than fat. Amo settings are just normal, nothing special.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Its just a hot single coil so it will be thinner than a humbucker. I am running an Alnico II neck and middle set with a SSL5 in my Strat it's fatter than a normal Strat in the bridge but still a lot thinner sounding than a bucker in the bridge. The SSL3 is fatter but I wonder if you wouldn't be better off with something like a LIL 59?
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

To me it sounds like a bridge pup that balances better volume wise, it doesn't sound FAT to me like say a QP.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

^ +1

The ssl 5 I think represents a 'fatter than normal' strat bridge pickup. Its DCR is impressive......given I think its a 44 ga wire it works out at high 9's if you compare it to the vintage strat winds. But it still has the narrow window of string sensing that a single has, and none of the dual coil + more beefy magnetism that the typical single sized humbucker would give.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

ssl5s are not thin at all.
Perhaps something is not right in the rest of the circuit. Maybe the switch, maybe a wire or perhaps the solder joins to the volume or tone pots.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Seems it might be dounce to the objective definition of a fat sound.

Will it be fatter than the ice pick stock bridge? Yup.

Will it come anywhere near a "Fat sounding" (think Tone Zone) humbucker? Nope.
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Have you moved your second tone control from the middle to the bridge pickup?
 
Re: My SSL5 bridge sounds to thin!

Seems it might be dounce to the objective definition of a fat sound.

Will it be fatter than the ice pick stock bridge? Yup.

Will it come anywhere near a "Fat sounding" (think Tone Zone) humbucker? Nope.

It is not about my definition of fat sounding, maybe i should set up more height on pup, would it then be fatter or just louder?
 
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