Need help choosing a pickup, please

grritz

grritz

New member
I have a Traveler Guitar Speedster model (pic below) that I picked up used three years ago. As you can see in the photo below, it has a single pickup, in the bridge position. Right now, the pickup is a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. I’m not happy with the sound of that pickup, though I have a JB Jr. in one of my Strats: in the Speedster, it’s too jangly, sparkly and high-voiced for my taste. I’m interested in swapping it out. I’m looking for recommendations. I really want something fatter and warmer, with higher output and some growl. I’m looking for a more bluesy tone. Please offer recommendations.
Thanks to you all.

SPEEDSTER.jpg
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

Go to product site and listen to the samples. My recommendation is the lil 59
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

hamerfan said:
Go to product site and listen to the samples. My recommendation is the lil 59
Click to expand...
Done that, but the samples don't tell me enough to go on. Also checking YouTube. Thanks for your thoughts on the Lil 59. I'll check it out.
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

The Little 59 would be my choice, too. It seems to solve the issues you are having with the JB Jr.
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

Mincer said:
The Little 59 would be my choice, too. It seems to solve the issues you are having with the JB Jr.
Click to expand...
I checked the Little 59s and they seem to have more treble than I'm looking for. I'm looking at the Hotstack® Plus Strat and the Hot Strat as possibles. More mids, less treble, more output, hotter. What are your thoughts on those?
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

This depends...are you after a fundamentally humbucker or single coil sound? A hot single coil still sounds like a single coil. A darker single coil still has the 'snap' of a Strat pickup. You also might look at the neck Hot Rails.
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

The description and sound clips for the Lil 59 are misleading. IMO it sounds much warmer with very little treble. If you try it and think it's got too much high end, try using a 250k vol pot. The tone pot can also be a useful tool.
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

Mincer said:
This depends...are you after a fundamentally humbucker or single coil sound? A hot single coil still sounds like a single coil. A darker single coil still has the 'snap' of a Strat pickup. You also might look at the neck Hot Rails.
Click to expand...

Thanks for asking that: it makes me rethink my approach on this! Actually, I think I'm after more a humbucker sound...so, gotta look at what Seymour Duncan can do for me there. Headed back to the SD site now.
 
Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

If I go for a Strat-size humbucker, the Red Devil makes the most send for me, tonally. But which: bridge, middle or neck? Is one warmer, fatter, more bluesy, more growly than the others? $105 is steep, but I know SD has a great return policy. So...your thoughts?
 
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Re: Need help choosing a pickup, please

I would think the neck, being slightly lower output, would be more touch-sensitive and fatter.
 
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