Need Help with Jeff Beck Strat

[Dan-ola]

Hello All! I have been lurking long enough - time to get in the game... I have a 2001 Jeff Beck Strat - Olympic white, oh so pretty and plays so very nice. But... I can't stand the pickups! They are Hot Noiseless but the output seems very low from 1-7 then jumps a bit between 7 and 8 then is full bore at 10 - but with a harsh, compressed, edgy sound! Also, the neck pickup is way louder than the other 2; I have been all over with the pickup heights but nothing seems to help. I run the Strat straight into a DSL50 head and with the two I can't seem to get a fat, thick but smooth tone - sounds good thru clean channel then decent to muddy at low volumes then harsh with guitar volume up full. I sure would like to find some way to lose the harshness and get a smoother range of output from low to full volume - any suggestions?

I saw in an Ebay listing by Lew that Beck actually uses APSs - I have also seen in interviews that Beck is using a couple custom sets that are not Fender but were wound by someone else a few years ago. So, if Jeff is not using Hot Noiseless - any suggestions on what I could use to get more out of my Strat? Probably looking for more of a Rory Gallagher tone actually...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Dan

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Help with Jeff Beck Strat

Beck's a Fender endorser...so usually he's probably using Fender pickups. But when I first became a Duncan dealer I was talking with someone at Seymour Duncan (Alex maybe?) and was told: "when Jeff Beck is getting THE TONE, he's often using Duncan APS pickups". I use them myself in one of my favorite Strats with a Twangbanger for the bridge pickup. Fat, chunky, great tone...slightly stronger than vintage.

That said, I like the bubblier, glassier Antiquity Surfers or the Ant Surfer neck and middle and Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup a little more.

I'll probably try the Ant Surfers with a Twangbanger someday soon.

I really like alnico 5 for the neck and middle and alnico 2 for the bridge pickup when it comes to single coil Strat pickups.

Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Help with Jeff Beck Strat

Rory Gallagher huh? That's what...a '63 Strat he played? Anyways, check out a set of the Antiquity Surfers....they're like what you'd find in a '62 or '63 Strat but even better. The Antiquity Custom Bridge pickup in that set is what Leo should have been using all along, IMO. The Texas Hot Custom Bridge pickup is great too and has a chewier tone...more mids and less glass than the Surfer Custom Bridge pickup.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Need Help with Jeff Beck Strat

Hello All! I have been lurking long enough - time to get in the game... I have a 2001 Jeff Beck Strat - Olympic white, oh so pretty and plays so very nice. But... I can't stand the pickups! They are Hot Noiseless but the output seems very low from 1-7 then jumps a bit between 7 and 8 then is full bore at 10 - but with a harsh, compressed, edgy sound! Also, the neck pickup is way louder than the other 2; I have been all over with the pickup heights but nothing seems to help. I run the Strat straight into a DSL50 head and with the two I can't seem to get a fat, thick but smooth tone - sounds good thru clean channel then decent to muddy at low volumes then harsh with guitar volume up full. I sure would like to find some way to lose the harshness and get a smoother range of output from low to full volume - any suggestions?

I saw in an Ebay listing by Lew that Beck actually uses APSs - I have also seen in interviews that Beck is using a couple custom sets that are not Fender but were wound by someone else a few years ago. So, if Jeff is not using Hot Noiseless - any suggestions on what I could use to get more out of my Strat? Probably looking for more of a Rory Gallagher tone actually...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Dan

Jeff's older strats (pre-signature) had either stock Fender pups in them or wound by Seymour duncans (APS) for a whi9le after guitar shop he was using several "put togther" strats with Suhr pickups in them, he still uses one of them today as well as one strat that still has lace sensors in it...everything else Jeff tours with has the Hot Noiseless. I hope this helps, BTW, I can't find any info on the Suhr pups...and Ive been looking for a while. If you wanna get a jeff tone get a set of APS's or antiquity I's...thats my advice! As for Rory, Im with Lew...try Surfers or SSL-1's.

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