Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

ElectricGypsy

ElectricGypsy

New member
Hi, I've an Ibanez AZ2204-TAB and I'm going to change the standard pickups and also the 5 way switch. I want this switching system:

highlight_char_controls_DK24_2pt_HSS_5W.jpg

The pickups will be: Perpetual burn in the bridge, Classic stack plus (STK-S4m) or Duckbucker (SDBR-1n) in the middle and Vintage Rails (SVR-1n) in the neck.

Now the question is: if I choosed the Duckbucker there would be no chances that the 2 position would be noiseless, because the Duckbucker is not rwrp.

If I choosed the Classic stack, that is an rwrp pickup, in the 2 and 4 positions it would have to be splitted and then I'm not sure that the 2 positions in question would be noiseless because I don't know if the Classic stack splitted would be compatible with the Perpetual burn inner coil and with the Vintage Rails.

I hope to have explain myself enough clearly....
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Well, a Duckbucker is a humbucker, so that mixed with a coil from the full size humbucker will still have hum. Same issue with position 3 being the full Vintage Rails (works as a humbucker) and the other coil of the full size humbucker- you will still have some hum.
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Mincer said:
Well, a Duckbucker is a humbucker, so that mixed with a coil from the full size humbucker will still have hum. Same issue with position 3 being the full Vintage Rails (works as a humbucker) and the other coil of the full size humbucker- you will still have some hum.
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Thanks for your help. I was sure that the Duckbucker would not have given me any noiseless positions...and what about the Classic stack ?
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

The Classic Stack can be noiseless (only if you split it) with one coil of the humbucker.
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Mincer said:
The Classic Stack can be noiseless (only if you split it) with one coil of the humbucker.
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Yes of course :) And it would be noiseless also in position 4, when it's in parallel with the Vintage Rails ?
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

ElectricGypsy said:
No, I meant splitted. So I guess that if I use the Classic stack splitted I won't get a noiseless combination in position 4...
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No, as it will be in combination with the Vintage Rails, which can't be split. So there is no reason to split the Classic Stack in the middle. Keep everything hum-cancelling.
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Honestly, I like the Classic Stack much better than the Vintage Rails or Duckbucker.
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

PFDarkside said:
Why a Duckbucker? Why not two Classic Stack Plus?
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Yes, I've said on my first post that the Classic stack plus (STK-S4m) is my second option :). I'm torn between the Duckbucker and the Classic stack plus, as middle pickup...

Mincer said:
Honestly, I like the Classic Stack much better than the Vintage Rails or Duckbucker.
Click to expand...

Honestly I'm trying to achieve a sort of Andy Timmons kind of tone as far as the neck and middle pickups. So a sort of strat tone, but much more round without noise and piercing highs. Based on the description I've assumed that the Vintage Rails would have been the closer pickup to the Dimarzio Cruiser...am I wrong ?
 
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Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

The Duckbucker can’t be split, the Classic Stack Plus can be split. If you auto split in 2/4, the Classic Stack Plus seems ideal. One standard, one “STK-S4m” middle version.
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

PFDarkside said:
The Duckbucker can’t be split, the Classic Stack Plus can be split. If you auto split in 2/4, the Classic Stack Plus seems ideal. One standard, one “STK-S4m” middle version.
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Yes, I know that the Classic stack plus can be splitted I've wrote this on my first post:
ElectricGypsy said:
If I choosed the Classic stack, that is an rwrp pickup, in the 2 and 4 positions it would have to be splitted...
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My original question wasn't if the Classic stack plus can be splitted or not, and also I know that the Vintage rails can't be splitted...the first question was:
ElectricGypsy said:
If I choosed the Classic stack, that is an rwrp pickup, in the 2 and 4 positions it would have to be splitted and then I'm not sure that the 2 positions in question would be noiseless because I don't know if the Classic stack splitted would be compatible with the Perpetual burn inner coil and with the Vintage Rails.
Click to expand...

My doubt was about the compatibility between the Perpetual Burn inner coil and the Classic stack plus STK-S4m splitted, and also between the Classic stack plus STK-S4m splitted and the Vintage rails. This was the doubut that started the whole thred...
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Now after the discussion, thanks to your tips the situation is this: Perpetual Burn in the bridge, Classic stack plus STK-S4m in the middle and in the neck the Vintage rails or maybe there's something closer to my needs...any tip ?
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

ElectricGypsy said:
Yes, I've said on my first post that the Classic stack plus (STK-S4m) is my second option :). I'm torn between the Duckbucker and the Classic stack plus, as middle pickup...



Honestly I'm trying to achieve a sort of Andy Timmons kind of tone as far as the neck and middle pickups. So a sort of strat tone, but much more round without noise and pearcing highs. Based on the description I've assumed that the Vintage Rails would have been the closer pickup to the Dimarzio Cruiser...am I wrong ?
Click to expand...

If noiseless is a requirement, the Classic Stack is the pickup. If it were not, I'd go with the Antiquity Texas Hots.
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Mincer said:
If noiseless is a requirement, the Classic Stack is the pickup. If it were not, I'd go with the Antiquity Texas Hots.
Click to expand...

Ok so Classic stack plus STK-S4m in the middle and as far as the neck pickup I'm trying to achieve a sort of Andy Timmons kind of tone, so a sort of strat tone, but much more round without noise and piercing highs. Based on the description I've assumed that the Vintage Rails would have been the closer pickup to the Dimarzio Cruiser...am I wrong ?
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

Nagisa said:
Why not just use AT's pickups?
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Because I prefer the SD flavour a lot compared to DMZ...so I'm intrigued by the idea that is at the basis of the Cruiser and I'd like to have a pickup that responds in the same way, but with the SD tone character...
 
Re: Noiseless or not noiseless, that is the question

There's a number of things you could do to get a warmer neck position tone. Given the Cruiser is a rails design, maybe a Cool Rails neck, Cool Rails is supposed to sound somewhere between a strat pickup (focus due to narrower pole spacing) and a Jazz humbucker, which is particularly popular as a neck pickup. Could also look at a Lil'59, Lil'Screamin' Demon, Red Devil or lil' Pearly Gates neck pickups.

STK-S4 isn't the very brightest strat sound. Noiseless version of SSL-2 (flat polepiece version of SSL-1) It's a flexible, classic strat pickup resembling one of the sought after slight factory overwound pickups (underwound from an earlier era also very popular, tastes vary!). SSL-1 & 2 are very popular with musicians such as David Gilmour in neck & middle positions.

You could wire in a tone control for that pickup only. Could make it an internal trimpot if you don't want it visible.

You could also look at other noiseless pickups from Seymour Duncan, like the STK-S10n YJM Fury neck, which run warmer, but aren't particularly high output either (don't be fooled by the DC resistance!). Or you could look at an STK-S7 (Vintage Hot Stack Plus) or STK-S6 (Custom Stack Plus), both of which are intended for bridge position and will be hotter than your middle pickup. You'll want to play with pickup height, might even put in a volume trimpot to get it under control. STK-6 Custom is hotter, with slightly lower mids, compared to STK-7. Both can be boomy in neck, and considered too hot by some players, though there are a few vocal proponents of them with an STK-S4m middle on the forum.

All of that is assuming that the STK-S4 neck doesn't do what you want.

Lots of options, and can't really prescribe, you'd really need a head to head comparison with the Cruiser of a lot of Seymour Duncan pickups to figure out which one was closest for absolute certain. Looks to me like the STK-S4 or STK-S7 are quite close in EQ curve, but they aren't side-by-side humbuckers, aren't going to be quite as smooth under gain. SD's side-by-side single-sized humbuckers don't quite match the EQ if you compare charts, but you can't reliably do that between vendors.
 
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