Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

[Stratfan]

I'd like to go noiseless, but so far the only noiseless pups that interest me are the Lace Holy Grails; and even they sound somewhat "processed". I like the sound of my American Series stock single coils, but not the noise. So, until I find the right noiseless pups I'm stuck with using the regular pups with a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor.

My bridge pup handles the harder stuff fairly well, but it could use a bit more output and mids. I want this Strat to remain with the S/S/S configuration, and get another guitar with 2 humbuckers in it. In the meantime, I need a bridge pup that is basically a "turbo-charged" single coil for classic/southern rock and heavy blues type music, but will also sound good clean. I've heard a sound clip of the Quarter Pound, and thought that it would do the trick, but I need some questions answered first:

1. Will the QP match up well with the stock single coils, or will it completely overpower them?
2. To retain quack in the #2 position, must the QP be split or just wired like the stock bridge pup?
3. I do use the bridge pup clean at times, so will the QP handle this, or is it too hot?

I'll also accept opinions/suggestions on noiseless pups, too! Thanks!

 

[Curly]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

As far as noiseless, there's the new noiseless pups that SD presented at NAMM

I use an SSL-3 Hot in the bridge of a couple strats. I love the bridge tone, and I actually like the notch position, but I'm going to try a tapped version for the reasons you suggested.
I know there are others who've tried a tapped QP, so maybe they can help.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

As far as noiseless, there's the new noiseless pups that SD presented at NAMM

Yep...and they are excellant. I'm taking my Strat with the Noiseless Prototypes down to Oscar Blues in Lyons tonight to jam with my buddies. I'll let'cha all know how it goes. One of the guitarists plays Strats...we'll take turns.

Lew

 

[Artie]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

I have a pair of QP's, that are wired up such that I can use them full-on, tapped, individually, or in series. And even the series mode can be either tapped, or full-on. By far, the best sound of the bunch is tapped. Thats a classic Strat sound. But I like the full-on sound also, and the series sound so-so. (I'm probably going to dump the series connection.)

When you go to full-on, they definitely get louder, and even overpower my JB to some extent. You also lose a fair amount of "air" and highs when full-on. But its just another tone in the palette. QP's are great, but I highly recommend using them with a "tapping" switch.

I should add, I'm getting ready to swap a C5 into the JB's place this weekend. I'm curious to see how that fairs in there.

 

[Stratfan]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

I'm not sure what you mean by "tapping"; is this the same as splitting the coils? I see the specs page has both a regular and tapped output listed for this pup. If the QP sounds like a Strat single coil in its "tapped" mode, and humbuckerish in full-on mode, would this work?

Push-Pull tone pot for bridge QP only
Regular tone pot for both neck and middle pups

Switch Positions: 5. Neck only 4. Neck + Middle 3. Middle only 2. Middle + Split (Tapped?) Bridge QP (for quack) 1. Bridge QP Tapped (?)

In Position # 1 when the push/pull tone pot is down, the QP is split or tapped, or whatever you mean. When you pull up on the tone pot you get the full-on, heavy duty rockin' version. Is this possible? This would give me the use of all 5 normal switch positions, and a turbo-boost by pulling up the tone pot.

 

[Stratfan]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

Or, I could just go with a set of Holy Grails until something better comes along. Fender's new SCN pups aren't too bad, but there's not for sale individually yet. I can't see buying an Amer. Deluxe Strat just for the pups! (Besides, I don't really care for the S-1 switching, and I hate the abalone dot fret markers.)

 

[Artie]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

Tapping is to single-coils, what splitting is to humbuckers. When they wind a "tapped" single coil, they stop in the middle of the winding process, attach a wire, then finish the winding. Now you have an extra connection to the center of the coil. Its like giving you two different amounts of coil-power in one pickup.

I would say that the main consideration in deciding whether or not to go "tapped" is cost. Depending on where you buy them, the tapped version costs the same, or only a little more. I kinda like haviing that extra "tone" at the flip of a switch, but if I was trying to save some money, I could live without it, and just go with an SSL-2/APS-2 instead.

(Oh yeah, and the cost of a switch, and labor, if you aren't doing it yourself.)

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

If you do take the Lace Sensor route, the Hot Golds are awesome sounding. I got a set of custom shop Ultra hots on ebay for $107 new and they are like night and day compared to the stock MIM pups. They made my Strat sound like a strat should.

 

[Artie]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

I just realized that I went off on the QP's without addressing your specific question. :smack:

I think a QP would be outstanding in the bridge. (Assuming you get the tapped version.) I'd wire with a push/pull pot that uses the tapped setting as normal. You'ld have that classic jangly Strat bridge tone. Then, pull the switch to turbo-charge the pup into full-on tone. The high-end "airiness" that you'ld attenuate might be perfect to compensate for the bridge positions natural brightness/treble-ness.

Edit: And to clarify, a QP is not "noiseless". Its not constructed like a "stack". Its simply a single-coil, with an extra connection.

 

[theodie]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

Yep...and they are excellant. I'm taking my Strat with the Noiseless Prototypes down to Oscar Blues in Lyons tonight to jam with my buddies. I'll let'cha all know how it goes. One of the guitarists plays Strats...we'll take turns.

Lew

I took a gander at your post the other day about them and I would like to try a set out at some point. Sounds like a hell of an idea.

 

[Stratfan]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

Thanks for the replies! Right now I'm downloading sound clips of the Holy Grails and Hot Golds (both clean and high gain) so I can hear them both.

If I go with non-noiseless pups, I'm glad that my idea of using the tapped QP and a push/pull pot would work.

Oh yeah, one more thing...

I see that the QP in full mode is pretty high output. Would this make it sound like a humbucker, a single-coil sized humbucker, or just an extremely loud single coil?

 

[Artie]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

I see that the QP in full mode is pretty high output. Would this make it sound like a humbucker, a single-coil sized humbucker, or just an extremely loud single coil?

It would be more helpful to you if someone with some talent would post a clip . . . but this will have to do . . . :laugh2:

This is just the Qp in the neck of my Genny. You should be able to easily tell when I switch from tapped to full-on. The tapped, is the "airy" sound.

qp_demo

Edit: There's one little part here, where I hit some chords, and I switch to full-on, you can actually hear that I overload the input to my effects unit.

Edit #2: I just realized, while listening back to this, that I had the compressor turned on. You won't hear the difference in output as much as the difference in "tone". You should, however, be able to hear the compressor take affect when I switch to the full-on mode.

 

[Stratfan]

Re: Opinions wanted on Quarter Pound Strat bridge pup

Thanks, ArtieToo! I think having a tapped QP in the bridge might be a decent choice. I have a sound clip of someone on the FDP playing "Lazy" by Deep Purple using the QP and I just love the tone! (I know that the amp used is also a factor, but just getting close to that tone is good enough for me.)

Now, all I have to do is sell/trade my '59 Trembucker...whenever the store tells me that it's in! It was only ordered on December 18th! The last time a shop ordered a SD pup for me it took about 3 1/2 weeks. I don't think that I'll be ordering any more SD pups through a shop...I'll just have to find a shop that has it in stock.