Pearly Gates (???) + Hot Rails + Cool Rails on Strat? Questions about placement ...

[stratvet]

Hi-- I want to swap out the stock pups on my Standard HSS Strat (Alder body/Maple Fretboard) to give it a lot more balls, the ability to go from classic heavy-crunch rock (think '70's) to screaming/throaty blues . . . don't play ANY Clean at all (currently use Marshall TSL 602, & if I'm on Clean channel at all, it's w/the Gain on 11 (!) -- usually stay on Crunch channel (OD1) & very rarely venture into Lead channel (OD2) as the latter is a little 'too much' for me). Play either Crunch channel alone, or aided by Roger Mayer Concorde+ Treble Booster; or pushed even further by RM Voodoo-1 w/the Concorde+; or in further combo w/ Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive (or conversely, the latter by itself w/the Concorde+, without the Voodoo-1). Other pedals sometimes used are RM Voodoo-Axe, or RM Page-1. ALWAYS going first through a BBE Main Squeeze compressor, regardless of whether any other pedals being used.

Whew! given all that: want to put Pearly Gates in the bridge [please let me know if you have a better suggestion-- do NOT want glassy/bright sound, but rather deep growl/crunch, but NOT a muddy indistinct bass, nor any fuzziness in the uppers-- want a full range, top-to-bottom, w/ distinct clarity throughout-- ability to actually play chords!!! :joke:

Once Pearly Gates [or your other suggestion] goes into the bridge, do I put the Hot Rails in the neck, or in the middle? Same question, for the Cool Rails, of course . . . Looking for that screaming/throaty blues sound I mentioned previously . . . ALSO - when ordering Hot or Cool Rails FOR THE MIDDLE position, do you order the 'neck' or the 'bridge' version?

Sorry for such a long-winded post! Hope you'll forgive me-- just wanted to provide as much context info as possible so that the answers could more precisely address my own specific situation and playing habits . . .

Thanks again-- I deeply appreciate all your help!

Keep rockin' !!!

P.S. - seriously, if anyone thinks that SH-4, SH-5, or SH-6 (or any other) is a better choice for the bridge (for me) than the Pearly Gates, please let me know! I do have SH-12 Screamin' Demon at the bridge on my Babicz Octane (Mahogany body/Rosewood fretboard) & am VERY unhappy with it-- not enough deep end, perhaps not enough mids? just sounds too loud and too shallow for my tastes . . . true, the Octane is a much different guitar in all ways from the Strat (hollow vs. solid-body; mahogany vs. alder body; rosewood vs. maple fretboard) but I don't think I'll like the SH-12 any better on the Strat than I do on the Octane . . .

 

[gripweed]

Re: Pearly Gates (???) + Hot Rails + Cool Rails on Strat? Questions about placement

I would suggest the Custom Custom for the bridge and the Cool Rails for the neck. I don't think that the PG is too bright, but some do.

 

[stratvet]

Re: Pearly Gates (???) + Hot Rails + Cool Rails on Strat? Questions about placement

Thanks, gripweed! much appreciated!
Yup, I think CC in the bridge, w/ Cool Rails in the neck AND middle spots . . . THAT should do the trick!

The PG in my Babicz Octane (neck) never impressed me . . . boomy in the low end, and not enough clarity down there AT ALL . . . hopefully, the CC will be crunchier & more defined down there . . .

:thanks: