Bit of an impulse buy today I bagged myself a Squire Showmaster with HSS pickup arrangement, purely because I want a reverse headstock and haven't found a lefty I can butcher. So thinking obviously about replacing the pickups and I've had my eye for a while now on a Seymour Duncan TB-4 JB Trembucker, which is a very hot pickup coming in at 17.4k (according the website). Are there any rules I should be following for what I go for in the middle and bridge positions in terms of output or composition? Not sure I'm overly keen on ultra-slims (it's an irrational opinion at this stage) so might just stick with single coils. But yeah is pairing a 17k+ humbucker with a 6k single coil a big no-no? Should I be looking to keep the output similar or does it not matter? Suppose I could always split the humbucker if that's an option with the JS Trem, would need to check.
Pickup combo for HSS strat?
- Thread starter JuanHalen
- Start date
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Pickup combo for HSS strat?
What's an "ultra-slim"?
I'd just throw in an SSL-1 or SSL-2 to get the classic HSS Duncan combo. They are both the same pickup except the 1 is staggered and the 2 is flat.
What's an "ultra-slim"?
I'd just throw in an SSL-1 or SSL-2 to get the classic HSS Duncan combo. They are both the same pickup except the 1 is staggered and the 2 is flat.
David Garner
New member
Re: Pickup combo for HSS strat?
I'll offer this with the caveat that I have never owned an HSS Strat.
If I were building one, I think I'd try to match outputs as well as I could. Something like a Pearly Gates bridge or a 59 or another PAF or hot PAF type, combined with maybe a pair of Texas Specials (or Antiquity Surfers from the Duncan line). The main reason is, while I tend to like the "PAF neck, hotter bridge" thing in 2 humbucker guitars, the HSS issue is magnified in a lot of ways. For starters, you have the issue of what pots and caps to use. The singles should have 250, the bridge will do better with 500. Do you compromise and put a 300k pot for the volume? If so, what value caps? Will you be splitting the bridge for pos. 2? Are you wiring the 2nd tone pot to the bridge? If you use a master tone or share a tone knob between the bridge and a single, what value do you use there? All of those things lead me to believe you'll do better with hotter singles and a more docile humbucker.
Granted, again, I have no experience with this, so I could be dead wrong. But those are my thoughts and how I'd likely be inclined to go about it.
I'll offer this with the caveat that I have never owned an HSS Strat.
If I were building one, I think I'd try to match outputs as well as I could. Something like a Pearly Gates bridge or a 59 or another PAF or hot PAF type, combined with maybe a pair of Texas Specials (or Antiquity Surfers from the Duncan line). The main reason is, while I tend to like the "PAF neck, hotter bridge" thing in 2 humbucker guitars, the HSS issue is magnified in a lot of ways. For starters, you have the issue of what pots and caps to use. The singles should have 250, the bridge will do better with 500. Do you compromise and put a 300k pot for the volume? If so, what value caps? Will you be splitting the bridge for pos. 2? Are you wiring the 2nd tone pot to the bridge? If you use a master tone or share a tone knob between the bridge and a single, what value do you use there? All of those things lead me to believe you'll do better with hotter singles and a more docile humbucker.
Granted, again, I have no experience with this, so I could be dead wrong. But those are my thoughts and how I'd likely be inclined to go about it.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Pickup combo for HSS strat?
^^If you wire the bridge pickup without a tone it will be seeing 250k of resistance, which is the same resistance
as the standard 500k volume and 500k tone setup.
If I want a tone control on the bridge pickup, I wire attach the middle single to the neck's tone control so that it controls both, and replace the second tone control with a 1meg pot that controls the humbucker. The volume is 250k. Both caps are .018uf (or .022uf, I prefer .018uf because it rolls off a bit less high end, but .022uf is a lot more common).
I have had no issues with either of these setups.
^^If you wire the bridge pickup without a tone it will be seeing 250k of resistance, which is the same resistance
as the standard 500k volume and 500k tone setup.
If I want a tone control on the bridge pickup, I wire attach the middle single to the neck's tone control so that it controls both, and replace the second tone control with a 1meg pot that controls the humbucker. The volume is 250k. Both caps are .018uf (or .022uf, I prefer .018uf because it rolls off a bit less high end, but .022uf is a lot more common).
I have had no issues with either of these setups.
Re: Pickup combo for HSS strat?
It depends on how you like to work. Some people don't care about a volume balance, and will use the bridge pickup as a solo boost. I usually won't go any hotter than a 59/Custom Hybrid, which works well, as it has a great split sound too.
It depends on how you like to work. Some people don't care about a volume balance, and will use the bridge pickup as a solo boost. I usually won't go any hotter than a 59/Custom Hybrid, which works well, as it has a great split sound too.
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Pickup combo for HSS strat?
The classic thing to do is to put SSL-2s in the neck and middle and then put a Pearly Gates in the bridge to balance. Another option would be to put in the JB if you like with the vintage singles then you could use your 2nd tone as a spin a split to dial back the heat of the JB. The 3rd option would be to put in the JB plus hotter single coils such as surfer bridges or custom strats.
The classic thing to do is to put SSL-2s in the neck and middle and then put a Pearly Gates in the bridge to balance. Another option would be to put in the JB if you like with the vintage singles then you could use your 2nd tone as a spin a split to dial back the heat of the JB. The 3rd option would be to put in the JB plus hotter single coils such as surfer bridges or custom strats.
Re: Pickup combo for HSS strat?
At the moment leaning towards option 3. Arrived today, first job is to fumigate and disinfect the thing lolz, it's absolutely minging, it was obviously a smoker who owned it. Need to tear it down, clean it, assess the bridge and whether I want to upgrade it. Needs repainted too!
Lot of work!
At the moment leaning towards option 3. Arrived today, first job is to fumigate and disinfect the thing lolz, it's absolutely minging, it was obviously a smoker who owned it. Need to tear it down, clean it, assess the bridge and whether I want to upgrade it. Needs repainted too!
Lot of work!
