Pickup suggestion for the New Silverado

Ascension

Well-known member
These came stock with SSL 5's and they are ok. While I like the hot bridge a lot, it just doesn't sound like a Strat should in particular clean.
I have an Antiquities Surfer II set with the Eric Johnson 300K volume with neck and bridge tones set up only in the Sunburst Silverado.
I want hotter and more aggressive in this one while still retaining some of the chime and character of a real Strat.
Have done the Gillmore SSL 1 neck and bridge with an SSL 5 bridge in the past but want hotter and fatter in the neck and middle but still retaining some of that classic Strat glassyness in particular in pos 2 and 4.
Real single coil only with A 5 mags and will keep the SSL 5 bridge. To me, the SSL 5 sounds a lot like a P90 in the bridge
What are your thoughts for the neck and middle?
Have also considered swapping out everything and doing an Antiquities Texas Hot set with the EJ control set up in this one.
Want a different personality with this one from the Sunburst Silverado as it plays like one of the best 80's and 90's super Strats you have ever picked up but looks pretty classic and has the build quality and character of something like a Masterbuilt Fender Custom shop Strat.
So what would you do with it on pickups?
 

Attachments

  • 95 silverado 2.webp
    95 silverado 2.webp
    1.1 MB · Views: 9
Last edited:
if you go much hotter/fatter than the ssl1 in the neck and middle youll lose the chime. you could try the antiquity ii custom bridge pup in the neck and middle with the ssl5 bridge
 
if you go much hotter/fatter than the ssl1 in the neck and middle youll lose the chime. you could try the antiquity ii custom bridge pup in the neck and middle with the ssl5 bridge
Right now I am looking hard at the Scooped neck and Middle. I have the Antiquity Surfer II set in my other Silverado so am familiar with that set.
I know I'm going to lose some chime over that set but want something thicker than the SSL-1's are. Had an SSL 5 bridge with SSL 1's in my old Mexican Strat. The Scooped set looks interesting, but there are few clips online so it's hard to really get what they are like.
I have a pair of SSL1's in my 95 Washburn MG 120 with a JB bridge now also.
 
Without getting into specific pickups, if there is a vintage / slightly hotter than vintage set that has a hotter bridge that you like...and if you can get a standard and a rwrp version of the bridge you could use them for the neck and middle.
 
i dont know if the scooped strat neck will be what ya want. the bridge model in the neck might work great though, keep the middle in that spot to get the cluck and spank, and the ssl5 in the bridge
 
Without getting into specific pickups, if there is a vintage / slightly hotter than vintage set that has a hotter bridge that you like...and if you can get a standard and a rwrp version of the bridge you could use them for the neck and middle.
What I am looking for if I keep the SSL 5 in the bridge is not super hot in the neck and bridge. The SSL 1 is simply too bright and weak for what I want in this one. I have a full Antiquities Surfer II Retrospect set with the custom bridge in my other Silverado. I love that set up but want this one to be slightly more aggressive, smoother and fatter.
At this point, going to the Antiquities Texas Hot set is a real consideration. I had the Custom Texas Hot bridge with a pair of Alnico II's in the neck and bridge in a guitar for a while. I liked the Texas hot but found the Alnico II neck and bridge to be bland.
The SSL 5 gets me closer to a PAF type tone and output, but still can get that pos 2 strat chime. Many of my other guitars will have a humbucker in the bridge, so if I am running multiple guitars on stage and swap on the fly between songs, it's not so much of a drastic change.
Doing the worship thing I may cover traditional Gospel, clean Country and high gain that gets into metal territory in the same set. This one will be a workhorse that needs to be super versatile.
My workhorse has been my 2023 Kiesel Delos with their Marks Singles and a Beryllium bridge. The bridge is around 9K with an A2 mag the singles around 5 K also with A2 mags. Great guitar but at times I want a little more of that true single coil Strat tone but with a little more smooth and fat.
The Scooped Strat clips sound interesting, as I normally will roll out some mids on my amp with a Strat. I wish I could find a clip that compares them to something I already know, as I have never had the chance to play a set.
Doing this kind of stuff is where I want to really use this guitar.
Played this one a couple of weeks ago with this guitar in one of our services.
Here is a community worship event with some friends from different churches all over Birmingham. This was an off the cuff straight up improv jam. I'm playing my 17 Kiesel DC here with the same Beryllium Marks singles set up that my Delos has through my PRS Archon.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top