Pickup Suggestions?

[Drunken Master]

Hey all,

About 4 months ago I bought a Fender Lite Ash Strat...over the internet without having played one (big mistake) as it was getting raving reviews all over.

When I got it, the first thing I realized was that it was a surf/country guitar...and this didn't suit me at all coz' I play heavy blues/rock (think of the solo in "White Room" or "Layla"...I also love the tone of the solo in "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen)

So far I've just put up with the tone, because it suits some stuff I play (Wind Cries Maryish stuff - but not too good for little wing).

For those not familiar with the guitar, it has a swamp ash body with a birdseye maple neck, and Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II Staggered pickups.

All of those alone make for one helluva bright sounding guitar, but when you play it through my Fender Pro Junior amp - the treble gets overwhelming.

I'm looking for a hot sound, as per those mentioned above, but with really good harmonics as well (think "Comfortably Numb"")

Please keep in mind that my main influences are:

Eric Clapton
Jimi Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Brian May
Jimmy Page

Thanks heaps for your help guys (and gals).

P.S The APS II's are too "clean" for my taste - I want something with some real guts to it - aka "hot" sounding.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Pickup Suggestions?

well you have quite a lot of who you want to sound like...

What amp are you using?
Maybe you need a hot rail?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Pickup Suggestions?

well...you are looking for quite a few different tones there...

Eric Clapton-which Clapton are you looking for?
Jimi Hendrix-Strat into a Marshall
Stevie Ray Vaughan-Strat into BF fender amps
Brian May-Red Special into AC30
Jimmy Page-which Page are you looking for?

See what I mean?

If you want to go for all new pickups maybe a cool rils in the neck, a vintage rails in the middle and a hot rails in the bridge...if you want just a tad more puch you could go with a hotter bridge pup and leave the neck and middle alone. There are tons of options but there is no one guitar and no one set of pickups that will get all the sounds you listed above...APS-1's are the single coil that most of us suggest to tame an already bright guitar, if you have the APS pups and the guitar is still too bright maybe you should be using buckers...the rails set up I mentioned is a good one and another one is the Lil 59 in the neck a Duckbucker in the middle and a JB jr or another Lil 59 in the bridge...

Good luck

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Pickup Suggestions?

You might want to mod the wiring to give you the bridge and middle pickups in series with a DPDT switch. Most of your tones are single coil Strat based, but the thicker 'bucker tones and Brian May's tone might be better suited with this mod. He uses his bridge and mid in series for about 80% of Queen's stuff. Plus it would give you a hotter 'buckerish sound.

 

[Drunken Master]

Re: Pickup Suggestions?

You might want to mod the wiring to give you the bridge and middle pickups in series with a DPDT switch..

Keeping in mind that I've got no electronics knowledge...I get the in series bit but what's a DPDT switch and how do I put one on (even though I'll most likely pay somebody else to do it)?

And yes to everybody else I know that I'd never get all those different tones with one guitar...I'm just looking for a hot/rude blues sound...

What do you think about Lindy Fralin Blues Specials?

 

[Drunken Master]

Re: Pickup Suggestions?

well you have quite a lost of who you want to sound like...

Actually, I said they were my influences...wanting to sound like them is a different thing altogether in my humble opinion.

That being said their tones are all in the ballpark...but if asked to settle on one I'd have to say a Clapton/SRV sound.

If you want examples - Clapton's licks and solos in Cream's "White Room" and SRV in Texas Flood.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Pickup Suggestions?

hmmm I would go Lil JB in the bridge, and hmmmmmmmm
I am ok with the other 2 pups from SD taht came with the gtr

I will say that Dimarzio makes AMAZING strat pups called the Virtual Vintage. Try the Solo and Heavy Blues models.

I can also suggest that revamping your electronics at CALLAHAM Guitars, new pots, switches, etc might do the trick. My friend did it to his MIJ strat and WOW, it was like a whole new guitar. Took $60 and an hour of his time. I experienced it and was amazed (he was my roomie and I had played the gtr for over a year before the change)