Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

[Mister Zero]

Hi all. I just acquired a 2003 Made in Japan Charvel Model A:

mahogany dinky Strat body

quartersawn maple neck w/ 24-fret ebony board, jumbo frets

H-H pickups

1 vol, 1 tone, 3-way switch

licensed Floyd


The guitar has Metal Livewires installed and they are gonna be way too hot for the stuff I like to play, which is everything from Zep & AC/DC to Van Halen/Dokken/Ratt & some Vai & Satch. Even some classic metal: Maiden, Priest, Dio. :headbang:

Right now I'm thinking a PAF-type like a '59 in the neck, but I'm stuck for the bridge. I've been thinking everything from a Blues Trembucker, a Custom Custom, a Screamin Demon, or even a JB. Anyone have any thoughts as to which pickup would/wouldn't work in this particular axe, for these particular styles?

Thanks in advance for any & all suggestions. :1::thanks:

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

Maybe the Custom? "P.A.F on steroids", high output, but should still do ACDC to Priest.

 

[theodie]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

The Blues trembucker and PATB-1N is a great choice! It will make that thing a bit Les Paul like though.

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

Custom is the most versitile and will nail more of those tones

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

Custom/'59 would be a good start.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

That guitar is a 24.75" scale and much more "mahogany" sounding than "superstrat". I have two of them. Even the JB sounds dark in it (with a new set 500K pots), the Custom 5 was much better. I think the Custom would be too dark also as it is still pretty fat in a fairly bright Japanese Jackson that I have.

I had a '59 in the neck and I liked the Jazz much better match in the neck, but the '59 was decent.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

The Blues trembucker and PATB-1N is a great choice! It will make that thing a bit Les Paul like though.

D'accord.

 

[mustaine-who?]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

That guitar is a 24.75" scale and much more "mahogany" sounding than "superstrat". I have two of them. Even the JB sounds dark in it (with a new set 500K pots), the Custom 5 was much better. I think the Custom would be too dark also as it is still pretty fat in a fairly bright Japanese Jackson that I have.

Having owned one I agree. Had the Dave Mustaine set in there, and mEh...didn't do it for me. You may be shocked, but the Full Shred sounded incredible in that guitar. The short scale and mahogany body gave it good low and low mids, and the ebony neck combined with the Full Shred gave it huge, articulate, and a very musical sound. I think the PATB-3 would have too much low emphasis. I do think the PATB-1 would sound great in their as well.

 

[Ningirsu]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

The Blues trembucker and PATB-1N is a great choice! It will make that thing a bit Les Paul like though.

+1 (Not too sure if I would complain about the Les Paulishness of tone since it will always preserve the tonality of its maple neck)

 

[SAVAGE DISTORTION]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

full shred set

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

My superstrat (Alder) now has Screaming Demon A8. Gorgeous!
In a mahogany Strat with shorter scale i would take a stock SD!

 

[Mister Zero]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

That guitar is a 24.75" scale and much more "mahogany" sounding than "superstrat". I have two of them. Even the JB sounds dark in it (with a new set 500K pots), the Custom 5 was much better. I think the Custom would be too dark also as it is still pretty fat in a fairly bright Japanese Jackson that I have.

I had a '59 in the neck and I liked the Jazz much better match in the neck, but the '59 was decent.

An update: I whipped out the tape measure on my Model A, and from the nut to the middle of the 12th fret, it's 12.75" inches. So it is a 25.5" scale, definitely NOT 24.75". My other electric, a Xaviere XV700, IS a 24.75" inch and I can definitely feel a difference in tension between the two.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Pickups for Charvel superstrat- Help please!

Full Shred, Custom or DD.