Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

[Soulman]

I just changed my JB trembucker for a '59 trembucker in my HSS Strat and I like the '59 a lot more.
It doesn't overpower the singles with volume and mids.

However the singles I have in this guitar (Suhr V60LP) are going into another guitar and I would like to put some Duncan singles that sound vintage and match up well with the '59 in the bridge. REAL singles...I love hum!:laugh2:

I made a little recording so you can hear what I am aiming for.

The recording is just two phrases repeated with each of the pickup positions from neck to bridge, finishing off with an exchange between neck and bridge.

I find the Suhrs a little too "fat" for this particular setup, but they are near perfect.

Please listen and tell me what Seymour Duncan single coils would be a perfect match?

http://www.ddguitar.net/hsstest.mp3

Thanks a million!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

You could go with SSL-1 or APS-1 pickups and be happy.

But if you want the best I'd go with Antiquitys. Surfers are bright with deep bass and totally accurate vintage 62 style pickups. Texas Hots have smoother less glassy highs than vintage 50's or 60's pickups, a little less bass and alot more mids.

 

[Soulman]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

You could go with SSL-1 or APS-1 pickups and be happy.

But if you want the best I'd go with Antiquitys. Surfers are bright with deep bass and totally accurate vintage 62 style pickups. Texas Hots have smoother less glassy highs than vintage 50's or 60's pickups, a little less bass and alot more mids.

I want the best!:laugh2:

I was actually trying to work out wheather the Texas Hots or Surfers would sound better with this guitar and humbucker.

You have tried both...listening to my recording, which do you think would work better for me?

I've got a 250K pot on the '59 bucker...it might be changing to a 500K soon.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

I want the best!:laugh2:

I was actually trying to work out wheather the Texas Hots or Surfers would sound better with this guitar and humbucker.

You have tried both...listening to my recording, which do you think would work better for me?

I've got a 250K pot on the '59 bucker...it might be changing to a 500K soon.

It's so hard to know which you would like better...I like the Surfers better but the Texas Hots, being slightly smoother, slightly fatter and slightly warmer, might appear to sound better with your bridge humbucker.

Both are superb pickups...the truth is you'd probably love either!

I'd use them with 250K pots...although 250K pots will make your humbucker sound darker than 500K would.

lew

 

[Soulman]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

It's so hard to know which you would like better...I like the Surfers better but the Texas Hots, being slightly smoother, slightly fatter and slightly warmer, might appear to sound better with your bridge humbucker.

Both are superb pickups...the truth is you'd probably love either!

I'd use them with 250K pots...although 250K pots will make your humbucker sound darker than 500K would.

lew

Thanks Lew!

I understand that if you were in my place and had a guitar that sounded like the one I recorded you'd get the Texas Hots?

Am I right in assuming so?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

To me, the tones I hear on that recording resemble the Texas Hots more than the Surfers. If that's the tone you like (warmer, middier, less glassy than vintage alnico 5 Strat pickups) than go for the Texas Hots. Lew

 

[Soulman]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

To me, the tones I hear on that recording resemble the Texas Hots more than the Surfers. If that's the tone you like (warmer, middier, less glassy than vintage alnico 5 Strat pickups) than go for the Texas Hots. Lew

No...Ithink the Suhrs sound great but they are too dark and middy for the '59.

I think I'll go for the Surfers, then.:laugh2:

Is that OK by you Lew? Give me your blessing!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

No...Ithink the Suhrs sound great but they are too dark and middy for the '59.

I think I'll go for the Surfers, then.:laugh2:

Is that OK by you Lew? Give me your blessing!

Yeah...I think you'd like the Surfers if you're finding the tone on that recording to be to dark and middy. If that's the tone you DON'T want then go for the Surfers. Lew

 

[Soulman]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Yeah...I think you'd like the Surfers if you're finding the tone on that recording to be to dark and middy. If that's the tone you DON'T want then go for the Surfers. Lew

OK!

One more little question...

Have you any idea where I can hear some recordings made with the Surfers?

Thanks again.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Surfers are the classic '62 Strat pickup tone...the best Strat pickups Fender made, IMO, are those from around '62. 50's Fender Strat pickups have lower output and are slightly weaker by comparism. When you hear SRV (or Mark Knoplfer on Sultans of Swing) you're hearing pickups that sound like the Surfers, IMO. lew

OK!

One more little question...

Have you any idea where I can hear some recordings made with the Surfers?

Thanks again.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Hey what about the 5/2's? They might give you the increased attack and cleanliness you want out of the lower notes. What I'm hearing is a lack of that "Buddy Guy" style pick attack and high end. Maybe that's what you're missing when you say they're too fat.

 

[Soulman]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Hey what about the 5/2's? They might give you the increased attack and cleanliness you want out of the lower notes. What I'm hearing is a lack of that "Buddy Guy" style pick attack and high end. Maybe that's what you're missing when you say they're too fat.

That's right. The V60LP ("low peak") are deliberately designed to have smoother attack which is great for bluesy crunch playing, but they lack in the glass and shimmer department.

Have you tried the 5/2's?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

For vintage 50's and 60's Buddy Guy tone you want alnico 5...not alnico 2.

The 5/2's are alnico 2 under the treble strings and alnico 5 under the wound strings. You want alnico 5 under the treble strings for glassy Buddy Guy tone....so the the 5/2's are NOT what you want if you're looking to add that snappy, glassy, bubblely twang to your treble strings.

Get the Surfers...don't get confused.

Lew

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Well, right but that's kind of what I was saying. He can "keep the fat" in the treble strings and "lose the fat" on the bass strings. Besides, I think the 5/2's would still have a brighter attack on the treble strings than what he's got with the V60LP on the recording. But, uh, thanks Lew for setting me straight.:bowdown: I don't know what I was thinking. :smack:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Well, right but that's kind of what I was saying. He can "keep the fat" in the treble strings and "lose the fat" on the bass strings. Besides, I think the 5/2's would still have a brighter attack on the treble strings than what he's got with the V60LP on the recording. But, uh, thanks Lew for setting me straight.:bowdown: I don't know what I was thinking. :smack:

Anytime.

 

[Soulman]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Get the Surfers...don't get confused.

Lew

Are the Surfers scatterwound like the Texas Hot's?
It doesn't say so in the description.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please listen and help me choose my Duncan single coils!

Are the Surfers scatterwound like the Texas Hot's?
It doesn't say so in the description.

MJ winds both by guiding the wire onto the rotating coil by hand...I'm sure both are scatterwound.