PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

[StratoStarter]

Hey guys I've registered here because I need some advise from you regarding pick-ups.

I'd like to buy a MIM Standard Stratocaster (all Single Coil) and as I've heard the standart PUs sometimes sound good, sometimes pretty crappy. So I looked for some replacement pickups here at Seymour Duncan and was wondering if the following setup would work:

Neck: Cool Rails Humbucker
Middle: SSL-2
Bridge: SSL-6

My musical taste is quite vast. It goes from a little Classic Rock (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin) to Hard Rock bands like AC/DC, Guns N Roses/Slash to Alternative (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and a little to Blues Rock stuff like for example John Mayer (not the greatest blues guitarist I know but I like his bluesy stuff nevertheless).
So you see I'd like to have a very versatile guitar since I have tendencies in all those directions.
Do you think that this setup would suit those styles?
Do those PUs work well together (also refering to how they sound in positions 2 and 4)?
And would you recommend other pickups to me that would fit better into the setup or that would suit my needs better?

I know this is all very much information and many questions but I'd be so glad if someone could help me with this.

Thanks very much in advance!

 

[dominus]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

You can change the pickguard and put a full sized humbucker in the bridge. The 59/Custom Hybrid would be a good bet.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Welcome to the forum.

In my opinion, the combined purchase prices of a Fender MIM Std series guitar and three SD pickups would probably fetch you a Highway 1 or American Special series instrument with American pickups already on it.

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Welcome to the forum.

Not to crash the pickups set you mentioned, but I can tell you from experience that mixing single coils and humbuckers, especially in series wiring, is not advised.

Think of it this way,
You're playing the lead intro and fills to Sweet Child o' Mine and it sounds great with the Cool rails. It's high gain, it's creamy.

All of a sudden, you get to the final verse, and need a really good crunch tone. You switch to the custom flat and you get an entirely different single coil distortion that and a fair bit of noise thrown in. That and the pickups do not sound like anything mixed together.

If you're going to wire in series, it is highly advised you go ALL humbucker and incrementally, i.e.
Cool Rails neck
Cool Rails bridge (middle)
Hot Rails bridge

Or, if you plan on wiring in parallel, to take advantage of the 2 and 4 pos, make sure your center pickup is single coil, and lower power than the neck and bridge, so you can even out the coil split response. So,
Cool Rails neck
Vintage flat middle
Hot Rails bridge

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Also, as far as the Duncan line goes, for hard rock/alternative, you can't go wrong with a hot rails.

I played one extensively when I was in a grunge garage band.

However, as far as sounding like their full-size counterparts goes, Duncan doesn't have anything in the single coil-sized humbucker line that really sounds like a full sized. So don't think that installing a JB Jr, will sound like an actual JB in an HSS strat.

By comparison, I played a strat with a DiMarzio Super Distortion S in the bridge, and it sounded much closer to say an Ibanez RG with a full sized Super Distortion. You might want to check out their line as well.

 

[StratoStarter]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

In my opinion, the combined purchase prices of a Fender MIM Std series guitar and three SD pickups would probably fetch you a Highway 1 or American Special series instrument with American pickups already on it.

I thought of that too but both models are only available with a maple neck but I'd like to have a rosewood fingerboard so I unfortuantely had to dismiss them.

@ 9unslin9er
Thanks very much for your advise already! But I have one question when you're speaking of series and parallel wiring you mean either standart wound or reverse wound pickups in the middle right?
Also I don't know if the Hot Rails would be literally too hot for me...I mean don't the Cool Rails have a good crunch sound already?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

9unslin9er was referring to the way in which the two coils of the Rails type pickup are interconnected. Series is the normal way to join the coils inside a humbucker. Parallel interconnection is still noise-cancelling but yields a brighter tone with less output.

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

^^correct. On a regular 3 pup strat setup, you basically have the 2 and 4 pos running in parallel.

2 and 4 are your hum canceling slots on a regular setup.

So when you swap to single sized humbuckers, you introduce pups that are already in series into the loop. When you split a cool or hot rails, you take one coil of the humbucker and run it in parallel with the 3 pos single coil. This is how it's done on a lot of asian superstrats, i.e. ESP mavericks and Ibanez RGs.

As far as output goes, I don't really think a hot rails would be that extreme at all, especially for the music you're talking about.

Single coil sized humbuckers are naturally underpowered compared to their full-sized counterparts, eg. just because a hot rails is a high powered ceramic, it doesn't mean it'll hit the realm of a dimebucker.

To my ears at least, the cool rails are kind of in the full sized '59 realm, and the hot rails, a JB.

The lil '59 and JB Jr. are even more underpowered relatively speaking.

Obviously, I can't tell you to just go out, spend the money to try them, but just remember, having underpowered pickups may cause you to go distorton pedal crazy in the future. Might be better off with the extra compression in the first place.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Good call on replacing the MIM pickups. They are the ONLY weak link in that model. They even come with a good CRL switch and CTS pots, so you don't have to replace anything.

So... Are we trying to keep things on a budget? If so, I might recommend a set of GFS single coils, like the Texas Greybottom set. I put that set in my David Gilmour Black Strat clone and they're pretty good. The bridge pickup has some heat to it, too.

If budget isn't so much a concern, I'd probably go with an SSL-5 or 6 in the bridge and SSL-1 or 2 in the middle and neck, depending on if you want staggered or flat poles. Or you could put an F-spaced (Trembucker, models starting with TB-) humbucker in the bridge. I'd go with a '59 or the new hotness, the '59/Custom hybrid.

If you want an HSH setup you'd have to go with a single coil sized humbucker for the neck since the bodies are routed for HSS. At that point I'd go with a Cool Rails or a 'Lil '59.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Good call on replacing the MIM pickups. They are the ONLY weak link in that model. They even come with a good CRL switch and CTS pots, so you don't have to replace anything.

+1 on most of this except, perhaps, the sloppy machineheads.

I recently acquired a friend's MIM 60th Anniversary Telecaster. Playability and acoustic sustain are excellent. One SD Custom Shop stacked coil lead pickup later and the guitar is a killer. Just need to settle on the right neck/rhythm pickup.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

+1 on most of this except, perhaps, the sloppy machineheads.

I recently acquired a friend's MIM 60th Anniversary Telecaster. Playability and acoustic sustain are excellent. One SD Custom Shop stacked coil lead pickup later and the guitar is a killer. Just need to settle on the right neck/rhythm pickup.

I've never had a problem with the sealed tuners once I tighten the set screw on the key and tad (but not too much or you'll strip the gears).

 

[GilmourD]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

+1 on most of this except, perhaps, the sloppy machineheads.

I recently acquired a friend's MIM 60th Anniversary Telecaster. Playability and acoustic sustain are excellent. One SD Custom Shop stacked coil lead pickup later and the guitar is a killer. Just need to settle on the right neck/rhythm pickup.

I personally like bright humbuckers with mismatched coils in my Tele necks.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

I personally like bright humbuckers with mismatched coils in my Tele necks.

I could cheerfully debate this topic all day but it would detract from the OP.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

I could cheerfully debate this topic all day but it would detract from the OP.

Me, too. LOL

Speaking of the OP... What do you think of our suggestions?

 

[StratoStarter]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

^^correct. On a regular 3 pup strat setup, you basically have the 2 and 4 pos running in parallel.

2 and 4 are your hum canceling slots on a regular setup.

So when you swap to single sized humbuckers, you introduce pups that are already in series into the loop. When you split a cool or hot rails, you take one coil of the humbucker and run it in parallel with the 3 pos single coil. This is how it's done on a lot of asian superstrats, i.e. ESP mavericks and Ibanez RGs.

As far as output goes, I don't really think a hot rails would be that extreme at all, especially for the music you're talking about.

Single coil sized humbuckers are naturally underpowered compared to their full-sized counterparts, eg. just because a hot rails is a high powered ceramic, it doesn't mean it'll hit the realm of a dimebucker.

To my ears at least, the cool rails are kind of in the full sized '59 realm, and the hot rails, a JB.

The lil '59 and JB Jr. are even more underpowered relatively speaking.

Obviously, I can't tell you to just go out, spend the money to try them, but just remember, having underpowered pickups may cause you to go distorton pedal crazy in the future. Might be better off with the extra compression in the first place.

Alright so that means if I'm going to place a SC in the middle I have to spilt the humbuckers in order to cancel the hum when I'm in positions 2 and 4 right? What would happen If I wouldn't split the humbuckers?
And btw I listened to the Hot Rails and they are simply awesome! Thanks for the tip If I choose humbuckers I think they will definitely be in

So... Are we trying to keep things on a budget? If so, I might recommend a set of GFS single coils, like the Texas Greybottom set. I put that set in my David Gilmour Black Strat clone and they're pretty good. The bridge pickup has some heat to it, too.

If budget isn't so much a concern, I'd probably go with an SSL-5 or 6 in the bridge and SSL-1 or 2 in the middle and neck, depending on if you want staggered or flat poles. Or you could put an F-spaced (Trembucker, models starting with TB-) humbucker in the bridge. I'd go with a '59 or the new hotness, the '59/Custom hybrid.

If you want an HSH setup you'd have to go with a single coil sized humbucker for the neck since the bodies are routed for HSS. At that point I'd go with a Cool Rails or a 'Lil '59.

Uhm let's say it is a little concern but that's not so important here
Yeah right I also thought about SSL-6/SSL-2/SSL-2. I think if I decide to go all Single Coil then my guitar would still be versatile, wouldn't it?

I've been thinking a bit and what about let's say I put a humbucker like the Hot Rails in the bridge position and single coils into middle and neck? Would that be a good combination? What sc pickups would you recommend?

two things btw:
1. I think I would buy a S/S/S Strat since I don't really like the looks of a HSS one ;D
2. Sorry for all those questions but you guys have been a great help for me already

 

[GilmourD]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Alright so that means if I'm going to place a SC in the middle I have to spilt the humbuckers in order to cancel the hum when I'm in positions 2 and 4 right? What would happen If I wouldn't split the humbuckers?
And btw I listened to the Hot Rails and they are simply awesome! Thanks for the tip If I choose humbuckers I think they will definitely be in



Uhm let's say it is a little concern but that's not so important here
Yeah right I also thought about SSL-6/SSL-2/SSL-2. I think if I decide to go all Single Coil then my guitar would still be versatile, wouldn't it?

I've been thinking a bit and what about let's say I put a humbucker like the Hot Rails in the bridge position and single coils into middle and neck? Would that be a good combination? What sc pickups would you recommend?

two things btw:
1. I think I would buy a S/S/S Strat since I don't really like the looks of a HSS one ;D
2. Sorry for all those questions but you guys have been a great help for me already

Well, the nice thing about going HSS is that you already have to replace the pickguard so you can get a snazzy one. For instance, I have a pearloid Fender pickguard that's fat-single-single on my hardtail Strat. Fat means that the corners are rounded off for humbuckers without covers.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Take a look at these.

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Alright so that means if I'm going to place a SC in the middle I have to spilt the humbuckers in order to cancel the hum when I'm in positions 2 and 4 right? What would happen If I wouldn't split the humbuckers?
And btw I listened to the Hot Rails and they are simply awesome! Thanks for the tip If I choose humbuckers I think they will definitely be in



Uhm let's say it is a little concern but that's not so important here
Yeah right I also thought about SSL-6/SSL-2/SSL-2. I think if I decide to go all Single Coil then my guitar would still be versatile, wouldn't it?

I've been thinking a bit and what about let's say I put a humbucker like the Hot Rails in the bridge position and single coils into middle and neck? Would that be a good combination? What sc pickups would you recommend?

two things btw:
1. I think I would buy a S/S/S Strat since I don't really like the looks of a HSS one ;D
2. Sorry for all those questions but you guys have been a great help for me already

Well let's say you install a Cool Rails in the neck, and a Hot rails in the bridge and just leave the middle as-is factory, and you wire everything in series.

It certainly wouldn't sound bad, but you'd miss out on any of the thin, out of phase tones you get from parallel wiring a split coil. I like to call it "Brian May" tones. The 2 and 4 positions however will definitely sound like mush, and the 3 pos will sound like a sub-par single coil.

You could also just disengage the middle pickup altogether and make it a dummy coil. Essentially, you'd have a Les Paul setup where the middle position wires the Cool and Hot rails together.

If you do Single - Single - Hot Rails, you can still take advantage of coil splitting the Hot rails to run parallel with the middle pickup, however it's a little tricky in terms of remembering the positions during playing.

You're going to encounter hum where you don't want it, especially during a high-gain session.

It's better to keep it all humbucking from the get-go, so you're not stuck with some ridiculous feedback when you're playing out.

 

[GregJr]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

Just remember that if you install a full-size humbucker on your MIM Strat, you'll have to rout a bit of wood to fit the HB. About 1/4 inch. Also , if you need a new pickguard, check out WARMOTH. Custom made for +/- 30$.

 

[goptaron]

Re: PU's for Mexico Standard Strat

My MIM started as an HSS. I thought all the MIM bodies were HSS routing, past a certain year? Mine's an '08. I switched from HSS to SSS, pickguard wise. That was after I 'routed' it to HSH. I have the two stock SC's that came with it in bridge and middle, and I have a SSL-1 I had lying around in the neck. Middle is the strongest pickup output wise, but not to the point where it over-shadows neck or bridge. It works quite well compensating for the lost volume of the 2 and 4 positions.

I have another strat for H-H duties, but I try to keep my humbuckers and my SC's separate due to the output levels. I found with HSS, the full sized humbucker was noticeably louder than either one of the single coils and it didn't sound that great when split and parallel with the middle SC. That was a TB-1, 4 conductor. Maybe it's an apples an oranges kind of thing, I didn't know much about pickups at the time I bought the TB-1 for the bridge. The stock fender HB one was alright volume wise, but lacking tone-wise, IIRC.

--Chris