Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s tone
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DreX
New member
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Note that an HH strat will not sound much like a les paul, even with PAF pickups. A lot of people try this hoping for an LP sound with the ergonomics of a strat only to end up disappointed in the result.
Note that an HH strat will not sound much like a les paul, even with PAF pickups. A lot of people try this hoping for an LP sound with the ergonomics of a strat only to end up disappointed in the result.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
+1^ I would definitely start there. The nice thing is you can find used Gibson 57 Classics in the Trade thread or on Ebay relatively cheap. I typically go a little hotter and mid-range driven with my HH setups. I don't have charts and graphs to prove this but to my ear it compensates for not having the pickup mounted directly to the guitar via a ring. If you want to go new I would suggest a Whole Lotta Humbucker set, they have a great PAF sound but are slightly hotter with more mids. All of my Fenders (4 of them) have humbuckers and all of them have killer Gibson style tones.
+1^ I would definitely start there. The nice thing is you can find used Gibson 57 Classics in the Trade thread or on Ebay relatively cheap. I typically go a little hotter and mid-range driven with my HH setups. I don't have charts and graphs to prove this but to my ear it compensates for not having the pickup mounted directly to the guitar via a ring. If you want to go new I would suggest a Whole Lotta Humbucker set, they have a great PAF sound but are slightly hotter with more mids. All of my Fenders (4 of them) have humbuckers and all of them have killer Gibson style tones.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Ive actually installed classic 57s in my strat.
There are so many better pickups out there, but i had some lying around that i'd yanked from other axes, so i thought id give it a shot.
If you are going for the nasal yet muddy, buzzy yet surprisingly wimpy sound that 57s do best, they can't be beat.
Ive actually installed classic 57s in my strat.
There are so many better pickups out there, but i had some lying around that i'd yanked from other axes, so i thought id give it a shot.
If you are going for the nasal yet muddy, buzzy yet surprisingly wimpy sound that 57s do best, they can't be beat.
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Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Oh, didn't know that, I thought he said 57 classic so I said 57 classic.Nothing beats originals.If so, we need something hotter to compensate the lack of bass Strat. A 57 Classic Plus neck and a Duncan Custom Custom SHOULD do
Oh, didn't know that, I thought he said 57 classic so I said 57 classic.Nothing beats originals.If so, we need something hotter to compensate the lack of bass Strat. A 57 Classic Plus neck and a Duncan Custom Custom SHOULD do
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Sure that is not a condition of your amp and not the pickups? I have used 57s with great results. My only issue with them is the output of the pickup. I am a hard rock/metal guy and they couldn't get me over the hump. However, for classic rock and blues they sounded fantastic.
Sure that is not a condition of your amp and not the pickups? I have used 57s with great results. My only issue with them is the output of the pickup. I am a hard rock/metal guy and they couldn't get me over the hump. However, for classic rock and blues they sounded fantastic.
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Great input... thank you. Perhaps '57s are not the pickups that I need to achieve what I'm interested in.
I should clarify... I am going to TRY to get a sound somehwat close to what the '57 Classics sounded like in my Les Paul Traditional Mahogany, which I recently sold. I do know that I won't be able to get close to that due to the differences in the guitars themselves, but if I can get a tone closer to the sound of that than to a regular Strat tone, that would be a nice achievement.
I already have other Strats that do the Strat tones wonderfully. Now I want a Strat that does a humbucker sound. Perhaps '57 Classics aren't the pickups I really want to do that?
What I would like is a nice, fat, round, warm tone. I'm not into distortion/heavy overdrive. I would like more on the clean side, but rich, warm, round, and fat. Does that help any in determining what HH pickups I should get?
The neck pickup is the one I would be using most, as that position is where I can get those fat, warm tones from the best. Of course, I would like a good bridge pickup as well, even if I only rarely use the bridge pickup.
I was thinking if I get humbuckers with 4 leads on each, I can do the Blacktop wiring and get split coil tones as well. BUT, if that would somehow compromise getting the humbucker tones that I want from this guitar, I can just go with twin lead pups and a 3-way switch. I do have other Strats I can play when I want single coil tones.
Great input... thank you. Perhaps '57s are not the pickups that I need to achieve what I'm interested in.
I should clarify... I am going to TRY to get a sound somehwat close to what the '57 Classics sounded like in my Les Paul Traditional Mahogany, which I recently sold. I do know that I won't be able to get close to that due to the differences in the guitars themselves, but if I can get a tone closer to the sound of that than to a regular Strat tone, that would be a nice achievement.
I already have other Strats that do the Strat tones wonderfully. Now I want a Strat that does a humbucker sound. Perhaps '57 Classics aren't the pickups I really want to do that?
What I would like is a nice, fat, round, warm tone. I'm not into distortion/heavy overdrive. I would like more on the clean side, but rich, warm, round, and fat. Does that help any in determining what HH pickups I should get?
The neck pickup is the one I would be using most, as that position is where I can get those fat, warm tones from the best. Of course, I would like a good bridge pickup as well, even if I only rarely use the bridge pickup.
I was thinking if I get humbuckers with 4 leads on each, I can do the Blacktop wiring and get split coil tones as well. BUT, if that would somehow compromise getting the humbucker tones that I want from this guitar, I can just go with twin lead pups and a 3-way switch. I do have other Strats I can play when I want single coil tones.
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Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
May I make another suggestion then. The Pearly Gates Neck sounds like what you are looking for. It is very thick and warm, beautiful cleans. I have one in the neck of my Strat and it is one of my favorite clean tones out of 16 guitars. My setup is the PGn with the P-Rails Bridge. From hands on experience I know this pickup sounds very Gibson-like in a Strat and delivers the goods.
May I make another suggestion then. The Pearly Gates Neck sounds like what you are looking for. It is very thick and warm, beautiful cleans. I have one in the neck of my Strat and it is one of my favorite clean tones out of 16 guitars. My setup is the PGn with the P-Rails Bridge. From hands on experience I know this pickup sounds very Gibson-like in a Strat and delivers the goods.
Edgecrusher
New member
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
without knowing exactly what your Les Paul sounded like its a bit of a guessing game to suggest other pickups. While we know that different guitars will sound different, the pickup imparts a LARGE percentage of the overall tone... Going with 57 classics will get your better than half way there...
Now if you know that your strat is brighter than your LP you can try to find a pickup that is mellow than the 57's or something of that sort but if they are relatively the same... I say go for what you know works. Particularly since nothing SD has in their line up is really equivalent to the 57's
without knowing exactly what your Les Paul sounded like its a bit of a guessing game to suggest other pickups. While we know that different guitars will sound different, the pickup imparts a LARGE percentage of the overall tone... Going with 57 classics will get your better than half way there...
Now if you know that your strat is brighter than your LP you can try to find a pickup that is mellow than the 57's or something of that sort but if they are relatively the same... I say go for what you know works. Particularly since nothing SD has in their line up is really equivalent to the 57's
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Strat body/neck/board woods?
I'm going PAF Pro/TZ in Alder/Maple,FWIW...
Strat body/neck/board woods?
I'm going PAF Pro/TZ in Alder/Maple,FWIW...
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
I haven't decided which Strat body I would put it in yet. They're alder, though. And maple necks. But one has rosewood board and another a maple board.
The Whole Lotta Humbucker seems like a good choice, but might Antiquities, Pearly Gates, or Seth Lovers be more like it? I don't know anything about how these model variations compare.
As I mentioned, main thing is I want round, full, fat, warm humbucker tones which would be a different, complimentary sound to the bright, crystalline tones of my other Strats. I don't really want to have to dial down the tone knob to get that, as doing so seems to also deaden good tone, in addition to reducing highs. So, if the pickup has a rich, round, warm character on its own, I can leave the tone control on full and get that clarity without too much highs/bite. And, of course, using the neck pickup is key to this tonality as well.
Briefly, how would the Pearly Gates, Seth Lover, Antiquity, and WLH pickups compare for achieving the tone that I've described?
I haven't decided which Strat body I would put it in yet. They're alder, though. And maple necks. But one has rosewood board and another a maple board.
The Whole Lotta Humbucker seems like a good choice, but might Antiquities, Pearly Gates, or Seth Lovers be more like it? I don't know anything about how these model variations compare.
As I mentioned, main thing is I want round, full, fat, warm humbucker tones which would be a different, complimentary sound to the bright, crystalline tones of my other Strats. I don't really want to have to dial down the tone knob to get that, as doing so seems to also deaden good tone, in addition to reducing highs. So, if the pickup has a rich, round, warm character on its own, I can leave the tone control on full and get that clarity without too much highs/bite. And, of course, using the neck pickup is key to this tonality as well.
Briefly, how would the Pearly Gates, Seth Lover, Antiquity, and WLH pickups compare for achieving the tone that I've described?
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elelpe
Well-known member
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Not sure if it would be LP-like but for thick and warm I'd second PGn (with cover if necessary). About the bridge maybe Brobucker. Or PATB-3 in both position. And maybe experiment with pots value is needed.
Not sure if it would be LP-like but for thick and warm I'd second PGn (with cover if necessary). About the bridge maybe Brobucker. Or PATB-3 in both position. And maybe experiment with pots value is needed.
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Man,somehow,someway,someday I gotta try the WLHs in "something"...
Man,somehow,someway,someday I gotta try the WLHs in "something"...
bloughlin16
New member
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
If you'd be open to going active, the EMG 57/66 set is VERY close to the Gibson PAF sound. Here's a review on them from Premier Guitar that actually has sound clips comparing them to the 57 Classics http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/EMG_66_N57_B_Humbuckers_Review. They're a little hotter, but they still do cleans very well and have great dynamics.
If you'd be open to going active, the EMG 57/66 set is VERY close to the Gibson PAF sound. Here's a review on them from Premier Guitar that actually has sound clips comparing them to the 57 Classics http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/EMG_66_N57_B_Humbuckers_Review. They're a little hotter, but they still do cleans very well and have great dynamics.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
I have WLH in my LP Trad Pro, I absolutely love them. I think (without looking at the tone charts) the WLH neck is a bit hotter than the PGn. That being said I haven't 100% finished tweaking the heights on my set. Both sets have great mids and tend to dance on the darker/warmer side. From what I am getting from you I get the feeling our neck tones are similar. I think you would be happy with either one. If you do tend to rock out once in a while I think you will be fine with the WLH set. If not I would lean towards the PG. I don't have any hands on experience with the bridge. I do know the PGn in a Strat is fat, warm and round.
I have never played the Seth Lover or Antiquity therefor I don't want to make any judgments on them.
I have WLH in my LP Trad Pro, I absolutely love them. I think (without looking at the tone charts) the WLH neck is a bit hotter than the PGn. That being said I haven't 100% finished tweaking the heights on my set. Both sets have great mids and tend to dance on the darker/warmer side. From what I am getting from you I get the feeling our neck tones are similar. I think you would be happy with either one. If you do tend to rock out once in a while I think you will be fine with the WLH set. If not I would lean towards the PG. I don't have any hands on experience with the bridge. I do know the PGn in a Strat is fat, warm and round.
I have never played the Seth Lover or Antiquity therefor I don't want to make any judgments on them.
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
Securb... thanks for the input. It seems as though either probably would be fine for me. Being that the host is a Strat rather than a Les Paul, perhaps having a little hotter output might help the tone be more Gibsonish? I don't know, really. If the PGn is priced a lot better, I may just go that route. I would like 4 leads on the pickups, though, as the added tonal versatility from coil-tapping would probably be nice to have. Do you know if the PGn has 2 or 4 leads?
Securb... thanks for the input. It seems as though either probably would be fine for me. Being that the host is a Strat rather than a Les Paul, perhaps having a little hotter output might help the tone be more Gibsonish? I don't know, really. If the PGn is priced a lot better, I may just go that route. I would like 4 leads on the pickups, though, as the added tonal versatility from coil-tapping would probably be nice to have. Do you know if the PGn has 2 or 4 leads?
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: Recommend HH pups for Strat... I'm trying to get close to Gibson Classic '57s ton
PG is a 4 conductor pickup. You will never get a Strat to sound like a Les Paul. With that in mind a Les Paul Jr doesn't sound like a Les Paul. The Pearly Gates will bring your tone closer to the Gibson family than the Fender camp. I would never take that pickup out of my Strat.
PG is a 4 conductor pickup. You will never get a Strat to sound like a Les Paul. With that in mind a Les Paul Jr doesn't sound like a Les Paul. The Pearly Gates will bring your tone closer to the Gibson family than the Fender camp. I would never take that pickup out of my Strat.
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