Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Rex_Rocker

Rex_Rocker

Well-known member
Alright, so I've got this ratty old Epiphone Strat-shaped guitar that I want to turn into something usable.

I'm not a Strat conossieur, so just want something that sounds different to my other guitars. However, and this is extremely important to me, I don't want a huge jump in output level when switching guitars. So I want something bright, twangy, and open-sounding that fits a standard strat single coil pickguard cutout and that has around the same output level as a full-sized Duncan '59B. I don't mind if it's not a traditional Strat pickup. It must handle high-gain, BTW.

So... what do you guys recommend I look at? Quarter Pounder? Cool Rails? Vintage Rails? DiMarzio something?

:)
 
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Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Little '59?
JB Jr?
Screamin Demon?
Cool Rails?

These are your single coil sized humbucker choices- I think the Cool Rails or Little 59 would be my choice. Neither sound exactly like a real humbucker '59, but they are about the same volume. You may not be happy with your single coils after you get one of them, though.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Chopper
Satch Track
Li'l Screamin' Demon
Injector Bridge
Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2

None are particularly twangy, perhaps the SLSD-1B.
 
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Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Thanks for the replies, dudes!

Honetly, I'm not really looking for humbucker tone. More like humbucker power (PAF-type, not high-output, at that) with single coil twang. I'm dubious of the Lil '59 because I fear it will be too... well... humbucker-y, lol.

Is there anything that's perhaps like a more modern/refined Tele-ish or even P90-ish sound in a Strat-sized single coil housing?
 
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Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

With the output of an SH-1B???

The VV Heavy Blues 2 is going to be about as close as you are going to get if you want hot and still Stratty.

Have you considered just taking the hit in level and go with something like a Quarter Pound or Twang Banger? You'll have to adjust your tone controls anyway, so you might as well reach for the gain knob while you're at it.
 
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Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Twangbanger for a more punchy strat bridge with tele 'like' tones - still more vintage vibe though.
Ssl 5 or 6....hotter than normal bridge pickup but still stratty. That one you could add a baseplate to - makes the top end a bit more rounded and the mids a bit fuller.
p90 tone might be a quarter pounder......maybe the tapped version can give more tonal options as it can be pretty punchy by all accounts.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

I have an Injector set in my strat, and the bridge is like what you are saying. Takes gain, sounds like a cross between a single coil and a p-90. It is not a glassy sc pickup but can do cleans pretty well and still gives a clear quack in the notch position. It's used by Paul Gilbert in Fuzz Universe. It does need an overdrive pedal or a boost to get into the better overdriven tones as it is still below the output of a hot humbucker.

PS as for Injector vs SSL-5: I own an ssl-5 that I had on the bridge before getting the Injectors. The injector bridge is staying. IMO the Injector is better for higher gain levels and actually cleans up better when going full clean. The ssl-5 is just too fat to clean up without doing the tap. The SSL-5 had a little more natural single coilness to midgain though. I think SSL-5 is really best for Gilmour leads and the Injector is best for anything heavier. Also the injector is noiseless...
 
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Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

For a guy used to humbuckers, I'd do the STK-S6 over the SSL-5/SSL-6. That smidgen of highs doesn't warrant the hum.

I have no idea what the difference in level is between the STK-S6 and the VVHB2. I imagine they are similar.
 
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Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Thanks for the replies, dudes!

So you guys think the Quarter Pound would not be able to keep up output-wise with the '59? Shame. I had been curious about those for a while.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

I think a Quarter Pound would do it. When you further clarified your description, I changed my answer. :) The QP is a little 'barky' and not as clear as a 59, but has similar power.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Mincer said:
I think a Quarter Pound would do it. When you further clarified your description, I changed my answer. :) The QP is a little 'barky' and not as clear as a 59, but has similar power.
Click to expand...
Alright, thanks! I'm torn between the QP and the DiMarzio SDS-1, Injector, and Heavy Blues.

gregory said:
What's going in the neck and middle?
Click to expand...
Just some generic single coils. They're ok, I guess. They do the job. I'm a bridge pickup kinda guy 99.9% of the time, so it's no biggie if they're not the best. Especially in this guitar which is gonna be more of a beater.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Can you name a few bands or players you want to sound like? Also, if you had to choose a true strat tone with high output vs a beefed up and fatter tone, which would you choose?

I personally would go with noiseless whatever you choose, for high gain, though.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

Nagisa said:
Can you name a few bands or players you want to sound like? Also, if you had to choose a true strat tone with high output vs a beefed up and fatter tone, which would you choose?

I personally would go with noiseless whatever you choose, for high gain, though.
Click to expand...
This:

I would choose beefed up and fatter tone for sure. I would like it to approximate Tele or even LP Jr.-ish land more than actual Strat, TBH. I just want around the same power as '59 just with that single coil attack.
 
Re: Recommend me a strat bridge pickup, please

If either sounded like the PAF Pro, I would say the Chopper. Yes, it has more single coil qualities than the Pro Track (which to me isn't all that convincing as a full sized humbucker, either). That out of the way, the high end of the Pro Track bears little resemblance to that of the PAF Pro. It is much closer to the Chopper.

While DiMarzio (may have?) billed the Pro Tack as a single-sized version of the PAF Pro initially, they definitely don't anymore.
 
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