Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

J

Jeff5

New member
I've pretty much been a humbucker player all my life and never really used true single coils. My main guitar for a lot of years was a MIK 1993 (or 94 I forget) red Fender strat. However, I loaded that with Hot Rails (and other mini hums) and never used it for a true single coil sound.

Now that I have several humbucker equipped guitars, I'd like to turn this guitar into a true single coil guitar.

Styles I'd Use It For
Blues
Blues Rock
Classic Rock
Country and Country Rock
Hard Rock
Mostly likely nothing heavier than that. My humbucker axes can do anything Metal and beyond. More than likely I'll play a lot of Hendrix, SRV, Los Lonely Boys, probably try to get somewhere in the realm of Page's lead tone of the first few Zepp albums, etc.

Amp
Mesa Tri-Axis
Mesa 50/50,
Old Carvin Cab with 75 watt Celestions
Roland Effects Processor
Tube Screamer

Other Requirements
I want great cleans and I would like true single coils, not stacks or mini hums. (I'd be open to stacks if the difference is negligible though) I don't care about this in most of my other guitars, but I do in this one. I'd like good overdriven and moderatly distorted tones, but nothing over the top. I'm not planning on using this for Metal.

Tones I'm Trying To Get
While I like vintage tones, I'm not obsessed with them. I'd call myself more of a vintage modern guy. I like to pay homage to the great tones, and will be using this guitar to play a lot of classic rock, but also like to use modern technology and modern equipment as I feel that we always need to keep moving forward, not looking backward. For instance, my favorite Seymour Humbucker is the Custom. Has some characteristics of a PAF, but is of course a totally different animal.

Guitar Specs
Definitely a rosewood fretboard, but it's a made in Korea $200 strat from 1993 or so, so your guess for the other woods are as good as mine =). It has the original bridge which I believe is just an old style fender bridge and the original tuners.

I think that's it. Thanks for your help everyone!
 
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Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

Seymour Duncan ‘True Single Coil Pups…
Vintage Staggered SSL-1,
Vintage Flat SSL-2,
Alnico II Pro™ Flat APS-2,
Alnico II Pro™ Staggered APS-1,
Hot for Strat SSL-3 (Bridge only),
Vintage Flat SSL-2,
Custom Staggered SSL-5,
Custom Flat SSL-6,
Antiquity II - Surfer™

Lindy Fralin Single Coil Pups…
Vintage Hot,
Blues Special,
Real 54’s

VanZandt pups…
True Vintage,
Vintage Plus,
Blues Pickup,
Rock Pickup

D. Allen pups…
CS Hot Vintage 54,
CS 69 VooDoo’s

DonMare pups…
Super Sport,
Night Flyers

Did not care for DiMarzio pups in a true single coil setup, but he does have some good humbuckers.

Not knowing your style of music, Stratocaster body, neck, tuner, and bridge, set up, type of amp and set-up - it is hard to help you choose the brand and type of “True Single Stratocaster Pups” that fit your request.

All of the aforementioned pups work well in playing live in bars and clubs
 
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Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

If hum canceling is needed, classic stack plus stk-s4... which is inspired by the ssl-1/ssl-2.

I've A/B'd between the stack and fender alnico 3 single coil, and the difference is almost imperceptible.
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

There's tons of good options. You can throw a rock in the air and it'll probably land on a boutique winder.

I can personally vouch for Duncan Antiquity, Klein, and Fender CS. The SD Surfers are loved by many for good reason...Chris Klein is a boutique small shop winder who's prices are ridiculously good and he'll wind you whatever it is you want for not a lot of an upcharge, and Fender itself makes some really good pickups.

There's also Bareknuckle, Don Mare, Lindy Fralin, etc.
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

Lots of very confusing posts

If you want full vintage then the antiquity pickups are usually described as the best of the SD's, closely followed by the ssl1 or ssl 2 (vintage flat or staggered)

If you want a slightly more modern toned bridge pickup then a ssl5/6 is still good for cleans but having more beef for drive - think Dave Gilmour.

Plenty of other winders about, but more info can often confuse....you can probably make very approximate comparisons by comparing resistance ratings
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

Thanks guys, the feedback is much appreciated. A couple of things.

I am actually looking for true single coils, not stacks or mini hums.

I don't really care about full vintage or anything like that. I'm cool with it, but it doesn't have to be that way. A type of vintage modern sound is fine. I will play harder rock with these (not metal), and I tend to favor hotter pups in most guitars. However I do want a very good/great clean tone.

I'm looking for recommendations in all three spots, bridge, middle, neck.

I love Semyour Duncan, but am way more than open to other manufacturers.

Cost wise, I don't want to break the bank, but I can spend somewhat to do this. I'll be replacing all the pots and probably most of the wiring too.

Thanks a ton again, great feedback and I look forward to more!
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

If you want it full-single coils and still rather versatile, try this :

- A high output pickup at the bridge (SSL-3/5/6)

- Vintage output pickups in the midle and at the neck (SSL-1/2 or Alnico IIs)
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

I have SSL-5 bridge, SSL-1 RW/RP middle and SSL-1 neck in my Strat and it's a great set. True single coils throughout, vintage tone in the middle and neck with an extra kick in the bridge.

The SSL-5 is an excellent pickup. Higher output and fatter tone than a vintage Strat pickup but it still retains that single coil character. Make sure you have a tone control wired for the bridge position and it will cover a lot of ground.
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

Simon_F said:
I have SSL-5 bridge, SSL-1 RW/RP middle and SSL-1 neck in my Strat and it's a great set. True single coils throughout, vintage tone in the middle and neck with an extra kick in the bridge.

The SSL-5 is an excellent pickup. Higher output and fatter tone than a vintage Strat pickup but it still retains that single coil character. Make sure you have a tone control wired for the bridge position and it will cover a lot of ground.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good setup although I would probably put an SSL5 in the neck as well.
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

Ok, if we're talking specific sets...

Surfer neck and middle with a Texas Hot bridge is a great setup with a slightly hotter bridge, so is SSL-1 neck and middle with an SSL-5 bridge. The Surfers and SSL-1's are along the lines of a 1959-1962 single coil, which were the hottest wound Strat singles made in the old days. Think more Rory Gallagher than BOG Jimi Hendrix.

For Fender, the 69's are, like the name implies, based on late sixties enamel wire gray bottom singles. These are lower output than the early sixties models, brighter and hollower with a thumpier bass. Think late Hendrix.

The ones I have right now are Kleins, a '59 (Similar to a Surfer) neck, a RWRP '65 (similar to the CS69 but slightly hotter...just a hair) and a slightly overwound custom pickup (7k-ish) on the bridge. I've considered going for something hotter in the bridge but to be honest, it's great as is and I'm sure that I'd just go switching back and forth.

If you want something readily available in a store, it's hard to beat those Duncan combos....if you want to hear the SSL-1/SSL-1/SSL-5 combo look up Geoff Wells. He's a member here and uses those in his '68 Stratocaster.
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

OK, now that you described your guitar, amps, pedal, and style of music, and tight money situtation - here are my recommendations.

Seymour Duncan ( http://www.gilmourish.com/?p=317 )

Neck = SSL5
Middle = SSL52 RWRP
Bridge = SSL6 (Instead of the SSL-5, since it is flat rather than staggered and works better in the bridge position)

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/progressive/

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/products/electric/stratocaster/501010-100.pdf


Use that set with the following high quality parts
1) Bourns 250 pots, (Just make sure you order the grounding lugs with them) US$ 16.50
http://www.allparts.com/Bourns-250K-Audio-Pot-p/ep-5085-000.htm

2) CRL 5-way spring loaded switch US$ 11.50
http://www.bestguitarparts.com/guitar-part/10/CRL_5-Way_Switch.htm

3) Capacitors US$ 4.00 each
http://www.bestguitarparts.com/guitar-part/441/Sozo_Capacitor.htm

4) Switch-craft jack US$ 2.75
http://www.bestguitarparts.com/guitar-part/47/Switchcraft_1-4_Mono_Jack.htm

5) White AND Black wire US$ 0.45 per foot - get a couple feet of each
http://www.bestguitarparts.com/guitar-part/221/Vintage_Style_Cloth_Covered_Wire.htm

Total cost of the electronics US$ 73.55

——————————————————————————

Install a BONE nut

Install a Callaham Bridge setup
 
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Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

Great feedback everyone! Stratman much appreciate your recommendations, very specific, exactly what I'm looking for. I actually had my gear, amp, guitar, etc., in the original post, I just went back and edited it to underline them to make them easier to find. :) I always do that if I'm asking for a recommendation. Money isn't necessarily tight, I just don't want to break the bank. What you're describing seems to fit that bill nicely.

Great discussion, other input is welcome. Thanks folks.
 
Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

If you want true single coil tone. I'd go with Antiquities or some Fender 69's or even better the CS 60's which aren't sold separately but you can find some on ebay sometimes.

If you want true old style single tone, and use the notched tones, make sure the middle is not RWRP. It does make those pos. a bit thinner and more how some of those 80's notched tones sounded to me. Not the old school stuff like Knopfler and Clapton. I don't know how important that is to you. But that's what I'd call real single coil tone. Someone with great true single coil tone in modern music to me would be John Frusciante. He gets a lot of great tones, clean, semi dirt and full on with those singles. Don't let the hum bother you. Learn to use the knob as your gate!
 
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Re: Recommend Me Some True Single Coils

You mention that you've mostly played humbuckers. My first piece of advice is you make sure that the wiring is really good in the places you are going to be using these vintage style singles. Being used to HB's you maight not be a aware of just how much air born hash and bad grounds can totally mess up your sound. I wouldn't write off stacked coils just yet if I were you.

I'd be inclined into look at Dimarzio Area's and forget that they are stacked HB's. I guarantee that in a blindfold test you wouldn't be able to tell that they are true SC's anyway.. But if you must going with SC's I would go with Fralin Blues Specials as they seem to fit your criteria better than any others that I'm aware of.
 
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