Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

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billlorentzen

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My custom built '80s Floyd Rose super strat with EMG SAs needs a pickup makeover. I want to replace the pups with passives. I tried a couple of Carvin TBH60s (Single-size rail humbuckers) with a Bartolini in the middle, that I had lying around, but the Carvins were too hard sounding for me. The Bart was OK.

I'm a working musician and play a wide range of styles, from jazz to rock, and I like a warm, sweet sound I guess. I'm on the neck pickup 80% of the time, if that tells you anything. The guitar has a Floyd, mahogany body, thick maple top, some chambers, maple neck, ebony board. It's a stiff, not soft, feeling guitar, if you know what I mean. The guitar is routed for a hum at the bridge, but the pick guard is all singles. I certainly could install a full size hum there, but would prefer a single size if I can get a good sound from it.

I'd like humbuckers fore and aft, I think, for quietness and probably to suit the woods. Any recommendations appreciated!
 
Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

gregory said:
I'd check into the Pro Track for the bridge, Satch Track for the neck. I'm not sure what you want to do with the middle position.
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Looking at their tone charts, the Protrack looks like a great choice for bridge. With the woods in my guitar, might the Satchtrack be a little bright in the bridge?

I think I could use the Bartolini in the middle. I'll mainly use it for in-between position sounds.
 
Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWdFTuNIp8A

Between the tone knob and the pickup being placed at the 2-octave spot (it was designed for Joe to give him his sound in a 24-fret guitar), I don't think you'll find the Satch Track to be too bright in the neck position. Even if your guitar has 24 frets I still wouldn't be concerned.
 
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Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

The brighest among the dimarzio rails would be the Cruisers & following that the FT1. Everything else you might find a bit round sounding in the highs. Seeing as you have a Floyd in there, it will help the pickups to sound a little brighter in the bridge but not as much as a true single coil. The Satch track in the neck & FT1 in the middle along with say a TZ-S will cover a wide range of tones. I would suggest going dual sound wiring for the neck & bridge, that will keep it very versatile. The chopper is closest to the Satch track in terms of tone & output but the Satch track is an improvement over it for the neck spot. It will be clearer & less compressed than the chopper.

Here's one good vid I found of the TZ-S, I find it nicer sounding there than the FT2 lying around with me in the parts bin.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4CN4kq5QVS8
 
Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

My earlier Pro Track recommendation in the bridge might be a little weak for the Satch Track.

From Seymour for the neck I'd look at the JB Jr. Neck or hotter. Anything weaker (e.g.: Little '59 Neck, Screamin' Demon Neck, Cool Rails Neck) will probably sound too bright and/or scooped. I'd steer clear of the Screamin' Demon Bridge in the neck spot as well.

For the bridge from Seymour I'd consider the Little '59, though I'm not enamored by the Little '59's ability to provide a convincing humbucker sound. The JB Jr. Bridge could be good too: the idea being that some midrange girth can help compensate for the extra top-end that the narrower aperture provides, but it seems everyone runs screaming when JB is ever muttered. Too much midrange and you risk having that position sound honky, of course, though I don't think this is a problem with the JB Jr. Even their most powerful Hot Rails just sounds full from the high-lows/lower-mids all the way up to the lower treble at which point it starts to peter out.
 
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Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

Hank- said:
Here's one good vid I found of the TZ-S, I find it nicer sounding there than the FT2 lying around with me in the parts bin.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4CN4kq5QVS8
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My FT2 is also collecting dust, but if you haven't tried it, it makes a blistering but smooth neck pickup without mud. The Area 61 in the middle sounds like money to me. It sounds great in the neck too, but I wish his clean patch was clean.

If I were going to do another noiseless Stratty-Strat it would be a VV Blues/A67/A61. For hot single-oriented Strat it would be Injector Bridge/A61/VV Blues, no question. Maybe billlorentzen might like this combo?

I know it's a little unorthodox, but even an Injector Bridge/A61/Satch Track could be a great combo. For me single-sized, side-by-sides don't really work in the bridge, so I figure why not go for something that isn't pretending to be something else? I'd prefer a reverse-slant on the Injector, but the traditional slant sounds just fine.

The Pro Track can work well in the middle too, depending on what is desired. I like The Chopper, but I think the styles of music call for something a bit more smooth, which the Pro Track definitely is. The Pro Track can even do well in the neck, but I think it's lacking in character and refinement compared to the Satch Track in that spot. The Satch track and judicious use of the tone control will prove to be more rewarding.
 
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Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

gregory said:
I know it's a little unorthodox, but even an Injector Bridge/A61/Satch Track could be a great combo. Single-sized side-by-sides don't really work for me in the bridge, so why not go for something that isn't pretending to be something else?
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The neck would sound very smooth in comparison to the other two. The treble on the rails is different sounding than the area stuff making the difference stick out when switching between the two. I've tried using a Cruiser Bridge in the neck with the A67 in middle, didn't last long,

Besides that, if I'm being auperficial then it looked ugly too lol

An actual full HB is better though in the bridge if desired, AT1 or MoJoe would work very well for rock.
 
Re: Recommendations for mahogany/maple super strat pickups

You're right about the bright/smooth thing, but I've seen jazz/rock guys pull off great stuff using a Tele with a Tele single in the bridge and an HB in the neck.

The Area 61 will do that Texas blues thing and quack when combined either with the bridge or the neck. But again, I don't know if that's what the OP's looking for.

I'm partial to Duncan HBs in the bridge for low to medium output. I loved Joe's bridge tone (for him, not me) for about 15 years and have since grown tired of it, but again that's only me. I love his neck tone with the Satch Track though, even better than what he does withe the PAF Pro/PAF Joe.
 
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