Replace SSL-1 Bridge with Coil Tapped SSL-5?

[ThreeChordWonder]

More tinkering...

My DIY SSS Strat. Alder body, or so the ad on eBay said. Maple plus rosewood neck.

Currently it has three SSL-1s, with the middle being a RWRP.

Someone on a Strat forum suggested swapping the bridge for a coil tapped SSL-5. Full coil in P1, tapped in P2, with a superswitch to handle that. Mine currently uses a master volume / master tone / neck blender pot arrangement, 250k pots and a 0.022 uF tone cap. I would expect to keep that arrangement.

What say you lot?

The SSL-1, from memory is 6.5 kohm, the SSL-5 13.3 kohm (untapped). I'd also like to know the ohms when tapped, but can't find the number anywhere..

Thanks.

 

[Blille]

That would be a great, classic, choice. Tapped tends to be about half the resistance, trying to match what a vintage one would be. The super switch is a fine choice but you can also add a mini switch or pull/push pot. Some folks like 500k pots btw, but I would try it first with whatever you have.

 

[ErikH]

Do it. But instead of super-switch, change the volume or tone pot to a push/pull to tap the SSL-5.

 

[GuitarStv]

I do pretty much what you're asking about - a tapped SSL-6 in a guitar with two SSL-2s in the neck and middle.

When tapped, the SSL-6 sounds a lot like an SSL-2 in the bridge position. However, tapped it is a little bit weaker than an SSL-2. When tapped and combined with the middle position, I don't hear any volume drop, so that will work for what you want.

The one thing to be aware of is that the SSL-5/6 are very middy pickups. The mids are so prominent that you'll notice the highs are much, much reduced from a regular strat bridge pickup. I like to run mine without a tone pot to brighten it up. If you're using a superswitch, you might want to use master tone/volume for all the positions but bridge on it's own - or even consider adding a 500k or 1M pot that only kicks on for your bridge selection. That will make it easier to dial in exactly the bridge tone you want.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

I do pretty much what you're asking about - a tapped SSL-6 in a guitar with two SSL-2s in the neck and middle.

When tapped, the SSL-6 sounds a lot like an SSL-2 in the bridge position. However, tapped it is a little bit weaker than an SSL-2. When tapped and combined with the middle position, I don't hear any volume drop, so that will work for what you want.

The one thing to be aware of is that the SSL-5/6 are very middy pickups. The mids are so prominent that you'll notice the highs are much, much reduced from a regular strat bridge pickup. I like to run mine without a tone pot to brighten it up. If you're using a superswitch, you might want to use master tone/volume for all the positions but bridge on it's own - or even consider adding a 500k or 1M pot that only kicks on for your bridge selection. That will make it easier to dial in exactly the bridge tone you want.

Good advice, thanks.

 

[Mincer]

I like the SSL-6, the flat version, as the string balance is better with modern guitars & strings. The -5/-6 is a pretty big change from the -1, but much more useful for more modern guitar styles. I've done it with an S1 switch handling the tap- an elegant solution.

 

[Benjy_26]

Throw an additional push/pull or mini switch for the 7 way strat mod and you're in business.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Thinking...

SSL-1 neck (current) with a blender active only in P1 and P2, SSL-1 RWRP middle (current) with a phase flip push-push (not a push-pull as I can't get a proper grip on strat knobs), SL-5 T in the bridge, probably with a push-push for the coil tap but maybe auto in P2. Haven't decided.

 

[hamerfan]

The tap of the ssl5 or ssl6 is no way a ssl1. It sounds way thinner: the ssl5/6 is made of 43 awg, so the tap is right in the middle of the wind and sounds like a 4k reading ssl1. For me the tap was useless this way.
SD should have put the tap a 3/4 of the wind like 10 to 11k. That would have sound like 7k+ with 42awg.

 

[Mincer]

The tap of the ssl5 or ssl6 is no way a ssl1. It sounds way thinner: the ssl5/6 is made of 43 awg, so the tap is right in the middle of the wind and sounds like a 4k reading ssl1. For me the tap was useless this way.
SD should have put the tap a 3/4 of the wind like 10 to 11k. That would have sound like 7k+ with 42awg.

That sounds like a good mod if I ever get one custom built.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

This is beginning to sound [no pun intended] like I will risk opening up a Costco sized can of worms...

Better, methinks this morning, to leave the 3 x SSL-1 setup, which currently has a neck blend anyway, alone, and ponder this for the next but one build. The next build is going to be a Dave Murray "tribute" - two Hotrails and a JB Jr. - maybe with coil splits and maybe with some other trickery as well.

 

[GuitarStv]

I have done a lot of fancy wiring on my guitars over the years, but ended up reverting most of it back. Turns out that just because dozens of other sounds are available doesn't mean you actually end up using 'em.

 

[ErikH]

For a noiseless option, Classic Stack Plus in the neck/middle, Custom Stack Plus in the bridge.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

^ Very true.

Most of my guitars are wired pretty simply. Half the time I can't remember what I've wired up. Or why.

My Teles have basic pickup to switch wiring with the four-way mod. The one with the humbucker in the bridge has a push-pull coil split, but that's it.

I just put P-Rails in my HH Strat, and after trying the SD does everything wiring, I reverted to push-pushes for straight coil splits to the P90s.

My SG came with push-pull coil splits and I've retained those with the replacement SD pickups.

As for my two other Strats...

My HSS strat has an auto coil split for P2, a blender and a middle pickup phase flip I rarely use.

The SSS Strat has the blender and the phase flip.

If I did them over I'd probably drop the phase flips but keep the blenders.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah it is easy to through every mod you think of into a guitar, and then realize you only use 4 sounds, or that it takes 2-4 moves to get to the sound you do like. Once I add all the options, in a few months, I hardwire my favorite settings on a Superswitch.

 

[freefrog]

For the record, an alternative to coil tapping is to use a switchable dummy coil. in parallel with an existing powerful pickup: it will divide the inductance and DCR and if it's properly done, these values will become those of a regular single coil... not to mention that it will allow a noiseless operation if the dummy coil is oriented and wired correctly.
As a dummy for a SSL5, I think that a cheapo P90 with ceramic mags should do the job: some of these things are wound with thinner wire and read around 13k. Pull off their mags, leave them with their pole pieces and keeper bar in order to keep a high inductance. It should work.

Or wire a cheapo 6k Fender style single coil (deprived of its ceramic mag) in series with a SSL1: the resistance witll rise to 12,5k, the inductance will reach 5H or more (knowing that a SSL5 reads around 6H)... and once again, it will allow a noise cancelling operation if the job is correctly done.

In both cases, It will sound a bit dull or thin because of the "inertia" of the dummy coil but with proper pots resistance and height settings, this downside can be largely compensated.

I've such things in two of my guitars. I've even an instrument hosting a dummy coil in series with some P90's PLUS another dummy coil in parallel with the whole thing in order to "fine tune" the resonant peaks: it makes my P90 noiseless and sounding like mini-humbuckers (that I have in another axe, to compare). I've also a single PU guitar with a dummy mounted between the two lugs of a no load tone pot: when this control is full up, the dummy is shorted for normal SC operation. From 9/10 to 0/10, the dummy coil is enabled AND the tone control is working...

IME, these are functional solutions, practically as valid as noiseless PU's and Ilitch coils that I use too: in any case, that's how I obtain versatile instruments but avoid hum and buzz with SC's on stage (making jealous my main ol' bandmate. LOL).

FWIW.

 

[stevie_bees]

Just go all the way and drop in a set of Antiquity Surfers with the slightly hotter bridge!

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

For the record, an alternative to coil tapping is to use a switchable dummy coil. in parallel with an existing powerful pickup: it will

<snip>

/QUOTE]

Way too complicated for me, probably won't fit in the SSS cavity I have, but thanks for the idea.

I already have a RWRP middle, so I get hum canceling in P2, P3, and P4 already. Not that I really need it, being not so much a rock god in my own bedroom, rather a rock god in the cupboard under my stairs

If I fitted a single coil sized humbucker in the bridge, I'd have a higher output, could auto coil split in P2, and have hum canceling in all but P5.

But then, it wouldn't be an SSS any longer.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Just go all the way and drop in a set of Antiquity Surfers with the slightly hotter bridge!

Oh help me, Rhonda!!!

 

[freefrog]

Way too complicated for me, probably won't fit in the SSS cavity I have, but thanks for the idea.

I already have a RWRP middle, so I get hum canceling in P2, P3, and P4 already. Not that I really need it, being not so much a rock god in my own bedroom, rather a rock god in the cupboard under my stairs

If I fitted a single coil sized humbucker in the bridge, I'd have a higher output, could auto coil split in P2, and have hum canceling in all but P5.

But then, it wouldn't be an SSS any longer.

What is complicated is my wording: writing fast, I write too much. ;-)

The solution itself is simple and it works: a single coil in parallel with a (proper) dummy coil still sounds like a SC. Noiseless operation is just the icing on the cake.

in series, it's less convincing but doesn't alter that much the tone, whatever urban legends say.

And regarding the cavity... If you can put yourself and your guitar gear in the cupboard under your stairs, you can certainly imagine that many things can be stuffed in a stock Strat: my instruments are full of fancy electronics and I haven't routed all of them. )

But I digress: do what you want and be happy, nothing else counts.