Replacing The Stock Humbucker On My Fat Strat?

[newdorplane]

Environmental noise is real.

Certain appliances can cause line noise, especially ceiling fans or lamps with dimmers. Try turning them off, or better yet, get an extension cord and plug into different power zones in your house (on different breakers). You may find certain outlets have less noise. You may find that the noise varies based on time of day.

Noise can also be caused by proximity to computers.

There are various products designed to provide clean power or filter noise.

Ground loops are solved by a Hum Eliminator (or copy). Line noise can be solved with a Hum X or Trip Lite Isolator, or even a large enough UPS.

Then of course there is proper wiring and grounding in guitar.

As a guitarist you really need to learn all this. Get a ground loop isolator and HumX to keep in your bag. If you have a home studio fixed installation, a Trip Lite.

Also, there is noise radiated by your body. You sometimes will need to ground your body. You can do this by running a wire from the input ground of your amp and wrap it around your ankle (or some other scheme). This can be invaluable when recording.

So many tricks, you need to know them all. Noise does not mean there is a wiring problem in your guitar, in fact usually it is something else. If there is a guitar ground problem, when you touch the bridge or controls, the noise will not go away.

Your post was very helpful...thanks you for sharing your knowledge and time.

****

I sottered everything together today, and the problem improved some, but it's still irritating. So I inadvertently touched something on my Yamaha THR10 amp, and the problem stopped. It's the amp, not the guitar.

Again, thanks to all who increased my knowledge base.

 

[Top-L]

Your post was very helpful...thanks you for sharing your knowledge and time.

****

I sottered everything together today, and the problem improved some, but it's still irritating. So I inadvertently touched something on my Yamaha THR10 amp, and the problem stopped. It's the amp, not the guitar.

Again, thanks to all who increased my knowledge base.

As a workaround, you can take a piece of wire, wrap it around the input jack, and then wrap the other end around your ankle, so you are grounded to the amp.

 

[Ahpook]

Hello Y'all:

I have a MIM Fat Strat, and I hate the humbucker that came with the guitar. What do I hate about it? It's a little too hot; it's way too bright; it has *no* bottom end, and it's too buzzy. My Strat has an alder body and a maple neck, and a vintage tremolo.

I have spent a lot of time listening to different pickups, and I like the Custom Custom's mid and upper range; it's perfect. Down low, however, it seems a little compressed and a little lacking, and that's where my concern lies. That said, I like that the pickup is "clean;" I don't like the distortion coming out of many pickups, and I am afraid that a JB might be a little too bright in my Strat, and a little too crunchy (for *my* tastes).

My ultimate pickup would be a standard Custom Custom, with the bottom end aggression of a '78.

What sound am I looking for? I don't want something as heavy as Jake E. Lee; for my tastes something like Eddie Van Halen's tone up until '91 or so, and Neal Schon/Journey, would be perfect.

The JB has the bottom end fullness that I am looking for, if a little too full, plus it's a little too crunchy (for *me*); it also doesn't sing like the Custom Custom. Likewise, the Pearly Gates pickup sounds nice and balanced down low and lower middle, but I love the middle and top end of the Custom Custom.

What is my concern? I love the sound of vinyl versus the sound of CD's. CD's, to me, are a little too compressed, and I have a concern (although it may be unwarranted - I have only heard a Custom Custom on youtube), that a Custom Custom might be a little too compressed for my liking.

Thoughts?

I have a Custom Custom in a Strat. I am kind of all over the place with it. I like it for leads, but riffing it gets a bit muddy. It may be my particular guitar or even the amp. I play through a Marshall DSL head and a 4x with V30's.

Pretty well set that it will be replaced with a JB or something similar.

Good luck

 

[Mincer]

I have a Custom Custom in a Strat. I am kind of all over the place with it. I like it for leads, but riffing it gets a bit muddy. It may be my particular guitar or even the amp. I play through a Marshall DSL head and a 4x with V30's.

Pretty well set that it will be replaced with a JB or something similar.

Good luck

You might try replacing the magnet with a ceramic or an alnico 5, which changes the EQ of the pickup a lot. A ceramic magnet turns it into a Custom, and an alnico 5 turns it into a Custom 5. Your mids won't be as present, but you with get huge tight lows.

 

[jeremy]

a magnet swap is very effective with the custom wind and magnets are cheap. c8 is loved by some, uoa5 by others... its worth it to spend some time with it before ya buy another pup

 

[newdorplane]

As a workaround, you can take a piece of wire, wrap it around the input jack, and then wrap the other end around your ankle, so you are grounded to the amp.

Excellent suggestion...thanks

 

[newdorplane]

I have a Custom Custom in a Strat. I am kind of all over the place with it. I like it for leads, but riffing it gets a bit muddy. It may be my particular guitar or even the amp. I play through a Marshall DSL head and a 4x with V30's.

Pretty well set that it will be replaced with a JB or something similar.

Good luck

Before I went with the CC, I was also thinking of the Pearly Gates or the EVH frankenstein. The Frankenstein isn't available in white (unless you order it custom, which is too pricey)...I am still wondering about how the PG would sound.

I wish you luck in your search

 

[Mincer]

The PG wouldn't have the compression on the CC or EVH. You'd have to get the compression from preamp gain or a stand-alone pedal.

 

[Flores_68]

It's not exactly the EVH or Journey tone, but a Slash Al 2 pickup on the bridge will give you a lot of versatility.

 

[PDC]

I noticed The Whole Lotta Humbucker was recommended earlier in this thread, and I am surprised that it does not get more love on this forum. I saw a short leg trem spaced Whole Lotta on Reverb a while back and snapped it up. It just sounds great across the entire tonal spectrum. Very nicely balanced lows, mids and highs. Firm bottom, full mids, smooth high end. Lots of string separation / articulation. Cleans up nicely with the volume. Add a touch of boost in front of the amp and you can play leads all day. I think it’s my favorite SD offering.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Replacing The Stock Humbucker On My Fat Strat?



I want to thank you for both your time and patience; I am not into that modern metal stuff, so the CC sounds like it would suit my style perfectly.

It is really a remarkable pickup, and one of my favorites, too.