SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

alanfc

alanfc

New member
So I've confirmed, after trying about 60 + Les Pauls over the last 3 months,
that I can't wear those darn things (or atleast not enjoy them). But they look really good when I wear em. But thats the way it goes. 25 years of Strat types I guess.

So back to my main Strat... I want to take really good care of it now, take it in for a fret inspection and possible work, and get serious with the Bridge pickup.

I'm currently with an SD Hotrails. After having tried:
-JB Jr. (harsh and muddy at the same time !)
-Lil 59 (low output, may come back to it)
-TX Special (came with the guitar, noisy)
-Custom Custom (no pot change), muddy
-SD Screamin Demon with hex polepieces (yowch)
-SD S. Demon replacing hexes with filisters (a little better)
The Hotrails is just sitting in there now since I'm so tired of changing.

I know that even with these pickups above, I got a satisfactory Pos. 2 sound live, not obsessing about that.
But the Bridge position, alone, thats what I use the most.
NO distortion or OD pedals.

I loved the ALnico 2 of the Custom Custom, but too muddy sometimes. I like the TX Specials for clarity but there was the SC noise, which I know is Stratty but I don't want it. (maybe I just want 500k pots and put back in the CC ? )

I know theres a few Noiseless pickup threads in here but I wanted to rant a bit frustrated myself too.
I like the single coil clarity but don't want the hashy unfocused sound with overdriven tones. And this is with setting my amp right too. Low on the preamp gain and high on the master.

Noiseless SC Candidates-I want nearly "high" output since I WILL NOT use an OD pedal.. :

Lace Sensor Reds
Dimarzio Solo
Kinman HX85
Fralin P92

Can you think of any others? Can you have clarity without decapitating the front row?
More importantly, can you tell me if you've used them and what were your results? How would you compare them, purely on output, to any fullsize or SC sized humbuckers you've tried.

Thanks
 
Re: SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

i dont know how much output you are going for since i am more of a vintage output guy...but the lace sensor reds are really hot pups for SC. may be ideal for the bridge by the sounds of what you are looking for but i wouldnt go for them in all positions.

personally i love the lace sensors in general. they are ceramic but they still sound really organic and sweet. they have a huge selection of outputs so im sure you could find a combo that suits you. advantage is that they are pretty much noiseless. i have a set of the hot golds in my strat, which is star grounded, and they are quieter than most of my humbucker guitars.

personally, my fave OD sound, if you arent using pedals and have a two+ channel amp, comes from using lower output pups and setting one of the channels on the amp to be seriously overdriven ala clapton style (i know thats not the exact way he does it but the effect is the same)

i generally stay away from dimarzio pups, i havent found one yet that sounded organic enough for me, but to be fair i havent tried many. fralins are always a good bet, but it all depends on your taste. im not familiar with the other ones you listed.

what kind of stuff do you play and what sound are you going for?

EDIT: back to the lace sensors....for the bridge position check out their dually pups...they can add a huge range of sounds to an axe
 
Re: SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

scottish said:
i dont know ...............................
to an axe
Click to expand...

OK thanks I'm going to think about this awhile (for once). I actually was thinking of only bridge but I may go with a whole set of something too indeed.

Sounds- I love Neil Geraldo's alot,
but I also like Rush and Van Halen. My band's songs are a sort of cross between RH Chili Peppers and Rush (hobby band).
I'm sure someone will come on and tell me Geraldo used all old-school
Strat PUPs and thats fine... I may end up going that way.
I have read alot about these Kinman "Woodstock" Sets. He's even got one that has a slightly hotter bridge.

Benjy- I'll look those EMG's up

thanks guys
 
Re: SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

Dual bladed Bill Lawrence L250s. Good luck finding them and if they pop up on Ebay you have competition. ;)
 
Re: SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

i feel your pain.

if you can hold off for a bit i'm gonna post a a good sized review and sound clips of my strat with a chopper and fast track 1. not quite done with the install and i'm trapped at work. i've been through my fair share of the mini humbuckers as well.
 
Re: SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

Ok, since you run your amp with low preamp gain but high on the master, you're pretty much setting it up the old fashioned way, pre-master volume amp era. If you want a hot pickup that will clean up well, and push the amp enough to get you some grind, and remain clear. You need to try the DiMarzio Super Distortion. Get it in there, set the treble side about a nickel thickness away from the strings and the bass side about two nickels thickness away. You may want to put in a 500k pot for the volume, no tone, and hook up the tone controls to the neck and middle singles, leaving them at 250k.

I use the SuperD in one of my Strats. It sounds incredible and just makes that guitar so fun to play. I'm amazed at how well it cleans up actually. But the magic isn't in the number of winds. That pickup is actually wound low compared to other hot pickups. It gets its power from the magnet. It's clear and powerful.

I've tried the Red Lace Sensor before. Didn't last long. Muddy is the first thing that comes to my mind. It's my least favorite of the Lace Sensors.
 
Last edited:
Re: SC PUPS and overdrive/Strat

Upon listening more to these 3 (JB Jr. HotRails LIL 59) I'm thinking the LIL 59 is the closest I have on hand to try again. I will try it again.
(as I shop for new singles :) )
 
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