Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

[papersoul]

Man guys...I recently bought my first strat and like it but can't seem to decide if singles are for me in the bridge slot. I am so much more familiar with big crunchy humbucker tones so it is a shift for me.

Any of you find the same thing and switched to a bridge single sized bucker or stack coil set up? I prefer noiseless as well.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

It was the same for me. I contemplated putting a single sized bucker in the bridge, but after advice from the good fellows in here I fitted a Twangbanger and am an extremely happy bunny. It's basically a beefier single with a Tele twang. I can get some pretty big sounds out of it.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

Stevie, does it retain some Strat single bridge like tones? Is it noiseless? I am looking noiseless as I hate hum. LOL.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

It's not noiseless, but I've sheilded my guitar so it's not really an issue. You get the Strat spank, with a bit extra. I use mine with 2 SSL-1's and it complements them very well.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I personally prefer buckers in the bridge. Whether it is clean or dirty I just prefer that extra crunch and beef that they have. I prefer singles in the neck though, so a Les Paul is out of the question.

...and thus, a S/S/H Strat is the best thing on the planet. Ever.

 

[Kev]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I personally prefer buckers in the bridge. Whether it is clean or dirty I just prefer that extra crunch and beef that they have. I prefer singles in the neck though, so a Les Paul is out of the question.

...and thus, a S/S/H Strat is the best thing on the planet. Ever.

So what does rob do, he buy a S/S/S strat :dance: :laugh2:

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

So what does rob do, he buy a S/S/S strat :dance: :laugh2:

I was young and naive back then!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

So what does rob do, he buy a S/S/S strat :dance: :laugh2:

Get a single-sized humbucker for the bridge, like the Little '59 or JB Jr. or one of the Rails. I personally like the Little '59 out of all the little buckers. It matches up well with the stock fender middle and neck pickups and sounds great clean or dirty.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

Get a single-sized humbucker for the bridge, like the Little '59 or JB Jr. or one of the Rails. I personally like the Little '59 out of all the little buckers. It matches up well with the stock fender middle and neck pickups and sounds great clean or dirty.

I heard that the JB Jr was quite thin. I was thinking more along the lines of Hot Rails. Or just switch the scatch to a proper full humbucker.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I heard that the JB Jr was quite thin. I was thinking more along the lines of Hot Rails. Or just switch the scatch to a proper full humbucker.

Can only swap the pickguard if the body has the pool route or if the bridge is routed for a humbucker. Some bodies come S-S-S routed so that needs to be looked at first.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

Can only swap the pickguard if the body has the pool route or if the bridge is routed for a humbucker. Some bodies come S-S-S routed so that needs to be looked at first.

2005 MIM Strat. Do you know whether they are suitably routed?

 

[ErikH]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

2005 MIM Strat. Do you know whether they are suitably routed?

Could be S-S-S. I don't know for sure though. Gotta open her up to be certain.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I heard that the JB Jr was quite thin. I was thinking more along the lines of Hot Rails. Or just switch the scatch to a proper full humbucker.

A couple of years ago I put a Hot Rails in the bridge and a JB Jr. in the neck of a Strat. The Hot Rails sounded great but seemed really overpowering next to the others.

When I was looking for something for the bridge of my 73' Strat (the original pickup was dead and a re-wind just never sounded right) I went with a Vintage Rails and have been extremely happy with how it sounds tonally next to the other pickups as well as with having just a little "extra" on there as well for output.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

If you're going to go with stock 6K to 6.6K neck and middle pickups, I'd go for the Twangbanger for the bridge pickup...as already suggested. It'll scream. It's one of the strongest bridge single coils I've ever used but it still sounds great when combined with the middle or neck pickup. A bridge humbucker will overpower vintage output single coils and will have such a differant tone that you might find it difficult to find one volume and tone setting on your amp that sounds great with both styles of pickups on one guitar. I'd get the Twangbanger. Lew

 

[papersoul]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

Lew, what are the stats onthose new Duncan Stacks? Will the bridge be hot and fat?

I have the Fender Hot Noiseless which are 10.5k but don't feel super hot.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I should compare the bridge Stack Plus to a Twangbanger. I did compare it to a 10K Antiquity Texas Hot Custom bridge and they seemed pretty comparable. The Stack Plus is a calibrated set, meaning the bridge pickup is wound stronger than the neck and middle pickups but wound hotter to balance volume wise more so than to overdrive the daylights out of your amp. But those pickups have a slightly fatter/thicker than vintage tone IMO...just a bit. I'll tell you: the Stack Plus pickups are pretty much the only pickups I've been playing this passed summer. I started out liking them alot and now find myself just liking them more and more. I think they're going to a HUGE hit when Duncan releases them and I'd like to see them release both sets I tried: one with flat poles and one with raised poles. Lew

 

[jayK]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I've got a Standard strat with a humbucker in the bridge & I love it.

I guess some people think it is a compromise but to me it still sounds like "a strat" but with more thickness & chunk, and you can still get that glassy, cutting tone.

If I had to choose one or the other I'd go bucker all the way. I think people tend to discount this option because it's not the so called "classic" setup of s/s/s/. If you prefer buckers overall, you'll probably prefer a strat with a bridge bucker.

 

[Coma]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I prefer singles in the neck though, so a Les Paul is out of the question.

LP with neck coil tap

 

[LiquidSky]

Re: Single or humbucker for Strat bridge?

I used to run a neck and bridge hot rail on my strat with some sort of Dimarzio in the middle position. I've pulled the Dimarzio out because I don't use the middle that much and also pulled out the bridge hot rail and put in a full-size JB. I love the rhythm tone chunk and harmonics that come out of that thing. The neck hot-rail took some tweaking but it compliments the JB wonderfully.