Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

[Quencho092]

I really like my strat, but after playing with it for a year, i've found the positions that sound really good, and those that dont sound that great. The only 3 positions that i use are neck and bridge (tele style), neck, and neck and middle. So i'm gonna dump the bridge pickup in exchange for a classy humbucker.

I'm looking for the nicest clean sounding bridge humbucker out there. Just something that has character to the sound, not sounding 'stock'. Which pickup has the most characteristic tone, low output? A 'quirky' sound, i guess?I use a blackface deluxe reverb, so which pickup would sound great clean through the amp, with minimal bridge pickup 'harshness'?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

If you're going to keep the 250k pots, try the Pearly Gates.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

I'd recommend the 59trembucker its works great for my cleans and it one of low output pickups.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

'59 or Jazz for clarity. I'm gonna get a Brobucker for my Strat.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

I use the 59 Trembucker, Custom Custom Trembucker and Custom Trembucker in my three single bridge HB Strats and love them all. I'm especially partial to the Custom Custom but if it's sparkle and cleanish tone you want go for the 59 TB...but crank it up through a Marshall and you'll also get killer Clapton/Cream and EVH type tones. Lew

 

[walt]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

I personally like the 59 in the duncan family and the virtual vintage pafs from dimarzio, cant go wrong with either IMHO

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

I think the 59 is an amazing clean bridge pickup in strat style guitars. It's very pretty and balanced-sounding. Not too much boomy low end, not too much spikey high end, and very pretty, natural mids. The output is also very nice for matching with single coils. However, because it's so balanced-sounding, it might not meet your "quirky" requirement (whatever that means).

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

by quirky i just mean something that has character to it, not your typical cliche humbucker sound. As in a telecaster has a characteristic tone that is different from other guitars, or a rickenbacker has that sort of tone that is not typical. I'm just looking for something that sounds interesting and useable for clean blues type stuff in the bridge of a strat.

So seth lovers would be too dark with 250k pots?

 

[flank]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

by quirky i just mean something that has character to it, not your typical cliche humbucker sound. As in a telecaster has a characteristic tone that is different from other guitars, or a rickenbacker has that sort of tone that is not typical. I'm just looking for something that sounds interesting and useable for clean blues type stuff in the bridge of a strat.

So seth lovers would be too dark with 250k pots?

I have a Seth Lover neck for sale. It might be an interesting sound in the bridge position. I dont know about 250k pots with Seths, it might sound pretty good

 

[nuntius]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

Why not look at a P90 instead? Bridge humbuckers never sound all that great clean to me.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

Jazz Bridge. It balances well with single coils, is balanced in all the frequencies, has the open highs like a single coil, but also has killer overdriven tone.
It's the sleeper in the Duncan line........I would have never tried it if it weren't for the Jazz's biggest proponent....JOLLY!!!

Even though mine isn't tremspaced, it lines up pretty good on a US strat. I have mine with 2 Ant. Surfers.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Slightly Overhauling my Strat-what's a good bridge pickup?

same exact setup as mine!

I guess it would be a good idea!