some pup suggestions (help please)

Kamanda~SD

Kamanda~SD

New member
OK, as many of you know, I was looking for S-C sized humbuckers for my strat, but I have found out that my guitar is routed s/s/h, and even though I prefer the look of s/s/s, I think a full sized humbucker is what I need to get the sound I want.
OK, so I'm pretty much back with all my options open so please help me out, heres what I'm looking for:

A pickup which has a really good beefy "crunch" to it but also SCREAMS when playing lead, and I also want it to have decent clarity and not get muddy under higher Gain.

I have a Fender Mexi Strat which I run through a Crybaby wah into a Marshall Valvestae combo. I use a moderate Gain level of around 4-6 most of the time.
I mostly play Classic Hard Rock, Metal, and blues and am mostly in standard tuning (this guitar will always be in standard because of the floating bridge) and some of my favourite bands (the type of music I like to play) are:
AC/DC
Iron Maiden
GnR
SRV
Clapton
Metallica
Ozzy
Hair Metal Bands
BTO
Pink Floyd
Van Halen
Boston
Skynrd
etc... and many more!! Thanks for anyones help, clips would be appreciated.


I was really looking into the '59 then thought I might want something with a little more ouput for when I use more gain. Then, "Wicked Lester" Talked about the custom and it really got me thinking about it, and then someone (I forget who) said the Custom5 is pretty much a '59 with more output. I was also looking at the JB but it seems to be lacking some "balls".

PLEASE help me out, I plan to make my purchase in just over a month (early September) and I am mostly looking at the '59, Custom, and Custom 5 .

Thanks


P.S. I was hoping on keeping my 250k pots, would this be okay with these humbuckers or should I go with 500K?? Also, my strat has a standard trem, should I got for regular or Trembucker??? Sorry for the long post.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

We are after a lot of the same sounds and I use a JB in the brdige, cruiser in middle and Cool rails to get almost all of these sounds off of my partker nightfly- I think you are correct to focus first on the Hum and I find the JB splits incredibly well with the cruiser- Extremely good quacky 2 position-The JB is very tight on bass, and breaks up just to the modern side of classic.

But could also understand if you wanted the custom in the bridge for the same sounds- I hear they split just as well, but it would probalby give you an overall warmer sound than JB depending on the wood- But either could make sense-
As far as pot value, the night fly is maple and I run 250s on it to take a bit of the bite out of it-

Good luck!
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Ok... I was just on "Stevo"'s site (PLEASE RESPOND!!!) and I LOVE the sound of the customs, so right now I'm goin for custom,custom custom, or custom-5. But I am still open to suggestions.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

I play all the same stuff you do and like all those bands you mentioned. If you want to cover all your grounds, Custom Custom. You will not be disappointed. I've had it in one of my guitars (homemade Strat style) with a Jazz in the neck and I could cover all sorts of stuff. It's great for blues, real nice for classic rock and it really cuts through with high gain metal. The mids are enhanced, the highs are sweet and the lows to me are just right.

Even though that is a standard trem, that doesn't mean standard spacing. Go with the trembucker version (TB-11) and change the volume to 500k but then again, your single coils may be too bright. Try it with 250k first.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Well quite honestly to nail ALL the tones you want it is going to be next to impossible unfortunately.

I'm going to group together your artists into 2 groups, high output pups, and vintage or low output pups. Beside each artist/s I'm going to put which pups send you in that direction

Vintage Output
AC/DC----59
GnR------Alnico 2 Pro (Slash) 59's (Izzy, or Gilby)
SRV------Vintage Staggered
Clapton---59's, or A2P (Cream and Mayall) Vintage Staggered for Strat stuff
BTO------I don't know what Randy Bachman used but Vintage anything will do
Pink Floyd-Vintage Staggered, or APS Staggered
Van Halen-Any PAF bucker is a step in the right direction
Skynyrd---Depending on song, and player Vintage stagger and any PAF bucker

High Output
Iron Maiden------Hot Rails, JBjr, JB, Super Distortion
Hair Metal Bands-JB, or Distortion
Boston----------Tom Scholz used a Super Distortion... a LOT
Metallica--------EMGs, or earlier stuff had Distortions
Ozzy------------Wylde has EMGs, Randy had Distortions

Now this should help you Zone in on what you want a bit more. Being you like guys who use more vintage style pups I'd probably go that direction if I was you, I can pull off heavier styles with my vintage style pups, but you gotta add a bit more gain....however altering your picking attack helps even more to give you the edge.

Hope that helps!

Luke
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Luke Duke said:
Well quite honestly to nail ALL the tones you want it is going to be next to impossible unfortunately.

I'm going to group together your artists into 2 groups, high output pups, and vintage or low output pups. Beside each artist/s I'm going to put which pups send you in that direction

Vintage Output
AC/DC----59
GnR------Alnico 2 Pro (Slash) 59's (Izzy, or Gilby)
SRV------Vintage Staggered
Clapton---59's, or A2P (Cream and Mayall) Vintage Staggered for Strat stuff
BTO------I don't know what Randy Bachman used but Vintage anything will do
Pink Floyd-Vintage Staggered, or APS Staggered
Van Halen-Any PAF bucker is a step in the right direction
Skynyrd---Depending on song, and player Vintage stagger and any PAF bucker

High Output
Iron Maiden------Hot Rails, JBjr, JB, Super Distortion
Hair Metal Bands-JB, or Distortion
Boston----------Tom Scholz used a Super Distortion... a LOT
Metallica--------EMGs, or earlier stuff had Distortions
Ozzy------------Wylde has EMGs, Randy had Distortions

Now this should help you Zone in on what you want a bit more. Being you like guys who use more vintage style pups I'd probably go that direction if I was you, I can pull off heavier styles with my vintage style pups, but you gotta add a bit more gain....however altering your picking attack helps even more to give you the edge.

Hope that helps!

Luke
Click to expand...
Randy Rhodes used Super Distortion also. You can hear it alot in some of his tones. BTW, great list of suggestion Luke! I just had to add one to it! :)
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Kamanda~SD, I really think the Custom will be the most versatile for all of the high power stuff and also the vintage bucker tone. I am not a pro with singles though. You may be able to get better suggestions from other members than I could give you about single coils.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

theodie said:
Randy Rhodes used Super Distortion also. You can hear it alot in some of his tones. BTW, great list of suggestion Luke! I just had to add one to it! :)
Click to expand...

Dave after Christian speaking SOOOO highly of you I will definitely not be put off/out/whatever for any suggestians you make! :)

Oh yeah, and thanks for the props!

Luke
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Ok, so maybe I should have said, "what allows me to cover all my grounds"...LOL

Good grouping, Luke.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Thanks guys!! I know I cant get ALL the tones...but I want something that is versitile, and as I said, I heard the soundclips of the Customs's and it sounds AMAZING!! So I think I might go Custom.. just which one though?? Although the '59 is still tempting. So I'm pretty much inbetween those, and how about the pots??
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Also, can someone(s) please tell me more aobut the following pickups and what it can do for me in the bridge pos. (sound characteristics etc...other than what the SD website says)
'59
custom
custom 5
custom custom

thank you...I hav narrowed it down to these 4.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Kamanda~SD said:
Thanks guys!! I know I cant get ALL the tones...but I want something that is versitile, and as I said, I heard the soundclips of the Customs's and it sounds AMAZING!! So I think I might go Custom.. just which one though?? Although the '59 is still tempting. So I'm pretty much inbetween those, and how about the pots??
Click to expand...

Like I said on the Fender Forum I'd put a 500k pot dedicated for the bridge pup tone.

Luke
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

LUKE!! you said this in the Fender Forum:
"Hey Kamanda, I'd buy a new pickguard, I think that your body is probably routed for buckers as well. Then get a JB (and keep the 250K pot), or CC and give it its dedicated tone pot.

For the HR, JBjr, and Lil 59 you should still be able to use your 250k's with little problem.

Luke"


Whats do you mean by dedicated tone pot.... I'm confused now..I also thought it was the volume pot that would be chaged from 250k - 500k.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

i dunno much bout strats, but maybe a JB in the bridge, and if they make a neck '59 thatd probly be the way to go IMO
 
Last edited:
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

I'd go Custom (SH-5). I had JBs and either Jazz or 59's in my jacksons and had a JB and 59 in my Bich when i got it. My Mockingbird had a Custom and a Jazz and it was by far what i was looking for. I had a LP Custom with EMGs in it at that time as well and i was disappointed i couldnt get the rich tone from the EMGs that i could with the Customs. BTW I'm totally not a fan of the JB.
 
Re: some pup suggestions (help please)

Kamanda~SD said:
Whats do you mean by dedicated tone pot.... I'm confused now..I also thought it was the volume pot that would be chaged from 250k - 500k.
Click to expand...

Use the second tone pot only for your bridge pup tone control. By having one 500K you get half of the benefit (slightly more output, and more high end) than two. I personally prefer 500Ks, but if I were in your situation I'd make my bridge tone control a 500k and leave the volume, and neck/middle 250. That will keep the other pups from sounding thin and tinny

Hope that helps!

Luke
 
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