Squier contemporary hh fr pickups swap?

[satch24]

Hi

I recently get a squier contemporary hh fr in metallic green. Very nice guitar but the squier sqr atomic are not my kind: Harsh and no personnality. So i'd like to change the bridge pup for the moment.

My choices are:
- schaller 2in1 (old 80 pup)
- the famous tb4
- tb 11 custom custom
- tb 14 custom 5
- dimarzio fred
- tonerider panama
- tonerider generator.

It would be to play mostly 89/90 hair metal (dokken, ratt, def leppard, danger danger...), a bit of Metallica.
I know the tb4 since i got one in a jackson dk2m, same for the fred in a ibanez JS.
I wonder if the tb11 can handle high gain and have good clean?

Now gentlemen please share your opinions, reviews and advices

 

[Mincer]

The TB-11 has fantastic cleans, and a lot of mids, which is fantastic for a 1 guitar band. The Custom 5, on the other hand, has opposite EQ, no mids at all, and sounds harsher clean. The TB-11, however, isn't as tight in the bass. Also check out the Screamin' Demon, too.

 

[Teleplayer]

Go for the Fred. I reckon it will work in the Squier with the roasted maple neck. If your guitar turns out to be super warm and have excessive mids, then switch to the SH-14 Custom 5 and roll off some top-end using the tone knob.

I’m not sure if the SH-11 is normally good in a poplar body Strat. Not likely to have good cleans IMO.

 

[Mincer]

I use my 2 TB-11s in alder. The cleans are great there, but I had a poplar guitar that was naturally middy (not all poplar is).

 

[AdrianSD]

Hi

I recently get a squier contemporary hh fr in metallic green. Very nice guitar but the squier sqr atomic are not my kind: Harsh and no personnality. So i'd like to change the bridge pup for the moment.

My choices are:
- schaller 2in1 (old 80 pup)
- the famous tb4
- tb 11 custom custom
- tb 14 custom 5
- dimarzio fred
- tonerider panama
- tonerider generator.

It would be to play mostly 89/90 hair metal (dokken, ratt, def leppard, danger danger...), a bit of Metallica.
I know the tb4 since i got one in a jackson dk2m, same for the fred in a ibanez JS.
I wonder if the tb11 can handle high gain and have good clean?

Now gentlemen please share your opinions, reviews and advices

What's the guitar like, tone wise? On the brighter, or the darker side? Since you have both the JB and the Fred already, you can try them first. You can also look at TB-5 and TB-6, both can do what you want quite well, they are classics alongside the JB and the DMZ Super Distortion for good reasons.
Not sure about the TB-11 for Metallica.

 

[satch24]

The TB-11 has fantastic cleans, and a lot of mids, which is fantastic for a 1 guitar band. The Custom 5, on the other hand, has opposite EQ, no mids at all, and sounds harsher clean. The TB-11, however, isn't as tight in the bass. Also check out the Screamin' Demon, too.

The screamin demon is very hard to find in second hand market. I only find one and it's a sh12 not a tb12

 

[satch24]

Go for the Fred. I reckon it will work in the Squier with the roasted maple neck. If your guitar turns out to be super warm and have excessive mids, then switch to the SH-14 Custom 5 and roll off some top-end using the tone knob.

I’m not sure if the SH-11 is normally good in a poplar body Strat. Not likely to have good cleans IMO.

I like the Fred but i'm not sure it's a good rythm pickup.i like it in lead but not sure for a guitar used in rythm and a little bit in lead

 

[satch24]

What's the guitar like, tone wise? On the brighter, or the darker side? Since you have both the JB and the Fred already, you can try them first. You can also look at TB-5 and TB-6, both can do what you want quite well, they are classics alongside the JB and the DMZ Super Distortion for good reasons.
Not sure about the TB-11 for Metallica.

Honestly i don't want to remove the JB or the Fred of others guitare just for a review.

TB 5 i don't like it..i found it lacks of warmth. Tb6 i'm afraid the cleans would be bad.

 

[AdrianSD]

Honestly i don't want to remove the JB or the Fred of others guitare just for a review.

TB 5 i don't like it..i found it lacks of warmth. Tb6 i'm afraid the cleans would be bad.

TB-6 cleans are pretty average in humbucker mode, but split is ok and wired in parallel it sounds quite nice. But I don't play clean on the bridge pickup.

 

[jeremy]

the distortion cleans are pretty lame in series imnsho, parallel is much better.