SRV strat project - which PUs?

[Baltar]

i woke up this morning and realized, that i still have no srv-stratcopy:laugh2:

i always wanted to build me somehting in that direction and my 4th electric
should either be a tele or my 4th strat - a srv kinda strat.

i wonder which seymour duncan pu would be the best equipment for
that project

i also think about necks - which neck would you take? get an old 60s
fender neck used, get an v-type fender neck used or buy a warmoth
srv-type neck?

cheers
martin

 

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

i'm doing the same kinda thing, but i'm putting the new Noiseless pickups in that just came out, and getting a Celestion Speaker for my Laney amp.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Alder body
maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
3 Antiquity Surfers

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

So you would pick the Surfer's over the TH's for the added clarity? I'm just going to have to get another strat so I can A/B them now! Thanks Christian, more GAS!

Alder body
maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
3 Antiquity Surfers

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Alder body
maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
3 Antiquity Surfers

That's right. You could go for the Duncan SSL-1 California 50's set too and save a few bucks...but I like the Ant Surfers better, especially the Ant Surfer Custom bridge pickup which is a little hotter and "better" sounding.

SRV used vintage Strat alnico 5 pickups with raised and staggered polepieces. Those are a little bit glassy and bright, with nice deep bass.

The Surfers or the SSL-1's will fill the bill for that tone.

If you want something with a little bit thickertone with more mids you might also like the APS-1 or APS-2 or Antiquity Texas Hots...but those are alnico 2 pickups and NOT clones of what SRV would've used.

The SSL-1's are...and the Surfers are fabulous!



Lew

 

[gt5litre]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

SRV used vintage Strat alnico 5 pickups with raised and staggered polepieces. Those are a little bit glassy and bright, with nice deep bass.

Lew are you gonna use the same string gauges that SRV used? I know I would not use large gauge strings like SRV; my hands and finger would and up like hamburger. If you are going to use 9s or 10s consider that into the sonic equation.

gt5litre

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Antiquity Surfers in all 3 positions for the SRV Thang...Couldn't agree more!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Lew are you gonna use the same string gauges that SRV used? I know I would not use large gauge strings like SRV; my hands and finger would and up like hamburger. If you are going to use 9s or 10s consider that into the sonic equation.

gt5litre

Heck no...I can't play with strings that heavy on my electric guitars...although I use a .012 - 56 set on my acoustic guitars and an even heavier set on my metal bodied resonators.

Even SRV used to tear the callous off his fingers occassionaly and have to superglue them back on again. (No kidding!)

I use a .010 - .046 set on my electrics.

Still...alnico 5 Surfers or SSL-1's are the way to go for SRV tone.

Plus a JCM-800 Marshall, a Dumble and a matched pair of Vibro-Verb amps...and more soul than any two of us SRV wanabes combined! :laugh2:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

So you would pick the Surfer's over the TH's for the added clarity? I'm just going to have to get another strat so I can A/B them now! Thanks Christian, more GAS!

I've tried them both in the same Strat. The Surfers have that chimey, glassy treble and big deep bass that's needed to nail the tones on tunes like Lenny, Riviera Paradise, etc.

The Texas Hots are killer, but they have a warmer tone with more mids. They'll do the glassy clean thing too, but not quite as authenticly as the Surfers.

The Texas Hots are smoother and thicker and easier on the ears though...

 

[Baltar]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

great feedback - thank you :wave:

so the antiquity surfers should do the thing - great.

i tried out lotsa gauges. i use now 11-48 on all my strats.
they are well-balanced and heavy enough for my taste.
in an interview srv said, that he's using a guitar with 11s,
when his fingers are sore

but perhaps i try 12s again when my srv-strat is done.

btw did you ever check eg the srv dvd? steve's nr1
by far doesn't look like the copy fender is selling.
at first view i'd say his lefty trem wasn't gold and the
srv-letters are some gleamy sticker instead of engraved

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

So you would pick the Surfer's over the TH's for the added clarity? I'm just going to have to get another strat so I can A/B them now! Thanks Christian, more GAS!

Ryan, SRV used stock Fender pickups and like Lew said that means, Alnico 5 magnets and staggered poles, it has also become pretty common knowledge that he prefered pickups in the range of 6k. If you hear a tone comming from Stevie that sounds like Alnico II pickups it's due to heavy guage strings, slightly tuning down, the use of a tubescreamer and or a combination of all 3! If you really wanted to get as close as possible to an SRV vibe Antiquity Surfers w/o the custom bridge would be the closest that Duncan offers...SSL-1's would do quite well as well.

 

[MDS]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Keep in mind SRV tuned down, so the tension was a lot less than you might think. He had monster hands, no doubt, but you could put 12s on and tune down and it wouldn't feel too bad and you'd be closer to Stevie's vibe...

Mike

 

[Quencho092]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

quick hijack-how did SRV get such a powerful 'wail' when he played the licks for 'the sky is crying'? Was it an extremely powerful pick attack?

 

[fuzzyratfarts]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

I HIGHLY recommend getting in touch with Michael Gray of Chubtone pickups...email him at mgray55@hotmail.com. You want a 63 set...Inexpensive, handwound, great guy to deal with...AMAZING tone, superb sound and quality. Give him an email, its DEFINITELY worth looking into.

 

[ErikH]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Part of SRV's fatness in his tone was not just his setup, but the thick strings he used. A lot of people try to get that tone using .009-.042 gauge strings through vintage A5 magnet pickups and in to a Fender with a Tubescreamer and it just doesn't sound as fat. Well, it won't. On my Strat I even notice a dramatic difference going from .009's to .010's. Now imagine going to .012's. YIKES!! This is why the SRV signature Strat comes with Texas Specials. Although they are A5 staggered pickups, they are a lot hotter than what SRV used. This helps the normal everyday player who uses .009's get that fat tone without having to use suspension bridge cables for strings.

If I was looking to get on the ballpark of that tone, I'd be getting some Texas Specials because I use thinner strings that SRV used and I'd want that fatness in the tone that they'll give me.

 

[Baltar]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

*yippie*
today i was lucky. from my local guitar doc i bought a 96 strat neck
(with a proffessional repaired headplate crack) for 90 EURos.
I think it's a good deal.
The alder body is already ordererd, i can't wait to put her together. :dance:

First i'll try the SSL-1 PUs.
They are quite cheap, and worth a try.

 

[joelap]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

The SRV tone is as much in his attack and vibrato of the instrument as it is in the instrument itself!

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

Yes, his tone is due to his fingers, chops and mojo. That's ok. :beerchug:

But some pickups help suckers like me to get close to his tone. My experience tells me that you'd need an alder strat with a maple/rosewood thick neck (and at least 0.11-0.56 strings) and either of the following set of strat pickups:

1. Van Zandt blues bridge and Van Zandt Vintage + neck and middle;

2. Ant II surfers

3. Fralin Blues bridge and vintage hot neck and middle.

B

 

[Baltar]

Re: SRV strat project - which PUs?

i know it's the fingers, but for fun i'll build my own nr 1 copy with
some variations by taste.

0.11-0.56 strings

i already tried that. the half-step down tuning is not useable for
011 strings - feels to soft. barely usable

i try out d'addario 012-054 XL strings on my nr1 copy next.
i couldn't find any senseful 013-056 set in the shops
any ideas?