SSL-1 question

[freefrog]

Re: SSL-1 question

My own answer to some questions above.

I have a recent California set here. B, M and N pickups measure respectively 6,52k, 6,55k and 6.48k.

On the basis of these DCR readings, one might think that the mid PU is "hotter" than the others. That's not the case. Inductance readings in the same order are 2.64H, 2.61H, 2.55H. The bridge PU is thicker sounding, therefore.

FWIW and for example, 2,6H is the inductance of a real vintage L series mid PU that I've personally measured and whose DCR was 6,1k.

IOW: if the SSL-1's appear to have a high DCR, they are vintage correct when it comes to inductance, which is a far more important value. Their higher DCR just gives them a slightly lower Q factor (a slightly wider and smoother resonant peak). But it's really subtle and I've somewhere a screenshot where the resonant peaks of a SSL1 and a real vintage pickup stack almost exactly upon each others. If there's a difference, it's rather in the harmonics, richer with the hand wound vintage Fender pickups...

Is the SSL-1 on the "hot side" of the vintage range? IME yes. It's voiced "Duncan vintage": clear but warm among pickups of the same category (my Seymourized SH1's built by Seymour in 78 sound like that too). For this reason, I personally dislike SSL-1's with rosewood fretboards. But with maple necks, I find them convincing, sometimes stellar. Just my opinion.

A few other numbers that I've here (I've other specs in my archives but not enough time to search):

-APS1 bought in the 90's: 6,01k and 2,61H.
-RWRP mid SSL1 of the same era: 6.14k, 2.27H (only).
-The lowest and the highest real Fender vintage pickups that I've personally measured: 5.47k and 2.23H vs 6.6k and 2.83H. These are the opposite ends of the vintage spectrum in my limited experience.

That being said just to share my experiments - and a few memories: I've bought my first set of SSL1's more than 30 years ago... sigh!

 

[DreX]

Re: SSL-1 question

I think this is interesting also. What everything usually thinks of as a "hot wind" RDC is somehow able to produce vintage voicing in the SSL-1. Is scatter pattern or wire tension the reason?

I'm supposed to be getting a set of SSL-1s within the week. I have equipment to do a frequency/amplitude response analysis. I'll post a comparison between the SSL-1 and the new Fender Pure Vintage '59.

 

[uOpt]

Re: SSL-1 question

I have SSL-1s that have less wind and my strongest is 6.9K.

They still sound the same.

 

[kevin54]

Re: SSL-1 question

I put an SSL-1 in the neck of an old Chinese Squier Strat before It goes in my MIM Strat, and it sounds very rounded, smooth and glassy. I love them!

 

[Dr.J4ckal]

Re: SSL-1 question

My own answer to some questions above.

I have a recent California set here. B, M and N pickups measure respectively 6,52k, 6,55k and 6.48k.

On the basis of these DCR readings, one might think that the mid PU is "hotter" than the others. That's not the case. Inductance readings in the same order are 2.64H, 2.61H, 2.55H. The bridge PU is thicker sounding, therefore.

FWIW and for example, 2,6H is the inductance of a real vintage L series mid PU that I've personally measured and whose DCR was 6,1k.

IOW: if the SSL-1's appear to have a high DCR, they are vintage correct when it comes to inductance, which is a far more important value. Their higher DCR just gives them a slightly lower Q factor (a slightly wider and smoother resonant peak). But it's really subtle and I've somewhere a screenshot where the resonant peaks of a SSL1 and a real vintage pickup stack almost exactly upon each others. If there's a difference, it's rather in the harmonics, richer with the hand wound vintage Fender pickups...

Is the SSL-1 on the "hot side" of the vintage range? IME yes. It's voiced "Duncan vintage": clear but warm among pickups of the same category (my Seymourized SH1's built by Seymour in 78 sound like that too). For this reason, I personally dislike SSL-1's with rosewood fretboards. But with maple necks, I find them convincing, sometimes stellar. Just my opinion.

A few other numbers that I've here (I've other specs in my archives but not enough time to search):

-APS1 bought in the 90's: 6,01k and 2,61H.
-RWRP mid SSL1 of the same era: 6.14k, 2.27H (only).
-The lowest and the highest real Fender vintage pickups that I've personally measured: 5.47k and 2.23H vs 6.6k and 2.83H. These are the opposite ends of the vintage spectrum in my limited experience.

That being said just to share my experiments - and a few memories: I've bought my first set of SSL1's more than 30 years ago... sigh!

That's very informative, thanks!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: SSL-1 question

Don't get too hung up on the resistance readings. They are a bit higher than the antiques on which they are based, but that is probably to compensate for something in the old pickups that is not feasible to profitably reproduce today. For instance, the qualities of the materials used back then and now might be impossible to perfectly match without doing extensive and costly R&D and custom manufacturing. The important thing is that they are matched pretty closely for tone, regardless of the fact that they are not exactly matched in every technical specification and material.

Bottom line for me is: they sound like pretty classic Strat pickups...though I would say that tone-wise, they lean toward the hotter end of what came in actual '60's Strats.

If you want that super-sterile, super-clean, low-output, tinny/metallic Strat sound, track down a set of Fender CS '54's. I've had a set in and out of who knows how many Strats over the past 10-12 years or so. It's a set I'll always own, regardless of what guitars I have at the moment. Nothing I've ever found does that '50's sound as well as they do. And the ironic thing is that because they are so clean and clear, they are actually some of the most amazing sounding pickups out there for using heavy distortion while maintaining treble and clarity (while a '60's-style Strat pickup like the SSL-1 will get a mushier with distortion - more sizzle, less zing than the CS '54's).

All that being said, your amp and its settings, pedals and their settings (if you have them), speakers, and your style and technical ability are really far more influential in your tone than the hairs we split here between coil windings or whatever else. If you put a fairly classic style Strat pickup in a Strat, play '60's songs with it, with amps/settings that sound '60's, and play in a '60's style with '60's production values, your sound is gonna sound classic '60's. Some hundreds of turns of wire here, or a slightly different magnet alloy there are not gonna make or break a classic tone. SSL-1's are perfectly good at getting you close enough to do the rest, regardless of the technical specs. Getting it truly authentic sounding is really 90% up to you.