SSL-1 vs. Custom 54

[studio3157]

Good morning friends.
This is to say hello and ask according to his knowledge pudding help me solve some doubts.
In the catalog of Seymour Duncan what is the pickups that has most brightness?. I want a vintage sound with enough high frequencies, mids just to give presence and low frequency within normal. I really want a typical sound stratocaster 50s. It is forever use with clean sounds, I do not care much use distortions.
I was thinking about the Set Califonia 50s (SSL-1). They think it's a good decision?
Right now I have the pickups Fender Custom 54 but would like something more shine. My guitar is a Fender Stratocaster with alder body and rosewood fingerboard.
Some of you have compared the SSL-1 with Fender Custom 54 ?, which one is brighter?
I will be grateful before their answers.

 

[DreX]

Re: SSL-1 vs. Custom 54

Whenever someone likes the pickups they have, but merely want more or less bass or treble, it's a lot cheaper to try changing the vol pot first. If you want more sparkle and shine out of the Custom '54, try changing the 250K vol put to a 500K.

I just got a set of the SSL-1's, and they sound great, befitting their reputation and a bit more rich than most of the Fender sets I have, but I don't think they're much brighter, necessarily. The brightest I've tried is the Fender CS '96, but it comes at the expense of mids and versatility.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: SSL-1 vs. Custom 54

54's and ssl1's are both nice pickups and will chime for days. Whats your amp?

 

[freefrog]

Re: SSL-1 vs. Custom 54

IME, Cs 54's have more chime than SSL1's (which are more "L Series slightly overwound single coils"). I love SSL1's (I use them since the 80's) but I wouldn't use them for that Strat sound from the fifties.

+1 about the pots: using 500k instead of 250k is a simple and effective way to obtain more brightness from such PU's.

And don't forget the capacitive effect of your cable: you can adjust the amount of sparkle of any passive pickup JUST by modifying the capacitance between your guitar and your amp (typically, 1m of cable = 150pf; each added meter dulls the sound, unless you use "low capacitance" wires).

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: SSL-1 vs. Custom 54

Some of the "sparkle" of a Fifties style Stratocaster is contributed by its comparatively meaty, all-maple neck. The midrange frequency content is a product of the ash body. The finishing touch is the stamped steel bridge saddles.

In plain English, the alder body and skinny maple/rosewood neck guitar is the wrong starting point.

 

[Farkus]

Re: SSL-1 vs. Custom 54

Some of the "sparkle" of a Fifties style Stratocaster is contributed by its comparatively meaty, all-maple neck. The midrange frequency content is a product of the ash body. The finishing touch is the stamped steel bridge saddles.

In plain English, the alder body and skinny maple/rosewood neck guitar is the wrong starting point.

I agree for the most part. Rosewood sounds too mellow to me for a 50's strat tone but that's probably just my OCD. The thing is playing clean all the small differences do play more of a role; to my ears when you pile on the gain the fretboard wood is less of a factor.

SSL's are great pickups but are a little beefier than most Fender vintage offerings. I find the SSL-1 to have plenty of high end though.

Changing the volume pot to 500k is an option too but it made the sound too brittle to me. I'm really not a fan of that, but that's really personal preference. You may love it.


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