SSL-5 Custom Staggered Strat in the Neck/Middle Positions?

[ErikH]

I'm contemplating switching up the pickup configuration on my latest Warmoth build and going from HH to HSS. I love the Custom Custom in the bridge so that is not going anywhere. When I did the Pickup Finder, one of the sets it recommended is Custom Custom with a SSL-5 in the neck and middle. It peaked my interest as I've only ever seen folks use the SSL-5 in the bridge and for the sheer fact that it has higher output that would match the Custom Custom better. So, does/has anyone use/used the SSL-5 in the neck/middle positions? What is/was your experience?

And this Strat is the typical alder body, maple neck/fingerboard (but roasted), vintage style 6-screw trem, Kluson style tuners. I was thinking of going all SSL-1's or SSL-5 with SSL-1's (the Gilmour setup), but I love the CC too much to stop using it in this guitar.

 

[ErikH]

Another combination that came up was the CC with an APS-1/2 in the neck/middle.

 

[GuitarStv]

I don't know if I'd put an SSL-5 or 6 in the neck position. It's a very thick, middy pickup with rolled off highs. That's why it works so well in a strat bridge . . . but those qualities would suck at the neck unless you're mostly planning to use it with higher gain settings. I'd think that the APS will get much better cleans.

FWIW, I really like the Gilmour setup. The neck, neck/mid, and mid positions all work great clean, everything is good overdriven, and the SSL-5 in the bridge handles higher gain duties well (although it'll hum). There's not a huge volume bump going from bridge to neck either.

 

[ErikH]

Yeah, that was my initial thought too about the 5/6. I had used a SSL-6 in the past and I remember it being pretty hot. I'm thinking I'd like the APS better. Would probably wire it with a 500K volume, 250K master tone. I use those values with the CC now and it sounds perfectly fine.

 

[Benjy_26]

I've played them paired with a JB in the bridge. It's a darker, more mid focused strat tone, but it works well enough if your amp has enough headroom to stay clean or if you're more interested in using it as a dirty lead sound.

One option would be to stick a SSL-1/2 in the middle or APS for cleaner, quackier notch sounds while keeping thicker tones in the neck and bridge for lead tones.

 

[ErikH]

That’s another good option. Gives me some ideas to think about.

 

[jeremy]

i like the ssl6 with 500k pots in the neck matched with a bucker in the bridge, its thick and not a vintage strat tone but i think it sounds great. an aps2 with 500k volume and 250k tone is gonna be bright and wimpy compared to the cc in the bridge

 

[ErikH]

I’ve even tossed around using the Classic Stack Plus, Vintage Hot Stack Plus, or the Custom Stacks. I loved the Classic Stack Plus when I had them in another Strat, which was sold some years ago.

 

[jeremy]

i like the cs+ pups for sure, i prefer the vintage hot stack plus in the bridge over the cs+ bridge though. the custom stack is similar to the ssl5/6 but the singles do have a bit more open top end

 

[CK71]

Another option would be the SSL-52. They are really balanced and work well if you intend on splitting the CC.

 

[Benjy_26]

i like the ssl6 with 500k pots in the neck matched with a bucker in the bridge, its thick and not a vintage strat tone but i think it sounds great. an aps2 with 500k volume and 250k tone is gonna be bright and wimpy compared to the cc in the bridge

Wimpy can be a virtue, though.

 

[Mincer]

The Classic Stack Plus is wonderful in the neck and middle, especially if you have a hotter humbucker in the bridge. The balance is better, and those pickups just sound a lot more open than the SSL-5 or -6.

 

[jeremy]

im a big cs+ fan, good strat tone with no noise. i prefer the output to be fairly balanced across the pups on a guitar so id want something with a little more juice for the cc. now a pearly gates, i might go with the cs+. some people like a big contrast when they flip to the bridge, in that case the cs+ could work well with the cc. i still prefer them with 250k pots though

 

[alex1fly]

Check the stagger. I think the stagger is for 7.25" radius necks, flat poles for everything above that. This lines up with my long-ago experience of first swapping pups and wondering why the G string was so stinking loud on my Strat.

The SSL6 is sweet though. I test drove a Charvel for a couple of weeks that had a Full Shred bridge and SSL6s in the neck and middle. I lowered the single coils significantly and the sound was SO sweet, it was quite incredible. Those sounds still haunt me, actually.

 

[jeremy]

the last hss strat i used for any significant amount of time had a ssl6 neck, lil59 middle, and custom a2 bucker bridge. 500k pots all around, series/parallel switch for the lil 59. great hotter than vintage tones but still stratty on the neck, just more muscle

 

[ErikH]

the last hss strat i used for any significant amount of time had a ssl6 neck, lil59 middle, and custom a2 bucker bridge. 500k pots all around, series/parallel switch for the lil 59. great hotter than vintage tones but still stratty on the neck, just more muscle

And that's what I'm looking for. Stratty, just more. If I want to go noiseless, there's the Custom Stack.

Last night I was looking at everything and ruled out the APS. I remembered last time I had one in the neck and it was sweet but almost too sweet. So, narrowed it down to one of the Stack Plus options. And while I really like the Classic Stack Plus, I think the Custom Stack plus might be the ticket. I could go Custom in the neck and Classic in the middle even. Or the Vintage Hot in the neck, which I've seen a few videos of. It sounds really nice.

 

[jeremy]

i love the vintage hot in the bridge with the cs+ neck and middle but havent tried it in the neck, i tried the cs+ bridge in the neck and that was pretty nice too paired with a hot stack+ bridge

 

[ErikH]

That's another option I hadn't thought of. The CS+ bridge in the neck would work nicely with the CC in the bridge.

 

[ErikH]

And, of course, my brain goes back and forth between having a HxS or HSS config. But I'm leaning more towards HSS.

 

[Mincer]

I like HSS, with the middle position being one coil from the humbucker and the neck single.