SSL-5 questions

[Francois]

Hey ! I have some questions about the SSL-5 :

I don't need to know how it sounds like : I have one and I like it, but I would like to know all the options available as I need to buy some more soon.

1 - I saw somewhere somone mentioning a coil taped SSL-5, but I never saw one for sale.
Is that exist ?

2 - Custom Staggered Strat
https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/custom-staggered-strat-calibrated-set
I understand this a set of SSL-5 but with onr specially designed for the neck, and another for the middle... So is the middle one reversed (RW) or not ?
And what mean "staggered" is that revers to the pole piece height or something else.

3 - Can you buy individually three different kinds like neck / middle / bridge ?
Or they are all the same ?
In fact I only saw (here in Europe) SSL-5 and reverse polarity SSL-5

4 - So is the SSL-5 RW specially designed for middle pup use ? Or it is the same as the original (bridge) but with a reverse wiring ?

Miscelleanous : I have a SSL-5 on the bridge of my S-1. Previously it has improved the tone of a basswood Charvel I am going to sell (It was in mid position of a HSS)

But now I will two or maybe three SSL-5 on my beloved Concord III (Westone)
When I bought it I thought CS-69 neck / CS-69 mid / SSL-5 bridge
But now I mostly want CS-69 neck / SSL-5 mid / SSL-5 bridge
although an all SSL-5 could be an option (SSL-5 / SSL-5 RW / SSL-5)...

Here is a pic of the baby. Now the tuning is stable. So thanks to all your contributions for its tuning issue.

 

[Mincer]

Re: SSL-5 questions

1. Yes, the tapped version exists.
2. Middle is indeed RWRP, due to the phrase Switch to position 2 or 4 for noiseless operation and classic quack. in the description. 'Staggered' is the polepiece height. A single pickup is also available with flat poles as the SSL-6.
3. With the word 'calibrated' in the description, I'd believe that the bridge pickup is hotter than the other 2, and is the stock model sold. If this is true (and someone with more knowledge than I about this set will correct me), then I haven't seen the other 2 for sale outside the set.
4. It would be used in the middle so positions 2 & 4 on a normal Strat would be hum cancelling.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: SSL-5 questions

1) One of them exists in my MIJ Squier Strat.

My comment: Since i use it in the bridge position, the tapped mode is too thin and brite. The tap is located right in the middle of the coil. That way both parts of the coil have not enough windings to get a useful sound. The tapped sound works better in the neck, but i did not like the full mode SSL-5 in the neck.
I use a circuit that makes the the SSL-5T in the bridge poition see a 500k volume and the tone pot works as a blender between the tapped and the full mode.

 

[dystrust]

Re: SSL-5 questions

My comment: Since i use it in the bridge position, the tapped mode is too thin and brite. The tap is located right in the middle of the coil. That way both parts of the coil have not enough windings to get a useful sound. The tapped sound works better in the neck, but i did not like the full mode SSL-5 in the neck.
I use a circuit that makes the the SSL-5T in the bridge poition see a 500k volume and the tone pot works as a blender between the tapped and the full mode.

+1

I have a tapped SSL-6 in the bridge of my Strat and it's pretty bright and thin on its own. For the most part I use the tap when combined with the middle RWRP SSL-2, not by itself.

 

[Francois]

Re: SSL-5 questions

Thanks for your answers. This actually gave me an idea : instead of getting push-pull tone knobs to control the coil tapping, I may use those push-pull pots to add serie options to the standard strat in-between positions (On the S-1 for example I am using mostly the bridge and middle in serie and on the other hand on a Strat I seldomly use the in-between parallel positions 2 and 4)

And also : on those japanese non-slippery metallic knobs are the best I ever had to control the volume with the pinky while playing. Something I hardly manage to do precisely with Fender and Gibson plastic knobs (Strat, SG...). A question of mass ratio between the pot and the knobs I suppose (???). So with such FF and BPM friendly knobs I may not need tape-coil... Lowering the Volume and Taping won't have the same frequency peak... But have Series + Parallel on a Strat-like config is better, no ?

And to summarize, for the SSL-5 I understood we have these options:

SSL-5 (the original for bridge)
SSL-5T / tape coil (the bridge one I suppose)
SSL-5 RW/RP possibly calibrated for the middle position (?)
SSL-5 Set
SSL-6 = flat pole piece SSL-5
And I also saw on for left player

But no neck position sold alone and no taped SSL-5 RW/RP

 

[Mincer]

Re: SSL-5 questions

Thanks for your answers. This actually gave me an idea : instead of getting push-pull tone knobs to control the coil tapping, I may use those push-pull pots to add serie options to the standard strat in-between positions (On the S-1 for example I am using mostly the bridge and middle in serie and on the other hand on a Strat I seldomly use the in-between parallel positions 2 and 4)

And also : on those japanese non-slippery metallic knobs are the best I ever had to control the volume with the pinky while playing. Something I hardly manage to do precisely with Fender and Gibson plastic knobs (Strat, SG...). A question of mass ratio between the pot and the knobs I suppose (???). So with such FF and BPM friendly knobs I may not need tape-coil... Lowering the Volume and Taping won't have the same frequency peak... But have Series + Parallel on a Strat-like config is better, no ?

And to summarize, for the SSL-5 I understood we have these options:

SSL-5 (the original for bridge)
SSL-5T / tape coil (the bridge one I suppose)
SSL-5 RW/RP possibly calibrated for the middle position (?)
SSL-5 Set
SSL-6 = flat pole piece SSL-5
And I also saw on for left player

But no neck position sold alone and no taped SSL-5 RW/RP

Well, you might be able to order a tapped rw/rp version. Also, I don't have a confirmation on if there is a special neck pickup or not. Anyone have a whole set?

 

[hamerfan]

Re: SSL-5 questions

Well, you might be able to order a tapped rw/rp version. Also, I don't have a confirmation on if there is a special neck pickup or not. Anyone have a whole set?

No Special Version for a certain position. They are all the same like the SSL-1.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: SSL-5 questions

+1

I have a tapped SSL-6 in the bridge of my Strat and it's pretty bright and thin on its own. For the most part I use the tap when combined with the middle RWRP SSL-2, not by itself.

How can the full mode sound thinner than the tapped?

 

[dystrust]

Re: SSL-5 questions

How can the full mode sound thinner than the tapped?

It doesn't. The tap is bright and thin, so I rarely use it on its own. I mostly use it combined with the middle.

I use the bridge at full output most of the time, and that's anything but thin.

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