STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

[ruger9]

OK, so I have tried several pickups in my HSS (neck & middle; there's a JB in the bridge), and I can't find what I'm after....

Texas Specials: too thin/harsh, didn't EQ well with the JB, to my ears (I know this has been a popular combo for many years).

YJM Fury: nice, but too much bass in that neck slot. Even after lowering the bass side of the pickup.

STK-7n: ok, I was TOLD by people here it would likely be too bassy, and I bought it anyway lol. It's a little too bassy.

SO, I'm left with this:

1) would splitting either the STK-7n or the YJM yield a less woofy profile? And hopefully w/o cutting output too much, since they need to balance with a JB? I do love the split tone of the S7 on the official demo on SD's website...

2) I could buy an STK-4n. (I was worried it wouldn't be able to stand up to the JB, that's why I went with the 7.)

I will add, in these stacks I am missing the "presence" you get from a true single coil, it's one thing I LOVE about single coils... so I am no longer worried about hum, and have no problem splitting the S7 IF it will lower that bass response. I figured I would ask about this option before ordering an STK-4n.


Not that it's relevant (?) but my favorite neck pickup tone, in all of MY guitars, is an early TS TELE neck. If I could get a strat neck that sounded like that pickup (the TS strat neck does NOT), that would be perfect.... I wish I could find the resonant peak info on that one...

 

[Artie]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

I've never split my STK-4 pups, so I can't say this absolutely, but I think the "other" coil in the STK series is sort of a silent partner. I believe it only provides the noise-canceling and not tone. Therefore, you'd keep the fundamental tone that you have now.

Wait for others to chime in though. (No pun intended.)

 

[ruger9]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

Well, I do notice on the SD comparison chart, some of the pickups' resonant peaks do go up after splitting, but IDK if that has anything to do with the bass response...?

 

[Mincer]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

I don't notice a sound change on the STK-S4 when split- that bottom coil is small and just for the noise. I only split mine now in conjunction with a RW/RP coil somewhere else on the guitar.

 

[ruger9]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

That is what I assumed as well, with the STKs. But I have to admit, I DO hear a difference in the S7 demo vid....

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

The stk-s4 only have about 5% less highs than a true single coil. And it does hold up against the JB. I've tried it with great results.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

If you're "no longer worried about hum", but you are "missing the 'presence' you get from a true single coil", why are you still looking at stk models?
I've personally never found the hum from a single coil to be very objectionable so my main focus is always about getting the tone that I want. Sounds like that's yours too.

 

[ruger9]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

The stk-s4 only have about 5% less highs than a true single coil. And it does hold up against the JB. I've tried it with great results.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Yes. That will be my "last resort"... I just split the Furys (haven't re-strung yet).... and after that, I'll re-install the STK7n and split it. But in the end, I very may well end up with an S4 in the neck, which is what was recommended to me from the beginning. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. At least it's a learning experience!

Since it seems virtually no one has split the Furys (from the searches I've done), I'll report back with my findings/opinion. I was shocked at how much different the Fury neck sounded in my start compared to my old Charvel 3DR (dinky body, likely basswood, maple neck w/RW cap, Floyd Rose)... on that guitar, there was no issue with too much bass/low mids. On my strat, the Fury neck sound bloated... even on the plain strings. And that's with YJM wiring! (250K YJM speed pot vol, (2) 250K no-load tone pots for neck and middle)

 

[ruger9]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

If you're "no longer worried about hum", but you are "missing the 'presence' you get from a true single coil", why are you still looking at stk models?
I've personally never found the hum from a single coil to be very objectionable so my main focus is always about getting the tone that I want. Sounds like that's yours too.

Just because I'll only have to buy 1 more pickup, since I already have the S4m. Simplicity. And if it sounds great AND has no hum, great. Tone is the final deciding factor, but since I have not yet tried the S4n, I figure I should at least do that before moving to SSLs.

 

[Mincer]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

I have to say, the S4 is my favorite neck Strat pickup. I use mine with a Custom Shop 59/Custom hybrid, and it balances well.

 

[ruger9]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... and splitting

YJM Fury: SPLIT

Well.... the bloat is GONE. Rather than go thru alot of descriptive adjectives, I'll just say... the resonant peak obviously went up, the single coil "presence" is now there, the low-mids bloat is gone, and they seem a little gainier (but maybe that just comes from more high end getting through now?) To my ears, they now sound like HS-3s, wired single coil (and I'm familiar with that tone from Richie Kotzen). Also I'll say it sounds ALOT like Yngwie's classic neck tones from the past (which would make sense, since those were either actual single coils, or HS-3s).

I am surprised how well this experiment turned out! I will live with these awhile, before trying the same thing on the S7n.

And, in the end, I probably WILL get an S4n as well. But at least I know I really like the split Furys- the neck is awesome- and could live with that, no problem. I would only be getting the S4n to try to get something similar out of it, but noiseless.

 

[ruger9]

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... AND YJM FURY... and splitting

Re: STK-7n vs STK-4n ... AND YJM FURY... and splitting

I know you can only tell so much from a video, different gear, etc... but this is the tone I'm getting out of my split Fury neck now. Despite the tune being a Timmons tune, lol, he's playing a Kotzen strat, which comes with HS-3s, split (the guy in the video obviously replaced the bridge pickup).
[Dimarzio official ad type calls them "custom pickups, wired single coil", but Kotzen himself says they're just HS-3s, wired single coil.]

Fantastic for gain, but not as "sweet" for clean tones... another reason I'm going to try splitting the S7n, as well as buy an S4n.
(altho, I must say, I'm running no-load tone pots, and turning them down to 9, or maybe 8, helps make them a little "politer/softer" for clean tones.)

Because I REALLY liked the S7n, except for the bloat. If going single coil on that one removes it like it did on the Fury, it'll be like a "nicer, smoother version of the Fury, and would also suit me just fine.