STK-S4 vs SSL-2

[donaldr]

I have an HS Fender MIM Strat that I want to convert back to SSS. Now have STK-S7 neck and Screamin Demon bridge, 3-way switch, V/Tn/Tb.
I'm planning to buy STK-S4n and STK-S4m and move the STK-S7 bridge. Not looking for the ultimate vintage strat tone at all, just a good Strat for some blues, Police and RHCP, Pink Floyd and al. I have other guitars for more heavy stuff.

I'm planning to install a push-pull volume pot: when pushed it's the single-coil only on all of them and when pull it's the full stack on all of them. So playing like real single-coils most of the time and pulling for stacks when there's too much hum.

Q1: Can it simply be done using regular 5-way switch and push-pull volume pot?

Q2: Are the STK-S4 very similar to SSL2s when using in real single-coil mode?

Q3: Should I forget about STK-S4 and buy SSL2 and leave with the hum? But I will have a STK-S7 in the bridge anyway.

Q4: If I go SSL2 neck and middle, I'm sure I will not like SSL bridge to match them and good chance SSL6 will be too dark for RHCP, Police and al. right or wrong?

 

[EC Strat]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

I just had the stack 4 pups installed in my Strat and love them. They give a late 50’s tone and are the Noiseless version of an SSL 1 set essentially. I struggled with the same dilemma on hooking up the true single coil option and ultimately decided against it as there’s very little difference in tone and the 60 cycle hum will be present (according to SD customer service). So I opted to instead install a 250k push pull and have a bridge always on option added for N + B and all three on Glad I did that instead as it gives me a wider range of tones available that are very useable.

Yes, you can do all of it with a push pull tone pot (hooking up the true single coil)
I think it would be closer to SSL1 in tone.

The stack 4 is really a great set of pups. They interact so well with a 250k .022 pot and cap.

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

Heard only good things about the SSL1 that's why I'm looking to bypass the dummy coils of Classic/Vintage Hot Stacks when not needed and only active them when there's 60 cycle hum. (I have a really good noise gate, just sometimes it's not enough). Although not a vintage purist at all, I may like to have chime and glassy sound of pure single-coils for certain songs and with a switch remove that sound a bit and tame the highs.
And I'm also juggling if I put a STK-S4 in the bridge or if my STK-S7 will fit me better (usually not found on strat single-coil bridge pup).

 

[EC Strat]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

I asked them the same question - in pure single coil mode is it an SSL1? They said it’s VERY close but not a true SSL1 And they emphasized there’s not much difference between the Noiseless and pure single coil modes Just a tad more top end. It’s very difficult for me to tell the difference between them and say a fender 57 / 62 set or a PV 59 set. If I did a side by side comparison Id probably be able to tell a slight difference. But that’s it. I played a guitar with a PV 59 set yesterday and played my guitar guitar at home today and I swear they’re just alike Different amps yes One notable difference is that the stack 4 is a medium gain pup and a stronger signal But no less toneful.

 

[elelpe]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

Demon and STK-S7 is a cool combo. Why go SSS instead of HSS (adding STK-S4 in the middle)?

 

[Mincer]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

The STK-S4 is a great choice. I wouldn't even bother splitting them for the in-between position, honestly. They don't have the very top end of the SSL-2, but it seems to work better that way for the music you want. A guitar full of stacks is a great machine.

 

[EC Strat]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

The STK-S4 is a great choice. I wouldn't even bother splitting them for the in-between position, honestly. They don't have the very top end of the SSL-2, but it seems to work better that way for the music you want. A guitar full of stacks is a great machine.

^^^^^ truth. There’s PLENTY of quack with 2 and 4 on the Noiseless mode. Trust me.

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

I asked them the same question - in pure single coil mode is it an SSL1? They said it’s VERY close but not a true SSL1 And they emphasized there’s not much difference between the Noiseless and pure single coil modes Just a tad more top end. It’s very difficult for me to tell the difference between them and say a fender 57 / 62 set or a PV 59 set. If I did a side by side comparison Id probably be able to tell a slight difference. But that’s it. I played a guitar with a PV 59 set yesterday and played my guitar guitar at home today and I swear they’re just alike Different amps yes One notable difference is that the stack 4 is a medium gain pup and a stronger signal But no less toneful.

Thanks a lot. Maybe I'm overlooking it and should not bother to go with a push-pull pot.

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

Demon and STK-S7 is a cool combo. Why go SSS instead of HSS (adding STK-S4 in the middle)?

When I converted this SSS Strat to HS moons ago, I already had an HSS guitar with EMG 60/S/S pickups. Wanted a passive HSS but since I was not using the middle pickup, HS was the obvious option, and it was the right decision as I like position 2 a lot (think of a tele position 2 but on steroids). Turns out the tremolo bridge and where it attaches to the body on the HSS guitar broked. The cost to change the bridge and repair the body was too high for the value of the guitar. Looked on the used market for a guitar where I could transplant my EMG pickups (which I like for certain purposes) and found a very nice Godin Exit 22. I installed the EMG 60/S/S pickups and it turns out as a hell of a guitar, the EMG pickups sounding nowhere how they sounded in the other guitar and now that Godin HSS has become my #1 (after my LP of course!!!). So instead of selling the MIM Strat, which is playing and sounding (acoustically) as good or better than most of the MIA Strat I tried, I'd though of making her back to SSS but without MIM pickups which I don't like. As I wrote on the first post I'm not looking for a true vintage sound, so STK-S7b/STK-S4m/STK-S4n. To bad Duncan is not make a single-coil with STK-S7 output and STK-S6 is not what I'm looking for that guitar.

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

Demon and STK-S7 is a cool combo.

Yep but looking to convert an LTD ST-213 to something similar (Dimarzio Chopper bridge and Injector neck) as this combo is overlapping other guitars that I have.

 

[elelpe]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

To bad Duncan is not make a single-coil with STK-S7 output and STK-S6 is not what I'm looking for that guitar.

I know right. It should have been produced instead of SSL-3 (and STK-S9). In fact the highest output should have been SSL-5/6 (and STK-S6). Just stop there. There are better higher output pickups among Rails model or SC-sized HB (QP is ok too) if a player need one. Personally I prefer STK-S6b / Cool Rails - STK-S4m - STK-S7 for SSS.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

The SSL-6 isn't too dark if you hook it up with traditional strat wiring (no tone on bridge) . . . but it might be too middy for the sound you're going for. You can get a tapped SSL-6 bridge, which sounds pretty close to an SSL-2 when tapped. The one caveat is that it will have less output than an SSL-2 when tapped (at least that's how it seems to my ears).

 

[jeremy]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

i had the stk4n, stk4m, stk7 bridge setup in a strat and loved it! i liked the stk7 much more than the stk4b, a little fatter and not as piercing on the top end. i also like the stk9 a lot too, it still sounds like a single coil so its nice to have a hot single coil option thats noiseless.

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

The SSL-6 isn't too dark if you hook it up with traditional strat wiring (no tone on bridge) . . . but it might be too middy for the sound you're going for. You can get a tapped SSL-6 bridge, which sounds pretty close to an SSL-2 when tapped. The one caveat is that it will have less output than an SSL-2 when tapped (at least that's how it seems to my ears).

Less output on a bridge is really what I don't want. I always found my bridge pickup lacking in another SSS (same 3 pickups) guitar. Took a decibel meter and it was almost identical, just less low end and/or mid probably but the sound level was about the same. I will take other members opinion and go STK-S7b/STK-S4m/STK-S4n. Now my STK-S7 is black but it would have been better all pickups to be white, why the covers are not interchangeable on Stack like Dimarzio :crying:

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

i had the stk4n, stk4m, stk7 bridge setup in a strat and loved it! i liked the stk7 much more than the stk4b, a little fatter and not as piercing on the top end. i also like the stk9 a lot too, it still sounds like a single coil so its nice to have a hot single coil option thats noiseless.

Thanks, will definitively go STK-S7b/STK-S4m/STK-S4n, if it's not working I will trade this Strat for another LP :lmao:

 

[jeremy]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

the covers are integral to the stack plus series so cant swap covers but maybe you can swap the black one for a white one. this will still be very stratty sounding just with a little thicker/less bright bridge pup. i think its a great setup

 

[donaldr]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

the covers are integral to the stack plus series so cant swap covers but maybe you can swap the black one for a white one. this will still be very stratty sounding just with a little thicker/less bright bridge pup. i think its a great setup

The white ones are a little ticker than the black ones?!? :laughing:

 

[Synapsys]

Re: STK-S4 vs SSL-2

Yep but looking to convert an LTD ST-213 to something similar (Dimarzio Chopper bridge and Injector neck) as this combo is overlapping other guitars that I have.

Went with a Hot Rails/ Classic Stack / Clasdic Stack on my ST213A. HR is wired for series/parallel. Loads of Strat tones with no hum.