strat bridge pup

[brinton]

I've already dicussed some of this in my fralin strat pups thread, anyway.
I'm currently leaning towards a slightly hotter tele sound to be in the bridge which would accompany either my blue velvets or possible fralins (VH or BS).

I really like a chimey lively sounding 4th pos. sound (for rhythm), I really like playing hardcore blues/fusion/rock/funk etc. real hendrix and jeff beck type stuff, but I'm not into "strat" sounding bridge pups, I have a red velvet there right now which is better than stock, but I like to get big & funky (not over the top) with a bridge pup, solo oriented stuff would be the main job. Twangbanger seems like it'd be a good choice since it's DC is slightly higher than my red velvets (which is short of beef, and a little too glassy), and it should be warmer considering the change from a5 to a2 mag. But I'm looking as far as numbers for something around 9k for that bridge.

A bit of history/background for you: I originally had a blue velvet bridge model (7k) there- too thin/glassy. red velvet (8k)-improvement, still a bit too much on the skinny side. My JBP strat has a Dimarzio Norton (14k) in the bridge, I find it wonderfully suitable for what I use that guitar for, but way too dark & powerful for my stratty strat.

 

[brinton]

Re: strat bridge pup

So I think of my tele options, twangbanger, rio grande stelly, fralin w/ baseplate, or putting a real tele pup in my strat.

Input please, be back tommorow or possibly tonight.

 

[flank]

Re: strat bridge pup

i think you are thinkin this over WAY too much bro!......you just have to pick one and see how it turns out..it seems ( just from my perspective) that your not entirely sure what you want....myself, i think the twangbanger is the greatest pickup ever made!

 

[Jim Zucco]

Re: strat bridge pup

I have a hot rails in the bridge of my strat and it does the job well. It's actually the best rail style pickup I've ever used (I have used quad rails from kramer and a few other generic ones.) Pretty cool.

~Jim

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: strat bridge pup

Just so you don't run out of ideas, I've been happy with a tapped Quarter Pound that I added a Callaham base plate to. You'll probably want to have a tone control on it to tame the high end, but a tapped bridge pickup gives you lots of versatility in positions 1 & 2 both.

If only they made a tapped Twangbanger... oh yeah, I should patent it

Chip

 

[brinton]

Re: strat bridge pup

I email MJ about a tapped twangbanger/custom flat w/ baseplate. forget 140$!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: strat bridge pup

I don't know if you need humcancelling or not, but I really liked the Virtual Vintage Solo I had in my Strat's bridge pos. Fat, but still strat like. it was excellent with overdrive.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: strat bridge pup

I'm blown away by the Ant. Surfer neck and middle, but still going through bridge pickups till I find the one. My next move is the Ant II Custom 9.7K Alnico 5.
I have a strong feeling about that one. I just pulled out an Ant I Custom A-2, only because I thought the Alnico 5 version would beat it. I'll find out soon!

 

[brinton]

Re: strat bridge pup

hey, I got a good Idea, why don't I just order a tex hot or surfer, bridge model and put the plate from my red velvet under there (9k strat pup w/ plate, oh yeah!)

 

[BlueSnMettle]

Re: strat bridge pup

I love my Antiquity Custom, mine weighs in at 9.93k according to Seymour. It is just an awesome pup, I get a very chimey 4th pos. like you mention(paired w/Ant. Texas Hot) and the full blown bridge position handles the harder stuff with ease. An incredible pick-up IMHO. Good luck.

Peace,

Darrin

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: strat bridge pup

I love the Antiquity I Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup too. And I use it with the Antiqutiy II Surfers in the neck and middle positions. I know Gearjoneser has some doubts about the combo, but I like it, and I'm curious how he'll actually feel about it once he changes to the Ant II Surfer Custom bridge.

I have a set of Surfers with the Surfer Custom bridge in one Strat and a set of Surfers with the Tex Hot Custom bridge in another Strat and I cannot choose which I like better. Both sets are superb. I like the way the Ant I Texas Hot Custom bridge has more mids and compresses ever so slightly when I use it with overdrive. And it still sounds awesome when combined with the middle pickup for those chimey tones.

The Ant II Surfer Custom bridge pikcup is brighter and more crisp and glassy sounding...like a vintage 60's Strat pickup but much hotter. It's cool too...but I think I'm leaning towards the Ant I Texas Hot Custom Bridge pickup...its easier on my ears.

As for the Twangbanger: if you want fat output and strong, mid range heavy tone that'll push your amp into overdrive, the Twangbanger has more of that quality than the Fralin with a bassplate. It'll chime beautifully with a stock Strat middle pickup too...tho it'll dominate the middle pickup a bit more than the Fralin Vintage Hot with a Bassplate would. The Fralin's are not overwound, real strong sounding pickups like the Antiquitys and Twangbanger are.

My favorite of the overwound type Strat bridge pickups is still the Steel Pole 43. My buddy AJ uses it with some Duncan SSL-1's and I use it with some Fralin Vintage Hots.

My next Strat is going to have a set of Antiquity II Surfers for the neck and middle and the SP-43 for the bridge pickup.

Lew