Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

S

StratKid

New member
Instead of buying a Les Paul and running it through a Marshall, I decided to take my own path to modern rock and get a Strat HH. Alder Body, Pau Ferro fingerboard, and a coil split. I love every part of that guitar, the body, the neck, the feel. Everything except that pickups and the sustain. I play mostly Modern Rock, Metal, and alternative. I play through a PRS Archon combo with a Fulltone OCD and an MXR analog chorus. That is all the pedals and sound I find I need.

First: I love the pickups, but the neck is far to warm and the bridge just lacks power. Nice pickups, not what I am looking for. I am looking for a bridge pick up that sound hot and smooth, and will sing with distortion. I do a lot of palm muting as well so preferably something that has good thump. I have been told that I should go for a ‘59/JB set from S-D. Thoughts?

Second: I bought this guitar knowing that the sustain was less than stellar. Other than blocking the Trem, which I have done, are there any other ways of improving the sustain? Will hotter pickups fix this to some degree?

Thank you!
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

You don't need to block the trem to increase sustain. First, check the neck relief and make sure the sustain isn't being dampened by the neck being too tight. Sometimes a quarter or half turn on the truss rod will open the guitar right up. Do you have a steel trem block? That would make some difference, but not as much as having the setup just right.

My tremolo Strats are all floating and will sustain forever acoustically. In my experience, the setup is far more important than pickups. Once you get the guitar sustaining the way you want then you can select pickups for the tone you are looking for.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Adjust them how? I have changed the pickup height several times trying to find the sound I am looking for. I tried lifting the bridge pickup to fix the lack of power issue, but they sounded too harsh and the attack was a little crazy. I just have not been able to find a happy place with these pickups and after about a year and a half of messing with them I am ready to move on. Is there other adjustments I can make?
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Start with 3/32" (2.4 mm) on the bass side and 1/16" (1.6 mm) on the treble side for both bridge and neck humbuckers.

These specifications aren’t set in stone—they’re only starting points for your individual setup process, though there’s a good chance this height will work for you right from the start. The perfect pickup height depends on your particular pickups, your strings, and, of course, personal taste. Some people like the sound of the pickups close to the strings, while others don’t. If you have very powerful humbuckers, lower the pickup height a tad.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Tone Meister said:
You don't need to block the trem to increase sustain. First, check the neck relief and make sure the sustain isn't being dampened by the neck being too tight. Sometimes a quarter or half turn on the truss rod will open the guitar right up. Do you have a steel trem block? That would make some difference, but not as kuch as having the setup juzt right.

My tremolo Strats are all floating and will sustain forever acoustically. In my experience, the setup is far more important than pickups.
Click to expand...

I have a steel trem block. My guitar is definitely due for a set up, I think it’s been a year or so since I have had it set up so I will get on that.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

StratKid said:
I have a steel trem block. My guitar is definitely due for a set up, I think it’s been a year or so since I have had it set up so I will get on that.
Click to expand...

Do you know how to check neck relief? That could possibly be the only issue you have with regard to acoustical sustain.

Put a capo on the first fret. Then with one hand fret the 1st string at the very last fret, then strike the string between the capo and the fretted note with your free hand and judge how well it sustains, or doesn't. If it sounds choked off by the frets then loosen the truss rod until the note rings pure and unobstructed. Recheck relief by fretting the 6th E string using the same process.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Ayrton said:
Start with 3/32" (2.4 mm) on the bass side and 1/16" (1.6 mm) on the treble side for both bridge and neck humbuckers.

These specifications aren’t set in stone—they’re only starting points for your individual setup process, though there’s a good chance this height will work for you right from the start. The perfect pickup height depends on your particular pickups, your strings, and, of course, personal taste. Some people like the sound of the pickups close to the strings, while others don’t. If you have very powerful humbuckers, lower the pickup height a tad.
Click to expand...
I have tried that height because that is the height setup I was recommended at my local shop. I tweaked with it a bit but couldn’t get it right. I run 10-52’s, would that effect the tone substantially?
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

I do, although I have never done it. I will go try that truss adjustment . Thank you for the help.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

StratKid said:
I run 10-52’s, would that effect the tone substantially?
Click to expand...

Those strings should sustain nicely. The point I was making above is the guitar itself should sustain on its own, unplugged, or most likely there is a setup problem. To a lesser degree, a poorly cut nut, or not enough down angle at the nut (string trees) can also affect sustain.

What kind of tremolo do you have?
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

How is your action set? Despite the legions of people on the internet claiming their guitars strung with .008s laying on the frets don't sound thin and wimpy, I've found (especially with Fenders) that thicker strings and higher action sound great. Those 10-52s should be fine. Maybe try raising them up a bit more. If it's harder to play, don't freak out. Play it that way every day for a week, and this amazing thing will happen where your hand will get stronger :)
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

And you could plug the guitar (or a kazoo) into a Big Muff and it will sustain no matter what :)
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Sustain mostly comes from how stiff the neck is Has nothing to do with pickups. If the neck, which is the longest unsupported part of the guitar, is too flexible you lose energy from the strings.

A Les Paul has a lot more mass, that keeps most of the energy in the strings.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

DavidRavenMoon said:
Sustain mostly comes from how stiff the neck is Has nothing to do with pickups. If the neck, which is the longest unsupported part of the guitar, is too flexible you lose energy from the strings.
Click to expand...

Agreed on all counts.

Slight tangent, I think the neck gets neglected severely in the overall tone equation.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Tone Meister said:
Those strings should sustain nicely. The point I was making above is the guitar itself should sustain on its own, unplugged, or most likely there is a setup problem. To a lesser degree, a poorly cut nut, or not enough down angle at the nut (string trees) can also affect sustain.

What kind of tremolo do you have?
Click to expand...
My Strat has a Vintage Tremolo. I am getting ready to adjust the truss now.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

I don’t know off the top of my head, but pretty darn low. It has not been changed since the factory.
 
Re: Strat HH Pickup/Sustain Help

Start by checking the relief. Fret the low E at the first fret and the last and look at the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the 9-10th fret. You want that less than 1.0mm. You don't have to be exact, but you want it as flat as you can get it without buzzing.

Now check your action at the 12th fret. "Low" or "high" action means nothing with an actual measurement. Raise or lower your low E to about .070" and your high E to about .060".

When you tune up, do you hear a "ping" going from the nut on the plain strings? You want to lubricate the string slots with something like Vaseline mixed with graphite pencil lead or just plain old Chapstick.

Adjust your pickups again and your intonation. Play the guitar for a day or two and see how it responds.
 
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