Strat pickup advice

[tritheory]

I have a Fender 62 American Vintage reissue strat with fender fat 50's in the neck and middle (RW/RP) position and a seymour duncan SSL-3 hot with callaham baseplate in the bridge.

The guitar is way too bright in the neck and middle position and I think lacks output? Possibly out of phase due to polarity difference between Fender and Seymour Duncan windings. I don't think the guy who installed these was aware of this...

I am wanting a warmer, woodier, less brittle and bluesy tone from the neck and the knopfler sound from the middle, chunky bridge rhythym sound ...


*guitar has been re-radiused from 7.25 to compound radius 7.25 to 12.0 with 6100 Dunlop jumbo frets.

combo 1 warm neck, warm middle, hot bridge
neck: APS-1 or APS-2
middle: APS-1 or APS-2 RW/RP
Bridge SSL-3 with baseplate

or preferred: antiquity texas hot, neck rw/rp in middle??? Thoughts? What do they sound closest to?

combo 2: warm neck, bright middle/hot bridge
neck: aps 1 or 2
middle ssl-1 or ssl-2 rw/rp
bridge: ssl-3 with baseplate

combo 3: overwound neck and middle, hot bridge
neck: SSL-5
middle: ssl-5 rw/rp
bridge: ssl-3 with baseplate

******COMBOS 4 through 5 very unlikely******


combo 4: ?? on neck and middle warm and bright??, hot bridge

neck: 5-2 Nashville
middle: 5-2 rw/rp Nashville
bridge: ssl-3 with baseplate

combo 5: Warm hum cancelling neck, warm hum cancelling middle, hot hu-cancelling bridge??

neck: cool rails
middle:classic stack
bridge: hot rails

What are your opinions or options of variations on these different set-ups?

I need to see what my local store has in stock for pickups or will have to look on-line.

Anyone have the antiquities in stock? My local store cannot get them..

sounds I like: ( I play in a modern rock band-guitar oriented-bon Jovi-meets Velvet revolver-meets Janes Addiction meets U2 and Pink Floyd...lol)

Amps: Bogner XTC Classic, Soldano SLO-100, Mesa dual rectifier rackmount, Marshall 1987 50 watt 2550 silver Jubilee head, (all amps plugged into a switcher)

clean: SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, Gilmour, Edge, Knopfler, eric johnson
dirty bridge: Van halen, lynch mob, clapton, gilmour
dirty neck: Gilmour, SRV, Vai, Gary Moore, Slash, satriani

Thanks in advance for your help..

Steve

 

[Stratcat]

Re: Strat pickup advice

I recommened the Duncan SSl-5's in the neck and middle for the tone you are looking for. http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/products/stratsdescr.shtml#CustomStaggeredforStrat

 

[tritheory]

Re: Strat pickup advice

Sorry my first post was so long-winded....

Are the SSL-5 really hot?

Treble heavy? Do they sound like Texas Specials? How much more output and difference in tone from the Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's?

Don't want something that will drive the preamp too hard on my amp.

I used to like real hot humbuckers in my guitars, but since I play on higher gain amps, I want more warmth and articulation..For instance I had a duncan distortion in the bridge of my Les Paul and removed it and put a 59 in the bridge...a lot warmer pickup with nice mid growl.....

Looking for a warmer less brittle/Glassy strat neck and middle tone...But still want some sparkle...But with a little more mids...


Anyone use SSL-5 in neck and middle?

Thanks for your help so far...

Steve

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat pickup advice

The SSL-5 is an overwound pickup and will have more mids, more output and less treble than a SSL-1 which is like a vintage 50's or 60's single coil.

I think I'd recommend a set of alnico 2 Antiquity Texas Hots for your guitar. They are warm and bluesy with accentuated mids with a nice, warm, thick, plucky tone with great vibe. The bridge pickup is wound to about 9.5K and has a killer soloing tone while the neck and middle are wound to about 6.5K and have more of a vintage Strat tone but with more mids and less glassy highs but ballsy...a great tone for both chords and soloing.

If you want Dire Staits/Mark Knopfler tone, they'll do it, but vintage output alnico 5 Surfers or SSL-1's do that tone even better...tho that will take you back to the brighter neck and middle tones you don't seem to be so fond of.

Lew

 

[BlueSnMettle]

Re: Strat pickup advice

I think I'd recommend a set of alnico 2 Antiquity Texas Hots for your guitar. They are warm and bluesy with accentuated mids with a nice, warm, thick, plucky tone with great vibe. The bridge pickup is wound to about 9.5K and has a killer soloing tone while the neck and middle are wound to about 6.5K and have more of a vintage Strat tone but with more mids and less glassy highs but ballsy...a great tone for both chords and soloing.



Lew

Bingo! Sounds exactly what you're looking for. I have a set in my Jeff Beck Strat and I absolutely love them. Lew, pretty much nailed the desciption for you & he should, he's also a Duncan dealer. I bet you can guess where I bought mine. They're incredible pups. Good luck.

Peace,

Darrin

 

[Curly]

Re: Strat pickup advice

well, I have APSs with a Hot bridge in two strats, an Antiquity Texas Hot set in another.

either way, I think you'd be happy

you might check the vintage strat pickup reviews in The Vault section

I also have clips of both setups - just click my sig and you'll find them