Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

bungalowbill

bungalowbill

Luckybastidologist
How does the Surfer bridge model differ from a typical Strat bridge pickup and also an SSL-5?

I was thinking the Surfers that I have in the neck and middle were too dark...not so.....I am suspecting that the SSl-5 in the bridge is either too bright or has too many mids and was wondering if i need to try the Surfer Bridge out?

Thanks. :)
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

Well, tonally and output-wise, they sit between the SSL-1 and the SSL-5. In other words, they have more output and sound darker than a classic strat pickup, but don't have as much output or sound as dark as the SSL-5.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

Mincer said:
Well, tonally and output-wise, they sit between the SSL-1 and the SSL-5. In other words, they have more output and sound darker than a classic strat pickup, but don't have as much output or sound as dark as the SSL-5.
Click to expand...

That was what I was thinking. My SSL-5 is much brighter than another one I owned....in the same guitar with the same pots and such.....
:dunno:
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

strat single coil bridge pups are bright. if you think the ssl5 is too bright, try the ssl3 or ssl7
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

I combine neck and middle position Surfers with a Twangbanger. (In order to preserve correct phase relationships, it is necessary to shift the ground connection from the Twangbanger's metal plate and, then, connect its two conductor wires in reverse.)
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

jeremy said:
strat single coil bridge pups are bright. if you think the ssl5 is too bright, try the ssl3 or ssl7
Click to expand...

I don't want that much gain and maybe my problem is that the SSL-5 lacks bottom.

Funkfingers said:
I combine neck and middle position Surfers with a Twangbanger. (In order to preserve correct phase relationships, it is necessary to shift the ground connection from the Twangbanger's metal plate and, then, connect its two conductor wires in reverse.)
Click to expand...

That is a good pickup....forgot about that one and I already have my Surfers wired backwards.:33:
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

i think the ssl5 has more bottom than the twangbanger. most of the issue is the placement of the bridge pup... lots of highs and not a lot of bottom. usually live it doesnt make much difference. i just played my surfer loaded strat last night and (even with the custom bridge pup) there is still not a lot of bottom end. i heard a recording of part of the show and it sounded much more balanced in the audience than it did on stage
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

jeremy said:
i think the ssl5 has more bottom than the twangbanger. most of the issue is the placement of the bridge pup... lots of highs and not a lot of bottom. usually live it doesnt make much difference. i just played my surfer loaded strat last night and (even with the custom bridge pup) there is still not a lot of bottom end. i heard a recording of part of the show and it sounded much more balanced in the audience than it did on stage
Click to expand...

Yeah.....that has been my experience, as well. I think I might try a Surfer Bridge.....maybe the SSL-5 might be too aggressive in the upper mids and that is what is harsh. I know how to ride the tone knob and that might be what I have to do.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

I played a Strat last week with a Surfer set. It was really amazing, and it was a great Strat too- 1978. Sounded a little like early Rainbow.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

After about a year of tweaking, I've really come to love the Texas Special bridge... and the entire set, for that matter. They're extremely sensitive to height adjustment, and the tone knob MUST be wired to the bridge. My neck pickup has a TBX tone control, so I can dial the amp a little beefier, then crank the TBX and brighten up to neck. Without that, I don't think this setup would work very well.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

Ordered a Surfer Custom Bridge....will be here Friday.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

Let us know how that sounds- I am curious of your opinions. I have used the Surfer bridge through my Blue Angel and it sounds great.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

Mincer said:
Let us know how that sounds- I am curious of your opinions. I have used the Surfer bridge through my Blue Angel and it sounds great.
Click to expand...

I sure will....should be gigging with it Saturday.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

enjoy! its a great set. i wish there was a flat pole version since the strat i have it on has a pretty flat radius but it still sounds great.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

A hammer fixes that!*


*don't use a hammer.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

even a little wee one?
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

bungalowbill said:
Ordered a Surfer Custom Bridge....will be here Friday.
Click to expand...

You made the right choice. I wondered earlier in the thread if you were referring to the Surfer or Surfer Custom.
Surfer Custom/Surfer/Surfer is a nicely calibrated set.

I also recommend rewiring the guitar for Eric Johnson/Jimmy Vaughan wiring. Then, your second tone knob controls just the bridge, so you can control the brightness of that pickup by itself.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

Gearjoneser said:
You made the right choice. I wondered earlier in the thread if you were referring to the Surfer or Surfer Custom.
Surfer Custom/Surfer/Surfer is a nicely calibrated set.

I also recommend rewiring the guitar for Eric Johnson/Jimmy Vaughan wiring. Then, your second tone knob controls just the bridge, so you can control the brightness of that pickup by itself.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion.

Just leave the tone control off of the middle pickup and move it to the bridge pickup.

Why? Well EJ gets his violin tone by running through an overdrive and then turning the tone control way down on his bridge pickup.

You'll also get a livlier and brighter sound when the neck and middle pickups are combined.

When you have a tone control on the middle pickup and a tone control on the neck pickup, when you combine the two pickups you also combine the two tone controls.

And that makes the pickups sound like they're running through a single 125K tone control.

Two 250K resistors (or tone controls) in parallel become 125K.
 
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Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

A big +1 to "Eric Johnson Wiring" suggested by Lew and GJ. I changed the tone control layout on a couple of my Strats due to their recommendations and I couldn't be happier.
 
Re: Strat pickup gurus......Bridge pickup question.....Surfer content

I installed it and did the jumper to put the bridge and middle on the 2nd tone control. I really like the pickup...much smoother and not so aggressive in the upper mids as the SSL-5. I might go ahead and do the Eric Johnson wiring and see if I like it better.

I will post something after I play it at volume tomorrow night at the gig.
 
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