Strat pickups?

Hot Octopus

Hot Octopus

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I’m looking for recommendations for strat pickups. I already have a Quarter Pound that’s going in the bridge position but I need recommendations for a neck and middle pickup. I’m going to be using this for hard rock and alternative rock, and surf rock. I’d like to stay away from strat sized humbuckers and focus on single coil sounds for this guitar. As far as tones go, I want Los Lonely Boys, The Beach Boys, The The Living End. Think hot meets vintage. ✌️
 
Also Antiquity Surfers are another great choice. They aren't quite as thin as SSL-1s, and have their own complexity going on.
 
When I did my Classic Strat, I could have done any pickups I wanted. I tried a few, but I wanted classic Strat tones. I tried SSL-1’s, APS’s, 5-2’s, SSL5 at the bridge with these combos. The only thing I regret not buying was the Antiquity Surfer set. I think I would have loved that set quite a bit. I still think I want it someday.

However, the one pair that I regret getting rid of for the middle and neck was the 5-2. At the time I got it in my head that they weren’t “vintage correct” enough....whatever the hell that means. The bottom line is that they sounded really good. Spanky on the low strings and smooth and bell like on the high strings. To me, they were overall better than the APS’s that I finally settled on, with the SSL-1 in the bridge.

So, Antiquity Surfer or 5-2.
 
Keep in mind, with the Surfers, is that they are out of phase with other Duncans, so you'd have to flip the hot and ground.
 
Hey mincer. Thinking of putting duncan surfers neck/middle and a hendrix bidge. Would they be out of phase with eachother?
 
No, I don't believe the Surfers are in phase with the Hendrix, but you just reverse the hot & ground of the Hendrix pickup.
 
The only complaint I have about ALL of Seymour Duncan's vintage single coils, is that the vintage pole piece spacing on neck pickups does not even come close to matching the string spacing on modern Fender Strats. 90% of us are not playing vintage Stratocasters from the 60's, but most companies continue to make neck pickups that do not match current guitars. At some point it is time to adjust to the real world we are living in.
 
PFDarkside said:
Curious why you are thinking that combo.
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I like the idea of being able to go from chimey cleans to something bolder when needed. I already have a guitar with ssl's neck/middle and hendrix in the bridge. It's a great contrast and sounds awesome.

The more I think about it. I'm prob gonna go with the ssl/ssl/hendrix again.. main purpose of this guitar is to do similar to my other but will be tuned down a half step.
 
Don’t do EXACTLY the same. Get something with a little tonal variety. In the end it’s your guitar, but I think something a little different will be to your advantage.
 
I have found that I like A3 vintage wound true singles for pickups in a Strat. My Squire has them in the bridge and neck slots. Oddly enough, I went with a vintage RWRP A5 in the middle. The A3's are bright and chimey in the bridge and sweet and clear in the neck. The middle has classic spank. The notch positions can get quite interesting when you play with the tone controls.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
 
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Leon Of Late said:
Don’t do EXACTLY the same. Get something with a little tonal variety. In the end it’s your guitar, but I think something a little different will be to your advantage.
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Thank you. I appreciate your input and totally see your point.

I might end up going all hendrix to keep things dif.
 
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ive had guitars with exactly the same pups, its not a bad thing, but a little variety isnt bad either. how to do you like the hendrix pups compared to the ssl1? i have a set coming but im curious since i havent heard em. while they are different, i wouldnt expect them to be worlds apart either though i think the ssl1 has a few more turns
 
Open lane said:
I like the idea of being able to go from chimey cleans to something bolder when needed. I already have a guitar with ssl's neck/middle and hendrix in the bridge. It's a great contrast and sounds awesome.

The more I think about it. I'm prob gonna go with the ssl/ssl/hendrix again.. main purpose of this guitar is to do similar to my other but will be tuned down a half step.
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The Hendrix is bolder than SSL-1s? I would have thought they’d be on par or a little under. Interesting.
 
PFDarkside said:
The Hendrix is bolder than SSL-1s? I would have thought they’d be on par or a little under. Interesting.
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Bolder may be the wrong term. I'm really not an expert but when I deploy the hendrix pup, I'm looking for raunchy tones that sound more like jimi. And it delivers


I'm a big fan of the hendrix in the bridge. Takes me where I wanna go. Was a great call for me.

Read mixed the about the n/m position. no regrets here,, so far though.
 
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