Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

B

barnherd

New member
Hello guys,

at first, please excuse my english, I am from Germany :).

My current and only guitar ist a Fender Classic Series 60 Strat, this one:


I love Stratocasters and their sound but this guitar is a little to bright for the music I want to make and it is not very versatile. Last weekend I was on a jam with a Laney GH50 and loved the sound but for overdriven rhythm-parts it spanked my ears a little to hard, it was really "trebly".

I decided to change the pickups because I like to play this guitar and i like the look of it, and the dry sound in general of course.

I need something with more output and less harshness. My goal are sounds like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSNiwMGrVro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn2WLSMco-A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEfoPQi9VP0

But sometimes I play some Texas-Blues-Licks, so it would be nice if this still would be possible (but it is not the main goal). I know that I can achieve this sounds with my current Pus but it is just the genre I want to reach.

I can get a SD Hot Rails with a Push/Pull-Poti for cheap and thought that it would be great for the bridge. Because the HR is so hot I have to pick a hot Neck-PU also. I thought about the Seymour Duncan Hot Stack, because it has the typical Single Coil-Sound but is way more modern. It also is hum-canceling which I want it to have.

What do you think about my combination and which is a good middle-PU for it?

Thank you and Greetings from Germany :)
 
Last edited:
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

YJM set.

You can thank me later.

Tchüss!
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

Oh I don't think that these are my PUs to go! I don't linke Malmsteen and I don't like the demos of this PUs. Maybe the Hot Rails are a bit too hot but a Lil 59 could work also in the Bridge and then I could put two hot SCs in middle and neck.

What about the Dimarzio Injectors? There is a Paul Gilbert Set, I don't like Gilbert also, but the PU-Demos are pretty nice.

Anyway, thank you for answering und Grüße to Milano!
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

It doesn't seem to me like you're really after single coil tones at all.

I think the Little 59 bridge coupled with SSL-1 neck and middle pickups would work quite well for you.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

barnherd said:
Oh I don't think that these are my PUs to go! I don't linke Malmsteen and I don't like the demos of this PUs.
Click to expand...
My advice come from the experience of have installed and set-up over a dozen sets on everything from a cheap Squier to several hi-end Fender Malmsteen signature guitars. No hearsay to be found here.

By hearing the kind of tone you posted as examples, I can assure you they'll deliver exactly what you're asking for and then some. And don't worry, they won't make you neither sound like him, nor play like him. ;)

HTH,
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

Yeah, there are times when someone's "signature" pickups are more versatile than you'd think.

I got great death metal tones out of the Dimarzio Steve Morse bridge pickup. Pretty sure he doesn't play death metal. :D
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

I also think that the YJM-Set is a bit to expensive for me. I also do not find it used here in Germany.

I can have the Lil 59 for little money, I think I will buy this PU. Maybe something like the SSL would be enough for me. I once played a Yamaha Pacifica 812 with SSL1. This are great PUs but a little bit too vintage for me. What about SSL4 or SSL5?

An another question: How much are those SSLs humming? I remember that the Pacifica was more quiet than my current Strat. It would be enough when it would not be annoying and I don't have to spend the extra money for a noiseless PU.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

barnherd said:
I also think that the YJM-Set is a bit to expensive for me. I also do not find it used here in Germany.

I can have the Lil 59 for little money
Click to expand...
A word of advice: keep your money, play that guitar like it is and come back when you've saved up about € 250,00.

Then we can talk. ;)
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

Okay, I will keep my eyes open, thank you :). But maybe someone has some alternatives. Not that I trust you but it is very interesting to compare PUs, even when it is only in Youtube. For example, at the moment my heart goes to the Dimarzio Areas. I like the 61 and maybe a Tone Zone S in the Bridge. But then I would need a good and hot SC for the neck.

I will buy the PUs which make me a good feeling when I buy them :).
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

Lil Demon bridge, STK-S7 middle, Cool Rails neck.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

I can hear how the YKM's would do that. Deep answer from Pepe.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

barnherd said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSNiwMGrVro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn2WLSMco-A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEfoPQi9VP0
Click to expand...

The first two clips use humbuckers. You can get humbuckers in a Strat, but it won't sound exactly like those Gibson/Gibson style guitars. The third clip is single coils (apparently) but it sounds very trashy and high gain, too. I'd suggest looking at getting an HH style guitar and keep your Strat as more of a typical Strat.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

The singer in the first one uses an SSS-Stratocaster and in the second video he uses a Thinline Telecaster with low output HBs. I know I cannot reach exactly this sound but I just want less harshness, especially with mid to high-gain! I often play rhythm guitar in the neck position and it bites to hard in my ear. The Laney GH50 is also an amp with much treble but I like the general sound of it.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

There are a lot of good hotter single coil options that are above vintage / below humbucker that give a Strat some body without completely losing the character of a Strat. My favorite is the DiMarzio Red Velvets, and they're cheap at $55 a piece. Then there's the BKP Irish Tours, Suhr ML Standards, Lollar Special S and on and on as you get into the boutiques. I'd recommend any of those. Seymour Duncan has a hole in their lineup between the SSL-1 and the SSL-5 IMO that's filled by those hotter pickups. If you need noise cancelling, just turn down the volume knob on your guitar when you're not playing, otherwise the sound of your playing will easily drown out the 60hz hum.

The main thing I'd warn about with little single coil sized humbuckers such as the Little '59, and the like, is that they tend to get pretty dark unless you get Vintage Rails or Duckbuckers or DiMarzio Cruisers and other very low output SC HB's. They really trade away the Strat tone for a stronger mid-range, and end up sounding nothing like a fullsized humbucker. Most single coil sized humbuckers on the market for Strats from Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio leave you with a guitar that sounds very smooth, but lacks the bite of either a vintage Strat or a Gibson style HH guitar. You have to rely more on the amp or pedals for the treble-range sizzle when your guitar wont naturally provide it. I've never tried the YJM, but a reviewer said they like to use the YJM set then they're not in the mood for typical Strat brightness, and that it works surprisingly good for Jazz. That's exactly how I'd describe pickups such as the Little '59, DiMarzio Choppers, etc.

In fact I think the Little '59 does something of a disservice to beginning guitar modders, because there's always that newbie question "if I put humbuckers in a Strat, will it sound like a Les Paul?" The answer is "No" but the Little '59 implicitly lies and suggests "Yes, I will make your Strat sound like a Les Paul" , and then only after you'd dropped $100 and got your hopes up do you realize that a Little '59 is only very superficially similar to a full sized '59 in any guitar, and as you learn more about pickups, you learn about the different reason why it would never work, and that there's no way this was lost on the people at Seymour Duncan when they thought this product up. Sorry (not sorry) for the ranting.
 
Last edited:
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

But I do not want a Les Paul-Sound in my guitar. Nevertheless I want other PUs. I knew that the Classic Player was not as harsh and also the old Yamaha Pacifica 812W with SSL1 had a "rounder" sound. But I don't want the SSL1 in my strat, they have not enough output. So I thought about the SSL5 with more output and more mids.

BUT: After I read your post I was searching for Lace Sensors (I thought because of your post but you did not mention them) and found a PU-Brand I fell in love with, especially with the Blue/Silver/Red-Set. What do you think about these? No humbuckers but voiced more modern without loosing the strat type-sound, plus they have a fantastic look :).
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

The Lace Sensors might be what you're looking for. They sit somewhere between a single coil and humbucker in terms of tone and since they are shielded you can use them clean or with high gain. I currently have a Yamaha Pacifica with a H/S/S setup and I can cover a lot of ground. The bridge has a Red/Blue, middle is a Gold and neck is a Silver sensor. I have a switch to use either coil of the bridge alone or together.
 
Re: Strat PUs for Modern Rock, Prog, Postrock and Jazzrock

I second the Lace Sensors. I installed a set of Hot Golds. They have Strat single coil clarity, but then they sound compressed somehow. The initial pick attack isn't as piercing, and the notes ring out longer, as if they're pushing the amp without being any louder than a typical Strat pickup. They're not quite as percussive and bright as typical Strat pickups, but the sum of their qualities make them really good for leads and higher gain. And they're noise-lesser, not totally noiseless. You can get them very close to the strings. Downsides are; you can't change the cover color, the guitar's tone control will behave a little funny, and they're non-stock appearance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Ibanez Modern Custom humbuckers…
Replies
1
Views
70
Masta' C
Masta' C
Jermo3178
HH Strat Wiring Question
2
Replies
27
Views
276
Mincer
Mincer
C
Super D and JB - output and midrange.
Replies
13
Views
287
Chistopher
C
C
JB2 parallel - almost perfect.
2
Replies
21
Views
363
Masta' C
Masta' C
P
Secret Agent for HSH middle pickup?
Replies
3
Views
89
Mincer
Mincer
Back
Top