Strato hss. Singles coils for tb-4?

[guitarlive2019]

Hi guys, I have a tokai strato hss alder body and rosewood fingerboard, I want to change the pickups and install a tb-4 jb on bridge, but I have doubts that single coils pickups will fit it, that combine better with the tb-4 in output compensation. I want singles to sound good clean, and to be able to use the distortion neck pickup for sustain solos without getting muddy. Which singles pickups would best match the tb-4 jb, classic stacks (stk-s4), stack plus strat (stk-6), vintage hot strat, or hot stack (stk-2)? Thank you so much

 

[jeremy]

welcome to the forum! im assuming you will be using 500k pots? if so, i would look at either the stks6 custom stack or stks7 vintage hot stack. ive never tried the vintage hot stack in the neck but other seem to really like it. i did love it in the bridge with classic stacks neck and middle though. ive used the custom in the neck with 500k pots and really liked the results. not vintage but still very stratty and should match the jb well

 

[guitarlive2019]

Thanks for your reply Jeremy. Yes, the stk-s6 for mast is an option that I have contemplated, since it indicates more gain than the stk-4 (I could combine it by putting stk-s4 in the middle). Many talk about using classic stacks for medium and mast. Having not tried stacked pickups yet, I'm not sure how to get a really versatile strato with: a bridge to rock (the only pickup I have no hesitation in installing is the tb-4 jb), a clean mid pickup (arpeggios) , etc) and a silent neck pickup but with more output, with an acceptable clean and that shines and is defined in solos with distortion. I don't know if the stk-s4 in the neck can solve this, or that another pickup from Duncan can do better in the neck position (cool rail, vintage hot, or hot stack). I really appreciate your advice. A cordial greeting.

 

[Mincer]

Also, what's more important: volume balance, or a traditional Strat tone?

 

[guitarlive2019]

creo que has hecho una pregunta muy apropiada. La verdad es que deseo obtener una buena combinacion de pastillas medio y mastil para tb-4 en puente, no me importa renunciar a cierto aire strato tradicional.

 

[Mincer]

I would go with Jeremy's initial suggestion for volume balance. 2 STK-S4s will be more stratty at the expense of some output.

 

[guitarlive2019]

Ok, I will consider it a preferred option. thank you both very much

 

[IMENATOR]

There lots of demos of SSL-6 with JBs in the recent HSS Charvels, I would also consider the STK-S6 which is a similar noiseless version of it. I used it for years in an HSS guitar with a DiMarzion Paf Pro (Fender's OEM version called H8 in the 90s) and an SSL-1 in the middle, I really loved that combo, not vintage sound but Straty sound with punch, less chime but better for soloing (imho)m that was a great combo. However I never tried it with my JB but I would certainly give it a try. I would also consider that Vintage Hot STK-S7 as told by Jeremy, there is a video of Lari Basilio with a sparkle silver Ibanez HSS with STK-S7 in the neck.