Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

[Malmishka]

Hi, all - I'm new to the forum and I'm curently rebuilding a mid-80s Lado II superstrat style guitar that was made right here in Canada (i'm outside Toronto). The guitar came with Schaller pickups originally but when I got it in the mid-90s, it had what I've determined to be an older SH-5 Duncan Custom in the bridge position. The pickup has no labels or engraving on the backplate - only a "DC" label on the plain unengraved backplate. Looks like the label was printed crooked - I can see what may be the tail of a "J" on the right side of the label which I understand would ID who at Seymour Duncan wound the pickup.

So since the Schaller single-coil in the neck is pretty much shot and never really matched well with the SD pickup - I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to a single-coil Seymour Duncan that would be a good match and balance sound and output wise for the SH-5 in the bridge position?

PS just tested the SH-5 and it's at 14.1k.

Thanks!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

ssl6 is what i would use if you want a real single coil. do you know what value pots you have in the guitar?

 

[Malmishka]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Thanks for the recommendation, Jeremy! Guitar only had a volume pot - looks like whoever put the SH-5 in also substituted a coil tap or phase switch in place of the tone knob. THere's a really gnarly solder over the rating on the volume pot and my meter wasn't reading precisely but I'd guess at 250k.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

A Classic Stack Plus should also blend well if you want to have a clear high end in the neck pickup. It has more output than a standard Strat pickup so the balance should be better. If you want more even closer output match, the Hot Stack is a great choice, but it does have more lows and mids than a Strat. It is like a single coil pickup is coated in butter and deep fried. I like using hum-cancelling single coil-sized pickups with humbuckers, especially if you use a lot of gain.

 

[Malmishka]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Thanks for the suggestions, Mincer - I was definitely looking for some good high end response so the Classic Stack Plus sounds like a great option. Especially with the hum cancelling. Great food for thought.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

A classic match for a hotter bridge humbucker is the Quarter Pounder.

Cool that you've got an older "DC" or "DCJ". If "J", then it was wound by the famous Maricella Juarez, aka "MJ", before she became head of the Custom Shop.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

The stk6 is also a consideration. Would be like the ssl6 but hum cancelling.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Yeah, but you won't get a snappy high end with a Quarter Pound or an SSL-6.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

I guess it depends on what he means by "good high end response". If Strat-like is what he wants, then Mincer's suggestion is solid. If "balance sound and output" to the SH-5 is what he wants, then the Quarter Pounder or SSL-6/STK-6 are great.

My top choice for a neck single with a hotter bridge pickup is currently a Kinman Big-Nine-O. Essentially a single-coil sized, noiseless P-90. I have one paired to a Bill Lawrence L90XL bridge pickup in my Super-Tele and a DiMarzio Virtual Hot PAF in one of my Super-Strats, both H-S configuration.

 

[mi_canuck]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

ssl6 is what i would use if you want a real single coil. do you know what value pots you have in the guitar?

I just swapped out the SSL6's in my HSS Jackson Soloist SL3. Put in 2 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. Couldn't stand the piercing strat tone of the SSL6's. The Quarter Pounders (SSL4 I believe) are much fatter and smoother. More output as well I think, but for neck and bridge that's a whatever IMO. Plus they look sweet with the massive pole pieces lol. (Note: Neck is regular, Middle is RWRP).

I think if I had to do it again, would maybe just go stacked coil or mini-humbucker in the neck.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Decide if you want a true single coil, stack, or single coil size humbucker. True single coils have the most glass, stax emulate the sound of true single coils but are hum cancelling, and single coil size humbuckers sound like a mix between a hum and a single coil because they're physically the same size as a single but have 2 coils in series next to each other.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

I wanna see a pic of this Lado super strat. I remember Iron Maiden using Lado guitars, but don't know much about them.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

I just swapped out the SSL6's in my HSS Jackson Soloist SL3. Put in 2 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. Couldn't stand the piercing strat tone of the SSL6's. The Quarter Pounders (SSL4 I believe) are much fatter and smoother. More output as well I think, but for neck and bridge that's a whatever IMO. Plus they look sweet with the massive pole pieces lol. (Note: Neck is regular, Middle is RWRP).

I think if I had to do it again, would maybe just go stacked coil or mini-humbucker in the neck.

View attachment 104121

i wouldnt say the ssl6 is piercing at all but different rigs give different tones. youd hate a vintage single coil the qp is fatter and hotter than the ssl6 to my ears. the qp look badass in the guitar by the way. i assume you have 500k pots in there

 

[Ascension]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

I just swapped out the SSL6's in my HSS Jackson Soloist SL3. Put in 2 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. Couldn't stand the piercing strat tone of the SSL6's. The Quarter Pounders (SSL4 I believe) are much fatter and smoother. More output as well I think, but for neck and bridge that's a whatever IMO. Plus they look sweet with the massive pole pieces lol. (Note: Neck is regular, Middle is RWRP).

I think if I had to do it again, would maybe just go stacked coil or mini-humbucker in the neck.

View attachment 104121

Some advice when running singles with a bucker in the bridge you will split with the single in the middle. Always RUN THE RW/RP PICKUP IN THE NECK AND THE STANDARD WIND IN THE MIDDLE!! That way the bridge split in the conventional way will be humbucking with the single in the middle. Have both my Washburn MG 120 and my Kiesel DC 135 set up where the bucker auto splits in pos 2 when used with the single in the middle like this. This way only pos 3 and 5 on the way are not humbucking.

 

[mi_canuck]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Some advice when running singles with a bucker in the bridge you will split with the single in the middle. Always RUN THE RW/RP PICKUP IN THE NECK AND THE STANDARD WIND IN THE MIDDLE!! That way the bridge split in the conventional way will be humbucking with the single in the middle. Have both my Washburn MG 120 and my Kiesel DC 135 set up where the bucker auto splits in pos 2 when used with the single in the middle like this. This way only pos 3 and 5 on the way are not humbucking.

I just kept it as the same config as stock, which is listed here (https://www.jacksonguitars.com/gear/guitars/pro-series-soloist-sl3q-mah/2914322521), unless it's wrong? When I took out the originals, the stickers were under foam that was glued to the back of the pickups, so I couldn't confirm which was which. When I removed the foam, the stickers were trashed and illegible.

As I have it, the only position that has single coil hum is in position 5 (ie. neck only).

Here's how the switching is set up in this Jackson:

5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Inner Coil of Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Neck and Bridge Outer Coil
Position 4. Neck and Middle Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup

 

[mi_canuck]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

i wouldnt say the ssl6 is piercing at all but different rigs give different tones. youd hate a vintage single coil the qp is fatter and hotter than the ssl6 to my ears. the qp look badass in the guitar by the way. i assume you have 500k pots in there

Yes, 500K pots. I did swap them with some Charvel take-offs I got from Stratosphereparts (whole harness and 5-way switch).... So now the volume is a low friction EVH Bournes 500K, and the tone is a no-load 500K (it has a detent at full open - I guess it goes straight to ground at that position??). The stock ones were also 500K, but were some small pidly little things. In any case, I like the swap. I don't get why the equivalent Pro Mod Charvels seem to get better pots and wiring too.

PS - the QP's aka SSL-4's are nice. Fuller and sweeter sounding is how I'd describe them vs the SSL-6.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

500k volume and no load tone would give a bright tone for sure, betcha the guitar sounds great

 

[mi_canuck]

Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Some advice when running singles with a bucker in the bridge you will split with the single in the middle. Always RUN THE RW/RP PICKUP IN THE NECK AND THE STANDARD WIND IN THE MIDDLE!! That way the bridge split in the conventional way will be humbucking with the single in the middle. Have both my Washburn MG 120 and my Kiesel DC 135 set up where the bucker auto splits in pos 2 when used with the single in the middle like this. This way only pos 3 and 5 on the way are not humbucking.

I just kept it as the same config as stock, which is listed here (https://www.jacksonguitars.com/gear/guitars/pro-series-soloist-sl3q-mah/2914322521), unless it's wrong? When I took out the originals, the stickers were under foam that was glued to the back of the pickups, so I couldn't confirm which was which. When I removed the foam, the stickers were trashed and illegible.

As I have it, the only position that has single coil hum is in position 5 (ie. neck only).

Here's how the switching is set up in this Jackson:

5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Inner Coil of Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Neck and Bridge Outer Coil
Position 4. Neck and Middle Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup

Update - a little snafu on my part. Reason I was getting no noise in all but position 5 ("neck") was that I had the pickups wired backwards (ie. neck wired to the middle switch position, and vice version). As soon as I flipped them, noise in position 2, 3 and 4, along with 5. So YUP... RWRP indeed belongs in the neck. I had to rip both out again, re-snake the wires which was a *****, and resolder to the "correct this time" switch positions. All good now. Lesson learned.