Texas Special Pickups

[Guitar Toad]

I am getting ready to order a Fender Deluxe Fat Strat HSS with the Fender Tex Mex special pickups in the hard-tail version. It is the closest stock configuration that I can find to match the sound that I think I want. But, Once I get it, I am willing to replace the pickups all together. I want a versatile sound configuration that will allow me go between sound styles such as SRV blues, Billy Gibbons heavy duty bluesy rock, and still lend to forays into an 80’s metal sound such a la Ratt or Dokken. And still maintain some of the bluesy strat quack in position 2 and 4. What is your recommendation? I have considered the HSS with the ’59 or JB/Hot Rails/Hot Rails or cool rails in neck and middle. Or the Pearly Gates/Cool Rails/Cool Rails?

Your help and comments will be greatly helped.

 

[Robby368]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

I just got the American Series HSS Strat. I bought it because it can range from soft chorus to grungy blues to a death shred metal. I just got a duncan dimebucker that's I'm looking forward to putting in.

The fender HSS is the best guitar for under $1000 I've ever laid hands on. Just don't get the $400 mexican HSS...once you play an American series, the mexi just seems cheap...from the sound of the pickups to the feel of the guitar as a whole.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

I have never heard a S/S/H Strat that really gets the authentic middle/bridge combined tone of a S/S/S Strat. At this moment in time, I don't think the bridge humbucker that can do both tones authentically has been invented.

I'm not fond of S/S/H Strat type guitars because it's hard to dial in a great tone on the amp that works perfectly with both styles of pickups...it's always a compromise.

If you want a bridge humbucker get one with vintage output so when it's used in humbucking mode it doesn't overpower your single coils.

I like the 59 Trembucker.

For neck and middle, you might want to wait until the new Duncan Noiseless Strat pickups are released. The tentative name will be the Stack Plus.

Lew

 

[jeremy]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

indeed, from the little time ive spent with them i think they sound really nice.

for what you asked for i think a 59 or pg is a good choice in the bridge, for the middle if you want quack you want a brighter lower output pup, are real single coils ok? ssl1
in the neck a cool rails will give you a nice warm tone thats nice clean or dirty. splitting the neck and bridge pups when used in the notch positions will
1- cancel hum
2- sound more traditional

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

Yes, true single coils are certainly an option. I have considered going with an SSS guitar and putting a SC sized humbucker in the bridge position. Or just or a hotter true SC in the bridge or over-wound SC's for a hotter thicker sound: the SC Alnico II's or something like 'em.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

Yes, true single coils are certainly an option. I have considered going with an SSS guitar and putting a SC sized humbucker in the bridge position. Or just or a hotter true SC in the bridge or over-wound SC's for a hotter thicker sound: the SC Alnico II's or something like 'em.

The Duncan Twangbanger will overdrive any of my amps when they're turned up to about 4 or so. It's a great single coil sized pickup and for hot (paf-ish)tones my favorite.

Sounds great with the APS-1's, APS-2's or SSL-1's too!

The SSL-1's are superb and the only Duncan's I like a little better in the neck and middle position would be the Antiquity Surfers. The Surfers and SSL-1's are very similar, IMO.

The SSL-1 sounds alot like vintage 60's Fender Strat pickups...superb Dire Straits, SRV, Hendrix and Clapton/Layla tones. Kind of the production version of the Surfers, in a way.

The APS-2 has flat poles and is a little thicker, chunkier and smoother on top. Less glass. The APS-1 is the staggered polepiece version of the same pickup....kind of the production version of the Antiquity Texas Hots, in a way.

Lew

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

The Duncan Twangbanger will overdrive any of my amps when they're turned up to about 4 or so. It's a great single coil sized pickup and for hot (paf-ish)tones my favorite.

Sounds great with the APS-1's, APS-2's or SSL-1's too!

The SSL-1's are superb and the only Duncan's I like a little better in the neck and middle position would be the Antiquity Surfers. The Surfers and SSL-1's are very similar, IMO.

The SSL-1 sounds alot like vintage 60's Fender Strat pickups...superb Dire Straits, SRV, Hendrix and Clapton/Layla tones. Kind of the production version of the Surfers, in a way.

The APS-2 has flat poles and is a little thicker, chunkier and smoother on top. Less glass. The APS-1 is the staggered polepiece version of the same pickup....kind of the production version of the Antiquity Texas Hots, in a way.

Lew

Lew is THE stratologist he speaks of that which he knows!

I reloaded my strats pup array with a neck and middle alnico 2 pro staggered and an alnico 2 flat bridge. I prefer the bridge sound, it is fatter and smoother...that said I prefer all guitars bridge pups :laugh2: ! Anyways I think it is a great strat combo. You could definitely go with the twangbanger in the bridge for more tele-esque OOMPH. Or you could go with the Antiquity Texas hot that Lew raves about. The staggered APS' sound very stratty and smooth.

As far as buckers...In a full size I'd recommend a CC in a high output and an A2P or PG in vintage output. In a strat size config. (with polepieces) I'd go JBjr, for high output, or lil 59 for vintage. For medium the lil screaming demon is your only choice.

Not to complicate you life or anything...

Luke

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

So what I am picking up from you guys is maybe I don't need to get a Fat Strat to have a heavy duty sounding Strat for blues, classic rock, and into light gauge metal sounds. Is that correct? Cool. So, now what do I do? HSS or SSS?
Hmm?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

Well...if you want true humbucker output and tone only a full size humbucker will do that. But if you're wanting to push your amp into overdrive and get a thick, deep, midrangey super-ballsy and very musical tone from a single coil then I'd say try the Twangbanger. The only reservation I have with the Twangbanger is that when combined with the middle pickup it dominates it a little so the classic M & B Strat chime is a little differant. If that M & B combined tone needs to be a little more vintage accurate, then you might want to go with a bridge pickup with a little less output...and then I prefer the Texas Hot Custom...or the Surfer Custom for even more glass and chime (but less mids). I think you'd like the Twangbanger. Lew

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

Thanks again Lew.
I've been going back in forth trying to pull the trigger on a Highway 1 Fat Strat since its MIA, or save a little cash and get the MIM Strat or Tribute by G&L legacy HB. I just what to be sure that I am getting the most guitar for the money in terms of body neck construction quality.

Once I make a selection, I'll have to give you a call for changing out the pup's.

By the way, do you have any experience with Rio Grande Muy Grande's or Texas BBQ's?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

No I don't. I was offered the line but passed on it for the time being. I've read very good things about those Rio pickups though. Lew

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

The very best HSS guitar I've ever played or owned is my new G&L Legacy Deluxe.
Just an amazing guitar, that hogties and whips the competition. ha ha ha

My favorite HSS combination is a trem C-5 and 2 Fender Fat 50's. Most Custom Shop Fender HSS guitars come with trem 59 or JB and 2 Fat 50's. The C-5 sits right in between those two pickups. Between the Texas Specials and Fat 50's, definitely go with the Fat 50's. I'll never understand why the SRV signature guitar didn't come with those?!

 

[gripweed]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

Yes, true single coils are certainly an option. I have considered going with an SSS guitar and putting a SC sized humbucker in the bridge position. Or just or a hotter true SC in the bridge or over-wound SC's for a hotter thicker sound: the SC Alnico II's or something like 'em.

The custom shop makes a Lil Pearly Gates that I'd really like to try. It might be worth a shot.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

Does anyone ever combine 2 different SC's to make a hybrid HB to achieve their unique sound? Such as combining a APS-2 with an SSL-2, or an SSL-3 with an SSL-4? or put 2 antiquity Texas Hots together for a an Antiquity Texas Hot Hum? Or is that simply asking for a wiring headache?

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

bump!
thread with some good info.
Start at the beginning.

 

[PhatStrat]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

* Sent this as a PM, but then decided it might be of benefit to others...

Hey Lew,

Read some of your posts and like your technical approach to pup selection. I have a California Fat Strat, HSS with Tex-Mex pups. Looking to add a Fat-O-Caster switch that will allow multiple pup configurations for additional tones. In doing so I will have the ability to run the two SC's in series along with the HB, resulting in a dual HB effect. Now comes the hard part... what SC combination will work well for this so that I don't overpower the HB with the two SC's in series, yet still have a nice balance between the SC's and the HB when in Fat Strat mode?

My thoughts are to go with a PG HB and matching SC's either SSL-4 or 7's, or possibly STK-S1's. Does this sound like a decent configuration, or would I be better going with less powerful SC's like the SSL-1's? Or any other suggestions you might have. I play classic rock style stuff, anywhere from clean to dirty, with an occasional need for nice fat power chord stuff.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom you might be able to share.

Mike (aka PhatStrat)

 

[bobby]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

my h/s/s strat strat really quacks in the #2 position. i have it wired so that the #2 position splits the bridge humbucker (single coil mode) with the middle single coil pickup.

 

[jimo]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

The easiest thing is to get one guitar with GREAT singles coils and another guitar with GREAT humbuckers and play whichever one the song calls for IMHO---YMMV----------cheers!----JIMO :dance:

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

The easiest thing is to get one guitar with GREAT singles coils and another guitar with GREAT humbuckers and play whichever one the song calls for IMHO---YMMV----------cheers!----JIMO :dance:

I agree with you completely!

That's why I stayed with SSS on my strat. The next guitar will likely be a thinline HH tele or Jackson with noiseless stacked SC's and HB for HSS.

 

[JimiHWannaBe]

Re: Texas Special Pickups

So what I am picking up from you guys is maybe I don't need to get a Fat Strat to have a heavy duty sounding Strat for blues, classic rock, and into light gauge metal sounds. Is that correct? Cool. So, now what do I do? HSS or SSS?
Hmm?

I had a muy grande in one of my strats its currently sitting collecting dust because its black and all my strats have white pickups in em. it was a great ballsy sounding pickup it got really nice zep tones from what i remember that was my favorite part about the pickup it sounded really great for rythm and had alot of bite for leads