Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

[Satriani]

Sup dudes

I just got a yamaha pacifica 812W which is a great guitar but I'm not digging the SSL-1 pups it has in the neck and mid pos.

They are to thin sounding for me and have way to much treble, I'm looking for that SRV type thick tone with 010 strings Or at least something that comes close. I'm thinkin bout getting the SSL-5 or 6. I also dig the nice clean accoustic sound I get from my podxt but Ive heard that ssl-5, 6 etc are not that sweet for clean sounds, more for crunch , overdrive??

Help me out:smokin:
Mike

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

Try the APS-2's. They're still vintage output, but have a bit more mids and less highs, which should give you a fatter sound without compromising clean tones.

BTW, SRV used pickups very similar to SSL-1's. His tone came from the strings, his technique, and amplifier multiplicity combined with a lot of volume.

 

[Satriani]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

Bumperdiebump

 

[jony]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

SSL-5 custom.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

Ssl-5

 

[Satriani]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

Yeah that was the first thing that I thought of, but isnt the ssl-5 more of a crunch, overdrive pup then a clean one. I want to keep my nice clean tones thats for sure

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

I know the STKS1 hum-cancelling with alnico2 , and it can everything from country , blues to malsteen shredding : it doesn't appear anymore on the catalog since the STKS4 with alnico5 is out , but with alnico2 you have more mids , thickness and more balanced EQ thanwith alnico5 .
I recon you stick a neck model in neck and a bridge model in the middle .
By the way who can compare STKS1 an STKS4 ?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

If you want to maintain vintage style output then the APS is the way to go. I love mine. They are warm and smooth. Lots of buttery mids.

On a tangent does your Yamaha have 500Ks or 250Ks? If they have 500s change out the neck, tone knob and maybe the volume tone tone. That will warm the SSLs up. Like the SSLs the APS' will sound bright with 500K pots.

Luke

 

[Stratsky]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

Try replacing the capacitor on the tone control first before buying new pups. If you have a 22 cap go up to a 47. This will cut some of the treble. I have a set in one of my strats and I use a 47 cap for both bridge and neck tone control. The SSL-1's in my Strat are sweet sounding pickups set-up this way.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

edited by md26

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

BTW, SRV used pickups very similar to SSL-1's. His tone came from the strings, his technique, and amplifier multiplicity combined with a lot of volume.

just go and get some fender fat 50´s.

yeah SRV didnt use thicker sounding pickups and blablabla about his heavy gauge strings and diferent amps.
but then again we aint exactly stevie ray(using 013 and up) are we?
got a have fatter pickups to correct that.
just go and get some fender fat 50´s or the duncan aps-2´s.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

If you want to maintain vintage style output then the APS is the way to go. I love mine. They are warm and smooth. Lots of buttery mids.

On a tangent does your Yamaha have 500Ks or 250Ks? If they have 500s change out the neck, tone knob and maybe the volume tone tone. That will warm the SSLs up. Like the SSLs the APS' will sound bright with 500K pots.

Luke

Good point on the pots -- 250k is better, so definitely switch the volume pot to 250k. If that's not enough, switch the tone pots too as Luke said. If that's not enough, try bigger strings (at least 11's) and a heavier pick.

If that still doesn't do the trick and you can't find a suitable replacement pickup from Duncan or elsewhere (I agree the SSL-5 would probably be a little too hot for your tastes), I might be able to help you out with something.

EDIT: Somebody mentioned Fender Fat 50's above. Not a bad choice.

 

[madguitar26]

im really ignorant in this tech stuff

im really ignorant in this tech stuff

i got a doubt here regarding the 250 k pots.
i have 500 k for my strat and love the sound of the JB.
BUT the vintage rails suffers alot from this.
is there a way of leaving the 500k pot for the JB and adding another 250 k for the vintage rails and lace(soon to be fat 50) in middle?

 

[Luke Duke]

i got a doubt here regarding the 250 k pots.
i have 500 k for my strat and love the sound of the JB.
BUT the vintage rails suffers alot from this.
is there a way of leaving the 500k pot for the JB and adding another 250 k for the vintage rails and lace(soon to be fat 50) in middle?

That's why I recommend leaving the bridge tone pot alone and only switching the neck/middle tone pot. If that doesn't do it, then the volume pot. I wouldn't mess with the bridge one normally.

The weak point in the equation is having a master volume, one pup will be a compromise regardless of the value used. However, lots of folks like the JB with a 250K pot.

Luke

 

[Satriani]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

Hmm I only have only one tone pot on my pacifica and one volume. I'm a bit of a n00b on the technical aspect of the guitar... so I dont have a clue if I have a 500 or 250k tonepot. I dont even know whats the difference, I just play and leave the technical stuff to the guitar-tech's .

But how does changing the tonepot effects your sound. I dont get it...

And I have only one, so changing it will also effect my JB which is a bad thing right, Anyways I can sell the pups for a nice price which is sweet because I wont lose much money when I buy new ones. But define vintage, I just want some sweet clean and bluesy tones and I want it to sound less trebly. I love clean frusciante's tone 2 as well as hendrix and srv. So it doesnt necesarily has to sound vintage as long as they sound nice and thick with clean settings.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

You can turn your 500k volume pot into a 250k with the flick of a switch. Just put in a 500k push/pull pot for your volume pot, then wire a 500k resistor across the two non-ground lugs of the pot with the push/pull switch to cut the resistor in and out.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

You can turn your 500k volume pot into a 250k with the flick of a switch. Just put in a 500k push/pull pot for your volume pot, then wire a 500k resistor across the two non-ground lugs of the pot with the push/pull switch to cut the resistor in and out.

The experimentologist speaks! :bowdown:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Thicker sounding replacement for SSL-1

If you're finding the alnico 5 SSL-1's to thin and bright do try the alnico 2 APS-2's. Much thicker, less glassy bright and more mids.

If you want the ultimate alnico 2 Strat pickup for Texas Blues tone try the Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots.

The guys are right about SRV using pickups very similar to the SSL-1 though.

Lew