Thin sounding bridge in strat?

[JumpMarine]

What attributes, specifically, makes a bridge sound thinner in a strat. For example: I've run a few different bridge pups through my strat including the Chubtone El Gordo and Brobucker. I know what the brobucker sounds like in my R7 as well as an old beater plywood bodied Ovation solid body(blocked trem) and it sounded much meatier. I've come to the realization that it's not the pups I've been using in my strat, but some other componant of the strat or a combination of them. It's an MIM strat(Alder), RW board, old/heavy single piece cast bridge and block. Am I asking too much of a strat to sound as thick?

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Close the the bridge where the bridge pup doesn't see as much string vibration/movement. Combine that with the 25 1/2" scale compared to the LP's 24 3/4" scale. Those are the factors that I see contributing to a thinner tone.

 

[tubeman87]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

What attributes, specifically, makes a bridge sound thinner in a strat. For example: I've run a few different bridge pups through my strat including the Chubtone El Gordo and Brobucker. I know what the brobucker sounds like in my R7 as well as an old beater plywood bodied Ovation solid body(blocked trem) and it sounded much meatier. I've come to the realization that it's not the pups I've been using in my strat, but some other componant of the strat or a combination of them. It's an MIM strat(Alder), RW board, old/heavy single piece cast bridge and block. Am I asking too much of a strat to sound as thick?

You know I have the same problem, I really dislike the bridge pup position in strats just because of this reason, I like meatier sounds. I have even tried callaham high output base plates that are suppose to boost mids and bass response, they do their job but its still not what I needs, my next option is a mini humbucker in the bridge or a p 90.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Thanks, I have heard many a strat that did sound considerably thicker/meatier in the bridge than mine. I'm wondering if there is anything else that I can change out that's worthwhile. I should state that the Brobucker still sounds awsome in the guitar as did the Chubtone El Gordo. But I really started wondering about the construction of the guitar after realizing that there was a real issue and not just something in my head.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

You know I have the same problem, I really dislike the bridge pup position in strats just because of this reason, I like meatier sounds. I have even tried callaham high output base plates that are suppose to boost mids and bass response, they do their job but its still not what I needs, my next option is a mini humbucker in the bridge or a p 90.

That is exactly why I have gone from an Antiquity Custom Hot to the El Gordo to the 10.2k Brobucker trying to thicken up the bridge tone. And I really think that all of these pups could/do sound a lot better than they do in this particular guitar. I don't want to give up on this guitar yet, but I'm kind of at a loss for what to change next.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Do you have it set up with a floating bridge? Since it's the MIM you might change the trem block with the callaham for a block with more mass. That may help it out.

What strings are you using on your strat, Jump Marine?

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Hmm, a more aggressive approach I did was to put a very high output rails humbucker (for strat, not a full-sized one) AND utilize a certain wiring where I use one pot to MIX the neck pickup in, regardless of the position on the 5-way.

However do note that even when the pot is at maximum resistance (at 1) the neck bridge still mixes in a little, thus inadvertently affects the tone on ALL positions, EVEN on the neck!!! (I really can't see why it would but I have verified that it does!)

For me that's ok since it does exactly what I wanted, thickens the sound just a tad and if that tad isn't enough then I can always open the pot and add as much as I want until 10 where I have a Neck/Bridge setting that resembles some a Tele (I said some, no Strat will even sound exactly like any Tele or vice versa).

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Do you have it set up with a floating bridge? Since it's the MIM you might change the trem block with the callaham for a block with more mass. That may help it out.

What strings are you using on your strat, Jump Marine?

The bridge is locked down with 5 springs and is nearly the same mass weight as the Callaham. It's a big MIJ single piece bridge/block unit from the 80's. And I'm using 10's.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Some strats are simply just natural fat, all is down to the wood and how the neck and body like each other.
Others are more thin strat normal.....you can mod and mod and never get it how you want it.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Thanks Rid, that's what I'm trying to convince myself of at this point. I guess that I comes down to that I'm not completely happy with the guitar, but just wasn't willing to give up yet. It's a nice guitar, just not getting what I wanted out of it. Now the next step......picking something else.....

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Out of all the bridge pickups I've used in strats, I like the JB and Jazz B the most....when it comes to humbuckers. The Jazz Bridge is especially good because it's crystal clear and glassy, yet is still a humbucker which is listed in the 'progressive' section....not vintage. Everyone scoffs at it till they have one. You can use it as a good strat bridge, or throw it in a humbucking guitar as a neck pickup. It's a good pickup to own.

I really dislike all single sized humbuckers. A pickup is either a single coil or a humbucker. All the 'in betweens' fail in some way, tonally.

Another realization is that there's no guitar that does Gibson/Fender. As many times as I've tried to do that, it doesn't work. That's why you'll have players that do that for years, then they end up with a strat and paul or a tele and paul. (I hear all the guys disagreeing, but your wrong...you'll find out I'm right eventually). LOL

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Hehe yeah...my superstrats I use because they sound like fatter strats, I keep the bridge having a humbucker that actually still twangs, never wanted a LP sound out of my strats, I have strats with sss and ssh layout.
And if I wanted that fat gibbo sound...uh well then I would probally have to use one

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Another realization is that there's no guitar that does Gibson/Fender. As many times as I've tried to do that, it doesn't work. That's why you'll have players that do that for years, then they end up with a strat and paul or a tele and paul.

I agree. Anyway, who wants just one guitar?

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Jump Marine, You've probably already tried this...does moving the pup really close to the strings help? Of course, hums can get lots closer to the strings than single coils. Getting that Brobucker really close to the strings ought fatten things up...a little bit anyway.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

some pickguard companies like WD rout the humbucker bridge spot too close to the bridge for my likeing... I have one WD pickguard, an expensive white pearl shell one... It has the bridge slot routed 3/16ths closer to the bridge then some of my Fender guards and some of my home made ones....

When the humbucker is too close to the bridge it gives off a brighter tone... Move the bridge humbucker a little father away from the bridge towards the neck and you will get a beefier tone.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

some pickguard companies like WD rout the humbucker bridge spot too close to the bridge for my likeing... I have one WD pickguard, an expensive white pearl shell one... It has the bridge slot routed 3/16ths closer to the bridge then some of my Fender guards and some of my home made ones....

When the humbucker is too close to the bridge it gives off a brighter tone... Move the bridge humbucker a little father away from the bridge towards the neck and you will get a beefier tone.

I'm using the original Fat Strat pickguard, but that doesn't mean that Fender routed it correctly. So there is a possiblity that it's physically too close to the bridge.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Jump Marine, You've probably already tried this...does moving the pup really close to the strings help? Of course, hums can get lots closer to the strings than single coils. Getting that Brobucker really close to the strings ought fatten things up...a little bit anyway.

Yep, done that and yes it fattens up the tone quite a bit. The Brobucker is VERY sensitve to the proper height.

I agree. Anyway, who wants just one guitar?

I want more....can I have yours, LOL!!!

Out of all the bridge pickups I've used in strats, I like the JB and Jazz B the most....when it comes to humbuckers. The Jazz Bridge is especially good because it's crystal clear and glassy, yet is still a humbucker which is listed in the 'progressive' section....not vintage. Everyone scoffs at it till they have one. You can use it as a good strat bridge, or throw it in a humbucking guitar as a neck pickup. It's a good pickup to own.

Another realization is that there's no guitar that does Gibson/Fender. As many times as I've tried to do that, it doesn't work. That's why you'll have players that do that for years, then they end up with a strat and paul or a tele and paul. (I hear all the guys disagreeing, but your wrong...you'll find out I'm right eventually). LOL

I never expected this strat to do it all(Gib/Fender), but hoped for more out of the bridge. I should say that the guitar does sound really good, but I finally realized it's limitations and what my expectations were. FWIW, the tone from the middle/neck are heavenly...pure hot vintage strat with the Chubtone '63s. Can't get enough of those pups!

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

Yep, done that and yes it fattens up the tone quite a bit. The Brobucker is VERY sensitve to the proper height.

I was sure you probably already tried that. Someone posted a pick of Billy Gibbons LP a while back the bridge pup on his LP was sooo close to the strings. We're talkin on a friggin LP as if an LP ain't already fat enough. :laugh2:

 

[ErikH]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

It sounds to me like it's the wood itself. I have my Brobucker in a alder body Strat with a maple neck and maple board. It's anything but thin. Granted, the neck is a heck of a lot thicker than yours (Boat contour from Warmoth) and the body has a thin natural finish (Chandler body), but still, wood is wood.

If you have the room to move the pickup forward some, just a get a new pickguard with it routed forward a little and see what that does. See how much room you have in the cavity without routing though.

If that doesn't work, the only thing that might fatten that baby up is a Tone Zone.....LOL.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Thin sounding bridge in strat?

It sounds to me like it's the wood itself. I have my Brobucker in a alder body Strat with a maple neck and maple board. It's anything but thin. Granted, the neck is a heck of a lot thicker than yours (Boat contour from Warmoth) and the body has a thin natural finish (Chandler body), but still, wood is wood.

If you have the room to move the pickup forward some, just a get a new pickguard with it routed forward a little and see what that does. See how much room you have in the cavity without routing though.

If that doesn't work, the only thing that might fatten that baby up is a Tone Zone.....LOL.

That's what I'm thinking too, my buddy's HW1 strat sounds much fuller to my ears with all of the different pups he's tried. My bridge block is a better quality one than his stock one, but the thin finish and thicker neck seem to make a big difference compared to my MIM. Oh well, I'll still play her until I get something along the lines of a HW1, JV or American. I'm in no hurry so I have the chance to try out many to find the right one. I did have my eye on a beautiful sounding American Deluxe in town, but it's a bit out of my price range right now.