Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Great review Lew! As I posted yesterday, I'm building a mahog body strat with a conversion neck and am currently pondering my pickup choices. Sounds like the stacks look and sound like real single coils without the hum! Phenomenal. Can you tell me more about the JB tone alone? You mentioned that it wasn't too bright. I like a relatively open and clear (usually low to moderate output) humbucker tone and I'm thinking that even with a 500k pot the JB won't be bright enough. What are your thoughts on a 59, A2 or PG as a bridge humbucker in this guitar (with a tap)?

I want you to ponder this as I will probably just have you build the entire pickguard for me since you are right there in Boulder. Do you sell pickguards? I can replace a humbucker but one we start talking pots, resistors, push pulls, etc. I start to fade out...

The JB with 250K is smooth and bouncey...throaty and powerful and the treble is more than adequate but not as bright as it is with 500K pots. As I mentioned, the Custom Custom is usually thought of as being a very smooth pickup in terms of treble, but when I compared the CC in my single humbucker Strat with a 500K pot to the JB in this Tom Anderson with a 250K pot the CC was brighter. A 59B with a 500K pot is brighter still.

In my guitar that I'm ging to wire up kije this, I'm going to go for the JB with 250K pots, just because I like the way this Tom Anderson turned out so much.

Thanks! Lew

 

[Farkus]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Yep, the JB sounds KILLER with the 250K pots. Nearly every time I've installed one, it gets a 250K CTS pot with it. It makes the pickup less harsh and more 'organic' sounding. I always mixed better with the band with this tone; the difference is subtle, but it's there. My favorite superstrat tone up until now has been mixing the HRn with the JBb. But you need the 250K pots to make it smooth.

BTW Lew, thanks for the CS GAS I'm currently suffering.

Mark

 

[smegolas]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

So could you get a nice powerful blusey lead out of the classic stack plus? Kind of like some of the heavier SRV leads? And it sounds nice clean too?

Would the clasic stack plus - JB combo sound good in an old basswood Ibanez?

Also - is it usually good to get the some pup in the neck and middle?

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Hmmm sounds awesome that the JB matches so well with these new classic stack pickups!

Just a little stray from the main topic here...could you say that these new classic stacks are an answer to the dimarzio virtual vintage series?...because the way you are describing them to still have enough balls to cope with a JB sounds like the virtual vintage blues pickups i have in my warmoth strat...?

 

[MDS]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Sounds really interesting, Lew. Do you recommend using a standard stack plus in the middle, or an RWRP? I'm digging my SSL-1s for the most part, but I'd love to lose the noise...

 

[strangegrey]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

The Duncan Stack Plus pickups sound as good or better than any of the single coils in my other Strats, and they compliment the JB bridge humbucker better than any other single coil size Strat pickups I have ever used with a bridge humbucker.

Lew, Sorry to dredge up this post again...I've been stewing about this ever since I thought of the JB/stack+/stack+ combo for my yet to be overhauled strat.

Is there an aparent volume difference between the 250k potted JB and the stack +'s? If not, It would suggest that the stack +'s are higher output than your regular run of the mill single coils...

thanks for any clarification guys!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Lew, Sorry to dredge up this post again...I've been stewing about this ever since I thought of the JB/stack+/stack+ combo for my yet to be overhauled strat.

Is there an aparent volume difference between the 250k potted JB and the stack +'s? If not, It would suggest that the stack +'s are higher output than your regular run of the mill single coils...

thanks for any clarification guys!

I know what you mean. There is a little volume jump when I switch to the JB but it's not huge and really it's nice because it lifts the volume of a solo up a bit over the volume of my rythym playing.

I've always said that the Stack Plus captures 95% of the tone of a great vintage Strat pickup. That 5% difference includes a slightly thicker midrange tonality and perhaps a little more output. It's hard for me to say if there's really more output or just a 5% thicker tone though.

And that 5% is just an arbitrary number...just an estimate.

Lew

 

[Cherrydogbrad]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Great info here.
Lew, I'm thinking of replacing a rwrp single coil middle pickup with a Classic Stack Plus. Do they come rwrp? Or can they be wired as is to be noiseless when combined with a split JB(bridge) and a split Hot Rail(neck)?
I'm running all that with a 5 way switch, master V, and master T.
1. N (HR)
2. N(split) + M
3. M
4. M + B(split)
5. B (JB)

Looking for some help here please.
Thanks much,
BJ

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Lew- This is truely crule Gas creation on a Friday afternoon- Just may have to breakdown on one of these stacks-

But have to admit I know little about the stacks construction- All my single coils are dual blades wired spin-a-split and I'm guesing that would have no (positive) impact on the stack?

Assuming all that spin could do would be reduce the hum cancelation, but not likley to provide the variery of tones I get off of double coils?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Lew- This is truely crule Gas creation on a Friday afternoon- Just may have to breakdown on one of these stacks-

But have to admit I know little about the stacks construction- All my single coils are dual blades wired spin-a-split and I'm guesing that would have no (positive) impact on the stack?

Assuming all that spin could do would be reduce the hum cancelation, but not likley to provide the variery of tones I get off of double coils?

First, the Stack Plus is available in a RW/RP version for the middle position.

At NAMM, Evan told me that when you split the Stack Plus you get the top coil by itself and that the tone is virtually identical to a vintage Strat pickup.

That being the case, when you split the neck and middle Stack Plus and combine them you will still have humcancelling. Nice!

Lew

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

velly cool- thx!
M

 

[brattmoore]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Hi Lew ! I'm from Paris, France and I've just received one set of Stack Plus (bought from you) this morning. One important question for you : must I have to change to 500K pots please ? Many thanks for your help. Mr Ngo.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

Hi Lew ! I'm from Paris, France and I've just received one set of Stack Plus (bought from you) this morning. One important question for you : must I have to change to 500K pots please ? Many thanks for your help. Mr Ngo.

No. I use mine with 250K pots and that's what the Duncan Stack Plus is designed to work with. Thanks! Lew

 

[brattmoore]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

OK, thank you very much ! Really, they sound TERRIFIC !

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

I'm glad this thread came back. Lew, are you still using the JB in that guitar, because I've seen you digging the Custom recently?
I've haven't bought Stack Plusses, but am digging the trem JB and 2 Surfers in my only HSS Fender strat.

In my last post, I mentioned the Brobucker/Jazz Bridge as neck. I think it's the best I've ever heard a Les Paul sound. I'm really glad I jumped in and bought a Brobucker when I had the chance because it's kind of like a cross between the 59 and CC somehow. If you ever have the chance, try out a Jazz bridge as a neck pickup. It bridges the gap between a Jazz N and 59N. Very strong, clear, and even fat on the high notes, without being boomy on the lows.

 

[brattmoore]

Re: Ultimate Super Strat? 2: Stack Plus & 1: JB

No. I use mine with 250K pots and that's what the Duncan Stack Plus is designed to work with. Thanks! Lew

I'm using 250K for volume pot and 500K for tone pots and I'm in tone heaven ! :fingersx: