uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

A

appar111

New member
Looking for some recommendations for a single pickup that meets the following criteria:

  • uncompressed
  • aggressive (I think this may end up being more a function of the amp settings, but still...)
  • hum-cancelling
  • works well w/ 250K pots
  • vintage output (or just a hair hotter)
  • doesn't sound flat on the clean channel
  • If it looks like a regular single coil, that would definitely be a plus

I don't necessarily need anything higher output than a regular single coil, at least not by much, as I'd like to keep definition and get the saturation from the amp/pedal side. Still, if it's not much more than vintage output, I wouldn't mind, as long as it balances w/ the SSL-1s I have in the neck and middle positions. This would be for more gained out strat sounds (Pumpkins "Gish" type sounds), but I'd still like that wirey strat bridge position sound on clean stuff for funk.

Doesn't need to quack when combined w/ the middle pickup, as I'm just using a 3-way switch for this SSS setup.

I'm thinking a regular ol' Duncan stack (is it the STKS4?) or possibly a Dimarzio Area 58.

Any other good ones?
 
Last edited:
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Anything hum cancelling won't be the most lively tone-wise....thats just the nature of the beast. The vintage stack, or the stack version of the ssl5 might be the ticket
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

You could split the stack while playing clean - Just saying...

Thought about the JB Jr or Hot Rails wired in parallel until I got to the last point in the OP
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

appar111 said:
Looking for some recommendations for a single pickup that meets the following criteria:

  • uncompressed
  • aggressive (I think this may end up being more a function of the amp settings, but still...)
  • hum-cancelling
  • works well w/ 250K pots
  • vintage output (or just a hair hotter)
  • doesn't sound flat on the clean channel
  • If it looks like a regular single coil, that would definitely be a plus

I don't necessarily need anything higher output than a regular single coil, at least not by much, as I'd like to keep definition and get the saturation from the amp/pedal side. Still, if it's not much more than vintage output, I wouldn't mind, as long as it balances w/ the SSL-1s I have in the neck and middle positions. This would be for more gained out strat sounds (Pumpkins "Gish" type sounds), but I'd still like that wirey strat bridge position sound on clean stuff for funk.

Doesn't need to quack when combined w/ the middle pickup, as I'm just using a 3-way switch for this SSS setup.

I'm thinking a regular ol' Duncan stack (is it the STKS4?) or possibly a Dimarzio Area 58.

Any other good ones?
Click to expand...

Wow. Seems like a lot of contradictions... first off, in my experience, most noiseless singles are rather underwhelming with 250K pots.

The bad news is that most good noiseless singles don't sound that great split... the good news is that Duncan's Classic Stack Plus pickups are designed to be split and operate with 250K pots.

You want them 'cause as LReese said, you will want to split it when playing clean to avoid the "flat" sound of the clean hum canceling stack.

The Area 58 is a great pickup, but sounds rather bland clean and underachieves with 250K pots... sounds great with some gain and 500K pots though.

IMO, none of the Areas sound good split.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

I think the stack version of the SSL-5 might be too hot. The Area stuff is supposed to be pretty good and either the 58, 61 or 67 would all be good candidates, but I've heard they sound compressed, but I don't know to what degree.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Hmmmm, I wonder if I put a coil tap on one of the tone pots I can get away with something like the Classic Stack Plus (that's the vintage output one, right?) Don't alot of the stacked designs actually get a little louder in output when split because less frequencies are getting cancelled out by the bottom coil in split mode? Still, I'd rather have less switches to pull and keep it with just a regular 3-way switch and the 2 standard tone pots.

So the 58 sounds bland w/ the 250K pots, huh? Was that with a 250K volume and a 250K pot? I wonder if setting it up in the bridge with the vintage control setup (i.e. no tone pot on the bridge) would work? Or maybe use a 1 meg tone pot for the 58 instead of a 250K tone pot?
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

appar111 said:
Hmmmm, I wonder if I put a coil tap on one of the tone pots I can get away with something like the Classic Stack Plus (that's the vintage output one, right?) Don't alot of the stacked designs actually get a little louder in output when split because less frequencies are getting cancelled out by the bottom coil in split mode? Still, I'd rather have less switches to pull and keep it with just a regular 3-way switch and the 2 standard tone pots.
Click to expand...

Splitting for clean was just the only suggestion we could come up with to meet your criteria... the Classic Stack Plus pups will sound fabulous both split and in hum canceling mode.

appar111 said:
So the 58 sounds bland w/ the 250K pots, huh? Was that with a 250K volume and a 250K pot? I wonder if setting it up in the bridge with the vintage control setup (i.e. no tone pot on the bridge) would work? Or maybe use a 1 meg tone pot for the 58 instead of a 250K tone pot?
Click to expand...

I dunno... I've always kept my pot values the same. The Area 58 is the darkest and weakest Area pickup IMHO. The Areas just sound like any other stack sized single with 250K pots... they come alive with 500K pots and are GREAT for HSS or HSH set-ups.

I think you'll like the Classic Stack Plus pickups because you want the best of both worlds and they give you just that.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Sounds like the Classic Stack Plus may be just the ticket!

I've never heard anyone describe the Area 58 as dark. Like... ever. Weak, I could definitely see that as it's vintage class output, but not dark. But you've got firsthand experience with it, so I'll definitely take your word for it. I'd rather dial back a bright pickup than be stuck w/ one that's too dull and try to use it on clean stuff.

thanks for the advice, man!

J.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Just checked the Classic Stack Plus and it doesn't look like they have removeable covers-- you're stuck with either bright white, or black. Dang! I need something more parchment or less bright white, which I thought I could do with swapping covers. Grrrr!
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Brown shoe polish.... Takes the brite off the white. :-)
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

I would recommend the STK-S7 (Vintage Hot Stack Plus). It's just a hair hotter than the STK-S4 Classic, which is good because when I had the STK-S4 in the bridge of a Strat for a while it was just too weak. Sounded like a vintage icepick in there, and I never used it.

The Stack+ series sound great with 250K pots. And unless you put it through an oscilloscope I'd be willing to bet you won't notice any tonal difference.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Joe Barden makes some nice ones. And they do not sound compressed.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

I'm a big fan of the BPCNS, but probably out of the budget for the OP.

But - Ilitch now has them affixed to pickguards, which should be comparable to the Suhr built in units. I also really liked my Barden pickup I had in my Tele. Seymour also makes a nice rail pickup.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

DiMarzio makes a number of things that fit that criteria, depending on how hot/aggressive you want to be. In order of output:

Area 61
'54 Pro
Injector Neck
Heavy Blues 2
Injector Bridge
Virtual Solo.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

LReese said:
I'm a big fan of the BPCNS, but probably out of the budget for the OP.

But - Ilitch now has them affixed to pickguards, which should be comparable to the Suhr built in units. I also really liked my Barden pickup I had in my Tele. Seymour also makes a nice rail pickup.
Click to expand...


I think Ilitch ghost builds the units for the other companies....could be wrong, but hey, Its a great piece of hardware

http://www.ilitchelectronics.com/
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

Yep - Ghost builds, but Suhr's as of early 2012 (SSCII) is not Ilitch. The earlier ones were Ilitch built. Ilitch invented the original system.

Actually, I read Jim Kelly had a hand in designing the new Suhr system. Yea - they're both great.
 
Re: uncompressed, aggressive, hum-cancelling strat bridge pickup?

jumble jumble said:
I would recommend the STK-S7 (Vintage Hot Stack Plus). It's just a hair hotter than the STK-S4 Classic, which is good because when I had the STK-S4 in the bridge of a Strat for a while it was just too weak. Sounded like a vintage icepick in there, and I never used it.
Click to expand...

THIS!
 
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