Upgrading Strat for Hard Rock

[Rei Arthur Pendragon]

Im going to upgrade my strat. I am going to buy a Hot Rails Neck and I want a Humbucker in the Bridge(routed already). Im thinking about two pickups.. The JB and the PATB2 Distortion Trembucker. I want a pickup that would match in sound the Hotrails better(Enough gain and not much highs... just enough for some harmonics)... So what do you think is better??? Another Question... should a leave the middle pickup as it is or shoul I buy a more powerful single?? Thanks for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Upgrading Strat for Hard Rock

The JB will have more upper mids and highs than the PATB dist. The HR in the neck will be warm, but you will have to play with it to get the height perfect.

In the middle you could put a cool rails, or a hot single.

Luke

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Upgrading Strat for Hard Rock

"59 is the best for a "classic" HB tone in the bridge IMHO. The JB is also a good choice, more gain & brighter though.

 

[Farkus]

Re: Upgrading Strat for Hard Rock

I think that a JB in the bridge works very well with a HR neck pickup. I used that combo for a couple of years and it's great for hard rock and metal.

Mark

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Upgrading Strat for Hard Rock

The JB will have more upper mids and highs than the PATB dist. The HR in the neck will be warm, but you will have to play with it to get the height perfect.

In the middle you could put a cool rails, or a hot single.

Luke

+1

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Upgrading Strat for Hard Rock

The Distortion Trembucker is over 20k so it would probably be overkill unless you want to do metal with it. Consider also that even a moderate output humbucker like the 59 can be overpowering against Strat single coils, especially with an Alnico 5 mag as the 59 has (which is why a lot of people wire their Strat-buckers for coil splitting or Spin-A-Split) so a higher output pickup like the JB might be just too much, all the more so for the DTrembucker.