Vintage windings

[Lewguitar]

Re: Vintage windings

BTW, I've become a big fan of Hot Tapped Strat and Tele bridge pickups!

A 6.6K output chimes beautifully when combined with 6K - 6.4K neck and middle pickups, and the 9.5K - 10K output gives a smoking soloing tone that pushes my little Fender Deluxes into overdrive at about volume 3.

I've been using a Custom Shop alnico 2 Tele Hot Tapped pickup in my favorite Strat and I'm starting to think it's the best bridge pickup in a Strat that I've ever used.

Lew

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Vintage windings

BTW, I've become a big fan of Hot Tapped Strat and Tele bridge pickups!

A 6.6K output chimes beautifully when combined with 6K - 6.4K neck and middle pickups, and the 9.5K - 10K output gives a smoking soling tone that pushes my little Fender Deluxes into overdrive at about volume 3.

I've been using a Custom Shop alnico 2 Tele Hot Tapped pickup in my favorite Strat and I'm starting to think it's the best bridge pickup in a Strat that I've ever used.

Lew

I wish I could road trip to Boulder to check out your stuff.

It looks like Antiquities are the way to go. A set of SSL-1's or APS's are the least expensive sets. Beyond them, the Antiquities really aren't that much more. I've crunched the numbers.

I may be ready to do some surfing soon.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Vintage windings

Guitar Toad

My strat is a JV, and Lew is right...the pickups are amazing, but I understand you wanting to change them...I just ordered a CS set yesterday. If you want fatter and brighter I would tell you to stay away from alnico II pups...alniso II is more mids and less bass and treble. on a budget I would say SSL-1's and if you want it some kind of overwound bridge pickup. Lots of people like to go alnico 5 in the neck and middle and alnico II in the bridge to remove some of the ice pick tone. I also agree with Lew about a tapped bridge, I have on in my Telecaster and I love it...I much prefer the vintage output for combination tones but for the bridge alone I like the fatter tone...I like it so much in fact that I ordered my strat set with a tapped bridge!

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Vintage windings

For arguments sake, What about the SSL-2's? I don't see them discussed much.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Vintage windings

For arguments sake, What about the SSL-2's? I don't see them discussed much.

it's just the flat version of the SSL-1's

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Vintage windings

Another, just for the sake of discussion. The SSL-5's. I understand that they are a hotter wound pup, but can they be controlled with volume and tone to 'hold 'em back' and get a more vintage SSL-1 like sound? Or are they just wound too hot for that. Is the tapped SSL-5 better for that?

Is there another choice that has a Jekyll and Hyde type character that can go from vintage to hot via tapping or tone/vol adjustment? Does either the TwangBanger or the Hot Tele Tapped already fit that description for the bridge position? Lil 59? Classic stack?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Vintage windings

For arguments sake, What about the SSL-2's? I don't see them discussed much.

I put a set of SSL-1's and then SSL-2's in the same Strat a few years ago.

I put SSL-1's in it first and the guy took it home and played it for a few days.

Then he brought it back and I installed SSL-2's.

He brought it back and wanted the SSL-1's...no way did he want the SSL-2's

The tone was brighter, livlier, "bubblier" and more transparant with the SSL-1's.

Not a huge diff in tone but the diff was obvious.

Lew

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Vintage windings

BTW, I've become a big fan of Hot Tapped Strat and Tele bridge pickups!

A 6.6K output chimes beautifully when combined with 6K - 6.4K neck and middle pickups, and the 9.5K - 10K output gives a smoking soloing tone that pushes my little Fender Deluxes into overdrive at about volume 3.

I've been using a Custom Shop alnico 2 Tele Hot Tapped pickup in my favorite Strat and I'm starting to think it's the best bridge pickup in a Strat that I've ever used.

Lew

I should have read this one more closely. The Hot Tapped Strat is the SSL-3T or is that an Antiquity pup?

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Vintage windings

I guess I keep getting hung up, because I want one guitar that will do it all, The Everything Axe. I want to get vintage sound, plus the ability to really rock too. And I guess that I don't have enough faith in the SSL-1's to do that. But with the TwangBanger or Hot Tapped Strat or SSL-5 in the bridge, I would pretty much have that, Right?

I'm going to stop asking questions and get some pups and trust that you guys jnowhat you are talking about. If I do what you say, then I will have a great sounding strat.

Thanks for entertaining my many, many questions.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Vintage windings

Toad, don't worry about it man, I'm very anal about my pup research as well. I really think you would be happy with the APS1's or 2's neck and middle or 5/2 neck and middle for more low end. The 5/2 is not discussed as much but when it is people give glowing reviews. The 5/2 is going to have a fatter sound than the SSL

For the Bridge I'd go with the Hot or Custom and get it tapped. That way you get the vintage tone OR the high output tone. If you are going to the UGD you wind your own of course.

I went with the APS2 in the bridge for better balance, and I could get the pup closer to the strings....I love the flat polepieces.

Luke

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Vintage windings

If you are going to the UGD you wind your own of course.

Luke

Thanks for the info but you lost me at UGD and wind your own. What's UGD?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Vintage windings

Thanks for the info but you lost me at UGD and wind your own. What's UGD?

The Seymour Duncan User Group Day in Santa Barbara. One of the things we'll be getting to do is wind our own pups with MJ.

Luke