Ok so I bought a HW1 FAT Strat about 10 months ago. The guitar feels ok and the single coil pups do the trick for me. BUT The FENDER ATOMIC Hummbucker in Bridge position is not doing anything for me. Not very warm, thin and not much output. If it wasnt for the bridge hummbucker I could probably be very satisfied with this axe. Looking for more of a warm clean country sounding bucker for bridge position that could get along well with my middle and neck standard american Fender pups....any suggestions?
What HB to put in a FAT Strat
- Thread starter Mektoub
- Start date
hamerfan
Well-known member
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
Welcome to this forum! I use now a Pearly Gates Plus (lone star strat), which is the fender idea for that question. In this guitar the bridge is split when using it with the middle pu. If you like that you can use a hotter pup like a JB which is also great when split or a Custom 5.
When used as full bucker in parallel with the middle pup i would look into a low output pickup like a jazz neck or a 59 neck or a Pearly gates or a seth Lover. Also a Gibson pup like the 490R are told to be great in the bridge positon of a strat.
Welcome to this forum! I use now a Pearly Gates Plus (lone star strat), which is the fender idea for that question. In this guitar the bridge is split when using it with the middle pu. If you like that you can use a hotter pup like a JB which is also great when split or a Custom 5.
When used as full bucker in parallel with the middle pup i would look into a low output pickup like a jazz neck or a 59 neck or a Pearly gates or a seth Lover. Also a Gibson pup like the 490R are told to be great in the bridge positon of a strat.
Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
For a clear, clean bridge tone, try the 59 or the Jazz. For a little more dirt, I really like the Custom Custom. A little hotter than average but still cleans up very well, and has a nice midrange growl to it.
For a clear, clean bridge tone, try the 59 or the Jazz. For a little more dirt, I really like the Custom Custom. A little hotter than average but still cleans up very well, and has a nice midrange growl to it.
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
my favorite pup for the bridge of a strat with single coils is the pearly gates. not the pearly gates plus that fender uses but a good old alnico II pearly gates bridge trembucker. nice and warm with enough high end to work well with the single coils but not so much that it sounds thin or tinny
my favorite pup for the bridge of a strat with single coils is the pearly gates. not the pearly gates plus that fender uses but a good old alnico II pearly gates bridge trembucker. nice and warm with enough high end to work well with the single coils but not so much that it sounds thin or tinny
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
Yeah I'm surprised it's not a Pearly Gates Plus. Those things are good. I have one in a Showmaster. Nice phat humbucker: lots of warmth. They can do Metal with the right amp. However, I'd start with the Tone Wizard. A JB would be a good choice in my opinion because it sounds good split, so you could have it set up to be split in position four (middle+bridge).
EDIT: for "warm clean country" the PG+ would be a winner, in my opinion.
EDIT 2: for what it's worth, if this is the poplar/rosewood version, the Tone Wizard suggests JB for country, and '59 for blues. The PG+ is essentially a more powerful '59, so it should work fine, and has plenty of brights.
Yeah I'm surprised it's not a Pearly Gates Plus. Those things are good. I have one in a Showmaster. Nice phat humbucker: lots of warmth. They can do Metal with the right amp. However, I'd start with the Tone Wizard. A JB would be a good choice in my opinion because it sounds good split, so you could have it set up to be split in position four (middle+bridge).
EDIT: for "warm clean country" the PG+ would be a winner, in my opinion.
EDIT 2: for what it's worth, if this is the poplar/rosewood version, the Tone Wizard suggests JB for country, and '59 for blues. The PG+ is essentially a more powerful '59, so it should work fine, and has plenty of brights.
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metlking
Well-known member
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
I always use a JB....infact I remove the Pearly Gates Plus' that comes with Lonestars and replace them with JB.....But, I'm a metal-head and that suits my needs. For "warm clean country" you probably want something a little less powerful. A 59 or regular Pearly gates would probably do the trick for ya....
I always use a JB....infact I remove the Pearly Gates Plus' that comes with Lonestars and replace them with JB.....But, I'm a metal-head and that suits my needs. For "warm clean country" you probably want something a little less powerful. A 59 or regular Pearly gates would probably do the trick for ya....
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
I would say go with a seth lover. They have a very nice old school PAF sound and they sound great with a little sprinkling of distortion. They are a very good old school rock country sounding pickup. You just don't want to crank the distortion since they're not wax potted.
I would say go with a seth lover. They have a very nice old school PAF sound and they sound great with a little sprinkling of distortion. They are a very good old school rock country sounding pickup. You just don't want to crank the distortion since they're not wax potted.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
That was going to be my suggestion: a JB. The JB sounds great with 250K pots and that's probably the pot type that you have in your guitar.
The JB is an alnico 5 magnet pickup. The Pearly Gates Plus is also an alnico 5 pickup, whereas the standard off the shelf PG uses alnico 2, as Jeremy mentioned.
I have a feeling that Fender asked Seymour for the PG Plus with alnico 5 because with 250K pots alnico 2 might lose to much treble.
Just a thought.
Jeremy: do you use your alnico 2 PG with 250K pots? I don't...I use 500K.
Lew
That was going to be my suggestion: a JB. The JB sounds great with 250K pots and that's probably the pot type that you have in your guitar.
The JB is an alnico 5 magnet pickup. The Pearly Gates Plus is also an alnico 5 pickup, whereas the standard off the shelf PG uses alnico 2, as Jeremy mentioned.
I have a feeling that Fender asked Seymour for the PG Plus with alnico 5 because with 250K pots alnico 2 might lose to much treble.
Just a thought.
Jeremy: do you use your alnico 2 PG with 250K pots? I don't...I use 500K.
Lew
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
i have yes, 250k pots. i dont currently have any fat strats but if i did it would have either a patb3 or pearly gates unless i was going metal or hard rock.
actually thats a lie, i have a '87 hamer chapperrell hss with a 17k custom shop but and two single coil sized rails pups but thats not a good comparison.
when i try a fender with the pg+ it seems to me fender was trying to get the bridge to sound more like a single coil, more treble and bass with a more hollow mid range. the story i heard actually was that they wanted a few db more output and the a5 magnet gave them that.
the alnico 5 jb with 250k pots (like on the telegib) works fine and sounds great. i find the alnico 5 pg+ shrill but the normal pearly suits me well.
the alnico 5 with the higher wind works with the 250k, the alnico 2 with the low wind also works with the 250k for me
i have yes, 250k pots. i dont currently have any fat strats but if i did it would have either a patb3 or pearly gates unless i was going metal or hard rock.
actually thats a lie, i have a '87 hamer chapperrell hss with a 17k custom shop but and two single coil sized rails pups but thats not a good comparison.
when i try a fender with the pg+ it seems to me fender was trying to get the bridge to sound more like a single coil, more treble and bass with a more hollow mid range. the story i heard actually was that they wanted a few db more output and the a5 magnet gave them that.
the alnico 5 jb with 250k pots (like on the telegib) works fine and sounds great. i find the alnico 5 pg+ shrill but the normal pearly suits me well.
the alnico 5 with the higher wind works with the 250k, the alnico 2 with the low wind also works with the 250k for me
metlking
Well-known member
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
I use a 500k pot with a JB in my strats. I tend to like things others say are trebly/shrill/ice pick....I must have that dialed out in my amp.
So...the only difference in the Pearly Gates and the PG+ is the magnet? I'm working on my next strat project and once again will be removing a PG+, I'm thinking of putting it in the neck, I don't have any HSH strats and I think that pup will kill there!
I use a 500k pot with a JB in my strats. I tend to like things others say are trebly/shrill/ice pick....I must have that dialed out in my amp.
So...the only difference in the Pearly Gates and the PG+ is the magnet? I'm working on my next strat project and once again will be removing a PG+, I'm thinking of putting it in the neck, I don't have any HSH strats and I think that pup will kill there!
dr.barlo
New member
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
I generally agree that a PG with an a5 magnet may sound too toppy, and even shrill. But PG+'s are often hotter than the usual PGb's. Indeed, I have a PG+ that measures 8.75K and that bucker does sound great. Still I have to confess that I bought a second hand PG+ that measured 8.10K and was very shrill and not usuable with an a5 magnet.
B
I generally agree that a PG with an a5 magnet may sound too toppy, and even shrill. But PG+'s are often hotter than the usual PGb's. Indeed, I have a PG+ that measures 8.75K and that bucker does sound great. Still I have to confess that I bought a second hand PG+ that measured 8.10K and was very shrill and not usuable with an a5 magnet.
B
metlking
Well-known member
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
Yep...usually I use Texas Specials, since they come in Lonestars already and I like them....I don't use 'em much, mostly for clean parts....they can be a little too chimy with the 500k volume pot at times but I manage.....that's what the tone controls are for! Which are 250k by BTW.
Yep...usually I use Texas Specials, since they come in Lonestars already and I like them....I don't use 'em much, mostly for clean parts....they can be a little too chimy with the 500k volume pot at times but I manage.....that's what the tone controls are for! Which are 250k by BTW.
dr.barlo
New member
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
IMO the best bucker to use in a fat strat is a Brobucker. It is a custom shop pickup but still gotta mention it.
Regarding the non-custom shops, for PAF type of tones I'd go with a PG or Jazz-B TB. BTW a hot 59B is also cool.
For hotter pickups, I would go with a custom custom. I'll be trying my new PATB-3 very soon. I have high expectations from that pickup.
B
IMO the best bucker to use in a fat strat is a Brobucker. It is a custom shop pickup but still gotta mention it.
Regarding the non-custom shops, for PAF type of tones I'd go with a PG or Jazz-B TB. BTW a hot 59B is also cool.
For hotter pickups, I would go with a custom custom. I'll be trying my new PATB-3 very soon. I have high expectations from that pickup.
B
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
For what it's worth, in my opinion, everyone should try a JB and a PG+ at least once. A good starting point in my opinion, i.e. as a reference point, is a JB or a Custom. The JB, PG+, '59, Jazz, and Alnico II series pickups are very much worth trying at least once.
For what it's worth, in my opinion, everyone should try a JB and a PG+ at least once. A good starting point in my opinion, i.e. as a reference point, is a JB or a Custom. The JB, PG+, '59, Jazz, and Alnico II series pickups are very much worth trying at least once.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
Does anybody want a really out-of-left-field suggestion? Invader.
Invaders sound GREAT in a Strat, and offer a bunch of cool tones with a twist of the volume knob.
Does anybody want a really out-of-left-field suggestion? Invader.
Invaders sound GREAT in a Strat, and offer a bunch of cool tones with a twist of the volume knob.
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
And you could do country music, but you'd have to run it very clean lol (if nashville pop/country is your thing...)
Would the Invader even work for clean country? I would think not, but I don't know. Not according to its description.... "Recommended for punk, garage, thrash, metal and other heavy rock styles."
And you could do country music, but you'd have to run it very clean lol (if nashville pop/country is your thing...)
Would the Invader even work for clean country? I would think not, but I don't know. Not according to its description.... "Recommended for punk, garage, thrash, metal and other heavy rock styles."
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
Since the only thing most contemporary country music has in common with old time country is cowboys hat (laugh!) I think the Invader would probably work just fine in today's country format. When I hear country music these days, live or otherwise, I just hear/see a rock band wearing cowboy hats.
(For the most part...)
Lew
Since the only thing most contemporary country music has in common with old time country is cowboys hat (laugh!) I think the Invader would probably work just fine in today's country format. When I hear country music these days, live or otherwise, I just hear/see a rock band wearing cowboy hats.
(For the most part...)
Lew
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Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: What HB to put in a FAT Strat
Sorry, maybe my dad raised me wrong: when I hear "country" I think John Denver :scratchch
Sorry, maybe my dad raised me wrong: when I hear "country" I think John Denver :scratchch
