What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

[bowzee]

Hi,

I need help finding the best pickups for me.

I have consulted the Tone Wizard, the forum and everywhere I could about which pickups I should get to replace the stock ones that came on my Cort X-11 guitar.

I have a classical acoustic guitar music background (Bach, Albéniz, etc.) and my ear appears to not accept very well what I have learned is called a "muddy" tone, i.e., when notes and harmonics blend up together into noise. But I do enjoy contemporary distortion, like with Steve Vai.

The specs. for the X-11 guitar are these:

Instrument: Guitar
Guitar Type: Hum-Sing-Hum
Guitar body wood: Basswood
Fretboard wood: Rosewood
Bridge Type: Locking Trem
String gap E-to-E: all near but over 2"

So far I have concluded this:

Bridge: TB-5 "Custom" (for Steve-Vai-like music)
Neck: TB-2N "Jazz" (for clean classic-acoustic-guitar-like)
Middle: UNDEFINED (should complement the TB-2N "Jazz")

Please help me with the middle, I would prefer: Strat-sized humbucker that wouldn't cause a lot of "muddiness", would blend in well with the TB-2N "Jazz" yielding something pleasant and "richer" or "fuller" than it alone (I am not sure if I am using these jargon words correctly).

Also I'd like to know if my other choices make any sense.

I can rewire my guitar in any possible fashion, I have an EE degree (which may help, I guess).

Any help will be very much appreciated.

Thanks, bowzee

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

I'd put a true vintage type single coil in, if I were you.

 

[bowzee]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

Hi ModestCargo,

Thanks for your reply. I hadn't thought about any single coil, in fact all I listed in the poll are sigle-coil sized humbuckers. Do you have any specific suggestion or suggestions?

I am totally lost, so any suggestion is welcome!

bowzee

 

[TeleJr24]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

My setup is a little different, but I have two 59s in the bridge and neck positioins. I put a hot stack in the middle and when I am in position 2 and 4, having the middle pickup on does fatten up the sound in my guitar. Keep in mind that both of my 59's are single conductor, so they are not being split as other humbuckers with 4-conductor wiring would be.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

Hi ModestCargo,

Thanks for your reply. I hadn't thought about any single coil, in fact all I listed in the poll are sigle-coil sized humbuckers. Do you have any specific suggestion or suggestions?

I am totally lost, so any suggestion is welcome!

bowzee

The SSL-1 would be fine. It would give you a true clean single coil sound.

 

[bowzee]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

Hi TeleJr24 and ModestCargo,

I just got an answer from Billy Gill at Seymour Duncan that matches both of your answers, suggesting the new STK-S4 "Classic Stack Plus":

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/stratsdescr.shtml#ClassicStackforStrat
http://www.seymourduncan.com/news/press_archive.shtml#stks4

I suppose that it sounds like a vintage single coil, maybe even similar to the (thanks) SSL-1, but without the hum. I couldn't find any sample clips for it (at least not yet).

I might just give it a try!

Thanks, bowzee

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

It's very close. I'm usually not worried about the hum but if it's a true concern then go for it.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

since you loking for a stratish tone I would sugest the Duckbuker or vinatge rails from that list, Also the stackes wil work well. By the way you may be a litlle more happier with a 59 B IMO, since you do notlike to much MUD.

 

[bowzee]

Re: What Middle PU? Have: Custom (B) + Jazz (N)

Hi everyone,

I have updated this issue here:
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=80340

bowzee