Re: Which do you prefer, SSS or HSS Strats?
For me, it depends on how the guitar responds.
Case in point, I have a few Strats and one of them, my Frankenstrat, accepts just about anything exceptionally well. It's just good wood. My Fender American Standard responds better with a humbucker in the bridge than with a single-coil. It sounds good with a single-coil too, just that a humbucker is better in it. Less tweaking is necessary.
That said, my Frankenstrat has always had a humbucker in the bridge until recently. I got a wild hair and tossed a SSS guard loaded with Texas Specials on it. The tone is to die for. Worlds apart from how that same assembly sounds on the American Standard. I'm able to pull off everything I can with a humbucker in the bridge except it now has that great Strat sound to it all.
My cheapie import Strat sounds good with either in the bridge but I like a humbucker in it better.
Just because you want a certain style pickup in the bridge, doesn't mean it'll be the best fit there. Mess with the pots and tone caps too. It may take a swap or two to find out what works best in that Strat. They're all different.
