Which single size HB to go with Stk-S4

[ibanez28]

Hello

I've got 2 STK-S4 in bridge and middle position on m'y Godin LGX 3

I would like to get a jazzy sound on thé neck position with a single Cool sized humbucker

So ... Little 59 ? Vintage rails ? Cool rails ?

Any expérience ?

Thank you from France

Didier

 

[ibanez28]

Sorry for language errors !

 

[jeremy]

id say cool rails neck is a good choice. the lil 59 is fatter sounding but might over power the other pups. you can roll the tone down to get the level of treble you need, but itll be clear and distinct. its a great pup!

 

[Clint 55]

The rails are smoother and will sound more jazzy. It's counter intuitive, but the hot rails will actually be the most fat and wooly, with the cool rails being a great option also but it's more snappy. You don't want to use the pups with screw poles for a jazz tone as they impart a crunchy sound.

 

[Mincer]

For Jazz, I'd do the Little 59 for sure. The Cool Rails sounds clear like a Jazz model humbucker, but that doesn't give a good jazzy sound to me. The Vintage Rails sound like a lower output clean and clear single coil, which isn't great for a jazz sound, either.

 

[Clint 55]

For Jazz, I'd do the Little 59 for sure. The Cool Rails sounds clear like a Jazz model humbucker, but that doesn't give a good jazzy sound to me.

You think the crunchy sound of the lil 59 with the screw poles is closer to jazz than the hot rails or cool rails? I don't. It more suits rock with its crunchiness. Hot Rails for fat and wooly, Cool Rails for snappy but still warm and smooth.

 

[Mincer]

You think the crunchy sound of the lil 59 with the rails is closer to jazz than the hot rails or cool rails? I don't. It more suits rock with its crunchiness. Hot Rails for fat and wooly, Cool Rails for snappy but still warm and smooth.

Actually, yeah. Try it through a Deluxe or Twin on 2. It won't crunch, but it is fat and warm.

 

[Teleplayer]

I prefer Coolrails for Jazz, over the lil 59. I’m not sure about the crunchyness aspect, but to me the coolrails has a nicer clean tone out of the two.

 

[jeremy]

i agree about the clean tone

 

[Clint 55]

Actually, yeah. Try it through a Deluxe or Twin on 2. It won't crunch, but it is fat and warm.

I'm a fan of all the lils. But if you specify jazz tone I would suggest the rails since they're smoother, while the screw poles ones definitely impart a crunchy sound. So it could work, but I wouldn't hear jazz tone and then go and suggest the more crunchy pickup.

Hot Rails - Thick, warm, and wooly.
Cool Rails - Medium bass, warm, and snappy.
Lil 59 - Balanced with a subtle crunch.

 

[Mincer]

Are we talking Frank Gambale jazz or Wes?

 

[Teleplayer]

Considering the other pickups are STK-S4 middle and bridge stacks, the control pots are likely to be all 250k. A mix of 250k volume, 500k Tone1, and 250k Tone2 could be used. I don’t see the brightness of the coolrails being a problem at all.

 

[Clint 55]

Are we talking Frank Gambale jazz or Wes?

I would assume we're talking about Wes because when someone says they want a jazz tone, they don't really mean 'I want a fusion-y hard rock tone.' I could be wrong tho! :dunno:

 

[Mincer]

I would assume we're talking about Wes because when someone says they want a jazz tone, they don't really mean 'I want a fusion-y hard rock tone.' I could be wrong tho! :dunno:

Modern (last 40 years) and classic (40 years ago and back) are some very different tones.

 

[Clint 55]

In fusion yes, in traditional jazz no.

Peter Bernstein at Chris's jazz club in Phila in 2025.

 

[Artie]

Nice. Looks like they're both using Twin Reverbs. That's the sound I love. (Wish I could do it.)

 

[Clint 55]

Yep. That's a luxury to be on a sweet gig with a twin, and a supporting twin!

 

[Mincer]

In fusion yes, in traditional jazz no.

Peter Bernstein at Chris's jazz club in Phila in 2025.

Great tone here, but not one I'd associate with a Jazz model pickup.

 

[Clint 55]

I wouldn't associate that tone with any single coil size humbucker. But when someone says they want a jazzy tone, they generally mean traditional jazz adjacent. Warm and smooth with a decent amount of bass, and preferably some good character in the mids and further up. They don't generally mean a hard rock fusion tone. Nothing wrong with fusion, but it's not necessary for you to invert the meaning of jazz.

 

[Artie]

I always thought that "jazz" is when when you played what you feeled like playing.

Fusion is what you feeled like playing but another jazz player didn't like it.

:dunno: