Your favorite noiseless single coil?

Gamera

Gamera

New member
Any brand. Looking for suggestions. Looking for replacements that would ultimately need to balance with a bridge humbucker in an HSS Strat. Needn't be uber vintagey. Needs to sound good and be responsive. Not real picky but it needs to have some character and not sound dull. Would be employed to simulate anything from Trower to Candlemass and a bunch of stuff in between. I have and like DiMarzio's HS-3. I have Fender's SCN and could take 'em or leave 'em. Thoughts?
 
For ultra vintagey, the Classic Stack Plus best vintage tones I've heard in noiseless. I do like the SCN's for a more modern sound.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

ErikH said:
I do like the SCN's for a more modern sound.
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Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. That means it's me, not the pickups. ;)

But seriously, there are many times when the SCNs seem dull to me. Sometimes they just lack any character to my ears. Especially when your strings are less than new, they just seem to exist in this narrow range of midrange with some bass and almost no treble. Although that could be the guitar too I suppose.
 
In the guitar I had the SCNs in I had fought and fought it with different pickups. The best it sound was with the SCNs. A 500k volume pot made a big difference. Opened them right up.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

None of them are really gonna balance with a bridge bucker or really sound like a single coil...but if it's just an issue of size a Cool Rails is a good pickup.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

I know you're set on noiseless but honestly I was there too. All hung up on the annoyance of 60's cycle hum. It's more likely your amp, tubes, pedals, or cables if it's excessive. Just get real singles and you'll have great tone. I got SD Texas Hot antiquities and I'm SO GLAD members of this forum convinced me to do that instead of hum canceling pups.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

I'm not really concerned with the hum actually. My signal chain is very short. I just really like the modern concept of a single coil that sounds vaguely single coily but doesn't produce any hum. I have a regular Strat and it rocks. But this noiseless one is a bit of an issue at times. I really like the 500k pot idea though. That could potentially benefit any 'bucker I decide to put in there too.
 
I have the Classic Stack Plus matched up with a Screamin Demon in the bridge. No issues. The Vintage Hot might balance a bit better but I'm happy with the setup I have. I actually put a Lil Demon in the neck recently so I can have some humbucker tones there but I might put the CSP back in.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

I was gonna say my favorite are probably the DiMarzio virtual vintage pickups. But in all honesty nothing will beat out a good set of Fralins, Lollars, or Antiquities.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

L250s. I'm probably going to pull the trigger on a set for my Charvel tele once I get home.
 
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Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

Well, I like the Kinman FV-HMS and I believe they would match up well with a bridge humbucker. Too me, in my guitar, they sound like a very clear yet potent version of a true strat pup.

The only downside is that they are a pain to adjust. They are a little too sensitive to where they are in relation to the strings and it's hard to find the "zone".
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

From Seymour Duncan:

Parallel Axis stack and any of the humbuckers would be awesome combo.
I have the stack in the neck and the PA Distortion in the bridge and it rocks, no balance problems.

YJM Fury's. They are very fine pickups in any position. They don't sound like true single coils at all so they might suit you. I havent played the DMZ HS-3 or 4 so I can't compare them to the one you have but I've been told that they different and SD's have a bit more output.

Hot stackis very cool if you're willing to deviate from the usual look of a singlecoil.

From Dimarzio:

Virtual Solo is the hottest singlecoil stack they make and might be bass-heavy sounding but it's actually very good neck pickup. It gives you very liquid, full, powerful sound kind of P-90-ish or humbucker-ish but still retains many singlecoil qualities. Again nothing like true singles but very cool nonetheless.

Injektor's are Paul Gilbert's signature pups. I hear they are also very good stacks with some extra power.

The Cruiser's are probably the most singlecoil-sounding rail pickups there are so you might want to try them. Andy Timmons's favourite pickups.

Now if you really wanna go crazy with unique pickups.

Lace's Holy Grails seem to be very cool or the Alumitone singels and humbuckers are also good pups. Or the very famous Sensor's which are awesome as well.

Lindy Fralin's Split Blades sound and look cool.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

Zhaggy said:
Hot stackis very cool if you're willing to deviate from the usual look of a singlecoil.
Click to expand...

Ideally I'd like to keep it looking traditional even if it doesn't necessarily sound it. I've been digging Andy Timmons' single coil tone lately, unfortunately it looks like he uses a rail pickup to achieve it.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

Kinmans? I got an HSS guitar with a DImarzio AT1 in bridge, Area 67 in middle and Heavey BLues II in neck. All balance very well and cover tons of ground.
 
Re: Your favorite noiseless single coil?

Another vote for Kinman's - 'Woodstock' set in my case. I have a neck & middle in a Fender 'Lonestar' along with the stock PG+. For me they see to balance well like that and I prefer their tone to the Texas Specials that came with it which seemed harsh to my ear.
 
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