Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: AndyG on November 09, 2008, 04:49:16 PM

Title: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyG on November 09, 2008, 04:49:16 PM
I recently found a beautiful Yamaha SA2200, 355-style semi which the previous owner fitted with EMG's which I'm not especially partial to.
Can anyone suggest a suitable replacement set? I don't want anything too hot as I play mostly mildly overdriven blues.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: kellar on November 09, 2008, 04:52:29 PM
A 335 fitted with EMG's. :o Yuck!

Anyway, Stormy Mondays seem to be the popular choice for semi-hollow style guitars. Perfect for blues and overdriven rock.
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyR on November 09, 2008, 05:04:57 PM
Welcome :D

Stormy Mondays do seem to be the main recommendation for 335 type semis, but I'd consider thinking about Mississippi Queens. Fourth Feline on here has them in a 335, I think. I have them in an Explorer. I play rock/blues type stuff, I think he's possibly more jazz oriented than me.

Anyway, I find the MQs can get me to early Angus Young if I want - that's about as overdriven as I go. I find they also cover some of the same territory as my telecaster with Blackguards in, just a little bit thicker and more powerful.
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyG on November 09, 2008, 06:30:32 PM
Thanks; Stormy Mondays were the direction I was leaning in so it looks like a trip to Manson's tomorrow. I previously had a set of Mules in an LP Custom which I liked a lot and an Irish Tour set in a US Strat which, frankly, I wasn't too happy with.
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: Philly Q on November 09, 2008, 06:40:34 PM
and an Irish Tour set in a US Strat which, frankly, I wasn't too happy with.

Oh, don't say that!  I'm looking forward to installing mine!   :o  :lol:
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyG on November 09, 2008, 07:02:50 PM
and an Irish Tour set in a US Strat which, frankly, I wasn't too happy with.

Oh, don't say that!  I'm looking forward to installing mine!   :o  :lol:

Just personal taste; I'm sure you'll love yours! Also I've had a love/hate relationship with more Strats than I can remember; I guess I'm more of a humbucker/semi guy.
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyR on November 10, 2008, 08:49:44 AM
Don't panic Philly :lol:

They (ITs) took me a lot of getting used to and pickup height fiddling. They did the Rory/SRV thing, without too much thinking, right from the outset (which was what I wanted at first). Then I heard an IT on someone else's geetar at Jonathan's place and it sounded a lot more traditional "transparent stratty" than mine, which got me confused/thinking.

What I've got from them now is the Rory/SRV, plus what I call a more "stratty" tone - think Steve Gaines (or even Ted Turner :D). It's a really nice all-rounder of a strat. It'll also do passable Hendrix and quite interesting Trower noises - but I don't tend to set my amp models like that at the moment (I'm in "telecaster through a tweed or a JTM territory" at the moment - the strat doesn't quite compete on those terms :lol:).

AndyG, I've not tried Stormy Mondays myself (not got a guitar to put them in!), but I suspect that they might well be very tasty. I've got no actual experience to go on, but I suspect you'll be able to get more "bell-like" tones out of them than MQs. The MQs can get quite "chewy" (thick) and "hairy" (biting) - which I quite like :D.
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: MDV on November 10, 2008, 08:54:31 AM
I rather like ITs. I'm not much of a singles guy, either (but then, I dont like nailbombs, so go figure).
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: Philly Q on November 10, 2008, 09:31:53 AM
Ah well, hopefully I'll put my new Strats together in the next few weeks so I'll see how the ITs sound then.

I'm not too worried, really, as most single-coils sound quite pleasing to my ears.  I'm much more picky about humbuckers.

Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyG on November 11, 2008, 03:57:31 PM
Right, pickups ordered (SM's), five-day wait (I hate this part) and then it's off to Manson's to get them fitted! Pics to follow...
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyG on November 20, 2008, 02:35:16 PM
Thanks to everyone who suggested the Stormy Mondays; my SA2200 is a transformed guitar and now sounds like a great semi should!
Pics to follow.

Andrew
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: Fourth Feline on November 20, 2008, 04:24:30 PM
Sounds like you have a killer combination there;  just what I would be buying if I had the money.  The Missisippi Queens are great in a semi for your kind of music, but as the legendary SA2200 have coil taps built into the tone controls, a humbucker is the way to go . 

Great choices Andy !  :D
Title: Re: Recommendations please...
Post by: AndyG on November 20, 2008, 05:50:28 PM
Sounds like you have a killer combination there;  just what I would be buying if I had the money.  The Missisippi Queens are great in a semi for your kind of music, but as the legendary SA2200 have coil taps built into the tone controls, a humbucker is the way to go . 

Great choices Andy !  :D

Thanks FF; actually I asked that the pickups not be coil-tapped so I guess it's now effectively an SA2000! One day when my finances have recovered I might experiment with a MQ, but for now I'm indulging myself in a great sounding guitar.