3 buckers in a strat-ish body?

[Catalyst77]

I have to completely disagree with the 3 humbuckers only being for looks.  I have 15 guitars of which two have 3 humbuckers.  Ive moved the pickups between the 2 humber and 3 humbucker guitars and never noticed a detrimental effect of having three next to each other.

it all depends what your'e after.

99% of people can get any sound they are after from 2 pickups and you may well be one of those people.  But if you want to explore the tonal landscape adding a third pickup can make a MASSSIVE difference to the range of tones available. - especially if you mix and match the pickups!

[MDV]

OK, let me put it this way:

Name a tone that you require that was done/can only be done with a middle HB.

I dont doubt that there are more sounds in a 3HB guitar than a 2HB. It has to have more!!

But theres a big difference between screwing around with pickup combinations and going "Ooooh, the south pole of the middle pickup in series, out of phase with the north pole of the neck pickup sounds cool!", which a 3HB guitar is a playground for, and having specific tones in your mind that you want to achieve and going for a 3HB guitar to do it.

I think you can get a very good approximation of all of what you want (provided you have the right amp for the job: Engl invader or something equally versatile) with HH or HSH.

I think that putting a HB in the middle, with the different vibration profile of the string there, will certainly give new and fun sounds, but you may well find yourself moving away from the sounds you want: nearly all of which are neck/bridge HBs or singles: calling, therefore, IMO, for faily powerfull pickups in HH with coil splits, and paralel wiring for softer tones.

[MDV]

Ultimately my (cop out, but do it!) advice is:

Take your list of sounds you want: give it to Tim with a blank slate for the pickup configuration (Make it explicit that youre willing for it to be anything, including HHH, but it doesnt have to be) and see what he says.

[Catalyst77]

I think its fair to say that no ones the same; hence this conversation.

However; with the greatest respect; if Tim or anyone else knew all the sounds possible usuable or otherwise and was able to accurately identify any combination of sounds either in your head real or as yet to be discovered I would never pick up a guitar again!

What if Peter Green had just tuned around and said oh well im sure with a tweaking of the eq and decent set of pups i'll be ok

[MDV]

I think its fair to say that no ones the same; hence this conversation.

However; with the greatest respect; if Tim or anyone else knew all the sounds possible usuable or otherwise and was able to accurately identify any combination of sounds either in your head real or as yet to be discovered I would never pick up a guitar again!

What if Peter Green had just tuned around and said oh well im sure with a tweaking of the eq and decent set of pups i'll be ok

Well, of course. I screw around with different wiring ideas adn pickups to get sounds in my head or pleasant suprises. I'm just saying that, while there may well be fun tones to be had in HHH, I dont think the OP needs it.

It'll make the guitar easier to find (and easier to find a good on eat that!) at least

[Catalyst77]

I think its fair to say that no ones the same; hence this conversation.

However; with the greatest respect; if Tim or anyone else knew all the sounds possible usuable or otherwise and was able to accurately identify any combination of sounds either in your head real or as yet to be discovered I would never pick up a guitar again!

What if Peter Green had just tuned around and said oh well im sure with a tweaking of the eq and decent set of pups i'll be ok

Well, of course. I screw around with different wiring ideas adn pickups to get sounds in my head or pleasant suprises. I'm just saying that, while there may well be fun tones to be had in HHH, I dont think the OP needs it.

It'll make the guitar easier to find (and easier to find a good on eat that!) at least

Well theres always this:

http://www.rocknrollweekend.com/Mr.Horsepower.htm

[MDV]

I think its fair to say that no ones the same; hence this conversation.

However; with the greatest respect; if Tim or anyone else knew all the sounds possible usuable or otherwise and was able to accurately identify any combination of sounds either in your head real or as yet to be discovered I would never pick up a guitar again!

What if Peter Green had just tuned around and said oh well im sure with a tweaking of the eq and decent set of pups i'll be ok

Well, of course. I screw around with different wiring ideas adn pickups to get sounds in my head or pleasant suprises. I'm just saying that, while there may well be fun tones to be had in HHH, I dont think the OP needs it.

It'll make the guitar easier to find (and easier to find a good on eat that!) at least

Well theres always this:

http://www.rocknrollweekend.com/Mr.Horsepower.htm

 :lol:

I love it that "Its got the notes on"

[silentrage]

I think its fair to say that no ones the same; hence this conversation.

However; with the greatest respect; if Tim or anyone else knew all the sounds possible usuable or otherwise and was able to accurately identify any combination of sounds either in your head real or as yet to be discovered I would never pick up a guitar again!

What if Peter Green had just tuned around and said oh well im sure with a tweaking of the eq and decent set of pups i'll be ok

Well, of course. I screw around with different wiring ideas adn pickups to get sounds in my head or pleasant suprises. I'm just saying that, while there may well be fun tones to be had in HHH, I dont think the OP needs it.

It'll make the guitar easier to find (and easier to find a good on eat that!) at least

Well theres always this:

http://www.rocknrollweekend.com/Mr.Horsepower.htm

 :lol:

I love it that "Its got the notes on"

lol, that's what those were.

well MDV and Ben thanks very much for the advice, I will see what Tim says when I actually put in the order. :)

and uh, I just noticed MDV you're the guy that ordered this very unique guitar from Legra, the one with the 5 piece neck and heavy swamp ash body. It's actually kinda what I would want in terms of tonal qualities, very heavy bass with tons of clarity. Coincidentally I chose CS and CWP for it too.
Have you got any clips recorded with that guitar by any chance?

[MDV]

I think its fair to say that no ones the same; hence this conversation.

However; with the greatest respect; if Tim or anyone else knew all the sounds possible usuable or otherwise and was able to accurately identify any combination of sounds either in your head real or as yet to be discovered I would never pick up a guitar again!

What if Peter Green had just tuned around and said oh well im sure with a tweaking of the eq and decent set of pups i'll be ok

Well, of course. I screw around with different wiring ideas adn pickups to get sounds in my head or pleasant suprises. I'm just saying that, while there may well be fun tones to be had in HHH, I dont think the OP needs it.

It'll make the guitar easier to find (and easier to find a good on eat that!) at least

Well theres always this:

http://www.rocknrollweekend.com/Mr.Horsepower.htm

 :lol:

I love it that "Its got the notes on"

lol, that's what those were.

well MDV and Ben thanks very much for the advice, I will see what Tim says when I actually put in the order. :)

and uh, I just noticed MDV you're the guy that ordered this very unique guitar from Legra, the one with the 5 piece neck and heavy swamp ash body. It's actually kinda what I would want in terms of tonal qualities, very heavy bass with tons of clarity. Coincidentally I chose CS and CWP for it too.
Have you got any clips recorded with that guitar by any chance?

I have but they dont do it any justice at all (due to my inabitlity to record things well).