PG blues pickups in a Strat - am I just mmaadd?

[neilson]

Hi everyone,

Got an old Strat that is in a bit of a state, no nut, no strings, electrics shot, machine heads loose, been sitting in a bag 5 years.

Used to love this guitar before the pickups started crackling and failing, and the machine heads got so loose. BUT it has a weathered aged look to it - appealing enough to warrant a restore job now I have a few quid lying around :)

Thinking about hot rodding it a bit at the same time, and being a PG nut I have read all the rave reviews about the PG Blue pup, I fancy fitting one to the bridge pickup of this old strat while I was repairing the other aspects.

First reason for this post is to get opinions on the 'etiquet' of doing this. Am I nutty for thinking I can acheive a 'PG-like' tone with a strat this. I'm not breaking an unwritten law of common sense that says this is just barmy............... am I?? Or could this be a really awesome combination?

I'm not really *that* barmy on the holy grail of PG tone - I just want it to sound effing hot. My rational is that I love PG, I see Bareknuckle have the best reputation, this old thing could do with a lift..... can I go wrong?

Other thoughts are that are the consequences when fitted, in regard to the out of phase sound. Obviously a strat has a 3 pickup selector switch instead of two, and I notice it's only out of phase in the 'middle' posish- logically that would mean for a strats wiring the out of phase would occur with the middle and bridge pickup selector yeah?

Cheers for any thoughts.

Neil.

[Fourth Feline]

Hello and welcome Neil ,  :)

My  initial thoughts are that you would need the complete set / pair of P.G. humbuckers to get that sound - and if you where going to the trouble of routing out two humbucker holes ( a shame with an old guitar ) - you may as well get one of the excellent Les Paul copies spoken of around this forum - and fit them into that for a guaranteed result.

If you want one humbucker in the bridge, I thought I had heard of someone putting a B,.K.P 'Stormy Monday' in the bridge of a Strat - and it is that pickup from which the P.G. set evolved.

Personally, I would get some nice B.K.P for the Strat, and renovate the old girl to her deserved status as a 100 % Strat. After all, I once heard P.G. do a rendition of 'Need Your Love So bad ' - on a Strat, and his phrasing still cut it with the bridge and mid pickups on.

I think your 'mission' is well founded - but could do to expand into having the Strat celebrated for it's intrinsic character - and a Peter Green 'tribute' Les Paul as a later project.

Meanwhile, i am sure you will enjoy being here and researching the previous posts in the forum !  :)

[gwEm]

you can drop in a three way tele switch and wire it up for the gibson positions.

a2 mules are meant to be cool in strats, don't know how much this can be extended to the PG blues set.

as 4th feline says - peter green used strats from time to time.

[neilson]

Thanks for your thoughts gents!

4th Feline, you say that 'if you were going to the trouble of routing out two humbucker holes' ...

Does that mean (excuse my naivety) you have to carve not only the scratch plate but also carve chunks out of the body of the guitar either way if you want a bucker in a Strat? I assumed only the scratch plate would need altering.

The idea of a tribute PG LP is a thought worth pondering - I definitly will look into that.

It'd be nice to have a tribute, really nice actually :D but for this strat I'm pretty sure I want a humbucker at the bridge - I've played many Lespauls and know that the extra grunt from the bucker suits my playing... I'm sure I want a bucker of some kind - perhaps this Stormy Monday may suit it better, it's only my love for PG that made me think that was the road to go down.

the objective isn't to reach a perfect PG sound with this Strat, but to upgrade the single coil to have larger biceps - so with that in mind would you advise away from the PG Blues pups? Whether it sounds like a PG LP or not, would it not sound pretty decent either way?

[samoth2]

Does that mean (excuse my naivety) you have to carve not only the scratch plate but also carve chunks out of the body of the guitar either way if you want a bucker in a Strat? I assumed only the scratch plate would need altering.

Yes it would

[gwEm]

Does that mean (excuse my naivety) you have to carve not only the scratch plate but also carve chunks out of the body of the guitar either way if you want a bucker in a Strat? I assumed only the scratch plate would need altering.

depends on the body

[Philly Q]

Does that mean (excuse my naivety) you have to carve not only the scratch plate but also carve chunks out of the body of the guitar either way if you want a bucker in a Strat? I assumed only the scratch plate would need altering.

Depends what Strat you have - if it's a post-2000 American one, the body will be routed for two humbuckers and a single-coil.  If it's a 90s one, it'll probably have a big rectangular "swimming pool" rout to allow for any combination of pickups.  As far as I know, anything mid-'80s or earlier will be routed for just 3 single-coils.

Not sure about non-US models.  I think the Japanese reissues are usually SSS.

[neilson]

Thanks.

I'll take a picture when I get home and post it up.

(probably) Another silly question - Even with all the enthusiasm in the world, would it be futile for a non skilled dummy (Me) with no tools to even contemplate doing this personally?

[Philly Q]

(probably) Another silly question - Even with all the enthusiasm in the world, would it be futile for a non skilled dummy (Me) with no tools to even contemplate doing this personally?

Only you can answer that!   :lol:

Have you done any guitar mods before?

[neilson]

Nope ! :)

[Philly Q]

Then proceed with caution...

[Fourth Feline]

Thanks.

I'll take a picture when I get home and post it up.

(probably) Another silly question - Even with all the enthusiasm in the world, would it be futile for a non skilled dummy (Me) with no tools to even contemplate doing this personally?

We all had to start somewhere,  :)

Proceed with caution,  work slow , and as ' Dirty Harry' once said - " A man's got to know his limitations" ...  8)

By the way, if your guitar is old enough to only have been routed for single coils , ( as my last one had ) - you might want to consider a 'more muscular ' B.K.P. Strat bridge pickup such as the 'Sinner' or near offer ?

[neilson]

A man does gotta know his limitations. I couldn't agree more...

I'm starting to think it'd be safer to ask a guitar tech on Denmark St (as I'm only 10 mins away) see if they can do the router bit for me, maybe they know a man who can for a small fee.

Can I ask about this again

the objective isn't to reach a perfect PG sound with this Strat, but to upgrade the single coil to have larger biceps - so with that in mind would you advise away from the PG Blues pups? Whether it sounds like a PG LP or not, would it not sound pretty decent either way?

I'll check out the singles.

Ya know I got a feeling I'm going to be buying at least 2 singles for the middle and neck in the future ... Will see how it sounds when one is in :D