Pickups for a Squier Affinity Stratocaster Project

[Jiveanimal]

I am a first time poster so... hey everyone!

I am building a Squier Affinity Stratocaster and need some help in regards to pickups. This guitar will be played almost exclusively in standard tuning and I would like it to cover David Gilmour-esque tones as well as cover punk (Think: Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Agent Orange. NOT: Casualties, Cancer Bats, Crust genres). That is to say, I want to concentrate it mostly on clean solos, surf, ska, and light fuzz/distortion.

This guitar is in a S/S/S configuration with an alder body and a rosewood fingerboard (May switch to maple). It has a maple neck.

Also, please, PLEASE, don't lecture me about putting expensive parts in a cr@ppy guitar. This is a fun project for me (I have $20 invested in it) that I can use as practice for much nicer future builds. It's punk, to hell with all the expensive stuff and DIY!

Thanks guys.

[Telerocker]

Slowhands!

[Jiveanimal]

Slowhands!

Those jumped out at me first as well (I hear the Irish Tours are much brighter). Do they get dirty enough for Black Flag? Are the cleans creamy?

[Telerocker]

Slowhands!

Those jumped out at me first as well (I hear the Irish Tours are much brighter). Do they get dirty enough for Black Flag? Are the cleans creamy?

The guitarplayer in Black Flag uses a Les Paul. But, the Slowhands will beef up the strat quite a bit. They have more mids and less pronounced topend than Irish Tours, but still retain the classic single coil vibe. If you want a fatter, more contempary tone, look at the Trilogies. I suppose they do Gilmourish stuff well. They are less ok for ska and surf. Slowhands will do that better imo.

[Dave Sloven]

I  agree with the Slowhands suggestion.

The only thing I might add is that it might be a good time to consider whether you want to convert it to HSS.  A Crawler with a coil split in the bridge might be good for those times when you need a humbucker.

[Jiveanimal]

Thanks guys for confirming my initial theory. So you guys don't recommend mixed sets, or there's just the right amount of variance already?

I  agree with the Slowhands suggestion.

The only thing I might add is that it might be a good time to consider whether you want to convert it to HSS.  A Crawler with a coil split in the bridge might be good for those times when you need a humbucker.

I actually have a very nice HH Schecter I'm using for the much heavier stuff I play (like SOAD, Leftover Crack, Melvins). I am sort of digging the jangly like tone of a fuzzy single coil.

[Telerocker]

If you order the Slowhand-bridge with a baseplate you will have a bit more meat. I would not recommend them for middle and neck. Things could a bit boomy.

[Jiveanimal]

If you order the Slowhand-bridge with a baseplate you will have a bit more meat. I would not recommend them for middle and neck. Things could bet boomy.

Ah, another contention I see brought up a lot browsing the forum. Most people recommend them as you do. On the other hand, I have heard no complaints from people with base plates on the whole set. Could you give an example of a boomy sound?

[Telerocker]

If you order the Slowhand-bridge with a baseplate you will have a bit more meat. I would not recommend them for middle and neck. Things could bet boomy.

Ah, another contention I see brought up a lot browsing the forum. Most people recommend them as you do. On the other hand, I have heard no complaints from people with base plates on the whole set. Could you give an example of a boomy sound?

Too much bass on the neckpickup by example, so a disbalance from top to bottom.

[Jiveanimal]

***UPDATE*** I received the guitar today and I must comment that (A. this guitar is fantastic for the $20 I spent. (B. The sound through an overdrive is much better than I imagined, the clean tones far better than $400 guitars I own. And (C. the sound with distortion is absolutely atrocious.

I'm hoping/wondering if this guitar can even handle a ProCo Rat with an ibanez tubescreamer with the proper pups?

[Telerocker]

Good to hear it's a nice one. For my nephew I recently purchased a Yamaha Pacifica 112J OVS. Absolutely stunning how they can make it for 229 euro. Finish is happening, neckpocket supertight and even the pickups are not bad at all. Stays in tune good. It was the best guitar in this pricerange and we tried a lot at Bax-Shop (say: the Andertons of Holland).

[johnny_rock_it]

$20 for the bones of a strat is pretty friggin awesome. I spent more than that on lunch today.

You just need to fill in the guts with some good pick ups, pots/caps.

My vote is for the slow hands as well.

[Jiveanimal]

Well since it's pretty much unanimous, the community is great, and I can't find a damn negative review on this stuff... I'm sold. I'll resurrect this thread when it's finished (the squier is actually a unique blue I haven't seen before). Thanks gents for the advice. 

P.S. I hear the Pacifica is the ultimate learning guitar with amazing quality. Good choice.

[Dave Sloven]

I second the baseplate on the bridge pup only suggestion.  Strats are lacking a bit in the bridge position and the baseplate will add more oomph there, but you want to avoid too much bass on neck and middle positions.