Most versatile Strat pickups?

[indysmith]

I want something for my new strat (alder body, maple neck, rosewood board), that can cover pretty much all the stratocaster bases, from surf, to funk, to blues, to rawk, and even to iron-maiden-esque metal tones.
This can be an H/S/S set or an S/S/S.
I want to make this guitar into the most versatile axe on the planet - the one i pick up when i can only take one guitar to a gig.
In an ideal world i could get a few strats to hit all of these bases, but i've GOT to stop buying guitars.
Just so you know what kind of sounds i can already make; my main guitars include an Ibanez with Nailbomb (for more modern metal rock tones), a LP with SD '59s (soon to be replaced by RYs, for an 80's rawk sound - think motley crue, g'n'r etc.), and a LP jr. for the p90 sounds.
I'm looking for something where i can go from Texas Flood to Purple Haze to Sultans of Swing to Apache to Hallowed Be Thy Name with ease.
An additional bonus would be if it could hit early kirk hammet tones (when he used that ol' ESP strat), and van halen sounds aswell would be nice.

Really i think i'm asking too much - I've considered a VHII in the bridge with irish tours, all irish tours, a holydiver with irish tours, all apaches, a sinner with trilogies... everything pretty much

[sgmypod]

loved irish tours but where a bit basey for some of the songs you mentioned, like them for others....myself have a full apache set..covers all the bases I think

[indysmith]

loved irish tours but where a bit basey for some of the songs you mentioned, like them for others....myself have a full apache set..covers all the bases I think

only thing is that i think they might lack 'kick' - and be a bit weak for a load of the things i mentioned. yu definately couldnt play metallica with apaches.
I tried Irish Tours in a Melancon the other day and they sounded incredible - i'm pretty certain they're what i want in the neck and middle - just might need a humbucker in the bridge?

[sgmypod]

mmm are more the bluesy end don't get me wrong are sweet....had a nailbomb with them worked well together

[indysmith]

mmm are more the bluesy end don't get me wrong are sweet....had a nailbomb with them worked well together

Blues is a good thing! SRV, Hendrix, Dire Straits covered.

[sgmypod]

definate on srv, some hendrix not so sure on dire straits

[38thBeatle]

I have found Apaches to cover a lot of ground Indy.Although low output, they have a great rich Strat tone and can crank it when required.

[indysmith]

I have found Apaches to cover a lot of ground Indy.Although low output, they have a great rich Strat tone and can crank it when required.

So you dudes reckon Apaches are really the way to go? I don't see it myself - although i havent tried any for a long while, and when i did i played...well...Apache on them :P and not much else. Might be worth waiting til LGS unless Tim chips in some time soon with a definate answer.

[jordan]

only thing is that i think they might lack 'kick' - and be a bit weak for a load of the things i mentioned. you definately couldnt play metallica with apaches.

In the last 3 days I've played 3 gigs with my Apache loaded strat, and material has covered:

Cleans - Play That Funky Music, One, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, loads of Beatles stuff...
Bluesy - Johnny B Goode, Mustang Sally etc...
Rock - Sweet Child of Mine, Wishing Well, Hush....
Metal - Killing In The Name Of(!).....

.....all with the same guitar. Believe me when I say the Apaches can handle anything you throw at them. All of those gigs were played with nothing more than my #1 strat and a Rivera R55 combo. I believe Tim plays (or certainly did when I last spoke to him) in an Ozzy Osbourne tribute band and uses an Apache-loaded strat for a fair amount of that material.

If you use a valve amp, it's worth remembering this.....The lower the output of the pickups, the harder you drive the amp to get the volume/dirt you're after. With a good valve amp, this is exactly what you want to be doing! I consider it a massive bonus that the Apaches are relatively 'low output'....it means I get to push the power amp section of the Rivera harder, which in turn means I get better sounds out of it. A win win situation for me.

Given the choice, I'd definitely buy them again.

Hope that helps,
Jordan.

[indysmith]

i just don't get much "feel" out of any of my valve amps unless they're being pushed a bit by the pups - thats the problem. Plus two out of three of them are extremely low gain amps which need some push! It's all very well cranking up the amp to get your gain, but i feel t's far more useful to be able to do it from your guitar.
I'll give the apaches and irish tours a go at LGS... I've just always leaned towards something a bit higher output - i guess i'll need to play something i really like to break the habit

[Elliot]

Have you considered Mother's Milks?  they can do all in your list, are a bit hotter than Apaches and yet retain a relatively low output (which is the essence of a classic strat pickup imo).

[indysmith]

Have you considered Mother's Milks?  they can do all in your list, are a bit hotter than Apaches and yet retain a relatively low output (which is the essence of a classic strat pickup imo).

i was thinking about that actually - RHCP seem to cover a lot of different sounds aswell from funk to heavy rock. i still don't see why everyone's so against irish tours...

[_tom_]

I'm gonna say Trilogy. Havent used any other than neck, but I'm sure the middle and bridge are just as good. Does REALLY nice cleans, and still works well for quite heavily distorted sounds.

Will do some clips over the next week..

The only thing I dont like about it is the noise but its a single so I cant expect it to be quiet.