HSS Project - sombody stop me!

[rcruz71]

Hi all - new to the forum so be kind!

Many have been here...it started out as moderate upgrade to my Mexican Classic Strat. A newly built Strat with Sonic blue body, fantastic Kinman pickups, Callaham trem, and a beautiful Eric Johnson maple neck, made the original Classic a little bit redundant...always picking up the new boy.

I'll get a new neck I thought - a Fender Vintage Hot Rod (a major research exercise in itself). Well, I'm not too keen on the super shiny 'plasticy' body either. Hmmm, I can get a Highway Strat with thin-skin nitro finish and a HSS routing - not too pricey. Hmmm, I could get new pickups too, make it a real alternative to the cool 50's vibe of my other Strat. What's the newsman saying about credit crunch again...?

Anyway, new pickups...last time it was between BKP and Kinman's (no Kinman bashing please, they sound great!), so now I fancy a set of HSS. I had already upgraded the Classic mex pickups with Fenders Vintage Noiseless - and maybe thought of mixing these with new humbucker. Naturally, the law of "oh what the hell..." came into force.

I know this is always somehwat subjective but lets say I want this guitar to sound and feel different, for it to have a different voice, but still retain, Strat tones and vibe. So anything hard-core metal is out! I just saw John Mayer play in Hyde Park with Clapton (great night!), and his tone is great - in his fingers I know - but he has Fender Big Dipper pickups. Maybe the Slowhands, with Black Dog HB will keep the classic strat tones but have a slighter thicker tone, with Black Dog giving more meat than the usual rasp of bridge single coils. There's a lot of postive reviews about Mothers Milk set also? I did find a sound clip of VHII's straight through an amp, which sounded great. I'd love to hear some sounclips, just straight up in a decent amp, but they seem scarce! Come on BKP, do your own!

Any opinions, advice or links to soundclips welcome!

Ps I even started looking at replacing the US Fender trem with a Callaham one...sombody stop me...!

 :)

[PhilKing]

I have a few HSS BK sets, but the one that I think would suit you best is a Rebel Yell & 2 Mother's Milks, though the VHII with Irish Tours is a mighty sounding combination too.

[rcruz71]

Thanks for your suggestion - Rebell Yell recordings sound great, and they're on the short list.

I may have to put the brakes on a full HSS set - keep the Vintage Noiseless pups in middle and neck and add bridge humbucker. I'd asked Tim about VHII's with these and he reckoned they'd work fine. I've been listening to lots of clips and alot just sound too trebly. Obviously, amp. effect set ups come into it, but I'm after less treble and more warmth - which I know you'd usually get at the neck.

Bare in mind, its going in an alder-body Strat! I know nothing will make it sound like a LP, but that's not what I'm after. I just don't want it to be too edgy, and maybe one will fit the bill just slightly better than another!

Any grand theories welcome! Thanks.  :)

[badgermark]

how about a Holydiver? They are hot but not too hot- they wont distort a clean tube amp too readily unless you pound the strings...

I have had mine in an alder Strat and it now resides in an alder tele. Lovely warm tone- with this in the bridge i see no need at all for a neck pickup. My favourite BKP.

[FernandoDuarte]

Nobody is going to stop you here... We are almost the devil on your shoulder  :twisted:

[rcruz71]

Well, after much research and blowing the budget, I've just ordered the full HSS (prewired, so I don't stuff it up!) set, Black Dog and Slowhands, which I think will give me that slightly thicker, darker tone. Maybe I'll even post a Slowhand clip, as there are precious few of them...one in fact!

[FernandoDuarte]

I hope you like it and please record a sample if you can!  :D

[UndeadMonkey]

Well, after much research and blowing the budget, I've just ordered the full HSS (prewired, so I don't stuff it up!) set, Black Dog and Slowhands, which I think will give me that slightly thicker, darker tone. Maybe I'll even post a Slowhand clip, as there are precious few of them...one in fact!

That Slow Hand clip is magic, isn't it.  It blows my mind that everyone earth isn't doing all they can to recapitulate that sound.  I just love it and I suspect that you did as well.  I am haranguing steve (sorry steve) with questions on every parameter of his playing and gear on that clip.

So, yea, I think that you probably made a great choice!