Hi everyone...... sorry, got a pickup advice question too :S

[Will]

Ilyti, have you tried the IT's?
I feel that the argument cannot be fuelled on your side by a statement of the specs, and what you have read on here.

Ben had a rant a bit back about people recommending pickups they haven't tried just by principle, I can see his point, may be why he doesn't usually say to much in the pickup section so more. (not specifically aimed at you, just the growing trend)

[il˙ti]

No I have not. Scratch my recomendation of Irish Tours then. I would be surprised if there's not a set of BKP single coils that would do what spacetruckin wanted. What I debated was whether or not it is necesary to get an HSS set to play Led Zep and Van Halen. I have played single coils before and to my best memory, the notes do not dissapear when you play a Page riff just becasue it was originally played on a humbucker.  :P I never said Irish Tours would give him Eddie's and Page's tone, he said he wanted single coils and single coils can sound good playing music that was originally played on humbuckers. I reasoned that when he wanted to play Smashing Pumpkins, he'd want something that sounds good and fat under gain, thus leaning towards the higher output singles (Slowhand, Irish, Trilogy).... and AndyR who has tried the Irish Tours agreed with me.

[AndyR]

Thought I'd come in and agree with, and defend...  everyone!!  :lol:

Everyone's talking sense here, from slightly different perspectives. And re-reading the whole thread, I think spacetruckin can probably extract what's best for him personally.

I agree with ilyti, because my gut feeling is that our man here doesn't want to sound like all these acts, it's just the kind of styles he's interested in covering (and I think he also knows he's asking a lot from one guitar).

I also agree with Ted - if our man's after an accurate reproduction of any one of those sounds, then as an IT user myself, I'd say "I think you could probably choose a better BKP"... not too sure which for each sound, all I'd be able to suggest is the ones I'd fancy trying...

I'm still happy to recommend ITs as an all-rounder vintage-hot set for spacetruckin.

I think a good illustration is what I'm going through myself: I have a very nice Japanese 62 re-issue with the ITs in it, it works really well for me, and most important it sounds like me. I have an old JV Squier that currently has the other's Texas Specials in it, and I am contemplating looking into these new Classic Vibe Squiers when they appear. I'm thinking about more BKPs to arm these beasts.

The reason for all this GASing? I have a nagging feeling that maybe I could get closer to "Blackmore/Hendrix/Knopfler/whoever-I'm-trying-to-sound-like-at-that-moment"... I sometimes wonder whether pups that have more "colour" (as I understand the slowhands or mothers milks have - from other's descriptions on these forums), or slightly less output, etc, might move me nearer to what I'm attempting.

But then I get a day like yesterday. I spent nearly the whole day playing only the IT-strat while doing other lazy-Saturday type stuff. I played in a variety of styles, jamming along to stuff, etc... I covered ground similar to Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ-Top, Free, Motorhead, SRV, The Shadows, Dire Straits, Thin Lizzy(!), etc, etc, etc...  I felt no need to strap on the Les Paul, the Explorer, the Tele, or the SG... With a bit of amp-tweaking and brain-tweaking, ITs did the job I bought them for... As a result, I'm temporarily free of strat-GAS :D

[spacetruckin]

Hi guys,
firstly to say, thanks a lot for all your posts. they've really helped me in what has been a bit of a pickup conundrum.
Next, i would definitely agree with AndyR, in that im really asking a lot from one guitar, and with ilyti; that im not wishing to sound like one of these eruption covering youtubers brandishing their ibanez's, but simply looking for a strat pickup that can give me the wanted styles if i fiddle with my amp/pedals etc right, whilst retaining me my own feel (if that makes sense :S )
god, when i put it like that, i am asking for a lot :/
ultimately though? i still think its between IT's and trilogies. i think now though that i might go for trilogies, due to the higher output. if i REALLY cant decide, i might just get another guitar and throw in a set of whatever i dont get  :P
once again, thanks for all the guys, its been very informative :D

[il˙ti]

looking for a strat pickup that can give me the wanted styles if i fiddle with my amp/pedals etc right, whilst retaining me my own feel (if that makes sense :S )
god, when i put it like that, i am asking for a lot :/

I don't think so. Chances are when you do get your BKPs, you'll find them doing exactly that. :)