Recommend a grungy humbucker bridge pup for a Fender Mustang

[Armchair Bronco]

I've got a Daphne Blue Fender Mustang on the way, and I'm already thinking about how I'd like to upgrade this '65 Reissue.

I'm a big Nirvana fan, and I've got small hands, too -- so the 24" short-scale Mustang with its 41.3mm width neck and curved 7.25" fretboard radius fits the bill perfectly.

I want to keep the neck pickup stock but I'd like to swap out the bridge single coil for a hot, grungified humbucker.  Kurt Cobain used a Dimarzio Super Distortion during the early part of his career, then switched to a Seymour Duncan JB later on.

In my case, I want something that'll cop the "Nevermind" tone, but will also work well as a split single coil.  I want to add a push/pull tap to the volume pot, and then have the ability to run both single coils either in or our of phase.

What are some Bare Knuckle Pickups I should be looking at?

[ericsabbath]

nailbomb
maybe a cold sweat
both are hot and dirty
in a naughty way  :D

[ailean]

nailbomb
maybe a cold sweat
both are hot and dirty
in a naughty way  :D

+1. I'm liking that thinking.

[badgermark]

If you're dead set on the nirvana sound, just go for the super distortion. Cobain's tone is pretty horrible (not in a bad way per se), the Wishka album is testament to this. Plus single coils sound so much better for grunge anyway, they cut and are super nasty when distorted.

[Crazy_Joe]

I think a Mule would be great for that kind of stuff.

[Armchair Bronco]

If you're dead set on the nirvana sound, just go for the super distortion. Cobain's tone is pretty horrible (not in a bad way per se), the Wishka album is testament to this. Plus single coils sound so much better for grunge anyway, they cut and are super nasty when distorted.

If I decide to go the Super Distortion route (pun intended), do you recommend using a full-sized HB or using a single-coil sized Super Distortion so I don't have to carve up the body?  How does a skinny Super Distortion stack up to the "real thing"?

For that matter, I might be inclined to go with a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. if I go in this direction.  The single-coil sized Super Distortion has a 12" radius, but the Mustang has a 7.25" fretboard radius.  The JB Jr. has adjustable pole pieces and would probably be a better fit in terms of string to pole piece spacing.

And if I went with a JB Jr., I'm guessing that I could stick with a 250K push/pull volume pot, which would be a good thing for the stock neck pup which also wants a 250K pot.

[badgermark]

If you're dead set on the nirvana sound, just go for the super distortion. Cobain's tone is pretty horrible (not in a bad way per se), the Wishka album is testament to this. Plus single coils sound so much better for grunge anyway, they cut and are super nasty when distorted.

If I decide to go the Super Distortion route (pun intended), do you recommend using a full-sized HB or using a single-coil sized Super Distortion so I don't have to carve up the body?  How does a skinny Super Distortion stack up to the "real thing"?

For that matter, I might be inclined to go with a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. if I go in this direction.  The single-coil sized Super Distortion has a 12" radius, but the Mustang has a 7.25" fretboard radius.  The JB Jr. has adjustable pole pieces and would probably be a better fit in terms of string to pole piece spacing.

And if I went with a JB Jr., I'm guessing that I could stick with a 250K push/pull volume pot, which would be a good thing for the stock neck pup which also wants a 250K pot.

The jb jr sounds like the best plan. Don't need to cut up a brand new guitar and will still cut it for nirvana stuff. Might be a bit muddy with a 250k pot, worth trying anyway. The polepiece radius doesn't really matter much when it comes to higher output pickups, there won't be much of a difference.

[Armchair Bronco]

Thanks for the info.

One last question: what about wiring up the JB Jr.?  Seems like I have lots of options.

A) 250K push/pull pot (volume or tone?)

B) 500K push/pull pot (but not sure if the stock single coil would like this)

C) use the on/off/on phase switch somehow (??) and leave the stock pots alone.  Is it possible to have this switch work like this: HB/off/Split Single Coil?

[Will]

Why don't you do the resistor mod that HTH has previously mentioned, so the single coil has 250K and hum has 500K

[gwEm]

Nirvana and Metallica where the two guitar band I got into first. I don't think they've had much lasting effect on me - but I still think that Kurt looks cool with his Mustangs, Jaguars and Jazzmasters.

I've been thinking about this post a little.

Kurts tone obviously has hot pickups and humbuckers as we know, but they retain a ferndery characteristic. Maybe he used the stock single coils in the studio.

The Rebel Yell and Holy Diver are JB inspired to a certain extent, but I don't think they'd be right for the Nirvana sound.

Crazy Joe mentions the Mule, and I think it might not be too bad, as Kurt had great cleans and also a really old school edge. Perhaps something a little hotter might be better though. I'd take crawlers then, which also work well split, apparantley.