Pickups for DIY charvel style strat

[another_drunken_robot]

Hi guys,

so I just bought an Charvel style Musikraft body (alder) and neck (maple) off ebay now and of course I need some new pickups!  :D
The body is routed for an humbucker in the bridge and a single coil in the neck and has a single volume pot and a 3-way switch.
For the bridge humbucker the VHII, Rebel Yell and Holy Diver seem most interesting to me. Anyone compared those?
I`m not sure if I want an high output pickup. It should be kinda "organic" with a lot of harmonics and more in that 80s shredder territory...
And I have absolutely NO clue which singe-coil to get for the neck, so help would be very appreciated   


thanks for any help

[Telerocker]

Holy Diver delivers the 80's metal-tones and beefs up the tone in alder/maple. For neck you may look at the Trilogy Suite or, if you want a vintagehot tone, a Slowhand.

[another_drunken_robot]

ok thanks  :o I think I will go for the trilogy SC in the neck, but I`m not sure about the HD in the bridge... I`m a little afraid the HD is gonna be too dark  :? Well I like brighter pups but I`ve never had an alder superstrat with a floyd rose on the other side...

[blackie]

get a cold sweat...
Personnaly I hate Jb style pickups...
The Cold Sweat sounds like an enhanced Custom(SH-5)...
Great clarity...
Check it out...

[Telerocker]

ok thanks  :o I think I will go for the trilogy SC in the neck, but I`m not sure about the HD in the bridge... I`m a little afraid the HD is gonna be too dark  :? Well I like brighter pups but I`ve never had an alder superstrat with a floyd rose on the other side...

I don't think th HD will be too dark in an bolt-on alder-guitar, but certainly has beefy mids. As an alternative: I have the VHII in an ash HSS Fender American Series strat and it's great. Not overly bright, but brighter then my Crawler, it's quite touchsensitive, articulate and dynamic. When you dig in, you can get screaming tones, harmonics jump out with ease. A great rockpickup, that will do metal too with the right amp. The offsetcoils provide enough beef in strat-style guitars. When you roll the volume down the VHII produces a bell-like tone with singlecoil-quality, bigger of course, but still very nice cleans for a bridgepickup. Maybe this one fits you bill.

[Brow]

I have a strat style guitar with the same woods you mentioned and I have a Miracle Man in the bridge and a Trilogy Suite in the neck. Makes for a great 80s rock guitar!

I also personally think it's a huge dis-service to compare the Holydiver (which I own) to the JB (which I have owned in the past). The HD is nowhere near as nasilly in the mids for starters, and the HD is also a much clearer sounding pickup. I have 1 in an ash bodied, obeche capped strat style and don't find it overly bright.

[another_drunken_robot]

thanks for all opinions so far  :P
The HD is getting more and more interesting...
Whats important to me is that the pickup can deliver these overtones and screaming pinch harmonics. I know that depends mostly on someone`s playing technique but some pickups support that a little more than others  :band1:

[Brow]

thanks for all opinions so far  :P
The HD is getting more and more interesting...
Whats important to me is that the pickup can deliver these overtones and screaming pinch harmonics. I know that depends mostly on someone`s playing technique but some pickups support that a little more than others  :band1:

The Miracle Man will certainly do that!

[Telerocker]

It will, but I guess he's looking for organic alnico-tones too. The HD will provide them as will the VHII.

[Brow]

It will, but I guess he's looking for organic alnico-tones too. The HD will provide them as will the VHII.

They do, but as I have those in guitars with bodies other than Alder, I couldn't really suggest them for the guitar in question as I haven't tried it myself.

I have VHIIs in a Strat  that I think is Basswood, and HDs in an ash bodied/obeche capped Strat/PRS hybrid style and both of those will do what the OP is asking.

[rowsi]

Tyger covered Aftermaths in a Schecter Tempest Custom



EDIT: Would someone please report my reply? I answered to the wrong topic...

[darkbluemurder]

I also personally think it's a huge dis-service to compare the Holydiver (which I own) to the JB (which I have owned in the past). The HD is nowhere near as nasilly in the mids for starters, and the HD is also a much clearer sounding pickup.

Finally somebody who agrees with me :)

To the OP: both the HD and the RY would fit the bill in terms of 80s shredding territory, harmonics and good but not over the top output. It really depends on the guitar's basic sound - if it is on the darker side, RY, if on the brigher side, HD as a rule of thumb.

Cheers Stephan