Need help and advice! The "refine my custom Strat" thread

[GuitarIv]

Hey guys,

first of all I'd like to say thank you very much, for this awesome forum, all the advice I've gotten so far and the helpful people round here!

After gathering opinions and opening some threads about which pickups to get, this here is kinda my attempt to make sure I solve all problems I might encounter, to make sure my workhorse guitar is "finished" (if something like this is even possible :P)
After all the advice I decided to get the Holydiver in the Bridge position, and the Slowhands for the Middle and the Neck. The guitar I'm talking about is a custom handmade "Neubauer Guitars" Strat, with a HSS configuration, a poplar body, a maple neck and fretboard. I attached pics and a vid of me playing it (through a Peavey Valveking 100 with a tubescreamer, I think to remember that I used the SD Jeff Beck in the Bridge position), and currently I have the SD JB installed together with two Duesenberg vintage Singles.

So the questions I have are:

The Duesenberg PUs came with the half opened silvercovers, I like that look and don't wanna change it. Is it a problem soundwise if I order the Holydiver with a 50mm spacing although the tremolo would require a tremspacing? (you can see it in the pics that the strings aren't perfectly aligned over the polepieces)

When ordering, shall I drop Tim a line beforehand to tell him to "calibrate" the PUs in order the Diver works better with the Slowhands?

Do you guys have a clue what exact model of the Tremol-No I need to get to fit the strat vintage bridge (I think it's a Göldo Diego Deluxe Trem)

Will I need new electronics like caps, pots and a switch? I don't even know right now what is installed (except for the 5 way switch which is an original Fender), as far as seen in the pics there are two caps, one is bigger and the other one smaller, there's "Alpha" with an inverted S and "9L4" written on the pots.


Here's the vid, I know the quality isn't the best but I don't have proper recording gear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xGnEfKMQgA&feature=plcp

I'll attach pics in the next response

Thanks in advance for answers, any help is welcome!

Cheers

[GuitarIv]

The Pics

[GuitarIv]

Yay

[GuitarIv]

And on it goes

[GuitarIv]

Last one

[Toe-Knee]

I would go for a trem spaced humbucker. the rest need to be standard spaced (I think I don't have much experience with single coils)

As for the electronics you can leave them as is.

As for the tremelno either the pin type or small clamp type would work. I personally prefer the clamp type as ive found the pins can break easily in the past.

[Toe-Knee]

another note regarding the tremelno. if you plan on upgrading the trem block at any point the small clamp may work with a big block but the bigger clamp would be abetter option.

[Philly Q]

I would go for a trem spaced humbucker. the rest need to be standard spaced (I think I don't have much experience with single coils)

I agree, I'd go for the 53mm-spaced humbucker.  It should still fit under your open cover - although the polepiece spacing is wider the pickup itself is the same size as the 50mm version.

The single-coils only come with one spacing anyway.

Your Alpha pots are probably pretty decent quality.  You might consider upgrading the caps to paper-in-oil types.  Some would even insist on vintage cloth-covered wire!  How much difference these things make is very much a matter of opinion, I'd do some Googling and see what you think.

I don't think you need to be too concerned about "calibrating" the HD to work with the Slow Hands, but you could call BKP to discuss.  A bigger issue might be what value pots you use to work with the combination of humbuckers and single-coils.

[gwEm]

I like cloth covered wire mostly because its really easy to work with - just push back and solder. No need to worry about melting insulation or anything. I can't really see that its somehow tonally better?

I also think 53mm spacing on the bridge. The Holy Diver should balance with the Slow Hands "as-is".

[GuitarIv]

Thanks for the answers so far!

As far as the Humbucker goes, I didn't know that those still have the same size just with a wider spacing, but isn't a trembucker wider than a "F-Spaced" Humbucker? My bassist has a Jackson Dinky with a Floyd and the Bridge Trembucker seems to be wider than the neck Humbucker. I guess I'll e-mail BKP and ask.

For the electronics: The less I'll have to change, the better. I honestly don't know wich values the caps have since it's not written on them, same with the pots. I've been thinking about getting Jensens but I guess I'll just try if the HD and the SHs work well the way the guitar is wired right now and if not, I can still get new parts. It's not like I'm not satisfied with the sound right now, I just expect an improvement with the Bareknuckles and as far as I've read the HD is the BK version of the Jeff Beck, so I hope it all goes well :)

Cheers

[Philly Q]

As far as the Humbucker goes, I didn't know that those still have the same size just with a wider spacing, but isn't a trembucker wider than a "F-Spaced" Humbucker? My bassist has a Jackson Dinky with a Floyd and the Bridge Trembucker seems to be wider than the neck Humbucker. I guess I'll e-mail BKP and ask.

You're right that Duncan's Trembuckers are physically bigger pickups - they're pretty much the same size as two Strat pickups (or Strat pickup covers, in fact) side-by-side.  They also have very wide polepiece spacing, bigger than BKP's 53mm.

But BKP's wide-spaced humbuckers (and DiMarzio's F-spaced) are normal sized pickups, they just have different polepiece spacing than the standard versions.

Have a look at the dimensions diagrams here:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/dimensions.php

[GuitarIv]

Thanks Philly, glad that I don't need to broaden the scratchplate cavity nor remove the covers :)
Well then, everything should be pretty clear. I'll order the PUs and install them, if I need other pots, jensen caps or other electronics I'll order them later on as my RG will get either Nailbombs or Blackhawks soon after. Be sure to hear some clips, I'll record the guitar sound before and after changing the PUs and post them in the Forum.

As always thanks for the help and cheers!