Help for BKP newbie! HSS combo for MIM Strat - alt/indie rock

[The Pooch]

Hi guys,

BKP newbie here  :). Have recently fallen in love with many BKP based purely on the sound clips, all for different reasons of course  :D: I like: singles - ITs, MMs, Trilogy and humbuckers: VHII, Emerald, Crawler and Holydiver.

Alas I only have the one guitar that needs upgrading  :?: a MIM HSS strat with alder body and maple neck/fretboard. with stock pickups it is quite bright sounding but not super bright.

For the single coils i am looking for a slightly fuller, warmer tone whilst retaining vintage character - i am likely therefore to opt for ITs but really dig the muscular tone of the Trilogy. For humbuckers I want good clarity when distorted and something that cleans up real nice - i don't want it to be too bright. I also may need to cover some slightly heavier bands like Alice in Chains and Pumpkins heavier stuff hence why I havent ruled out the Holy Diver.

My musical influences (and bands I am likely to cover onstage are): Wilco, The National, Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, Interpol. And like i said i may be required to cover Cantrell and Corgan style heavier stuff (think the Trilogy/Holy Diver combo would be best for this). Ultimately, i think versatility is what i'm after.

I emailed Tim before I had checked out and loved the Trillogy - at the time i was leaning towards IT/VHII and based on the info i gave him he said this would work well for the woods i have but also recommended i check out the Emerald.

Having listened to the Emerald a lot now I think he may have nailed it with that hint! I really dig that it is a slightly fuller sound and higher output than VHII - also i read somewhere that it is a more forgiving pickup so if i was to play it during those indulgent moments by myself i think it would be kinder to my far from polished technique  :D

However, I am worried about the lack of love for the Emerald on the forum - i havent read anything negative so I guess it is just that is overlooked (underrated?!).

Sorry for the essay  :D but i'd be really interested in hearing what others think might be a good combo for me? happy to hear recommendations outside of the combos listed above  :D

Also would be great to hear thoughts from any Emerald owners particularly those who play it in a HSS strat combo.

Many many thanks!!

T.Pooch

[Mr. Air]

There's a lot of Holydiver love at the forums and many state that it's very versatile and it is said to really work well in alder so it is definitely a contender. I would suggest you look at the Crawler and Abraxas as well. They'll give you are more vintagy tone than the Holydiver. The Crawler is fatter than the Abraxas and really suits bright guitars. The Abraxas is often described as a PAF on steroids.

For the single coils I think the Trilogies would pair nicely with the Holydiver, but they are on the modern side tonewise. If you want a fat strat tone that still keeps a vintage character I think you should look at the slowhands.

[The Pooch]

Many thanks Mr. Air for the tips. I've defo noticed the Holy Diver fan club on this forum and am still keeping it as a contender - good to hear that people have been singing its praises versatility-wise..

I defo love the Crawler sound clips - wasnt sure how well they'd pair with the ITs as it's not offered as a HSS combo but i guess there is nothing from stopping that combo especially, as you say, since the Crawler suits brighter guitars like my alder body/maple neck and fret.

I'll re-listen to the Abraxas on the soundclips and clips from the players forum to get a better feel for it - although PAF on steroids gives me a good idea!
 
Plenty of food for thought.....

Cheers again!

[Kiichi]

With the bands you mostly like I am not sure if what I am going to talk about now would not be too dark, really hard to say. I have a hunch like an Abraxas Irish Tour combo might suit you.

Still, my (long, yes, I apologize) thoughts on the Crawler, IT and Slowhand:

When I asked which PU to pair with a Crawler set (HSH config) in a rather bright guitar recently, Ben answered me Irish Tour. When I asked for alternatives, since I already have an IT in another axe and love it, but wanted to try more of the range, he said on the more vintage side the pat veneer 63 and on the hotter side the slowhand.

Ultimatly I went for the slowhand and am very happy with it so far, even for my taste like it better than the IT, at least in a config which uses 500k pots. I am still in the honeymoon perioud though.

Both the IT and the Slowhand work very well with the Crawler, the IT being a beefier and more agressive version of a classic single coil, great for driven or distorted sounds (not to say that the cleans are bad at all) and the Slowhand being another step up in hottness, darkness and fatness.

So far I feel like the Slowhand for me was the better choice with the Crawler as I love it with 500k pots, the cleans are more to my taste and they fit in great with the split sounds of the Crawlers too (which I find to be the best splits I have heard). Just what I, as a mostly humbucker player want out of a SC.
Then again the IT sits brilliantly with my RY bridge and Mule neck, giving a bit more vintage sound and fitting better with the brighter, more agressive PUs and their splits.


I can only recommend the Slowhand and Crawler combo in a very bright guitar though, as it is a very dark combo. When you got a bright one to counter it though it is amazing, breathing so much character...

[BigB]

I have a Crawler set in an going-thru maple neck / maple sides guitar (yeah, rather bright) and had a Slowhands neck/middle (with a TS bridge) on an all maple (neck, fretboard, body) strat-like. The Crawler and Slowhand are both quite warm and full sounding pups with medium/hi output and would indeed pair well. Both are standing just on the frontier of vintage vibe and modern attitude, but still rather on the vintage side of the frontier. Now they are way hotter than vintage pups, which also means more compressed and really warm - as strange as it might be, I find the Abomb (which is definitly a modern hot pup even if it cleans surprisingly well) less compressed, brighter and more open sounding than the crawler.

wrt/ the trilogy, I only had the bidge (and it was baseplated), worked a threat for hi-gain tones and cleaned ok with the volume pot but wasn't my cup of tea (possibly because too different from the SH ?).

I have yet to try the Abraxas and ITs, but both of them being kind of "just the step before" Crawler and SH, I imagine they should match well too and possibly give you the best of both world - hot and fat enough to beef up your guitar and push the amp while still clearer and more open sounding than the Crawler / SH. This and of course the Holydiver / ITs combo which is very popular, should be very versatile and is possibly the safest bet.

Now keep in mind that getting your pups directly from BKP you have a 14 days return policy so my hint is: ask Tim for some more help and advices, go for what he says, and if it doesn't cut it than it'll be time to go for the safest bet.

[The Pooch]

thanks kiichi!

The crawler is a tasty sounding humbucker.

i think the slowhands/crawler combo might well strike a happy medium given my concerns about the IT/VHII or emerald being too bright (and potentially not being able to handle some of my heavier needs) and the trilogy/holydiver sacrifing the vintage voicings i wouldnt mind retaining.

garrrgggh tough decisions here!!

thanks again,

T.P

[Telerocker]

I have the Crawler/IT-combo in an swampash HSS-strat. The IT's are full enough, while retaining bite. If you like more mids in the single coils Slowhands are the way to go. The Crawler is a fat humbucker with some PAF-pedigree that covers a lot of styles, maybe not quite tight enough for metal, but a great allrounder. This one suits brighter strats very well en the split sounds are great. I like the growl of the Crawler when pushed. Btw, it's not a dull humbucker, the highs are wellrounded, but present enough in strats. I think the Crawler excels in bolt-on ash and alder guitars. 

[The Pooch]

Big B - thanks for your insight into the Trilogy.

I really really like the way you describe the SH/Crawler combo - "on the frontier of vintage vibe and modern attitude ...but still on the vintage side of the frontier". Coupled with Kiichi's and Mr Air's tips i'm starting to feel like slowhands and crawler  combo is a real contender here!!!

I think going back to Tim with a clearer sense of what i'm after sounds wise - thanks again Big B.

Others - any other suggestions?

[The Pooch]

Thanks Telerocker that's really helpful - the more i hear about and listen to the Crawler the more i feel it's the one for me. what styles do u use the IT/Crawler combo for if you dont mind me asking?

On first listen to all the SCs the ITs stood out most for me - am just a little nervous that it will stil be a little bright for my taste on an alder/maple/maple. I do like strong mids so starting to feel like SHs might be up my alley. However i cant ignore the mad love there is for ITs on this forum and also my initial gut reaction!!!

[Telerocker]

Thanks Telerocker that's really helpful - the more i hear about and listen to the Crawler the more i feel it's the one for me. what styles do u use the IT/Crawler combo for if you dont mind me asking?

On first listen to all the SCs the ITs stood out most for me - am just a little nervous that it will stil be a little bright for my taste on an alder/maple/maple. I do like strong mids so starting to feel like SHs might be up my alley. However i cant ignore the mad love there is for ITs on this forum and also my initial gut reaction!!!

I use my BKP-loaded HSS-strats in a coverband, so from clean to heavy rock. No metal. Btw, the Crawler cleans up very nice and splitted (only the coil of the Crawler) sounds like a beefy stratbridge.

I you want middy singlecoils pick the Slowhands. The IT's are quite gritty and I would say a bit more vintage sounding (to my ears).
 

[The Pooch]

Cheers Telerocker - I think I'm gonna pore over the differences between SHs, ITs, and trilogy a bit more   :D although I'm heavily leaning towards discounting trilogies and opting for SHs

I've narrowed the humbucker down to crawler and holy diver. Will go bk to Tim for further advice.....

Before I do - any last nuggets of wisdom from any other savvy bkp'ers  :D?

[Mr. Air]

Cheers Telerocker - I think I'm gonna pore over the differences between SHs, ITs, and trilogy a bit more   :D although I'm heavily leaning towards discounting trilogies and opting for SHs

I've narrowed the humbucker down to crawler and holy diver. Will go bk to Tim for further advice.....

Before I do - any last nuggets of wisdom from any other savvy bkp'ers  :D?

While you're at it I would suggest upgrading the electronics. Get some good pots (CTS or the BKP ones and probably 500k because of the humbucker) good capacitors (paper in oil or Spraugue Orange Drops) and a good 5 way switch (Switchcraft or something similar). It might also be worth shielding the cavity of the guitar.

[Brow]

I have an alder bodied Strat with a Maple neck and Rosewood fretboard with a HSS of Crawler and ITs and it's a very versatile guitar.

Imo the Crawler darkens the guitar up somewhat and thickens it out. It's a very rounded tone with a smoother top end. I also have it wired with a push/pull coil split on the Crawler and so also in position 2 the Crawler is auto split to go with the middle IT in parallel. The higher output of the Crawler works really well when split, it's a great match up with the ITs. The ITs I find to be slightly thicker sounding than either the Apaches or Mothers Milks I have in other guitars.

Tonally the ITs have some of that 'scooped-ness' that the Mothers Milks do, Apaches are smoother and rounder, but aren't as bright in the top end as MMs to my ears.

If I can only take 1 guitar to a rehearsal or gig to cover a lot of tones, it's always the HSS Strat  :D

[The Pooch]

Many thanks Brow - yeah I think I wouldn't be disappointed marrying the ITs with the crawler (which is currently neck and neck as front runner with the HD atm). I've discounted SCs like MMs and Apaches for the same reasons you've laid out but am still tempted by the the stronger mids of the SH......

Good to hear that your HSS Strat is your no.1 go to guitar for versatility - that's defo my aim for this upgrade  :D

[Telerocker]

The Holy Diver has a more contemporary tone then the Crawler, but would also be a good choice in a strat. That one goes well with IT's too.