Best HSS for classic rock?

[JCN1218]

Hi again everyone! After getting my first set of BKPs, I'm totally hooked! I just placed an order today for more of them, but I won't be satisfied until every single one of my guitars has them!!!

So, I have a Mexican made stratocaster HSS configuration, and I was wondering which combination of BKPs would fit best with this guitar and give it a great classic rock tone. It has an ash body and an all maple neck. I'm hoping to be able to get tones ranging from clapton to Van Halen. So almost definitely something from the 'vintage' category, maybe even 'vintage hot.' Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Kiichi]

Well for that my thought would be something like an Abraxas in the bridge and the fill it up with Irish Tours. The Abraxas give you a wide range (it is, little simplified, a hotter mule) so that can go most ways and the ITs are classic single coils in tone but a little hotter and fatter, making them sit better with a HB. They can do great cleans and shine when dirty.

[Telerocker]

I have a Crawler/Irish Tours-combi an a custommade swampash-strat. Does everything. Crawler splits great with the middle-IT, the Crawler singlecoil-mode sounds like a beefy telepickup. I also can combine the full Crawler with the middle-IT, which adds some sparkle to the fat sound of the Crawler. I think the Crawler excels in bolt-on strats: beefy, but with enough topend, don't worry. Great thick solotones, really growls when pushed. The Abraxas is a good one too, if you want a bit more chime.

[Slartibartfarst42]

In terms of the bridge, I think the Crawler and Abraxas are both good shouts and were the first two I thought of so I can't really improve on that. For the single coils I'd be more inclined to go with Slowhands, partly because you mentioned Clapton and partly because I naturally prefer the fatter, smoother, more fluid tone I always hear in the Slowhands.

[Kiichi]

Yeah the Crawler is also a good option if you wanne be going for a fat, full, warm sound in the bridge. Itīs a little like a chocolat fudge sundae to me. Tasty!
Dunno how it will do Van Halen though. On that note, maybe even a VHII bridge rather obviously.

The Slowhands are also great, they are to the ITs what the ITs are to regular single coils. Certainly love them with the Crawler. Could be for you or not.

Basecally you gotta think about how bright your guitar is and how full and fat you wanne go.

[PhilKing]

I have a Stormy Monday/Sultan/Sultan in one of my strats and if you are in to the classic blues/rock tones, this delivers in spades.  It's easy to get harmonic feedback, all the pickups take pedals really well and overall they are really well balanced.  All of them have Alnico II magnets, so it is a slightly softer attack than with AV, but I really like it.  I also have another with a VHII/Mother's Milk/Mother's Milk set, and they are great for the harder edged sounds, like a more modern tone for Van Halen.  I'd avoid overwound for any of the older rock tones, as overwound pickups didn't exist in the late 60's & early 70's.

[Telerocker]

With ash/all maple neck I would hesitate to pick a VHII/Mother's Milk combo. I have this set in an Fender American Series HSS (ash/rosewood fretboard) and it's definitely a brighter/leaner combo then the Crawler/IT's in my customstrat (swampash/ebony board), which is imho a bit more versatile too.

[JCN1218]

Thanks for the advice everyone! Some really great ideas floating around here, but I think I need to narrow it down a bit still. I really like the idea of the Stormy Monday/ Sultans, just because I'm trying to go for a vintage vibe with this guitar. Versatility is nice, and I have more than enough gain on tap with my amp, so I'm really leaning toward the vintage spectrum.

[Mr. Air]

I got Stormy Monday/Apaches in a strat and they work well together. I imagine the tone of the Apaches are a little rounder and fuller than the Sultans, but I have never played the latter.

[Telerocker]

Remember vintage-BKP's like a Stormy perform way different in a strat then in a mahogany based guitar. Personally I find them to bright in ash/alder bolt-ons, especially with an all maple neck. My friend got the same guitar you have, and put a Mule in it. He immediately went back to his Crawler. But, I have Mules in an all mahogany bolt-on Saint Blues and they kill in that guitar.

Further, I wonder if you catch the Van Halen-tone with a Stormy, for which you need a VHII for I think. But for classic rock, I would pick Abraxas or Crawler. You have better splitted tones on the fourth position and the Crawler splitted provides great big Tele-tones too.

[EffigyForgotten]

The Riff Raff and Apache seem to look like a good match.