Need some advice on HSS set...

[Dre180]

Hey All,

I recently bought an HSS alder body Maple FB american standard 2013 strat. Gonna pop in some BKP's. However I'm new to all of this and don't have any experience changing pups or what would suit me best. I would most definitely like a "meatier" thick sound if that makes sense.

The 3 i'm thinking of are as follow (1 being the ones i like most and so on)

1) Slowhand
2) Irish Tours
3) Apache

I love the MM, however I've been reading that they can too bright with a maple board.

As for what I listen to, there are too many to list but if i had to narrow it down to some tones i'd like to nail they'd be of the Frusciante, Clapton, Philip Sayce,  and Hendrix variety. I'm also unsure of which HB to pair with it. In terms of some harder rock styles, I gravitate more towards the 90's era stuff like early PJ, STP, AIC, Soundgarden etc.

I also emailed Tim and am waiting to hear back from him on what he suggests but thought I might be able to get some good feedback here as well. I appreciate any advice you can give me...

[darrenw5094]

Abraxas, vintage character, meatier mids, smoother highs to balance the maple board. The other option talked on here would be the Crawler which is more modern sounding. I imagine the HD would sit well in it also.

[Telerocker]

Crawler-Irish Tours is a fine versatile combo. The Crawler beefs up any strat, you will love the thick solonotes and the growl when pushed. Does heavier styles very good, but still has enough PAF-pedigree for classic rock. The split sound is very satisfying too, so are the cleans in fullhumbucking mode. Thick and juicy, but you can get more crystaline sounds when you turn down the volumepot.
For Frusciante/Hendrix-stuff the IT's are great and they clean up very well. You can get close to Mother's Milk. They are just a bit beefier, have more bass and less topend. If you want a middy vintagesinglecoil then you should pick Slowhands.

[Dre180]

Thanks for the advice guys. Tim told me the IT's would work well along with a VHll. He also said not to rule out the '63 Veneers which have a woodier snappy sound which I also like but am afraid will be too bright with the maple board.

All in all, I'm considering either the IT's, '63's or Slowhands for the single coils, and either the VHll or Crawler for the HB. I like the crawler a bunch from what I've heard.

Telerocker - since you have the IT's do you think they are a bit bright for a maple board? Also the slowhands don't seem to get much love around here for some reason, though I've liked what I heard from them.

Tough decision...

[Telerocker]

Thanks for the advice guys. Tim told me the IT's would work well along with a VHll. He also said not to rule out the '63 Veneers which have a woodier snappy sound which I also like but am afraid will be too bright with the maple board.

All in all, I'm considering either the IT's, '63's or Slowhands for the single coils, and either the VHll or Crawler for the HB. I like the crawler a bunch from what I've heard.

Telerocker - since you have the IT's do you think they are a bit bright for a maple board? Also the slowhands don't seem to get much love around here for some reason, though I've liked what I heard from them.

Tough decision...

In general the IT's are better suited for a maple board than Pat Pend Veneer Board 63's or Mother's Milk, which have the woodiness and vintage snap of a true vintagepickup and are therefore a bit brighter and a little more scooped. I have IT's in a swampashstrat with an ebony board. Ebony is tonewise somewhere between rosewood and maple.

Btw, I also have a VHII/Mother's Milk combo in an ash strat. The VHII sounds overall a bit leaner, drier (noncompressed) and more in your face than the Crawler (a pickup that really excells in strats). The VHII is really a great screaming rockpickup, yet totally different than and imo not as versatile as the Crawler. I also think that the Crawlers split - together with the middlepickup - provides a better Fenderish quack. Just my experience/personal taste.

[PhilKing]

I have the veneer boards on my hardtail maple neck strat and they sound great.  The Crawler is a great hb for bolt ons, I have one in my PRS EG with 2 P-90's. 

[Dre180]

Thank to all, this has been really helpful. I'm set with a crawler in the bridge. So It comes down to the IT's or slowhands. My only question is about their versatility, but I definitely like the thick sound they produce. However I don't know if they'll be airy enough when I'd like them to be, so IT's May be a safer bet.

That being said, I was blown away with this tone from the slowhands. If only I can play this well  :D

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrz3i8ECd1E

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O7nH-_QQ8Tg

I'm truly torn. I love both pups. Gonna sleep on it and make my decision tomorrow!

[Kiichi]

Take the MM and overwind it and you got the IT. Same classic base but more power, mids, low end, slightly more rounded high end and a great pinch of rock dust (dirt as we call it). Loves some gain and can still do wonderful cleans easily, espcially if you roll down.
Do that same thing again with the IT and you got the Slowhand.

Both work nicely with the Crawler, it is just a question of home far you wanne take it and what you need. You can also always stagger your stuff doing a Slowhand middle and IT neck.

[Dre180]

Finally decided. I'm going with the slowhands and crawler for the bridge. Im sure I would like IT's just as well but my gut says to go with the slowhands, that's what i'm gonna do. Next strat will probably be of the sss rosewood variety I'll go with The MM or IT's. Thanks to all.

[Telerocker]

Finally decided. I'm going with the slowhands and crawler for the bridge. Im sure I would like IT's just as well but my gut says to go with the slowhands, that's what i'm gonna do. Next strat will probably be of the sss rosewood variety I'll go with The MM or IT's. Thanks to all.

That's gonna be a very fat strat-set. Hope you like them.

[Dre180]

That's gonna be a very fat strat-set. Hope you like them.

Do you think too fat? You have me second guessing it now  :? I havent placed the order yet as i'm going to once i'm home from work. could still go IT's and crawler.

[Kiichi]

That's gonna be a very fat strat-set. Hope you like them.

Do you think too fat? You have me second guessing it now  :? I havent placed the order yet as i'm going to once i'm home from work. could still go IT's and crawler.

I have both an IT middle in one guitar and a Slowhand middle paired with a Crawler set. Both are wonderful, but I personally am glad I chose the SH with the Crawler. Really good combo. Not to say the IT would not have worked, but I feel the SH is a tad more homogenic for what I want.

Yes it is full sounding, but it does not loose sight of the vintage, old school base. If you wanted a hollow tone you went wrong, if you do want more mids on the SCs and a full, warm sound that can take dirty but is still a true vintage SC at heart you went right as I hinted before.

[Telerocker]

That's gonna be a very fat strat-set. Hope you like them.

Do you think too fat? You have me second guessing it now  :? I havent placed the order yet as i'm going to once i'm home from work. could still go IT's and crawler.

No no, not at all, you gonna be alright (see Kiichi's reply). It's just the fattest vintagevibe strat-set BKP's has to offer. Anyway, if you want a bit more air in the Slowhands, just turn the vol.knob a tad down or adjust the amps eq.

[Kiichi]

It will be a guitar with serious attitude and character. In the best possible way. Just know that it will likely have a certain growl that will seperate it from all the others. It will stand out. Because it is here and does its things with conviction. And that thing is rock.

And yeah, as Telerocker said, just roll down the volume to go from warm and raspy woman tone stuff to heartwarming single coil cleans. Add the wonderful splits of the Crawler to that (shame on you if you donīt wire it to do so btw) and you got something very, very cool. It will turn heads, I am pretty sure of that.

[Telerocker]

Make sure you use a 500k pot for the Crawler, and 250k for the singlecoils. You can use the Suhr-wiring diagram.
Btw, I can split the Crawler and join it with the middle-IT for Fenderish sounds, but I can also combine the Crawler in full humbucking-mode with the middle IT. The last combo is a thick sound with a nice chimey layer over it.