Humbucker for hss C69

[dsguitar1]

What would be a good Humbucker (BKP or other) to go with two Fender custom shop 69 pickups.

In a Fender MIM classic 70s strat ash body maple neck/fingerboard?

[Telerocker]

What sound you're after? Do you prefer a balanced split on the fourth position?

[darkbluemurder]

Telerocker said it. It depends what you want from the guitar.

1) If the goal is a good balance between the single coils and the humbucker without the feel of switching to a different guitar when using the humbucker, go with a vintage or vintage hot type.

2) If you want a stronger contrast between the SCs and the humbucker, go with a contemporary type.

Cheers Stephan

[dsguitar1]

Well in my Les paul I use P.A.F style pups such as the Mule and 57 classics, found the 57s to be not as clear as the mules so I thought maybe try a duncan sh-1 59 in the bridge of the strat with C69 in the neck and middle. (I know a pickup will sound very different in a les paul to a strat)

Would a 59 balance well with the C69 in HSS, I like the humbucker to have a bit more power than the neck and middle but not to the point that a high output pickup would.

[Telerocker]

You could try the Duncan. If that is not the sound you're after, I would go for a Crawler or an Abraxas on the bridge. They split fine, so you have that F-quack on the fourth position. You're strat with 'percussive' timbers (ash/maple) needs imo a warmer, thicker pickup. The Crawler is the dogs bollocks in a strat. Huge, fat tones, enough topend left to shine, growling like a bear when pushed, excellent splits. HSS-balance is - in my case with Irish Tours - quite good. The volumegap is not that big.

[dsguitar1]

Will the Crawler sit well with the C69's? im dead set on them so the humbucker has gotta match up nicely.

[Telerocker]

A humbucker will always be a bit more powerfull than the singlecoils. but the advantage in this case is a balanced split: Crawler-innercoil and CS69-middle. You can't do that by example with a Mule.
In my case - Crawler/Irish Tours - the volumedrop is not very big. Very workable, I would say.

[darkbluemurder]

The CS 69 is a rather low output pickup so the Crawler and even the Abraxas may be a bit too much.

I would try the Duncan 59 you have first and then decide further based on what you find missing from that pickup.

Cheers Stephan