Pickup ideas for a CS Strat

[Lindqvist]

Hey!

New to the forum, though I'd ask you for help in choosing a set of BKP's for a newly purchased guitar.

The guitar in question is a heavy reliced Fender Custom Shop strat. Ash body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard. The pickup configuration is HSS.

I play a wide variety of musical styles but focus is on hardrock & progressive metal. What I like in pickups in general is medium to medium high output that sounds modern with a bit of bite and good string separation.

I've never tried any BKP's but I've heard so much good about them so I'd like to try them out. Hit me with your best ideas!!!

[Telerocker]

Hi and welcome!

A good starting point would be a Holy Diver with Irish Tours or Slowhands (if you want more mids from the single coils). I have a Crawler/Irish Tours-combo in my HSS MXG Custom swampash strat. The Crawler will do hardrock and prog too, just with a bit more vintage PAF-vibe than the more modern sounding Holy Diver. Overall the Crawler sounds a bit bigger than the Diver.

[Kiichi]

Hi and welcome mate!

I can pretty much just second our dear Telerocker who is spot on. The Holydiver rules for prog. It is somewhere between modern and vintage making it very versatile since it can be guided by the amps tone. It is warm, organic, roaring, and has a present, but musically rounded high end, which suits strats very well. The output should also be right down your alley.

The Irish Tour then is taking the archetype classic single coil and adding mids, some bottom end, raining in the high end a tad, and adding some magic rock dust. Clean it has all that woodyness with a tad added warmth, especially when you roll the volume down a tad, and under gain it comes alive more and can go higher than a full on vintage single coil. Brilliant for your application and axe, plus it pairs well with the Holydiver.
The Slowhand does the same as the IT does, just more of the same.

[Telerocker]

Good completion Kiichi. I just forgot to mention that for a selection of possible BKP's the natural soundspectrum of the guitar is important. My ash/rosewood Fender Am. Series has a diffent tone than my swampash strat. It's a bit darker. So Lindqvist, let us know if your CS strat is a bright, a dark or a balanced one.

[Lindqvist]

Thanks guys (or gals) for your input!

The Holydiver actually crossed my mind as well when I started looking in to the BKP range.

The guitar leans toward the darker side with a pronounced midrange in the tonal spectrum.

It's got a Seymour Duncan JB today in the bridge position. The output is great but I think the pickup lacks in definition. The SC's that sits in the guitar today are Fender Texas Special.

[Telerocker]

Thanks guys (or gals) for your input!

The Holydiver actually crossed my mind as well when I started looking in to the BKP range.

The guitar leans toward the darker side with a pronounced midrange in the tonal spectrum.

It's got a Seymour Duncan JB today in the bridge position. The output is great but I think the pickup lacks in definition. The SC's that sits in the guitar today are Fender Texas Special.

In that case the Diver. In terms of clarity and noteseparation it will beat the JB. Remember the Diver and Crawler are pickups with extra mids. Usually that's no problem in strats. I hope your choice turns out well.

[Lindqvist]

Thanks guys (or gals) for your input!

The Holydiver actually crossed my mind as well when I started looking in to the BKP range.

The guitar leans toward the darker side with a pronounced midrange in the tonal spectrum.

It's got a Seymour Duncan JB today in the bridge position. The output is great but I think the pickup lacks in definition. The SC's that sits in the guitar today are Fender Texas Special.

In that case the Diver. In terms of clarity and noteseparation it will beat the JB. Remember the Diver and Crawler are pickups with extra mids. Usually that's no problem in strats. I hope your choice turns out well.

Great! Looks like the Holydiver and the Irish Tours is the way to go...

How do you think the Juggernaut would fit in a strat?

[Telerocker]

Juggernaut is more modern and agressive than the Diver. I think it will fit a strat, but it's a different beast. Maybe owners here on the forum can comment on that.

[darrenw5094]

Littlered has Jugg bridge in a Strat. He does pop punk covers with it i think.

[Lindqvist]

I've listened to 100's of clips now but I cant make my mind up! Juggernaut or Holydiver in bridge position... Hmm.... Damn it, I wish these babies were available in stores in Sweden so I could try them out properly!

Which of the two (Juggernauts & Holydivers) do you think has "the best" clean sound? What would you say the characteristics are?

[Kiichi]

If you were in Malmö I could give ya a taste of the Holydiver at least. ;)

In terms of clean sound on the bridge both do well for humbuckers, but the Jugg should be more modern, fatter, and with a more rounded high end. The Holydiver is more vintage in comparison in that organic way, less polished and more of an open high end which is still rounded, but in another way.