best bridge humbucker for strat

[em07189]

Hi!

What is the best bridge pickup for a strat with rosewood fingerboard?

The guitar has now a Seymour duncan jb, it does not definition, its very bassy, its not tight.
What Is the humbucker that will add,  what the jb doesnt have?
Thanks.

[darrenw5094]

Holydiver

[Kiichi]

Yep, HD in that case. Where the RY channels the old JB the HD shares a lot with the newer one in vibe. It will do exactly what you want, less bass, more definition, and tighter. Great one.

This depends on your style too however, since the overall best HB for a strat probably has to be the Crawler. If you could give us a few words on the style you aim for that would likely give more substance to the HD recommendation.

[Telerocker]

Depends on the styles you play. VHII, Diver, Abraxas, Crawler and perhaps even the alnico Blawkhawk will do fine in strats. Although often mentioned as an alternative, the Diver doesn't sound really like a JB.

[darrenw5094]

The JB was probably the most popular pup in the 80's rock scene and the HD nails that perfectly.
But there ARE alternatives depending on what exact you are looking for.

[Telerocker]

Yep, the HD is 80's hardrock/metal, but clearer, more refined and not as hot as the JB.

[darrenw5094]

Yep, the HD is 80's hardrock/metal, but clearer, more refined and not as hot as the JB.

Not sure if there is a BKP as hot as the JB. It's been a while since I tried one though.

[Yellowjacket]

Yep, the HD is 80's hardrock/metal, but clearer, more refined and not as hot as the JB.

Not sure if there is a BKP as hot as the JB. It's been a while since I tried one though.

SDs tend to be considerably higher output but they're also muddy and lacking clarity.  The Custom Custom is pretty comparable to the A-Bomb for instance.  I suspect that the Juggernaut bridge would be similar if not hotter than a JB.  It's noticeably hotter than a Gibson Dirty Fingers and has more power, especially in the bass and mids. 

Hi!

What is the best bridge pickup for a strat with rosewood fingerboard?

The guitar has now a Seymour duncan jb, it does not definition, its very bassy, its not tight.
What Is the humbucker that will add,  what the jb doesnt have?
Thanks.

Do you want something with a similar or a different voice to the JB?  A Rebel Yell sounds like what you are describing but it may be too much of a good thing in a strat.  I get an open, clear, and tight tone with tonnes of definition, in a lump of mahogany guitar.

[darrenw5094]

Not sure how the bottom end of the RY would hold up in a Strat. Might just be enough there, but it has a modern tone to the high mids and highs. I still think the HD would be the best direct replacement for the JB.

[Telerocker]

RY in a strat is quite a gamble. Better go HD.

[mantrasky]

Within the last year I went through a test of pickups (Duncan Distortion, JB, 59, Pearly Gates and BKP Holy Diver Calibrated set) from the recommendation from my son and the guitar that I wanted to put the pickups in (he has a lot of experience with Bare Knuckles) around the '80s I use the Distortion as my goto pup. I tried all of the pup's mentioned but the HD was by far the best (for me) After testing them in my home studio level, live & recorded the HD has so much tone possibilities, just by lowering the gtr volume, they sound warm and almost '70s mid-rock (Single Volume/5-way mega type E/ No Tone Pot) and both HD Pickups sound wonderful, the neck sounds just as "Vocal-Like" as the bridge. I feel the JB sounds very good at Full-Open but looses tone and definition as you turn down the volume control, whereas the HD stays nice and vocal-authority through all of the volume control range, excellent sensitivity to pick attack.

The BKP Holy Diver's are awesome pickups (the Hand Scatter-Wound makes a great difference).

[seancorker]

I think it depends on whether you mean early '80's JB's which are awesome pickups - I have one in an early Kramer Baretta that is going nowhere. The later overwound JB's are not to my taste. The HB is more like the later JB. I don't think BK has anything that really captures the magic of those early JB's.

[Kiichi]

I think it depends on whether you mean early '80's JB's which are awesome pickups - I have one in an early Kramer Baretta that is going nowhere. The later overwound JB's are not to my taste. The HB is more like the later JB. I don't think BK has anything that really captures the magic of those early JB's.

I have heard multiple times that the RY does capture that vibe. Even modelled on it some say.

[seancorker]

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I have heard multiple times that the RY does capture that vibe. Even modelled on it some say.
[/quote]

I really struggle to see how this can be the case when RY's don't really work in bolt on alder/basswood strat style guitars with floyds which is where the early JB's are at their best. They are certainly not a direct replacement for JB's

[darrenw5094]

I have heard multiple times that the RY does capture that vibe. Even modelled on it some say.

I assumed that the RY was an underwound Nailbomb. Wether that is the vibe of the original JB or not, i don't know as i have never tried it.