Hss strat set

[Ale84]

Hi,

I have a stratocaster am standard in sss configuration that i want to convert in hss. I'm planning to order a prewired pickguard but i don't know wich pickups to choose. I mainly play rock, 90's alternative rock and classic rock so the gain range goes from ac/dc to alice in chains and early soundgarden so nothing extreme. The guitar has maple neck so i'd like to buy a set able to tame a bit the brightness of the maple and make it a bit fatter. The bridge should be a good round, rock/heavy rock pick up able to preserve the quack of the second position (bridge and middle). Thanks

[Yellowjacket]

Crawler bridge?  I'm a humbucker guy so I'll see what the others say about the other positions.

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Crawler sounds like a great choice to me here. As for the other positions, I think either the Irish Tours, Slowhands or Trilogy Suites could work but personally I'd go with Slowhands. The mid focus and fuller sound should pair well with the Crawler in the bridge.

[Ale84]

thanks. the crawler seems to be a high output pickup which i don't really appreciate..i would prefer something low output still strat sounding but a little fatter and darker

[Telerocker]

Ah, The Crawler isn't that hot. Medium-output I would say, just a tad hotter than my VHII. Fits your demands totally. Cleans up great and splits fantastic. My all purposes pickup for many years already.
Mine is in a swampash-strat with a maple neck and ebony board. I had to tame the topend en the percussiveness (of the ebony) a bit. Crawler was spot on.

[Ale84]

Thanks. Another question: do you use a a tone pot wired to the bridge humbucker?

[Telerocker]

My toneknob works on all three pickups. The volumeknob has a push-pull to split the Crawler. I also can combine Crawler in humbuckingmode with the middle Irish Tour. Adds a nice chime to the Crawler.

[mantrasky]

Hi Ale84, the "Crawler" would be a good humbucking position from your description, as in taming the high-end & '90s sounding, it's a bit "Loose" but decent. I'm looking to change HSS in a Fender Strat but more in a "Black Dog and Slowhands" I want more traditional Fender (Single Coils slightly smoother than bright) tones with the bridge pup Vintage with a slight kick for solo/rock & blues rhy for my situation (already have Custom Shop Charvel w/HD set & TS for hard rock). Depending on your amp, I've heard guys do Metal with the Black Dog. Research a bit and I'm sure you'll find the Right combination.

I find the BKP sensitive to the picking & playing technique over standard Duncan/Di Marzio or even WCR/Loller/Fralin machine application (although there great also).

[Telerocker]

Hi Ale84, the "Crawler" would be a good humbucking position from your description, as in taming the high-end & '90s sounding, it's a bit "Loose" but decent. I'm looking to change HSS in a Fender Strat but more in a "Black Dog and Slowhands" I want more traditional Fender (Single Coils slightly smoother than bright) tones with the bridge pup Vintage with a slight kick for solo/rock & blues rhy for my situation (already have Custom Shop Charvel w/HD set & TS for hard rock). Depending on your amp, I've heard guys do Metal with the Black Dog. Research a bit and I'm sure you'll find the Right combination.

I find the BKP sensitive to the picking & playing technique over standard Duncan/Di Marzio or even WCR/Loller/Fralin machine application (although there great also).

For strats I'd pick the Abraxas for that. Despite the mids the BD has quite some topend, which could be a little too much in a strat.

[mantrasky]

For strats I'd pick the Abraxas for that. Despite the mids the BD has quite some topend, which could be a little too much in a Strat.

???

This was a recommendation from Tim! (He knows his products!)

[Slartibartfarst42]

I agree, he does, but that doesn't mean he's got to be right all of the time  Even though he's often right (Crawler, Holydiver, Miracle Man), he's suggested things to me before that simply didn't work for me (A-Bomb, Emerald). Now I'm not suggesting you ignore what he says but I am saying that there's no harm in listening to other views, doing some research and listening to your ears. In my experience, Telerocker also knows his stuff.

[mantrasky]

You are right Slartibartfast42! I've own hundreds of different pickups from every mfg out there,

Thank you.

[Ale84]

Thanks guys. Honestly i don't know what to buy and i don't if i'll keep the guitar. The fact is that a prewired pickguard would cost a lot of money plus the pickups and i was told by bareknuckle that they can't build it with the bridge wired to the tone pot and this is very important form. So i don't want to risk and spend a lot of  money on a pick up plus pickguard that might sound too bright (no tone pot) and then change fir anither pickup etc. Bareknuckle pickups are great but in this particular case they might not work for me in this guitar. The crawler is too powerful to me, the black dog doesn't inspire me, the nailbomb -suggested by bareknuckle- i have the sensation it wont work in strat. So i am leaning toward suhr ssv or sell the guitar and buy an am standard or deluxe shawbucker that might be the answer for sound and features. I don't know, still undecided.

[Telerocker]

I agree, he does, but that doesn't mean he's got to be right all of the time  Even though he's often right (Crawler, Holydiver, Miracle Man), he's suggested things to me before that simply didn't work for me (A-Bomb, Emerald). Now I'm not suggesting you ignore what he says but I am saying that there's no harm in listening to other views, doing some research and listening to your ears. In my experience, Telerocker also knows his stuff.

Slarti, thanks for the faith  , yet I don't want to question Tim's suggestions. On the forum I notice that the BD is seldom to never installed in alder and ash strats, apparently for a reason, but I could be wrong. You could ask Tim about that. I don't say the BD couldn't work. but in terms of balance I think the Abraxas is a safer bet in a strat, unless it's made of mahogany, korina and - dark sounding - basswood. It's also a question of taste. I only share to help the OP to reach the best choice for a particular guitar and sound. Oh my, I sound like the Salvation Army. 

[Telerocker]

Thanks guys. Honestly i don't know what to buy and i don't if i'll keep the guitar. The fact is that a prewired pickguard would cost a lot of money plus the pickups and i was told by bareknuckle that they can't build it with the bridge wired to the tone pot and this is very important form. So i don't want to risk and spend a lot of  money on a pick up plus pickguard that might sound too bright (no tone pot) and then change fir anither pickup etc. Bareknuckle pickups are great but in this particular case they might not work for me in this guitar. The crawler is too powerful to me, the black dog doesn't inspire me, the nailbomb -suggested by bareknuckle- i have the sensation it wont work in strat. So i am leaning toward suhr ssv or sell the guitar and buy an am standard or deluxe shawbucker that might be the answer for sound and features. I don't know, still undecided.

Installation and wiring to a Suhr-diagram is maybe a little work, but not rocketscience. I have two strats loaded with BKP HSS-sets, and especially the swampash strat with Crawler/Irish Tours is my all purpose mainguitar, already for years. And yeah, I tried Suhr-pickups and they are good, but BKP's have something special. Clear, but not shril, excellent noteseparation and dynamics, even with loads of gain.

The Shawbucker sounds to me like a beefy single coil with some extra girth. I you want to choose between the Am. Standard or the Suhr, I would certainly test the Suhr thoroughly. I'm impressed with the quality.

This is my custom MXG (made by Patrick Eggle) HSS-strat with Crawler & Irish Tours.