hotter Strat bridge

[briggo]

Hello all,

Looking for your Thoughts, I have a 2005 USA Strat Alder body Rosewood fingerboard I’ve had a full set of BK Apaches in it for 2 or 3 years now, however I have changed bands and style of music so now playing Classic rock 70's rock Lizzy Ac/Dc stones and indie, I have also changed amps was using a proper old AC30 now retired ( for the sake of my back), so now using a Fender Hotrod, whilst I love the full sound of middle and neck pups I’m really now not digging the Shrill and underpowered bridge pup, I  have a pair of mules on my Les Paul and a Mississippi Queen in my surfcaster Both are fantasic. So, what do I replace the Strat Bridge Pup with a Stormy Monday or Mule or replace all 3 with a complete new HSS set?or replace with a hotter single?, I’d like to rock out on the bridge whilst still keeping that Quack and SRV on the middle and front.  I have read somewhere on this forum that the Mule will work well with 250k volume in a Strat? (My Les Paul has 300k’s) I can keep my S1 switch if possible need to get this sorted as the Strat is just sat in its case which is a shame because I really Like the way it plays.  BTW I have a MIM strat that has an old 80's Dimarzio PAF in the bridge that sounds great

Thanks for your time

[ericsabbath]

riff raff sounds great in strats too
very full bodied
the black dog should deliver a fatter, middier, more gibson-like tone, though

[Slartibartfarst42]

How about an Abraxas bridge with Irish Tours?

[AndyR]

There's a chap on here, PhilKing, who only pops in from time to time now. His favourite strat HSS set is Stormy Monday plus Sultans (and he has a LOT of BKPs!).

Now, none of my strats is HSS, but I have both Apache and Sultan SSS sets (and Irish Tours). I also have Stormies, Mules, and Riff Raffs in various Gibsons.

Based on all this, I would try a Mule with Apaches. My reasoning is as follows: Sultans I find smoother, more polite, than Apaches. The Apaches, for me, have a rougher edge/punch to them. Considering Mules and Stormies the same way, I find the Mule is the rougher/hairier, the SM smoother/sweeter. These differences can be levelled out with the EQ on the amp and playing style - the pickups aren't a lot different to each other - but here we're talking about combining H and SS, so my first guess for getting a set that would love the  same amp EQ would be to combine the smoother with the smoother, or the harder with the harder.

I'd happily give Mule and Irish Tours a go too, those would sound good together.

However, I  suspect that for HSS my favourite would be the same as Phil's - SM and Sultans.

Personally, if I was into HSS,  I would like to try a Stormy and Apache combination - because those two are my favourite BKPs. Especially if the strat already had Apaches and I was into them.

[gwEm]

There's a chap on here, PhilKing, who only pops in from time to time now. His favourite strat HSS set is Stormy Monday plus Sultans (and he has a LOT of BKPs!).

I tried said strat, and its a very good combo. Works perfect.

[PhilKing]

It's still my favourite, though a VHII & Mother's Milks can give it a bit of a run!  If you want to keep the Apaches, then I would probably look at a Mule or Riff Raff (If you want some brightness in the bridge).  All my Apaches are in SSS guitars, so I don't have anything to compare.  If you are going to split the bridge, then I would get the VHII.