strat bridge humbucker

[_tom_]

Im in the process of doing up my strat copy, just took the finish off and it looks amazing (except the line between the two bits of wood, not too noticeable though in person). Anyway heres how I hope its gonna eventually look (with a jack plug in that hole obviously :lol:):



May go H/S/S later down the line but for now, its one humbucker in the bridge, then I'll probably add a neck single.. I want sometihng a bit hotter than my Mules, but not too hot, like a warpig or something. I dont know what material the body is though so thats a bit of a pain in the arse. My thought at first was a VHII but not sure if it'll sound thin in a strat with swimming pool route.. Was also thinkin a Crawler or maybe the new Holy Diver when it comes out.. or a cold sweat. Hahah too many options. I just want a nice full sound, kinda like mules but hotter and edgier, that still crunches and cuts well. The other option could be a sinner single..

Cheers for any help.

[sambo]

how did you strip the finish?

[TwilightOdyssey]

how did you strip the finish?

You're addicted to strippers!  :roll:

[sambo]

what can i say.... my covers been blown.... youve uncovered my secret....

ive been exposed....

[TwilightOdyssey]

what can i say.... my covers been blown.... youve uncovered my secret....

ive been exposed....

Heh, pretty clever. ;)

[_tom_]

hahaha. I used a paint stripping heat gun, it made it melt then I scr@ped it off, sanded etc.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Back on topic ...

I didn't see any reference to what wood the body is. My VHII was really bright in my hard ash Strat, but Phil installed a gentle filter to roll off the very top end. Sounds terrific now!

[steve]

Out of all the BK Humbuckers i have tried in my strat the Mule has been my favourite. I know you have that in your Les Paul, so i would check out something like the Crawler or Nailbomb. What sort of tone are you going for with this one?

[_tom_]

I'm not after a super high gain modern metal sound, so that rules out the MM and Warpigs.. I dont want really high output, just a bit hotter than my mules I guess, with a bit more bite and easier to squeeze harmonics out of, leaning more to older metal such as Maiden, Priest, Diamondhead etc. but still able to do rock.. :P Nothing overly bassy, just a full and bright tone. I'm guessing its either an Abraxas, Nailbomb or Crawler now I think about it, I think the HD etc might be too cutting in a strat.. I'll probably email tim soon unless he see's this. I wish I knew what wood the body was..

[Searcher]

I wish I knew what wood the body was..

What's the character of the wood like?  Is it soft? hard? light? heavy?

The grain and figure of the wood looks a bit like maple to me, but the colour of maple isn't usually that red, or that dark.  I'm no expert though.

[froglord]

I'm also looking for a good bridge humbucker for an HSS strat project. So the VHII is too bright, eh? Darn it - that's the one I was leaning towards!

Maybe it's a good idea to stick to the Alnico IV pickups to tame that top end. Also, I've read that Paul Reed Smith uses covers on humbuckers to smooth some of the treble off.

What do you guys think?

[_tom_]

I wish I knew what wood the body was..

What's the character of the wood like?  Is it soft? hard? light? heavy?

The grain and figure of the wood looks a bit like maple to me, but the colour of maple isn't usually that red, or that dark.  I'm no expert though.

Well the colour is a bit darker because of the oil, it darkened it a bit.. Heres a pic of it unoiled



It seems quite soft, it was easy to sand and i dented it earlier quite easily.. Its not that heavy either, its lighter than my LP which is a combination of alder and mahogany..

I'm thinkin I should go for an Abraxas but worried itl be too close to the mule, without the extra edge I'd like. Anyone try the riff raff in a strat?

cheers

EDIT - I just listened to some Racer X/Mr Big, I guess I kinda want a less muddy version of Gilberts tone  :D ... Van Halen aswell! Thats what made me want a VHII, but worried about it being harsh now, especially as I wasnt going to hook up a tone pot..

[Gary]

I recently put an Abraxas in the bridge of my Squier Strat and it sounds fantastic through my Fender HRD. Not easy to get a completely clean tone with it (using the hot plate) as it seems to keep pushing the amp even when turned down quite drastically but that's not what I got it for. I can't comment on how it would compare to a mule as I've never played one.

[_tom_]

I recently put an Abraxas in the bridge of my Squier Strat and it sounds fantastic through my Fender HRD. Not easy to get a completely clean tone with it (using the hot plate) as it seems to keep pushing the amp even when turned down quite drastically but that's not what I got it for. I can't comment on how it would compare to a mule as I've never played one.

What is the overall tone like, ie any famous tones spring to mind when you hear it? I'm finally getting a hotplate for my HRDx so I can get some decent tones at acceptable volumes soon  :D

[Searcher]

It seems quite soft, it was easy to sand and i dented it earlier quite easily.. Its not that heavy either, its lighter than my LP which is a combination of alder and mahogany..

Maybe basswood?  Basswood doesn't have a strong grain, plus it's soft and light.  It's more likely to be used for lower-end bodies than most other solid woods (except for poplar, but poplar is supposed to have a slight greenish tinge).