HSS set for warmoth build

[OceanMachine]

Hi folks, hope everyone had a great Christmas.

I need some help with an HSS Warmoth strat I'm putting together. Its a hardtailed alder body strat with a one piece maple neck. I intend to run it 1vol, 1tone with a mod that will have the humbucker seeing 500k and the singles 250k.

I have other guitars that cover my really heavy sounds, an Ibanez RG with Juggernauts and an SG with Warpigs.

With this guitar I want a more dynamic and somewhat versatile sound mostly focusing on lead playing. I want the humbucker to be somewhat bright, moderate output and have lot of rich harmonic content. The heaviest tones I would be after would be Alice in chains style rhythm work. Im no connoisseur of single coils but I love Nick Johnston's sounds. First set that peaks my interest is the VHii/irish tour set. Although I also hear great things about the Crawler in a strat.

I also wonder about going for another juggernaut and what singles might work well with it.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: worth mentioning my main amps are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 combo for home use and a Laney Ironheart head with DV Mark Cab for gigging.

[Telerocker]

I have the Crawler in a swampashstrat and it delivers the goodies for me. A huge sounding pickup that cleans up very well. More PAF than modern sounding. You could see the Crawler as the Uber Mule. But, it's not a very bright pickup. The topend is round, yet not dull, however not as present as the high register of a VHII.

The VHII is a different animal: noncompressed, dynamic, focussed and very touchsensitive. The Crawler has more compression and softer bass. You can really steer the VHII with your pickattack and let it scream when you dig in. It has quite some some bass for a vintagehotpickup.

Both great pickups, just different. I have both in strats. The Crawler sounds bigger than the VHII. The VHII delivers harmonics/overtones easier. They just jump out.

I have Irish Tours paired with the Crawler. Great pickups: more bass and mids than the Mother's Milk, a little less glassy. Once you turn down the volumepot a tad you end up in Mother's Milk-territory (tones like RHCP by example). Does SRV with authority too.

[OceanMachine]

I have the Crawler in a swampashstrat and it delivers the goodies for me. A huge sounding pickup that cleans up very well. More PAF than modern sounding. You could see the Crawler as the Uber Mule. But, it's not a very bright pickup. The topend is round, yet not dull, however not as present as the high register of a VHII.

The VHII is a different animal: noncompressed, dynamic, focussed and very touchsensitive. The Crawler has more compression and softer bass. You can really steer the VHII with your pickattack and let it scream when you dig in. It has quite some some bass for a vintagehotpickup.

Both great pickups, just different. I have both in strats. The Crawler sounds bigger than the VHII. The VHII delivers harmonics/overtones easier. They just jump out.

I have Irish Tours paired with the Crawler. Great pickups: more bass and mids than the Mother's Milk, a little less glassy. Once you turn down the volumepot a tad you end up in Mother's Milk-territory (tones like RHCP by example). Does SRV with authority too.

Great descriptions there. Thanks for the info. That has me leaning slightly more toward the VHii. Many thanks!

[darkbluemurder]

If you go with the VHII bridge and find it too bright with the 500k volume pot you may want to go all the way with 250k pots but that is a matter of personal preference.

Cheers Stephan

[Telerocker]

If you go with the VHII bridge and find it too bright with the 500k volume pot you may want to go all the way with 250k pots but that is a matter of personal preference.

Cheers Stephan

Good call Stephan. Also a 300k or 380k pot are a middle of the road solution.

I find the VHII's topend present, but not nasty or annoyingly bright. I like the VHII better in alder than in ash.