Author Topic: Pickups for my strat. (Read 8600 times)

AH^DK · « **on:** January 23, 2007, 06:17:02 PM »

Hello,

I am a new guy around here. I have previously used Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio pickups for my guitar, but I have decided to look for something different this time.

I have a 2004 MIM Fender Stratocaster Classic 50s series in surf green, routed for SSS and with a 6screw vintage trem. Its made of Alder with a one piece maple neck/maple board. It has stock pickups, and they just sound dead. The bridge is way to twangy for my taste. You know, with a humbucker a power chord just gives a full sound, with the bridge single in this one, it gives the string a more individual sound (I hope you know what I mean). I have prevented this by rolling off on the tone knob (rewired to bridge instead of middle).

I am searching for something that gives me a very pure sound. It must be humcancelling. I mainly use bridge and neck, so middle isnt really needed, but of course I wouldnt mind having it.

As far as tone goes my inspirations for this guitars are mainly Yngwie Malmsteen who is my biggest influence (Especially on tracks such as Rising Force, Trilogy Suite), and a bit of Richie Blackmoore. The one thing that worries me though, is that I am in doubt if I should fit a humbucker in the bridge, as I am also a big Eddie Van Halen fan, but my '89 Charvel already has a bucker in the bridge. I also like alot classical stuff and want to go in a neo classical way.

My amp is a ENGL Screamer through a Marshall JCM800 400watt cabinet with Lead80s (I think).

I hope you can help me.

Best Regards,
-Alex.

Elliot · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:24:50 PM »

The obvious pickup is the Trilogy Suite - compared to stock MIM pickups (the eq range of which starts in high treble and stops before it hits mid) your guitar will scream.

Oh and BKP don't make hum cancelling singles (except RW RP - but that relegates you to the lower gain 2 and 4 positions) - so that requirement would have to be scratched.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:30:50 PM »

I haven't tried them myself but I'd agree with Elliott, t'would seem to be Trilogies. Apaches are very 1950's traditional Strat.The other BKP Strat pups I have are Slowhands- nice warm traditional more 1960's Strat tone-great mids. I have played a Mother's Milk set and again traditional 1960's Strat tones. Welcome to the Forum btw.

AH^DK · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:32:07 PM »

Guess I'll have to work the volume a lot then :)

Trilogy Suites was excactly what I thought off, but when I listen to the rhythm guitar on Rising Force (the track not the album) it doesent sound like a single coil, sounds much fatter and big.

One thing that concerns me is the output, yngwies YJM and HS3s have almost no output, while the TS set looks to have a big output, or am I wrong?

How noisy would those singles be?

38thBeatle · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:38:58 PM »

Sorry I haven't got experience of Trilogies.My pickups are modest output but I prefer that anyway. If you are asking about the noise of the pickups, you do get typical single coil noise but I don't have any issues with that-either live or recording. I would say that BKPs are less noisy than the stock pups were (one of my Strats is USA, the other Japanese).

AH^DK · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:43:55 PM »

It is modest output I am looking for, it just made me wonder alittle bit, as another option would be this setup:

HS3 bridge, YJM mid and neck.

Or even go VHII humbucker and TS in mid and neck for more EVH like stuff, but how would that do for Yngwie stuff?

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2007, 07:56:39 PM »

Quote from: AH^DK

Guess I'll have to work the volume a lot then :)

Trilogy Suites was excactly what I thought off, but when I listen to the rhythm guitar on Rising Force (the track not the album) it doesent sound like a single coil, sounds much fatter and big.

Maybe not his rhythm tone, but the lead tone definitely has that single coil quality to it. That album has a rawness to it that was soon lost (on Fire and Ice, Eclipse, etc). You an easily get that agression with the Trilogy Suite.

Quote

One thing that concerns me is the output, yngwies YJM and HS3s have almost no output, while the TS set looks to have a big output, or am I wrong?

Don't go by the numbers. The Trilogy is very quiet, but is still a single coil. With a lot of gain, you may want to use a noise suppressor, tho I don't.

Quote

How noisy would those singles be?

See above. :)

samoth2 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2007, 08:09:51 PM »

A little off topic, but does the DK in your name mean that you are form Denmark? :D

AH^DK · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2007, 08:56:14 PM »

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey

Quote from: AH^DK
Guess I'll have to work the volume a lot then :)

Trilogy Suites was excactly what I thought off, but when I listen to the rhythm guitar on Rising Force (the track not the album) it doesent sound like a single coil, sounds much fatter and big.

Maybe not his rhythm tone, but the lead tone definitely has that single coil quality to it. That album has a rawness to it that was soon lost (on Fire and Ice, Eclipse, etc). You an easily get that agression with the Trilogy Suite.

Quote
One thing that concerns me is the output, yngwies YJM and HS3s have almost no output, while the TS set looks to have a big output, or am I wrong?

Don't go by the numbers. The Trilogy is very quiet, but is still a single coil. With a lot of gain, you may want to use a noise suppressor, tho I don't.

Quote
How noisy would those singles be?

See above. :)

Excactly, the guitar sound really "growls" so to say, on that record. Amazing clarity and still loads of grind.

The rawness is easy, the ENGL can do that. But what would make it most Yngwie like, HS-3-YJM-YJM or a TS set?

How about the other option of going hum in bridge?

SAmoth--> Yup. Are you from Denmark too? :)

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2007, 09:36:54 PM »

Only Yngwie's fingers and playing will make it totally Yngwie. That being said, I don't like single coil sized humbucking pickups, so I'm going to be biased. I used to be the biggest Joe Barden lover on the planet, until I played an Irish Tour from Tim. It's more organic, has better tone, and is more dynamic. Same is true with the HS-3/Trilogy Suite comparison in my opinion. But, like I said, I'm biased towards BKPs because they are the best!!

AH^DK · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2007, 09:50:11 PM »

I guess I am gonna go for them.

I do want something where I can create my own tone, but just something in the ball park :)

How would it do for a tone ala the one on Whitesnakes 1987 album, specifically on "Here I Go Again"?

Do you have some soundclips with someone playing Yngwie stuff with the Trilogyes?

And are they like the HS-3? 23k resistance and 93MV output? you know, low voltage?

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2007, 09:57:11 PM »

For something like Here I Go Again ultimately you'd want to use a super strat, ie a humbucker in the bridge.

I like your approch to tone, tho. Start with something you like and then make it your own!

AH^DK · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2007, 10:02:07 PM »

Thanks mate.

The problem is kinda that there are two tones that really obsesses me.

Yngwie on Odyssey and Trilogy Suite, and EVH on 1984. Panama just has a killer sound.

The thing I am afraid off, is that a single in the bridge will give me the ability to cover Yngwie, but how well will it be for my own stuff.

I play heavy metal thats very 80s inspired. Of course I already have my Superstrat which is also why I dunno if a bridge hum would be the best.

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #13 on:** January 23, 2007, 10:11:47 PM »

If you're an old school metal guy, like myself, then it's all about the super strat!

AH^DK · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2007, 10:15:02 PM »

Thats excactly the thing.

I like Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen and John Norum alot.

On the other hand I like Van Halen, Motley, quiet riot, cinderella, skid row, and loads of other super strat bands.

But the rolling of tone knob thing has actually worked quite good for fattening things up. How much fatter would the Suite set be versus the stock singles?

How would a VH-II with Suite singles work?