Author Topic: Pickup Advise: Looking for "that Perfect Strat Sound&qu (Read 9799 times)

hunter · « **on:** May 26, 2007, 04:04:57 AM »

My only un-BKP'ed guitar is a Tokai strat (my first guitar ever), all maple neck, alder body, good resonance and >25 years old, so I guess it's a good starting point.

I am looking for a true strat sound, the one that is not perfectly rounded and smooth but rather chunky and edgy, with that special attack, sometimes hollowness and overall this awesome versatlility from just the way you pick the guitar.

Thomas Blug is a fantastic example of that sound, he goes all the way through so many different flavours by just switching pickup position or changing the attack on his 60s strat.

To get an idea check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSqJbaBIfOY

Which pickups bring me close to that ideal (apart from practising my technique)? I guess it wouldn't probably be an overly hot set that gives me this?

I have zero strat experience so looking for some good advise.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #1 on:** May 26, 2007, 09:24:21 AM »

Hmmm Hunter you know what I am going to say don't you? Classic Strat tones- has to be Apaches in my view. They have it all as far as I am concerned. I really ought to find the time to do another Apache clip!

hunter · « **Reply #2 on:** May 26, 2007, 09:40:07 AM »

Quote from: 38thBeatle

Hmmm Hunter you know what I am going to say don't you? Classic Strat tones- has to be Apaches in my view.

Hahaha, that was as clear as I could predict Eric Hellstyle to say: Holy Diver!

Do you like Blug's sound? Do you really think it's Apaches, couldn't Mother's Milk get me there better?

Can Apaches also do a proper 70s/80s Gilmour?

jordan · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2007, 10:17:11 AM »

Remember that (whisper it) pickups are only part of the tone equation.....ALOT comes from fingers/amps etc....

However, that said, I can personally vouch for the fact that the Apaches are stunning pickups. I've had them in my strat for a year now and have played everything I can think of through them - they also record very well too. If you're going to be playing alot of heavier stuff, then they're possibly not the best choice (they lose a little definition at mega-gain levels) but for everything from clean to overdriven rock, to me they're the perfect strat sound.

Ratrod · « **Reply #4 on:** May 26, 2007, 10:38:10 AM »

I think Sultans might work well for this too.

Damn, that H&K looks good.

Philly Q · « **Reply #5 on:** May 26, 2007, 02:23:47 PM »

I should mind my own business, because I'm not a Strat guy and I don't own any BKP Strat pickups, but I think Blug's tone there is quite round and smooth. He never really gets twangy, spanky, clucky, quacky, glassy... all those terms they use for vintage Strat tones. It does sound like he's using a fair bit of processing and a "modern" amp of course.

I'd have thought you need pickups with a bit less brightness, less of an edge, a bit more warmth and sweetness. I always thought that meant '60s rather than '50s, but from the clips I've listened to the Apaches aren't at all lacking in warmth, in fact they seem rounder, a little more open and more dynamic than the MMs, maybe... the MMs are slightly more snarly and aggressive but the clean tones aren't as pretty.

So I'd say Apaches, but I don't really know what I'm talking about...

This is most definitely giving me Strat GAS, by the way.

hunter · « **Reply #6 on:** May 26, 2007, 02:53:10 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

This is most definitely giving me Strat GAS, by the way.

I know what you mean, being a humbucker guy myself, I always aspire to the strat vibe, but don't really master it - it's actually a bit like learning a new instrument.

Philly Q · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2007, 03:06:55 PM »

Yeah, I go through phases of being into Strats and Teles, but I always come back to the Gibsons. I love the way Fenders sound, but I find them physically quite awkward to play - especially Strats, despite all the body contours!

Which isn't to say that I've "mastered" the Gibsons, of course. If only that were true.

_tom_ · « **Reply #8 on:** May 26, 2007, 03:09:39 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Yeah, I go through phases of being into Strats and Teles, but I always come back to the Gibsons. I love the way Fenders sound, but I find them physically quite awkward to play - especially Strats, despite all the body contours!

Which isn't to say that I've "mastered" the Gibsons, of course. If only that were true.

I know what you mean.. I find my strat much harder to play than my Les Paul

It does sound great though.. maybe its the vintage radius fingerboard I dont like?

As for the original question, I dont really know, but I do like my Trilogy in the bridge, possibly not stratty enough for what you want though.

hunter · « **Reply #9 on:** May 26, 2007, 03:16:48 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Which isn't to say that I've "mastered" the Gibsons, of course. If only that were true.

Well, OK, maybe to master is a bit strong, so let's say be familiar with :)

Quote from: _tom_

As for the original question, I dont really know, but I do like my Trilogy in the bridge, possibly not stratty enough for what you want though.

Yeah Trilogy is tempting, it might feel comfortably humbuckish to play such a hot singlecoil, but I guess it would probably be too similar to the Axis or so ... I need to check some more clips of the Apaches now ...

_tom_ · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2007, 03:20:31 PM »

Quote from: hunter

Quote from: Philly Q
Which isn't to say that I've "mastered" the Gibsons, of course. If only that were true.

Well, OK, maybe to master is a bit strong, so let's say be familiar with :)

Quote from: _tom_
As for the original question, I dont really know, but I do like my Trilogy in the bridge, possibly not stratty enough for what you want though.

Yeah Trilogy is tempting, it might feel comfortably humbuckish to play such a hot singlecoil, but I guess it would probably be too similar to the Axis or so ... I need to check some more clips of the Apaches now ...

hmm well when you dig in it still sounds like a singlecoil, it has that glassiness to it, but still sounds very meaty under gain :) It even sounds good for cleans. I can recommend it for the bridge definitely, I didnt like it in the neck much though, at least with 250k pots.

When you say too similar to the Axis, do you mean the one you have Rebel Yells in? It sounds nothing like a bridge rebel yell :P

hunter · « **Reply #11 on:** May 26, 2007, 03:31:53 PM »

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this is so beautiful: http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=106604

I want Apaches now .... or .... I think :oops:

Peter Antal · « **Reply #12 on:** May 26, 2007, 11:41:54 PM »

I think Apaches or Sultans would be the best choice. However, you could even get Irish Tours or Slow Hands for that sound as Blug almost never turns up the volume to full, only during some of the solo parts. Also, if your Strat doesn't have one yet, you should really try a treble bleed mod. In my Strat it's a 220K resistor and a .650 ?F cap in parallel, soldered between the two hot lugs of the volume pot. The mod makes the volume change more gradual and retains the high end shimmer of the sound as you turn the volume down, which is important IMO, if you want to clean up a really dirty channel without losing bite and character.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #13 on:** May 27, 2007, 12:25:13 AM »

Hi Hunter, I did like that clip of Blug-he certainly gets a great tone. I have just got in from a gig and the Apaches sounded exellent tonight-well aprt from my playing that is!

everton_fc · « **Reply #14 on:** May 27, 2007, 09:30:15 AM »

Using a different amplifier has brought a whole new array of tones out of my Apache loaded Stratocaster, and has also changed the way I approach pickup selections etc. Tone from the fingers and the amp is so true as someone posted earlier - since getting a new amp, the guitar sings so much more and the quality of the BKP's really shines through.

Apaches are really good pickups.