I'm looking to switch out my HSS superstrat pickup set.
I'd like to go with the Area 58 in the neck and 67 in the mid.
Anyone had any success pairing a splittable HB in the bridge that might be a good tone/output match?
if you go that route you'll need a superswitch so that you can split the middle pickup at the same time if you want the hum-canceling and the clarity on that setting.
anyway i've found the plain ol' duncan '59 trembucker to be a really good strat bridge pickup!
punchy with enough bottom end, while not so hot as to be an amp fizz generator.
split it so that the neck-side coil stays on with the middle strat pickup and the quack is pretty convincing.
The Joe Barden Two Tone Humbucker is PAFish in the thicker mode, and is one of his S-Deluxe strat type (noiseless) pickups in the thinner mode. Volume wise and tone wise it should be a good match with the Area pickups. You won't need a superswitch to use it - just either a push push or push pull pot with a switch, or drill a hole for a mini dpdt switch.
I have always thought the Dimarzio Air Zone was a good choice for alder/ash Strat styled guitars. The AZ has a fat PAF type of sound that matches really well with traditional single coils. It sounds great split too!
I know the Tone Zone kinda gets touted as a hot pickup, but the Air Zone is not as hot as you might suspect. Definitely one of Dimarzios medium-output level pickups.