STRATS with humbuckers...please share your experiences

[DHart]

Hey... I am a Strat lover and have a few of them. Obviously, they're amazing guitars with single-coil pups.

But when you have that Strat single-coil base well-covered... and want to have more of a humbucking sound, while retaining the wonderful comfort and playability of a Strat body, how have you gone about this?

 

[auburn-grad]

I have 2 that fit the bill.

I have an American Standard that I put a Dimarzio 36th Ann in the bridge (with Fender Vintage Noiseless in the neck and middle) and I have a Dave Murray strat that is HSH (36th Ann in the neck, vintage sc in the middle, and a Super Distortion in the bridge).

I love strats that have HBs. You get the best of all worlds. They can do the clean, the distortion, the typical HB thang, they are comfortable, and they are durable.

 

[david(j)]

I swapped a ton of pups through on my strat, and finally settled on a JB in the bridge. It's classic for a reason.

 

[DHart]

I have an American Standard HSS, Fat '50s in neck and middle, and a Diamondback at the bridge position. I like this set-up a lot. The Diamondback in the bridge position is full, bright, but not an "ice-pick".

What I'm interested in learning more about is humbuckers in both the neck and bridge positions... set up similar to how Gibson would do it... but in the body of a Strat.

TO be honest, I have gone from 3 nice Les Pauls to just one, now. They just aren't so enjoyable for me to play anymore. I almost always play sitting down, at home, and the Lesters just aren't as enjoyable to sit and play as the Strats are. I still have a wonderful 2012 Les Paul Standard with highly figured maple Trans Amber top... wonderful instrument. But I do play my Strats much more, generally.

I would like to have one Strat which is just "HH".

I'm considering picking up a Blacktop HH, or creating an HH loaded pick guard, to install in one of my American Standards. I'm sure the pickup quality in the "build-my-own" would be a lot better than buying a Blacktop. Or... since the Blacktops are priced so well, perhaps I should just buy one of them, then swap out the pups for some better quality pickups?

What to do.... so, hearing your input is much appreciated.

 

[daa2202]

I've tried a couple of different approaches, and the one thing I can say definitively is that a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge is not going to sound anything like the same pickup in a Gibson (or Gibson-style) guitar. It's something else entirely.

I've tried full-size humbuckers, and single-coil-sized humbuckers. Factory and aftermarket. DiMarzio and Duncan (and others.) I finally have hit upon a combination that I love: DiMarzio Cruiser Bridge model pickups in the neck and middle positions (yes, you read that right), and DiMarzio ProTrack in the bridge position. These are all single-coil sized rail-style humbuckers. The neck and middle (and in-between) positions are all very single-coil sounding, except with no noise...and the bridge pickup has a lot of PAF-style character. It's a great combo and my experimentation is over.

Full disclosure - this is installed in a Stratocaster-style guitar made by Ron Thorn which has a korina body and neck, so the alder and maple (or ash and maple) combination will be a little different, but I think it will still be a great combination (especially with an ash body Strat.)

 

[Sirloin]

While not a real strat, this hardtail Carvin kit kills with this electronics package. I had a custom prewired pickguard made by Sigler Music. Two Suhr Aldrich Humbuckers and a Fender Fat 50s in the middle. Regular 5 way switch. 1st tone control puls to spit both buckers, second tone pulls to add the neck pickup at any time.

I am blown away by this config. Love the sound of a bucker in a 25.5" scale guitar.

 

[Deed_Poll]

My experience is, if you want it to sound exactly like a Les Paul, don't bother. If you want the most versatile guitar possible, I'd say a HSS Strat can deliver that. I had a Lone Star Strat (USA) and it was great, but as my collection grew I found specific guitars for specific sounds. If I could only have one guitar it would probably be HSS.

 

[DHart]

Great input... everyone. Thank you.

Deed Poll, I agree that an HSS Strat is an awesome tone machine. I have two HSS Strats at present; one an American Standard (Sienna Sunburst) and the other a Mexican Standard (Midnight Wine).

I love the tones from the American Standard Sienna Sunburst HSS (Fat '50s and Diamondback).

As for the Mexican Standard, HSS Midnight Wine Strat (MIM)... it is a fantastic guitar, very well put together! Fit and finish is very pleasing, indeed! But the relatively cheapo HSS pups just do not offer up the quality/clarity of tone that I would like (as compared to Fat '50s or quality brand pickups), so these pups do need to go "bye-bye."

I am considering ordering an HH pick guard, a couple of high grade humbucker pickups, a new switch, and making this Midnight Wine Strat into a pure HH Strat. My Strat single-coil needs are very well met, so now I want a Strat that is pure HH humbucker... even if it won't sound just like a Gibson HH guitar.

I would appreciate hearing from more folks who have ventured into Strat HH land.

 

[Flyin' Brian]

I have an old 1980s Strat Plus that I converted to a Big Apple Strat.

It became the most versatile guitar I own, despite looking like an unwanted weird uncle.

 

[greenlander]

I've had one of these new Classic Player HH Strats for awhile now and love it. It's actually the first production model Fender that I've ever been 100% happy with (after years of building partscasters). It's perfect. There's a 5-way selector so you can coil-split either humbucker (they are Wide Range Special HB's) and pretty much get any tone you need.

It looks sexy as hell, too. Dark Mercedes Blue is a great color. Bound neck, CBS large headstock...

 

[Dale]

I currenty have an HH strat and. HH Carvin bolt. They play great.

 

[Average Joe]

I love my HSS AM Standard strat i a band context. For the kind of gain I use the humbucker still retain a bit of the fender twang in a way that I really like. It's certainly its own sound rather than a Gibson LP tone, but it's a very useful one in a band context

 

[Dave Wakely]

I have a Stratosonic with twin HBs, which sounds pretty good (considerably toppier than a comparative Gibbo, but that wasn't unexpected).

I'm tempted to put a pair of TV Jones in it, as I don't have them in any guitar at present - any opinions on the wisdom of doing so?

 

[Deed_Poll]

If you want a more ergonomic / lightweight LP I'd look into Godins. They make some excellent guitars.

Or else look into a mahogany USACG 24-3/4" conversion neck for the MIM?

I think I'd only do a true H-H Strat if the neck 'bucker had magnetic polepieces and could be split for a true SC sound. Neck single is just home for me on a strat.

 

[jalmer]

I have an '85 Squier MIJ contemporary with a Duncan Custom bridge, Pearly Gates neck. IMO doesn't have the deep tones of a les paul neck p/u, but perhaps the bridge is more similar. My bridge is decked, 6 spring, so really doesn't have that stratty sound. But, yes, more comfortable. Very enjoyable but a different animal. crossbreed.

 

[Fuzz_Mountain]

I have a Squier strat with 2 humbuckers that I bought used for 100 bucks. It just plays and feels good and I wanted a cheap beater to take to dive bars. I stuck a Dimarzio breed in the bridge position and the cheap-ass strat has no business sounding as good as it does.

 

[jcarpenter]

I had an early 00's model HSS strat with the S1 switch. I loved the neck pup tones but could not do the hard rock tone as well as my LP. I suspect (although never tried) a hard tail bridge with 24 3/4 scale neck could marry that neck pup clean tone and the LP bridge grind. For each individual it comes down to compromises that you are willing to live with.

 

[SNick]

I have an American 2004 Strat in HSS configuration with the S1 switch and the "Custom Staggered" Tex-Mex singles and Diamondback HB. I really liked the tone of the Diamondback pickup. Not muddy and full toned. The single coils were OK, I just never liked the overall tone.

I caught a deal on an original Fender loaded pickguard from 2013 with Fat 50's and that's what I ended up with. I still have my original HSS loaded pickguard if I want to put it back, but I don't think that will happen.

 

[JJ321]

I have one electric at the moment and it's an HSS Strat. I used to have a Dimarzio BC-2 single coil size humbucker in the bridge, but at the moment I have a Bareknuckle Nailbomb in the bridge. This guitar has stayed with me while others have come and gone.

 

[Member 132475]

I have a strat with three different Duncan pickups in it, an APS-2, an SSL-6 and a Little 59. I've tried all combinations, and for a long time I used the Little 59 split in the neck, the APS-2 in the middle and the SSL-6 in the bridge. All combinations were great. The other day I wanted to swap around the neck and bridge pickups. The SSL in the neck is just too dark, so it went in the middle (and screwed wayyy down), the APS-2 to the neck, and the 59 to the bridge. The 59 is designed for the neck, so it's a bit lower output, but it sounds terrific in the bridge. Bright and punchy and great sustain. The middle and bridge combo does not sound like a true strat, much more punchy, but it cuts very well. The 59 split in the bridge position does NOT work well. Way too wimpy.