The shortcomings of Fender single coils

[HeeHaw]

I have an '04 American Dlx Strat with the samarium cobalt pickups that have beutifull cleans and even sound decent with a little gain added.......

....but with higher gain, they just lack the crunch and bite to my ears. Is there a drop in pickup that will sound like a humbucker in the neck and bridge positions available, and how does it sound?


-Rich

 

[big mike]

Duncan JB Jr, and Lil59's are great for that. I prefer the JB Jr. Even has better clean neck tone than the li 59.

 

[HeeHaw]

The JB jr is a single coil size no?

 

[big mike]

Originally posted by HeeHaw
The JB jr is a single coil size no?

Sure is. I like it more than the normal JB.

 

[Mr.Hanky]

Get a Les Paul and rid yourself of this disease!

 

[exhaust_49]

I'm with Mr. Hanky, get a les paul or at least a guitar with humbuckers. I've have never heard a single coil I liked.

 

[blackburncustom]

Hi,
Mike Gray makes a fantastic array of Chubtone pickups for the strat-style. My customers are all more than satisfied with them.
Peace,
Dave

 

[HeeHaw]

Originally posted by Mr.Hanky
Get a Les Paul and rid yourself of this disease!

I like the singlecoils for mah funk, they gots the stank I need bro!


....I think I'm just gonna' leave the strat stock and get an LP goldtop reissue.

 

[Mr.Hanky]

Originally posted by HeeHaw
I like the singlecoils for mah funk, they gots the stank I need bro!


....I think I'm just gonna' leave the strat stock and get an LP goldtop reissue.

AHhhhh, NOW you are talking!!

Ain't no thang, I am firmly on the LP bandwagon these days, my R7 is simply THAT good. Plus the other player in my band uses a strat and Super Reverb all the time, so he handles the Fender department, I take care of the Gibson/Marshall insanity.

I sold my (Anderson) Strat for a Hollow Tele, which I sold for the R7. So I am lacking in a good strat these days, I really need to add one to my arsenal, BUT....I'd never use it with the band so it is hard to justify right now.

 

[Joe]

Originally posted by HeeHaw
I have an '04 American Dlx Strat with the samarium cobalt pickups that have beutifull cleans and even sound decent with a little gain added.......

....but with higher gain, they just lack the crunch and bite to my ears. Is there a drop in pickup that will sound like a humbucker in the neck and bridge positions available, and how does it sound?


-Rich

Didn't you notice this prior to purchase?

A 25.5" scale guitar will never sound like a LP, because of a multitude of variables. Once upon a time guys using strats w/ HBs all tuned down to Eb to calm the highs, but now thanks to basswood bodies, guys like Satch, Vai and Petrucci do tune standard.

A bolt on, alder bodied, 25.5" scale guitar in standard tuning will ALWAYS sound bright and Stratty regardless of pick ups.

Eric Johnson gets a great violin tone with high gain on his strats, but that is far from a NuMetal high gain sound.

You may want to invest in a simple EQ pedal or turn the knobs on your amp prior to performing expensive guitar modifications you are not sure will result in better performance for you.

 

[daddyo]

My horse is great for riding and pulling a carriage but it is terrible in the milk department.

Buy a Les Paul.

 

[cvansickle]

Every player needs a Strat and a Les Paul - it's like chocolate and vanilla. Both is better!

I'm a die-hard Paul player, and a Strat is my secondary sound. The lesson I've finally learned is that a Strat is a Strat, and it has it's own sound. It isn't supposed to sound like a Les Paul.

 

[joolzriff]

i recently bought a deluxe strat with the SCN pickups,i thought the guitar sounded superb unplugged but through my marshall it dont happen,especialy next to my 86 tokai with duncans and dimarzios.
as soon as i can i'm changing those DULL WOOLY pickups.
theyare very 2D and not clear or punchy,the worst is the neck pick up.

 

[The_Whale]

hum is bad

 

[Fuchsaudio]

Originally posted by The_Whale
hum is bad

Three little words:
DiMARZIO VIRTUAL VINTAGE's

Authentic (if but a tad modern ) Strat tone, no hum, good signal level.

 

[mmorse]

Originally posted by daddyo
My horse is great for riding and pulling a carriage but it is terrible in the milk department.

Buy a Les Paul.

That's why I have both. Some tunes call for a Strat, others for a LP or humbucker based guitar. Pretty simple really.

 

[cvansickle]

Originally posted by mmorse
That's why I have both. Some tunes call for a Strat, others for a LP or humbucker based guitar. Pretty simple really.

+1

 

[doc]

My opinion - I agree that Strats and LPs are two of the primary colors in the guitar spectrum and like having both. You CAN have great single coil strat sounds without the hum. Get an SR set from Wagner and shield your guitar according to the instructions on the GuitarNuts.com website (if its still up). My strat is now quieter than my LP with TRUE single coils.

 

[papersoul]

A strat is a strat...ya know. But, although I play my LPs and PRS mostly....I have been playing the Strat a lot lately. I accept it is its own beast but there are many things you can do to alter the tone through pickups. You could go ala Iron Maiden and instal la bridge humbucker or rail pickups.

At this time I prefer to keep it stratty so I'll belooking into WCR SRs, Dimarzio VV (although I hear mixed things), and Lace Sensor.

I actually hear some of the best right now are the Fender vintage noiseless hot strat pickups! I bring out the strat on stage when a song calls for those tones.....

 

[pbradt]

Players have shortcomings.