SSS is more versatile than HSS?

[JasonE]

I am a big fan of an HSS guitar for gigging. I have been using them for years. You have to get the right pickups in it so they work well together. The other thing is that mine have components in them that get the bridge humbucker to sound more like a single coil when in position 2. Mine are all set up to auto tap. The Suhr and Anderson guitars I have came wired this way and balance well.

The reason I went to HSS guitars is that I pretty much have no use for a single coil bridge pickup in a Strat. I like it in a Tele and have used one of those a lot. In a Strat, I am not a fan. I have tried baseplates and it just doesn't get it there for me. I find that a PAF style humbucker gets the job done better and I can have a full humbucker sound for some fuller drive sounds. With the correct wiring it will do a good job in position 2.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I agree. There are even humbuckers that are advertised to be good at split tones. But for a gig, it’s acceptable. In my experience, they suffer with humbucker tones.

I guess you really can’t “have your cake and eat it too” in this situation. My solution is to have a SSS and HH in my arsenal.

On that note, Fishman has been adding single coil voices as a third option in their Fluence models. Maybe that is a viable solution.

I look at it as the rail singles have a thing going and can stand on their own. In many ways I prefer them to normal singles or full HBs.

 

[jellodog]

I look at it as the rail singles have a thing going and can stand on their own. In many ways I prefer them to normal singles or full HBs.

Apologies if I missed it elsewhere, but which rail singles do you have again? I've been meaning to try some for the longest time. Might finally get around to it this year.

 

[Stone]

Apologies if I missed it elsewhere, but which rail singles do you have again? I've been meaning to try some for the longest time. Might finally get around to it this year.

Me thinks gonna like the Rail Humbucker in the neck with coil tap on the Vola OZ TNC

 

[metropolis_4]

Sometimes only a proper SSS Strat will do, but a humbucker in the bridge means I can go gain-crazy without bringing on the hum, and a single coil in the neck is obligatory for certain single-note tones (clean blues, saturated neo-classical). I've never had much use for a humbucker in the neck position, and I'm one of those weirdos who uses pos. 4 more often than pos. 2. Generally speaking, sign me up for HSS.

There are a ton of noiseless single coils out there that are just as quiet with the crazy gain. (Sure many are technically dual coil designs)

while the Strat is considerably more versatile, I really just wanted to play a LP.

That right there is the story of my life these days. I know the Strat is the right sound, but I really want to play the LP.

I was tempted to put a GK pickup on my LP so I could use it for the Strat sounds but still play the LP

 

[FuzzyAce]

Apologies if I missed it elsewhere, but which rail singles do you have again? I've been meaning to try some for the longest time. Might finally get around to it this year.

Cruiser, Super Distortion S are my favorites, but I've used the Fast Track 1 and Chopper too. The SD is a hot little pocket, a very focused HB sound.

 

[jellodog]

Cruiser, Super Distortion S are my favorites, but I've used the Fast Track 1 and Chopper too. The SD is a hot little pocket, a very focused HB sound.

I'm glad to read that, because the Cruiser is first on my list!

 

[djd100]

Series pickup wiring was one of the things I loved about the Danelectro guitars. That middle position on the '56 U2 was .

What's cool about Dan Armstrong's wiring scheme is that you can blend in as much series or out of phase parallel sounds with the stock sounds that you like.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

100% yes! I never understand why anyone would put a HB in a Strat.

 

[spawnofthesith]

At this point I feel like a hum bucker in a traditional strat is akin to a Floyd rose in a Les Paul

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

 

[FuzzyAce]

At this point I feel like a hum bucker in a traditional strat is akin to a Floyd rose in a Les Paul

Which is pretty cool.

 

[Stone]

I'm glad to read that, because the Cruiser is first on my list!

You have a list?'

:)

 

[norminal]

I'm glad to read that, because the Cruiser is first on my list!

The cruiser is damn close to a single coil. I really dig that pickup.

 

[FuzzyAce]

The cruiser is damn close to a single coil. I really dig that pickup.

It's the bee's knees as they say.

 

[DrewJD82]

There are a ton of noiseless single coils out there that are just as quiet with the crazy gain. (Sure many are technically dual coil designs)



That right there is the story of my life these days. I know the Strat is the right sound, but I really want to play the LP.

I was tempted to put a GK pickup on my LP so I could use it for the Strat sounds but still play the LP

I'm curious if the psychology of that would mess with me; I'm quite used to rockin' out on an S-style guitar, the same way I would a Les Paul, but I'm not all that familiar with doing the subtle/dynamic stuff with a Les Paul and I don't think I'd be able to translate "LP + how I play it = Strat tones" even with a synth pickup.

When I play a Strat, my pinky is on that volume knob quite a bit, the most I do with a LP is roll the neck volume down to get a "clean" tone.

 

[la szum]

I'm almost at the point where I think the choice of Guitar and Pickup Configuration comes down
to the gig---and that means what kind of music is it, and what is the band configuration?

Context is so important.

 

[jellodog]

You have a list?'

:)

It's nothing like a spreadsheet!

 

[la szum]

 

[la szum]

Because of the last 45 years.

Almost like Edward Van Halen never existed.

Not a world I want to live in. Thank goodness it is not a world
that actually exists!