SSS is more versatile than HSS?

[FuzzyAce]

So, which are the ones you'd recommend for a semi-authentic Strat neck pickup sound? Should deliver a bit more than vintage output and possibly somewhat more mids, too (but pretty much all pseudo single coils do that anyway).

Mojotone Quiet coil '67 set is great. The bridge pickup is hotter with a bit more thickness and mids and sounds closer to a tele (which is not a bad thing). The 2 and 4 positions have all the nice quack if that's something you like. Overall a balanced set that's hard to go wrong with imo.

Dimarzio Area 58's might be my current favorites of the month although they've been out for years. I just have the neck and middle, and mix it with a Super Distortion S in the bridge. When combined with a bass cut tone control, this set really covers a lot of territory tonally.

Those 2 sets are probably closest to a traditional strat tone that I currently own.

Other recommendations from Dimarzio: Injector neck/middle, Heavy Blues 2. These are fatter with more output.
Rails: Cruiser set, Fast Track 1, Chopper.
If you don't mind the rail look, then Cruiser is king if you want something closer to a traditional sound -- although it has its own thing. Very balanced, clear and articulate, also excels at higher gain tones.

I think all of these are great in their own way -- any would serve well.
But there are many others I've yet to try.

Here are a few examples of some of the pickups above. I know you've heard the first one Sascha.

'67 Quiet coil set -- from 2:00 minute mark onward. (first part of the song is tele with fender noiseless).


Area 58s w/Super Distortion S bridge. You may can get a sense although there is more gain and effects going on.
I used the middle position a lot with the rhythm. Neck or bridge for the leads.

 

[Sascha Franck]

First off: Thanks for the detailed reply, @FuzzyAce, very much appreciated!

Mojotone Quiet coil '67 set is great.

I keep hearing about them but never had the chance to try them out myself, apparently they're pretty uncommon in this neck of the woods (as are quite a lot things guitar in this entire country...).

Rails: Cruiser set, Fast Track 1, Chopper.

Hm, that actually reminds me that I have a Duncan Cool Rail around somewhere. Actually only ever tried it in the Anderson - and that was before I realized that this very guitar refuses to ever sound even remotely strat-alike on its own. They're supposed to be sort of similar to the Cruisers, so maybe I should look for it and give it a testrun in the Schecter.

'67 Quiet coil set -- from 2:00 minute mark onward. (first part of the song is tele with fender noiseless).

Yeah, these are all great sounds (btw, just in case I hadn't mentioned it yet, very, very nice playing, too, pretty much up my alley). Digging the Mojotones a lot.

Area 58s

I have one of those in Tele bridge format, sounded pretty shrill for my taste. But then, that was in a cheap indonesian Yamaha Pacifica Tele, which, while featuring the most glorious neck in the world (should actually rip that one out...), is pretty much on the bright (or rather high mid) side of the spectrum. Tried to tame it with a C-switch, didn't help much.

Fwiw, it's really weird in general, I seem to always grab the wrong pickup candidates or slap them into the wrong guitars, dunno, but over here they never sound as good as in recordings of others. And I don't think it's because tone isn't in my fingers (I'm usually at least somewhat happy with my overall tones), so maybe really just very bad luck (I mean, I really tried a lot of these things...).

Whatever, will have to look for that Cool Rail and slap it into the Schecter with the next new set of strings in a few days.

 

[FuzzyAce]

First off: Thanks for the detailed reply, @FuzzyAce, very much appreciated!



I keep hearing about them but never had the chance to try them out myself, apparently they're pretty uncommon in this neck of the woods (as are quite a lot things guitar in this entire country...).



Hm, that actually reminds me that I have a Duncan Cool Rail around somewhere. Actually only ever tried it in the Anderson - and that was before I realized that this very guitar refuses to ever sound even remotely strat-alike on its own. They're supposed to be sort of similar to the Cruisers, so maybe I should look for it and give it a testrun in the Schecter.




Yeah, these are all great sounds (btw, just in case I hadn't mentioned it yet, very, very nice playing, too, pretty much up my alley). Digging the Mojotones a lot.




I have one of those in Tele bridge format, sounded pretty shrill for my taste. But then, that was in a cheap indonesian Yamaha Pacifica Tele, which, while featuring the most glorious neck in the world (should actually rip that one out...), is pretty much on the bright (or rather high mid) side of the spectrum. Tried to tame it with a C-switch, didn't help much.

Fwiw, it's really weird in general, I seem to always grab the wrong pickup candidates or slap them into the wrong guitars, dunno, but over here they never sound as good as in recordings of others. And I don't think it's because tone isn't in my fingers (I'm usually at least somewhat happy with my overall tones), so maybe really just very bad luck (I mean, I really tried a lot of these things...).

Whatever, will have to look for that Cool Rail and slap it into the Schecter with the next new set of strings in a few days.

Yeah, maybe try the Cool Rail, seems a lot of people like it. I've never tried one but have been curious. Suppose I should mention I do have a 'Lil 59, Hot Rails (a bit too mid forward for me) and Parallel Axis single. Out of those I think the axis is sweeter and the 59 makes a nice middle or bridge pickup. I just don't get along with Seymour Duncan pickups as much and I have no idea why? I've been very lucky with Dimarzio, I've not run into a dud yet.

 

[la szum]

So this thread is not really about "Single Coils" after all. Apparently, never was.

 

[CakeEater]

I like having SSS with a really fat pickup in the Bridge. In my case I'm using a Kinman Kick-in-the-Arse Heavy, it blends well with the middle pickup, but just has a wider Q and more oomph than a typical single-coil. P90s in single coil format work great too. If it sounds as big as the neck pickup I can make it work.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Suppose I should mention I do have a 'Lil 59, Hot Rails (a bit too mid forward for me) and Parallel Axis single.

Hah, I have a Lil 59 and a Hot Rail, too. Not in use ATM, but I will find some use for them.

I just don't get along with Seymour Duncan pickups as much and I have no idea why?

I have one of their mini humbuckers in my Anderson's neck position, really nice sound IMO. And I have a Duncan designed humbucker that I ripped off a Framus Diablo (no idea what model it's based off) sitting in the same guitar's bridge position which has the best split sound I've ever run across (humbucking sound is PAF-ish, maybe somewhat more mid-rangey). So, all in all my Duncan experience is fine.

I've been very lucky with Dimarzio, I've not run into a dud yet.

As weird as it might be (I mean, I have exchanged more pickups than to poke a stick at in my life), I have not even once owned a true DiMarzio pickup, go figure. I think the V1/2 of my 80s Ibanez Sabre are DiMarzio designs, but that was about it.
Maybe that should be enough of a reason to at least snag one from eBay classifieds.

 

[Jynx]

Surely a HSS with a split coil function would be best?

 

[FuzzyAce]

Not in use ATM, but I will find some use for them.

I keep telling myself that too.

I have one of their mini humbuckers in my Anderson's neck position, really nice sound IMO. And I have a Duncan designed humbucker that I ripped off a Framus Diablo (no idea what model it's based off) sitting in the same guitar's bridge position which has the best split sound I've ever run across (humbucking sound is PAF-ish, maybe somewhat more mid-rangey). So, all in all my Duncan experience is fine.

I do want to try the seymour mini, the one with the logo on it. I have a '59 full HB i use in a tele-esque partscaster. It works great in the bridge. So I guess I can't downplay Seymour that much.

 

[metropolis_4]

So this thread is not really about "Single Coils" after all. Apparently, never was.

Some of us don’t play in settings that allow the luxury of true vintage single coils

Sometimes functionality is more important than purity of tone, but we still want the closest we can get that works the way we need it to

I still think of noiseless single coils as single coils because functionally that’s how they sound and work for me. Even if they do sacrifice a little of the single coil-ness for it

 

[Sascha Franck]

Hmpf. I was about to look up the Cool Rail, Hot Rail and Little 59 - no idea where they are. Pretty strange, really, as I found sort of every other pickup I ever owned, just not those discussed in this very thread.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Hmpf. I was about to look up the Cool Rail, Hot Rail and Little 59 - no idea where they are. Pretty strange, really, as I found sort of every other pickup I ever owned, just not those discussed in this very thread.

Try these:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/little-59-strat
https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/hot-rails-strat
https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/cool-rails-strat

 

[CakeEater]

Hmpf. I was about to look up the Cool Rail, Hot Rail and Little 59 - no idea where they are. Pretty strange, really, as I found sort of every other pickup I ever owned, just not those discussed in this very thread.

Have you tired any of the Gen2 Kinmans?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Have you tired any of the Gen2 Kinmans?

No idea which version mine are. But I find them a bit too harsh for cleans - with one exception: I have hardly ever heard a better fake-jazz tone that the Kinman in the Anderson with the tone pot slightly taming the highs. And they're outstanding for driven sounds, too. But for pop-ish cleans, nah, not really.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Try these:

Haha - I rather find mine.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Haha - I rather find mine.

Sorry, misunderstood.
But I was thinking ... "surely Sascha can search a website? but I guess I'll help him anyways."

 

[Sascha Franck]

Sorry, misunderstood.
But I was thinking ... "surely Sascha can search a website? but I guess I'll help him anyways."

Ah, I see!

 

[GreatGreen]

A strat single coil bridge tone is so niche / circumstantial. The thin stringy single coil bridge attitude thing is fun in short bursts, but ultimately for me a bridge humbucker is home and that's where I'm going to spend most of my time. Also if you want a single coil bridge sound, use a telecaster for crying out loud.

Also, a bridge humbucker split into a single coil doesn't really work for me as much as I wish it would. It's almost always too bright / strident thanks to the 500k pots you usually get with humbuckers. Parallel bridge wiring is where it's at. I've heard some absolutely beautiful parallel wiring bridge humbucker tones, to the point that a parallel bridge configuration could almost not just be a secondary feature but a primarily desirable one.

So yeah for me I'd easily trade the a weak sounding single coil bridge pickup and "proper" 2nd position single coil "Sweet Home Alabama" style quacky tones in favor of a great loud punchy bridge humbucker and crispy clear parallel bridge tones.

HSS is the ultimate setup imo. You get a great bridge humbucker with the option of adding a parallel bridge humbucker sound, as well as the real deal middle, 4th position and neck single coil tones.

 

[la szum]

Some of us don’t play in settings that allow the luxury of true vintage single coils

Sometimes functionality is more important than purity of tone, but we still want the closest we can get that works the way we need it to

I still think of noiseless single coils as single coils because functionally that’s how they sound and work for me. Even if they do sacrifice a little of the single coil-ness for it

I just thought it was funny. You went on and on about Single Coils and then drop the Noiseless thing
after the fact!

 

[Achilles]

A dedicated humbucker in the bridge sounds unique and very unlike a single coil.
A dedicated single coil in the bridge sounds unique and very unlike a humbucker.

Versatility really has nothing to do with it.

All comes down to the player's preference.

 

[Achilles]

Also, what are you going to be using it for?
You wouldn't bring an HSS to a Stevie Ray tribute band audition just like you wouldn't bring SSS if it was 80s LA hair metal.