SSS is more versatile than HSS?

[la szum]

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.

Precisely! Everything...... is contextual. Every thing.

 

[metropolis_4]

Want to know how many ‘80s hair metal gigs I’ve played with a SSS Strat?

 

[Stone]

Want to know how many ‘80s hair metal gigs I’ve played with a SSS Strat?

I would like to know

 

[Sascha Franck]

Doesnt YM qualify for hair metal?

 

[Achilles]

Doesnt YM qualify for hair metal?

Neo-classical - kinda why I added LA.

 

[mavrick102000]

I get it. And I honestly have to agree with position 2 with SSS vs. SSH/HSS.

Other than position 2 I don't care for single coil bridge gain tones in my hands, might be operator error since JEL and others seem to do just fine.

With most songs I try to learn, I don't really go there, it's full bridge humbucker or position 5 on a neck single with my SSH Suhr.

Honestly I'm leaning more toward sticking with dual HH guitars if I were to purchase any more, wired with a coil tap option, but I'd always have a single coil in the neck on one of my guitars.

 

[metropolis_4]

I don’t know, I think a single coil Strat bridge does pretty well for ‘80s hair metal.

This is all a Strat -> Morning Glory -> SD-9 -> Deluxe Reverb:




I was monitoring with my Shure e215 which are super bright so it’s mixed a little too dark

 

[aflynt]

I could never get HSS to balance correctly. I've found the bridge humbucker sounds better and has a more usable range of tones across the volume taper when you have it a bit closer to the strings. But then it's just destroying the single coils gain wise and requires completely different amp gain staging and EQ. If I back it off to balance it out it just sounds too muffled, especially when you turn it down. I've tried all the crazy wiring with splits and bleeds and changing the pot loads so that the humbuckers see 500k and the singles 250k, and all that. Tried low wind humbuckers and higher output noiseless singles too. Seems like the more stuff I add the more awkward things get.

Finally, I just ditched all the HSS stuff in my main Strat and now it's just a single bridge humbucker (Dimarzio 36th anniversary neck) and a 500k volume pot and an output jack and that's it. I've been doing shows with just that lately and loving how it forces me to get the different sounds with my hands and technique more than flipping a switch. That single PAF style humbucker sounds great and is so beautifully responsive. It's fat and clear and smooth and snarls all at the same time. If I want the very specific Strat thing or the Tele thing I just have guitars with traditional set ups for those sounds.

-Aaron

 

[ucnick]

Jimmy Herring's dual HB Strat:

https://www.tdpri.com/attachments/image3-png.887595/

FWIW, besides SSS and HSS Strats and others,I have a Blacktop HH Strat that I love, and an older (2009ish) Carvin Bolt+ HSH. I swapped out the stock volume and tone pots with units with p-p switches to split the coils. The old Carvin Classics HBs have a great P-90-ish tone when split and full up, and get sound very close to standard SC pups with volume rolled back.

 

[GreatGreen]

HSS is the more versatile setup and it's not even close, really.

SSS has a niche but cool position 2 and extremely niche position 1.
HSS has a less cool but still usable position 2, incredible position 1, AND the option of an equally great parallel bridge humbucker tone.

Whether someone prefers SSS or HSS, there's really no question about which is more versatile.

 

[J_Hotch]

... Every time I’ve had a HSS Strat I’ve ended up frustrated that I can’t get the tones I need out of the bridge for stuff like country and surf, and the position 2 tones aren’t as good...

As a long-time EMG HSS super-strat fan, I relate to this. I found that the much-maligned EXG tone control - which is not all that useful with single coils - was the fix for getting that hot, clean sound from my bridge humbucker.

Good luck!

 

[metropolis_4]

As a long-time EMG HSS super-strat fan, I relate to this. I found that the much-maligned EXG tone control - which is not all that useful with single coils - was the fix for getting that hot, clean sound from my bridge humbucker.

Good luck!

I love those active tone controls! I actually like doing the opposite of using EMG SSS with an SPC on the bridge. Sort of gives me

0 = Strat
2-3 = Tele
7-8 = Humbucker

 

[NightWalker]

HSS all the way

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, I'm down to HS on my Schecter Nick Johnston. Middle pickup is still in but I replaced the 5 way switch in favour of a 3 way one. What a relief. Never used positions 2 and 4 during the last decade anyway (which is why the middle pickup has been thrown out of my Anderson several years ago as well). I may perhaps add a little switch allowing me to use the middle pickup solo-ed, but as I hardly ever did that before, I see no compelling reasons. The guitar is looking a little better with a middle pickup, though, so it might stay in for cosmetical reasons.

 

[greatmutah]

HSS can be great with right pickups and balancing. Also make sure you’re splitting to the right coil. You want to keep the one closest to the bridge on for proper twang, which is usually your pole piece coil. Slug coil not so much. Thsts the thin and muddy sound. No quack. Also personal favorite HB for splitting in this manner is the DiMarzio PAF Pro.

 

[ucnick]

I have predominantly HSS, only 2 SSS: one old early 00s Aerodyne Strat with DiMarzio rail pups in all 3 positions and that kinda works in both scenarios; and IMHO best Swiss army knife type is my old Clapton Strat with noiseless pups, I can get credible SSS tones, and by adjusting the vol/gain and TBX mid boost I can get into HB country.

I had another SSS Strat but gave it to my cousin's kid, he had severe GAS for it...

 

[FuzzyAce]

The more I play a SSS setup w/ a HB blade size single in the bridge, the more I prefer this over a HSS. The bridge just stays a bit more articulate and focused sounding than a full HB. Pair it with a master bass cut control and it really covers majority of what I like. That said, I enjoy a full HB in the bridge too, but minus the middle pickup and just a single at the neck. Versatile enough and gives a nice middle position tone. As I write this I still have 2 guitars with HSS that I love as well.

 

[metropolis_4]

Fwiw, I'm down to HS on my Schecter Nick Johnston. Middle pickup is still in but I replaced the 5 way switch in favour of a 3 way one. What a relief. Never used positions 2 and 4 during the last decade anyway (which is why the middle pickup has been thrown out of my Anderson several years ago as well). I may perhaps add a little switch allowing me to use the middle pickup solo-ed, but as I hardly ever did that before, I see no compelling reasons. The guitar is looking a little better with a middle pickup, though, so it might stay in for cosmetical reasons.

On my new guitar I went HSH with a 3 way switch and a push/push switch that turns on the middle pickup so I can choose to add it to any combo. So far I’ve been loving this setup.

 

[norminal]

The more I play a SSS setup w/ a HB blade size single in the bridge, the more I prefer this over a HSS.

That’s how I felt when I had a Chopper in the bridge of my Strat. That thing ripped! Alas, I went back to low-output single coils.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Alas, I went back to low-output single coils.

Which is still nice too. There's a beautiful clarity to that kind of setup.
My favorite SSS (non blade, but still hum cancelling) is the Mojotone '67 set. Bridge sounds proper, like a fat tele. So not exactly vintage spec but still very close with some benefits.