Any words of wisdom about pickup choice for a "Superstrat" Soloist build?

[mrpinter]

I want to build a SSH Soloist. I think I'm going to use a Seymour Duncan Screamin' Demon in the bridge... I love that pickup's sound and responsiveness and I have one. What Strat type pickups do y'all recommend for the neck and middle. My thought so far is to go with the APS2 and it's reverse wound version for middle. I'm not looking for high output, but something to complement and balance well with the low to moderate output Demon. What would YOU use for this guitar?

 

[zebra]

Wait...so you want to put autoimmune polyglandular syndrome-2 in your guitar? 

Or did you mean this?  http://www.interq.or.jp/hot/air-web/aps2sv-kiv-.html

(Hehe, just kidding....I know that you're referring to Duncan's Alnico II Pro Flats!)  :toothy10:

But no, I have no recommendations...good  luck though!

 

[sixstringsamurai]

I really dig the SD Quarter Pounder for strats, big and bell like...

 

[Kostas]

I like splitting the bridge HB to have two single coils in the second position. If RW/RP is important to you I would suggest staying with the same company for all pickups or go noiseless, in this case RW/RP doesn't matter. From the SD range I'm curious about the Surfers www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage-output/1102409_08_10_a/ I would choose them for both the middle & neck positions.

 

[MikeW]

I really dig the SD Quarter Pounder for strats, big and bell like...

These are great for SuperStrats. I've used them in mine (currently in the middle on my 8-Ball) and in friend's guitars. They're hot enough to compliment a humbucker, especially if you're planning to coil tap, but cool enough to still sound Strat-y when you roll the volume down a bit.

 

[fdesalvo]

Bare Knuckle 63 Patent Pending + Abraxas or Crawler Humbucker

 

[Day-mun]

I've really enjoyed the Tele rhythm version of the Alnico II pro, but the Strat, not as much... still a good pickup, but not the tone I was expecting due to my experience with its chrome-covered cousin. I've often wondered about the 5/2's... -best of both worlds, maybe?

The punch and output of the 1/4 lb pickups seem like they would be super-cool (-I've only ever owned the Bass pickup versions, though), but I bet the output would too closely rival the 'Demon.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Dimarzio Area-61 or Injector-neck model.

My Warmoth Strat has the Screamin' Demon at the Bridge, Area-61 in the middle, and Injector at the neck. Perfect blend of tones and no hum.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I really dig the SD Quarter Pound for strats, big and bell like...

'Fixed it for ya.

And they hum.

 

[mrpinter]

Somebody (not here) told me about a Nash guitar he had with a Screamin' Demon in the bridge with Duckbuckers at the other positions. After listening to the clips on the SD site I'm leaning that way... they sound kind of related to the Demon.

Anyway, next is what kind of body to use. It will replace the body on an existing Soloist build (gloss black, with a gloss black neck and headstock with a Pau Ferro fretboard with black shark fin inlays). So the new Soloist body must go with the black neck and tuners. What do you guys think of these choices? (and gloss black would be a choice as well, though I didn't mock one up, we know what black looks like):

 

[rgand]

Of these, I think the black/silver burst would be the most striking.

 

[Cagey]

I agree. Don't see those too often, and they're attractive.

 

[MikeW]

I think the first one in a carve-top Soloist body would be pretty killer with that neck. You're using the neck from your neck-pickup-only Soloist, yes?

 

[mrpinter]

I think the first one in a carve-top Soloist body would be pretty killer with that neck. You're using the neck from your neck-pickup-only Soloist, yes?

Yeah that's the one. I love the way that Demon sounds in the neck position... but I'm missing the versatility of having more than one pickup, so I'm thinking about cannibalizing that body for the pup and hardware, and going with a body transplant on that great neck. The Superstrat configuration is my first choice, but I'm also wondering about maybe just adding a second Screamin' Demon at the bridge. And I kind of favor the black dye on flame maple myself, but a carve top unfortunately would be over my budget right now.

 

[stratamania]

I like the first two. For a carved top probably the first one and for a standard non carved the second one.

 

[musicispeace]

I saved up and put a couple Klein Epic '56 pickups in my HSS strat. No regrets whatsoever.

 

[mrpinter]

I Photoshopped my existing neck on three of the contender bodies:

 

[Cagey]

I don't like that neck with any of those bodies. Fretboard's the wrong color. I would think something closer to white, such as Maple w/ black markers, or black such as Ebony w/MOP markers would match up better. I think I'd see if they'd put a regular Maple 'board on a roasted Maple neck so you could forgo finishing. Or, regular Maple 'board on a regular Maple neck, and have it finished in black to match the headstock.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I assume your current 'Demon is Gibson-spaced (since it's in the neck position, so unless you're going with a Gibson-spaced bridge, you're gonna need a "trem-spaced" 'Demon for the bridge position.

 

[mrpinter]

I don't like that neck with any of those bodies. Fretboard's the wrong color.

Well, I think you're right about the silver flake and probably the burst, but I think it would work aesthetically with the black dye on the flame. Another way to go might be to simply get another black body for that neck (and I've been thinking maybe that is the way to go). Here is the guitar right now:

Street Avenger: the Wilkinson trem bridge I would reuse has 54mm string spacing. Gibson/humbucker spacing is about 50mm. Do you think the extra 2mm on each end would really affect the sound that much? If I can't use that pickup again the whole project gets a bit more expensive.