Custom build ideas need help!

[stankybudz]

Hey guys! Just recently purchased a soloist body from the showcase, and went on a limb and wanted to do something different, so i went with a tele neck pickup rout, strat middle, and humbucker bridge.  I want a classic hard rock/ heavy metal tone metallica/sabbath/dio/dokken sound, and have done a little research and I was debating on a seymour duncan JB hum, but am going to go with the dimarzio super distortion.  My question(s) are what should i do with the middle and tele neck pickups?

 

[stankybudz]

Here is my baby!

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I would put one of these in the neck:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/telecaster/high-output/quarter_pound_f_1/

and this in the middle:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/high-output/hot_stack_for_s/

 

[JaySwear]

Great choice with the Super Distortion! I'm a big fan of Rio Grande's Dirty Harry Tele neck pickup. I think it would match nicely there. Although the safest bet would be to stick with Dimarzio for the neck and middle.

 

[stankybudz]

Well i was honestly kinda weary of the super distortion, but they seemed to be pretty popular but havent read much on middle and neck dimarzios, so what would be some solid options besides the duncans?

 

[JaySwear]

Are you looking to go hum canceling or no? If yes, I'd go with a 58 or Virtual Solo from Dimarzio for the middle, and the hum canceling Tele neck pickup from them (can't think of the name right now...).

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Out of interest, why did you go for the Tele neck rout?

 

[CrazyGrain]

Well i was honestly kinda weary of the super distortion, but they seemed to be pretty popular but havent read much on middle and neck dimarzios, so what would be some solid options besides the duncans?

The Super D is a fine pu. It's been around since the 70's for a reason.  :headbang1: Got one in a build Cagey is finishing up for me.

I wouldn't worry about it too much...it's not uber gained like the modern metal pu's. It does have a fair bit of low end chunk though...

Love your sn. You sound like the kinda person I'd like to jam with.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stankybudz]

Im new to the building process and havent looked a whole lot into the different types, until now i didnt even know there was hum cancelling pups but thats what these forum things are for right? And i chose a tele neck pup rout because i had read that a lot of people really like the tele sound in the neck and i was kind of trying to merge them :headbang:

 

[JaySwear]

And i chose a tele neck pup rout because i had read that a lot of people really like the tele sound in the neck and i was kind of trying to merge them :headbang:

Count me in! A Tele neck pickup is my favorite of all the neck pickups out there. Just love it.

Some people will tell you that hum canceling single coils will "suck" tone, or just not sound as good. I've never used a hum canceling single, so no hands-on comment from me. But I will say that from what I've heard they still sound awesome.

 

[stankybudz]

I think i will stay away from the hum cancelling, seems it would take some of the raw feel from it. I want my axe to feel like a cranked up beast ready to explode!  arty07:

 

[stankybudz]

That dirty harry from rio grande sounds pretty interesting, anyone have anything bad to say about that pup?

 

[Cagey]

It's a single coil, so it's noisy as hell on Saturday night. It's nearly $100... what's it wound with, virgin siren pubes? Other than that, it's fine.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Hum cancelling pickups from 10 years ago involve a tone compromise. Modern ones don't.

 

[stankybudz]

Ok dont laugh but a noise cancelling pup, does that mean i cant squeal and get any feedback? Or just that buzz that i thought was always due to a poor wiring and grounding job? If i do go noiseless, will it take vintage tone away that i was trying to achieve by going the jb or dimarzio sd route? Do they sound compressed in any way? If no to all of the above, what would be some good noiseless routes?  ccasion14:

 

[Cagey]

The only noise you lose is the stuff you pick up all around you coming from the house wiring, transformers, CRTs, flourescent lights, neon lights, etc. In other words, that nasty, raspy hum you surely hate. The noise you make by playing comes through loud and clear, so yes, you can squeal and get feedback.

Modern noiseless/humbucking pickups have all the tone the vintage stuff did.

All PAF-style pickups like the JB, SD, etc. suffer from a certain amount of compression. But, it's generally not bad. In fact, it's often desirable. It's part of what makes them sound the way they do. If you want more dynamic range, you're better off with single coil-sized noiseless replacements where there are a couple narrow coils around rails (like the Hot Rails from Seymour Duncan or anything like those) or stacked coils like the Area XX parts. There are a lot of versions of those designs out there.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

The JB and the DMSD are noise cancelling, for starters. And yes there is a little compression, but it's good compression. It's part of what makws them sound like classic hot-rodded humbuckers. The JB in particular is the sound of 80s rock and metal in a box (although it's very versatile and will do pretty much anything bar vintage blues).

 

[stankybudz]

Looks like the dimarzio dp417 area neck tele pup will work, now what about the strat middle and hum? I have a hot rails how would it sound in the middle?

 

[Jumble Jumble]

A bit muddy. I'd go for a cool rails, or, even better, a vintage rails wired in series mode.

As for the humbucker I think you're doing fine looking at the JB and the Dmz SD.

 

[stankybudz]

Alright so its ok to have noiseless pups and non noiseless on same axe?