Help with Pickups

[rt2726]

I'm building a Warmoth strat.  The body is alder with a maple top and the neck is maple / rosewood.  I had them do a universal route so I could leave my options open.  I'm leaning towards a SSH configuration.  Right now I play mostly classic rock with some modern alternative stuff mixed in but my favorite style is kind of punk / ska / reggae mix.  I'm a big Sublime fan so I like to be able to do really nice clean rhythm stuff and distorted leads in the same song.  To be honest I really love all music and I'm looking to build something very versatile.  The only thing I don't do right now is death metal or country.  I'll probably build a Tele when / if I start to do country (I'm not really into metal). 

Any suggestions.  I know the end result will have to be up to my ear but I'm at least looking for some suggestions and a place to start. 

Thanks,
Rich

 

[hanny11]

I like my Keeley's A LOT  :icon_biggrin: Their not available to the public yet, but u could call and ask about them. Tell em Mike Hanson turned u on to them. I have heard good stuff about the seymours area 58 and 61, maybe drop in pearly gates in the H spot?

 

[nathan a]

Can't go wrong with a duncan JB in the bridge for all things distorted. Throw a vintage-ish single coil in the middle, I've got a Duncan SSL-1 which sounds great alone or with the JB (awesome clean combo). Don't know about the neck, maybe something a little hotter for punch, which would clear up in the 2nd position with the SSL-1?

 

[GearBoxTy]

What pickups did Bradley Nowell use?  That might be a good start.

 

[Kostas]

Μy first suggestion about single coils are always the Kinmans. Not only zero hum but beautiful original Fender tone. If you don't play metal you can skip the humbucker. There are single coils like the Kinman Woodstocks or the Marvins with high output. I have the Blues in my strat and I have played with the Marvins lot's of times. Listen the samples http://www.kinman.com/html/mediaCentre/sounds.htm

I like Van Zandt pickups too http://www.vanzandtpu.com/pickup.htm In the 90's I heard many Warmoth strats fitted with Van Zandt pickups and they hooked me to Warmoth. The rock model has high output.

I have the S.D. Phat Cat http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/specialized/progressive/sph901_phat_cat/ in my Warmoth strat, the body was routed for a humbucker and it was the closest I could do on a single coil. Mine goes over 9.0k, it's hotter than vintage PAF's but has a really sweet tone. I like this pickup, at least in my strat and it blends nice with the Kinmans.

 

[DiMitriR33]

a lot of people like the jb for the bridge. i tried it once in a cheap flying vee copy, it was ok but really too punchy and the surprising brightness contrasted too much with the muddy sounding neck pickup. it was great for distorted tones though. some players like it with a 250k pot to take the edge off, good for a strat that has 250k pots for the single coils.
ssh is a very popular combo and for a good reason. any single coils with beveled rod magnets should give a good clean fender tone. i notice bigger diferences in magnets than coil windings. for what your talking about i'd go alnico V. alnico II can be great for bluesy stuff, more of a sweeter rounder treble. i like mid output humbuckers like a jazz pearly gates or 59' they match a single coil output well and sound great but the jb can give a good bright clean sound plus give plenty of power to drive your solo.

 

[hanny11]

pups:  Fralins, Novak, Keeley, Seymour Duncans, dimarzio, Fender custom(holy grails maybe), rio grande, attack bucker http://media.putfile.com/AttackBucker-004
just go here and start clicking find samples and go with you gut and budget. Or just your gut :toothy12:http://www.mediawebsource.com/guitar/pickup.htm

 

[Rick]

I'd put in an HB-106, good and cheap on ebay for the bridge, or it's more expensive brother the SH-6.

For the mid,  a Bill Lawrence L-280

And for the neck, a rio grande Muy Grande in the neck.

 

[confederatewk]

for all around a bill lawnrence or lace or fralin are great pickup with lots of sonic qualities if u go with a dimarzio or duncan type ur left with a characterised pickup....  unless yea id say the jazz or the jb both are nice, but most def get a 1 meg pot for volume and a 500k tone.....just use a .044 or a .088 if u want the edge off


you dont need to drop pot values to get rid of the edge.....just the tone cap....or wire the tone control backwards with a tone cap of .044 or .088 most liekly a .088 so when u roll the tone ur adding tone not removing it


oddles
it does what i says or it gets the hose!