Single coil in Humbucker Routed slot?

primal65

Newbie
Messages
9
My strat body I ordered awile back is routed for H-S-S configuration. I want to change my bridge humbucker to the single-coil Dimarzio Area 61. Other than getting a new pickguard with the traditional S-S-S configuration, angled bridge pup and all, does anyone know if I might have problems fitting the single coil in the bucker slot? Thank you for any replies.
 
Wana_make_a_guitar said:
ah.well, try it, then see if you have problems.my approach to everything.

what's the bucker?

Presently, I have the EMG Steve Lukather prewired set in there. While they are decent pickups, I've recently come to want an old school, woody strat sound.
 
I'll go out on a limb here (with advice you're not asking for :glasses10:), but to me the "classic" Strat sounds have everything to do with the neck pickup alone, and the in-between 2 and 4 switch positions. The bridge pickup alone is used for emphasis by Eric Johnson, Julian Kasper, Oz Noy, Jeff Beck and anyone else I think of as being a masterful Strat commander - but it's not as "classic"  - they're going to be processing the dickens out of that lead tone anyway. Conversely, there are whole swaths of music like 80's metal, nu-metal, classic 70's Allmans-Santana-Zeppelin stuff that just sounds wrong without a bridge humbucker.

One good solution is to get a hyper-powered bridge HB like a Lawrence L500 (genuine plz), Duncan JB (his new P-Rails looks interesting), DiMarzio Evo, Tone Zone etc. Then wire it with a series/parallel/single switch and give it it's own volume control. You get most of the advantages of a Gibson, and all of the Strat tones with the humbucker split to a single coil.
 
I went from HSS to SSS because I wanted a different sound. Already have two guitars with humbuckers. I got a Fender Hot Noisless set and I love the bridge pickup with distortion/gain. When I used a clean sound I used the other positions more. I also have it wired up with a blend pot so I'm enjoying that with the bridge as well. Sounds very different from a humbucker, which is what I wanted.
 
A lot of people complain about the sound of the strat's bridge PU and at the same time praise the Tele's bridge PU...makes sense to have something that souns like a tele in the bridge,,,lot of classic Zep done on that pickup.

Brian
 
There is a conversion ring that fits HB screw spacing, and allows SC to fit in diagonally - AllParts has em
 
I have a Warmoth Strat that had been top-routed for H-S-S, but I put three singles in there.  I'm not going to explain myself to you guys as to why, but I thought I would let the OP know that it is possible.  I had to fiddle with it for a little while, though, but only because the hum route has the raised wood part in the middle, between the two deeper spots for the legs of the humbucker, and I had a helluva time getting the wires from the bridge single to fit through there without making the pickguard kind of bulge up at that part.  I accomplished what I was after, but just a little frustration I thought I would share with you.
 
Back
Top