What about the middle pickup?

[HMstratocaster]

Hey guys, still workin' on that same HSS strat I have just about everything planned out but do you have any recommendations for the middle pickup? Should I just buy two of the same neck pickup and put the neck pickup in the middle? Of course I want to have a bluesy sound but I want it to sound good clean. I tend to play my undistorted more acoustic playing on the neck and middle pickup, but I still want it to be hot like "Hey Joe"
Please help me with this!

:rock-on:

-HM

 

[DocNrock]

I don't know what you chose for the other two, but for my "bluesy" Strat, I put a Rio Grande Dirty Harry Jr. RWRP there.  Hot, but still great clean tone (FWIW, great raunchy distorted tone, too.)

 

[jackthehack]

I'm in the process of a build and using RG Vintage Tallboy SC in neck, RG Half-Breed in middle and SD JBJr. at bridge; that combo works really well for the sounds you;re looking for, swapping your HB for the JBJr.

 

[HMstratocaster]

Thanks Jack that's another question I was wondering do pickups like the Duncan JB Jr and things like hot rails sound better than humbuckers?

 

[ildar]

Thanks Jack that's another question I was wondering do pickups like the Duncan JB Jr and things like hot rails sound better than humbuckers?

They are humbuckers.
The real question is, what pickup sounds the best?  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Fish Out of Water]

I've had the SD lil 59er in the bridge position of my strat, but to me it still sounded a bit "thin".  I really like the full sound of the a full sized humbucker.  Maybe it's just in my head, but my ears tell me that the single coil humbucker still sounds more like a single coil than a full sized humbucker.  But that's just me.

 

[ildar]

Me too, but I think that's the overall point of sc-sized buckers. I always assumed manufacturers were trying to nail the single coil sound without the noise, oh the noise noise noise.
They'll stand up to as much volume/gain/distortion as a full sized humbucker, but (ideally) won't hum or squeal.

 

[jackthehack]

I've got both Lil 59s and JBJrs in builds or upgrades that I've done; don't have the full sized veriosn of those PUs to directly compare to.

They both definitely sound/act like humbuckers rather than SCs. Curiously thing is, if you look at the specs for both the SC and HB models, the Lil 59s are rated higher output than the full size and vice versa on the JB models.

I primarily used them as I had bodies that just had the S-S-S route, but have been happy with both; tried one of the Hot Rails and didn't, it was "squealy", too treblely

 

[vanhagar]

I get a great bluesy sound from my strat with hand wound copperhead pickups, having the mid pickup non reverse wound changes the tone of the neck and mid together quite a bit compared to a reverse wound set and his mid strat pickups can growl very nice on their own. I have my strat set up with no tone on the neck and it sounds excellent!

 

[Livingston]

I really like the high output strat Fralins.  Definitely worth looking into.

 

[HMstratocaster]

Hmm many good Ideas here but I realize that I also want to be able to play with no distortion on the middle and neck pickup without that crackle that you sometimes get if you strum to hard on clean. Any suggestions?

 

[DocNrock]

Hmm many good Ideas here but I realize that I also want to be able to play with no distortion on the middle and neck pickup without that crackle that you sometimes get if you strum to hard on clean. Any suggestions?

Dirty Harry Jr.  :icon_thumright:

 

[willyk]

I can heartily agree with Jack on the RG s. I've used the tallboy/halfbreed =neck/middle pairing on a couple of strats with great results for what you're after. But the Doctors prescription sounds interesting too.  :icon_scratch:

 

[vtpcnk]

>I've got both Lil 59s and JBJrs in builds or upgrades that I've done

jackthehack, what neck and middle did you couple with the jb jr?

appreciate the feedback.

 

[Alfang]

I've had the SD lil 59er in the bridge position of my strat, but to me it still sounded a bit "thin". 

I agree, thin.

I also have a set of Fralins and they sound good.

 

[jackthehack]

>I've got both Lil 59s and JBJrs in builds or upgrades that I've done

jackthehack, what neck and middle did you couple with the jb jr?

appreciate the feedback.

Have them in a couple of builds; one has an Rio Grande Vintage TallBoy in neck and HalfBreed in middle; other build has Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's in neck/middle