Lets talk about strat pickups

[jjjimi84]

On March 18th my main strat turned 20 years old, it is old and beat up and absolutely wonderful. I have been kicking around the idea of swapping out the pickups, going from its current S/S/S set up to SSH. I just changed strings and took the pickguard off to find it is already routed for that set up.

I am sure someone here has done it and I am hoping to get some feedback, did you enjoy it or have any regrets?

I would want to use push pull pots to split the bridge and another one to turn it on, so I could get some interesting tones that way.

This may be silly to do since i own a tele and les paul style and may just be overkill.

[Marshall Arts]

I can fully recommend HSS. Some Ideas for that:

I've been an HSS guy most of my life and just recently changed one of my strat to a SSS configuration. It's different, for sure, but I regret the change.

On my HSS Strats, I use either
- the bridge humbucker or
- the combination of neck and middle pickup or
- the combination of a split bridge and neck pickup (tele-like)
None of these hum (middle is reverse wound, reverse polarity).

- If you want to get great and cheap pickups, try tonerider.... I have them, they kick ass. Great support (not affiliated!).
- Concering switiching options, there is millions available for HSS, but only a few work for me. I have added a little switch on my strat to add the neck pickup to whatever you choose on the 5-way-switch. Something like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=gilmour+stratocaster+switch&rlz=1C1GCEB_enDE880DE880&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi4g5SsiqfoAhXXQkEAHTpLBy8Q_AUoAnoECAsQBA&biw=1363&bih=809#imgrc=FlFKpDLN4eGO2M

- Are you considering adding active electronics?

[jjjimi84]

Thank you, I am going to do the switch to add the pick up. I have never played active electronics, I have only ever used passive electronics. I am open to anything.

[Marshall Arts]

I have a Sambora Strat from the 90s and it has the clapton mid boost in it (but wired differently). I traced it and made it smaller and added it to all my instruments. That is on a push/pull and "on" is, when the pot is pushed in ;-). I love it! Not trying to sell something to you, though - you could have one for free, if you seriously want to try it. Here is the thread (a discussion with myself, but anyway): https://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=24718.msg240879#msg240879

You would need a 9V battery (or a LiPo in your strat and an USB-charger-connector :-)) - very untraditional, but I've seen it on a Greg Koch Tele and though "why not?"). The LiPo would fit easier than a 9V (you don't want to route your beloved instrument.

[Aentons]

When splitting humbuckers you should keep in mind the 250k/500k pot thing and how it effects pickup loading and max tone pot treble. Split humbuckers typically tend to sound thin and trebly. This is usually because HBs are designed to be used with 500k pots. So when you split them, you are effectively running a single coil thru a 500k pot.

I remember reading somewhere that some humbuckers, like the Duncan JB, were more or less designed to be used in a Strat and therefore tended to work well with the 250k pots that were already in them. I am mainly looking at it from the perspective of splitting HBs in a Gibson so when I think that, when they factory load 300k pots, that it's specific whatever pickups come in it, which can vary from year to year and even in very similar models. I think most of the nuance gets lost in the 300k vs 500k factory pot debate.

I know that the physical design (slugs vs bar) accounts for some of the difference between SC and HB, but I think you could prob get a little closer to an acceptable single coil sound from a split HB if you design in some resistance switching as well. For instance use a 500k pot, and switch in an additional parallel 500k OR 1M resistor when you pull the pot to split.

BTW, I have a 2005 SG Standard that came with all 300k pots and pickups are:
490R (Alnico2) 7.8k
498T (Alnico5) 14.2k

[jjjimi84]

I am going to check that out, have you seen the fishman strat sets? I like that concept, i am not interested in drilling anything out of this one but i think having the back plate be a battery is a pretty cool concept.

I am going to look at tonerider, i feel like i prefer vintage style low output pickups but truthfully have no idea.

The more i think i like one thing or another i am usually proven wrong when it comes to this journey.

[Marshall Arts]

When splitting humbuckers you should keep in mind the 250k/500k pot thing and how it effects pickup loading and max tone pot treble. Split humbuckers typically tend to sound thin and trebly. This is usually because HBs are designed to be used with 500k pots. So when you split them, you are effectively running a single coil thru a 500k pot.

I remember reading somewhere that some humbuckers, like the Duncan JB, were more or less designed to be used in a Strat and therefore tended to work well with the 250k pots that were already in them. I am mainly looking at it from the perspective of splitting HBs in a Gibson so when I think that, when they factory load 300k pots, that it's specific whatever pickups come in it, which can vary from year to year and even in very similar models. I think most of the nuance gets lost in the 300k vs 500k factory pot debate.

I know that the physical design (slugs vs bar) accounts for some of the difference between SC and HB, but I think you could prob get a little closer to an acceptable single coil sound from a split HB if you design in some resistance switching as well. For instance use a 500k pot, and switch in an additional parallel 500k OR 1M resistor when you pull the pot to split.

BTW, I have a 2005 SG Standard that came with all 300k pots and pickups are:
490R (Alnico2) 7.8k
498T (Alnico5) 14.2k

True! I've done that in another instrument. You need a Super Switch for that, I stole the idea from a Suhr HSS strat. I can dig it out, if you need that...

[jjjimi84]

When splitting humbuckers you should keep in mind the 250k/500k pot thing and how it effects pickup loading and max tone pot treble. Split humbuckers typically tend to sound thin and trebly. This is usually because HBs are designed to be used with 500k pots. So when you split them, you are effectively running a single coil thru a 500k pot.

I remember reading somewhere that some humbuckers, like the Duncan JB, were more or less designed to be used in a Strat and therefore tended to work well with the 250k pots that were already in them. I am mainly looking at it from the perspective of splitting HBs in a Gibson so when I think that, when they factory load 300k pots, that it's specific whatever pickups come in it, which can vary from year to year and even in very similar models. I think most of the nuance gets lost in the 300k vs 500k factory pot debate.

I know that the physical design (slugs vs bar) accounts for some of the difference between SC and HB, but I think you could prob get a little closer to an acceptable single coil sound from a split HB if you design in some resistance switching as well. For instance use a 500k pot, and switch in an additional parallel 500k OR 1M resistor when you pull the pot to split.

BTW, I have a 2005 SG Standard that came with all 300k pots and pickups are:
490R (Alnico2) 7.8k
498T (Alnico5) 14.2k

Okay, I didnt even think about pot values at all. Now couldn't you add resistance to change the feel on a switch? Not to get crazy with switches but that might be kinda cool.

The neck is 7.8k and the bridge is 14.2k? Does that mean there is a volume difference between the two?

[Aentons]

When splitting humbuckers you should keep in mind the 250k/500k pot thing and how it effects pickup loading and max tone pot treble. Split humbuckers typically tend to sound thin and trebly. This is usually because HBs are designed to be used with 500k pots. So when you split them, you are effectively running a single coil thru a 500k pot.

I remember reading somewhere that some humbuckers, like the Duncan JB, were more or less designed to be used in a Strat and therefore tended to work well with the 250k pots that were already in them. I am mainly looking at it from the perspective of splitting HBs in a Gibson so when I think that, when they factory load 300k pots, that it's specific whatever pickups come in it, which can vary from year to year and even in very similar models. I think most of the nuance gets lost in the 300k vs 500k factory pot debate.

I know that the physical design (slugs vs bar) accounts for some of the difference between SC and HB, but I think you could prob get a little closer to an acceptable single coil sound from a split HB if you design in some resistance switching as well. For instance use a 500k pot, and switch in an additional parallel 500k OR 1M resistor when you pull the pot to split.

BTW, I have a 2005 SG Standard that came with all 300k pots and pickups are:
490R (Alnico2) 7.8k
498T (Alnico5) 14.2k

Okay, I didnt even think about pot values at all. Now couldn't you add resistance to change the feel on a switch? Not to get crazy with switches but that might be kinda cool.

I think the additional resistance across the pot will alter the pot taper and possible smooth it out a bit.

The neck is 7.8k and the bridge is 14.2k? Does that mean there is a volume difference between the two?

Yes, but the string vibration is a giant arc with most of the energy in the middle of the scale length, near the neck pickup. There is not as much vibrational energy back by the bridge so it tends to even out to some degree. The difference is usually managed by pickup height. My neck humbucker is twice as low as my bridge.

[jjjimi84]

I love this forum!

So much to think about, but I think the suhr super switch wiring would be ideal. Now just to decide on pickup choice.

Grab some bread crumbs we are going on a journey

[gordo]

I've got one of one of Marshall Arts board built as the Sambora model and loaded it into a Flying V with more or less PAF spec humbuckers and I love it.  Makes for some really detailed clean sounds with the volume rolled back.

[Maple Larynx]

I was toying with doing the same SSH conversion using the Suhr Thornbucker and a pair of ML single coils.  Like that red Suhr Classic that Pete Thorn has been playing lately. 

If I do move forward with it, I was planning to assemble an entirely new pickguard so I could swap back, sell the SSS assembly, or move it into a different guitar.

[pickdropper]

I generally have been very happy with the SD Custom Custom in a HSS config with the exception of the output being higher than the single coils.

[jjjimi84]

I generally have been very happy with the SD Custom Custom in a HSS config with the exception of the output being higher than the single coils.

That is my biggest concern, I have been searching for a low output humbucker with the right spacing.

I contacted Angeltone pickups to see if they would make a f-spaced humbucker and they do not. I currently have a set of there single coils in the guitar.

Looks like Fralin has some low output pickups, I may go that route

[Rockhorst]

I've got a strat with pickups wound by Timbo in it. I set up one of the tone controls to blend in the middle pickup (in series) with the bridge one (on position one). You could also put it on a switch but I like the original esthetic of a strat. Close the tone control and you've got that strat single coil bridge sound, open it up and you get a faux humbucker. Way to muddy for clean tones but excellent with some drive and gain.
That said, I'm probably going to swap the bridge PU for a single coil size Air Norton.