Best Humbucker for Stratocaster

[Gold Strat]

What are Your opinions and advice for a Humbucker in the Bridge position for a Stratocaster? I know that a Strat is supposed to have singles, just after purchasing a real nice pickguard in Pink Paseley I want to try a Humbucher because it already has the HSS configuration. What are the appropriate wiring diagrams for it? with a normal 5-way switch.

[Gravity Jim]

Pearly Gates. They used to (maybe still do) put a Fender-spaced Pearly Gates in the bridge of some kinda Strat (Lone STar. did they call it?), and that tone just knocked me out.

[Gold Strat]

Thanks a lott, I was thinking about the Pearly Gates as wel, they are a bit pricy and do I need a special spacing for the Strat? and how can I tell when I see one for sale used?

[Don]

You don't need special spacing for a Strat. Players put 'buckers in Strats for year w/o special spacing. It does look nice, though.

I'm not sure how to tell them apart other than the E-E pole dimension, but I think there are a few other small details that might be different (mounting tabs, mounting holes).

[thegeezer]

I have the Rio Grande Muy Grande in mine and I have used it for about 25 years. But it will all come down to the tone you like in the end. I will say this The Muy Grande splits coils real well.

[refin]

I would get something underwound,around 7.5K---to match the two single coils.One of my complaints about HSS is the bucker being overpowering.

[grandturk]

Dimarzio Super Distortion - best pickup, period. Done.

[Kap'n]

Dimarzio Super Distortion - best pickup, period. Done.

Meh. IMHO, it's one of the worst pickups I've heard.

I've got an old (70's) one lying around. I stuck it in my Hello Kitty strat, but pretty quickly put the original one back in. It stunk that badly. Middy and muddy are two words that come to mind.

Not to mention it's a total mismatch with standard strat single coils.

[Paultergeist]

Kap'n,

I think it really come down to the guitar, the player, and the sounds and styles one is going for.

Back around 1980, I put Dimarzio Super Distortions in my Gibson Explorer. Why? Well, I was enamored with "Boston's" lead guitar sound, those were the pick-ups that Tom Scholtz was (reportedly) using. At that time, playing those sorts of sounds through a heavy-overdriven amp, those pick-ups worked great -- which is to say that I like 'em a lot.

Since then, my playing and musical styles have changed, and I don't think I would much care for that pick-up today. My memory is that they were not so great for clean tones. But I would not say that they were bad.....

[Kap'n]

I think it really come down to the guitar, the player, and the sounds and styles one is going for.

I guess. But I have one in hand, and very recent memory of what one sound like.

[Sage]

Thanks a lott, I was thinking about the Pearly Gates as wel, they are a bit pricy and do I need a special spacing for the Strat?

Whether you need the "trembucker" spacing is dependent on your bridge. If you have a USA 2-point tremolo, like on the American Standards, or if you have a MIM or Squier 6-screw bridge, then you don't need it.

You only need it if you have a vintage USA 6-screw trem (NOT a MIM or Squier six-screw tremolo), an MIJ repro trem, or a Floyd Rose. This is because those bridges have wider string spacing, and the strings won't line up over the poles of a regular humbucker in the bridge position. Dimarzio calls this an "F-spaced humbucker" and Seymour Duncan calls it the "Trembucker" spacing, but neither company does a very good job of explaining what it's for.

Modern trems like the 2-point USA, the 6-screw MIM, and the various Squier trems, all have narrower string spacing which matches the string spacing on a Gibson, which is why you don't need the F-spaced or trembucker versions for those.

[refin]

Kap'n,

I think it really come down to the guitar, the player, and the sounds and styles one is going for.

Back around 1980, I put Dimarzio Super Distortions in my Gibson Explorer. Why? Well, I was enamored with "Boston's" lead guitar sound, those were the pick-ups that Tom Scholtz was (reportedly) using. At that time, playing those sorts of sounds through a heavy-overdriven amp, those pick-ups worked great -- which is to say that I like 'em a lot.

Since then, my playing and musical styles have changed, and I don't think I would much care for that pick-up today. My memory is that they were not so great for clean tones. But I would not say that they were bad.....

I did the same thing to my '76 Explorer back in the day.I got the Super Distortions as soon as they came out,and was the first in town to get them! All of us were putting them in our Gibsons.The standard fair was route a LP Deluxe and have these put in.Yet,after listening awhile,we seemed to notice a muffled "cardboardy" sound on the high end,and not much clarity (we were putting them in the neck too!).
For the DiMeola drive and heavy stuff,they were unequaled.....but for the sweet bluesy tones,they lacked alot.To each his own.I even bought the strat versions!

[thegeezer]

I have said earlier I have a self made strat with a humbucker, a Rio Grande Muy Grande because it sounded good when you split the coils and it matched the Tall Boys that I had in the neck and middle pickups tone and gain wise. But to be honest I would not use a humbucker in another strat.

[Direstraits]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I put a cheap Kent Armstrong HPAN1 ("PAF" type) humbucker in the neck position on a Tele-clone & I think the "vintage" humbucker works well tone-wise with single coil(s). It's also easier to get a balance between the pickups than if you fit an overwound super-distortion type pickup.

[Gold Strat]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I put a cheap Kent Armstrong HPAN1 ("PAF" type) humbucker in the neck position on a Tele-clone & I think the "vintage" humbucker works well tone-wise with single coil(s). It's also easier to get a balance between the pickups than if you fit an overwound super-distortion type pickup.

Very often when You pay top Dollar for a pickup You start to like it and what I learned lately that good Pickups only give a marginal difference and its the Guitar and the woods especially the neck that gives a Strat it's own unique tone and sound and playabillity etc.
I have a set of pickups from a Squier Classic Vibe Alnico II's and they are fantastic!! I'm just playing around wiyh my parts-o-caster and want to try a "bucker" in the rear just for fun, a true Strat has 3 singles and thats what the greats (Rory,Jimmy,Stevie) were more than sattisfied with!