Why don't I like these single-coils????

[Julesman64]

So I'm having a really hard time getting to like my Strat, the custom blue one in my avatar. I spent good time and money on it, but like I said, it's just not jiving. I can get some really nice cleans out of it and it's very comfortable to play, don't get me wrong. But I find any distortion with it completely unusable. It has 3 Seymour Duncan Antiquity II series single coils in it. It just sounds too thin, and very very very bright. Low gain, high gain, not diggin' it.

Played around with pickup height, changed string gauges, amp settings, and still I can only get a sound I like every 3rd time I pick it up (which is becoming less and less these days).

Am I just not liking these particular pickups, perhaps I should get some different ones? Or am I wasting my time because I'm just a humbucker guy??? I don't live anywhere close to any guitar stores so I can't really go out and experiment that much. What do you guys think?? I would really hate to have to sell this guitar and start over again, it's all custom that I put together myself, and it really does look spectacular.

[slowpokerhino]

I feel very similarly regarding the humbucker/single coil issue. I love my Strat and would never get rid of it, but only use it for clean tones. With any significant amount of dirt I much prefer my Les Paul.
I wouldn't get rid of the Strat if I was you. Situations will come up that it is right for.

[Green Manalishi]

Same situation here. I like my strat for cleans and light od, but medium and heavy tones I'm using the SG or Les Paul.

[tramp]

http://www.kinman.com/

Check out these pickups. Especially the woodstocks. Had similar issues until i put these in. They distort really well and still sound very stratty! Clean up nice too. there a bit expensive tho. I also improved bass response and sustain with a callaham bridge.


don't know what bridge you've got but after doing these upgrades i can't put my strat down. using it tonight at a gig actually through the fat channell of an orange dual terror.

kinda expensive but i can't put her down now.

Trust slowpokerhino and DO NOT SELL!!!!!

[surfnorthwest]

Well we can all list a bunch of guys that get big sound from a Strat and a Marshall so the pickups are a good place to start looking. I agree with others that the Strat is used mostly for cleaner type tones but I can get a hell of a Trower tone and a Blackmore tone from my Strat and Marshalls.

I am a Homer for Fender Custom Shop pickups (either the Fat 50s or 69s) I just think they are the right match for the guitar. If I push my Strat into my Hardwire OD and into the VM there is some serious mojo with the single coils. Drive the guitar hard into the amp with your favorite pedal.

[Julesman64]

Same situation here. I like my strat for cleans and light od, but medium and heavy tones I'm using the SG or Les Paul.

That is precisely the tone-zone I am in. I was raised on a LP and the first guitar I ever bought was an SG. I will try some OD pedals with it to see if I can get a little closer to what I'm looking for. But remember I am a purist and I don't own many pedals because of this. My effects train of preference is Guitar-Amp-Volume. Also remember I don't own a fender amp of any kind yet either..... but that could be changed......

[Kongels]

You could try messing with the Tone Cap for one more thing to fool around on? Strats Rule!!!

[StephenRutledge]

Generalising... it's easy to get a clean sound out of single coils just as it's easy to get a dirty sound out of humbuckers.

Personally I like the dynamic response i get from a strat... from a huge roar to a shimmering clean with a quick dial from the volume control. I can't get that kind of tonal dynamics as easily from a humbucker based instrument. But having said that - the other night I played our singer's guitar and was I in heaven. A 1965 Gibson ES-335 through the VM... bliss... the best sound I've ever had.

[Spitfire]

So I'm having a really hard time getting to like my Strat, the custom blue one in my avatar. I spent good time and money on it, but like I said, it's just not jiving. I can get some really nice cleans out of it and it's very comfortable to play, don't get me wrong. But I find any distortion with it completely unusable. It has 3 Seymour Duncan Antiquity II series single coils in it. It just sounds too thin, and very very very bright. Low gain, high gain, not diggin' it.

Due to the slightly weaker aged magnets in these pickups, you can set them higher than regular pickups. Set them as high as possible, without it touching the strings obviously, then balance them out with each other, setting the middle, the lowest, produces the most quack.
I have these in my guitar and they are really very close to the strings and I'm not getting any wierd string pull or stratitus. I also lined out the pickup cavities with an alluminium foil, that took away most of the hum.
I can get a Blackmore, Malmsteen tone with mine, they are just a dream to play.

[Beck-Ola]

I believe it's something to do with the pick-ups but not because they are single coils. Maybe the way those particular ones react to the amp. Could be a tone preference thing. My Strat sounds spectacular in heavily distorted settings. Really snarling, spitting, and nasty. I have a couple other guitars with single coils (Carvin and G&L) that sound good also distorted. I would never consider single coils to be just for cleaner sounds. I guess neither would have Hendrix, Malmsteen, Blackmore, Trower, etc. for that matter.

This is an old thread and not sure the original poster is still around but I wouldn't give up just yet on that Strat. Definitely try moving the pick-ups closer to the strings or try a different set.

[Spitfire]

I believe it's something to do with the pick-ups but not because they are single coils. Maybe the way those particular ones react to the amp. Could be a tone preference thing. My Strat sounds spectacular in heavily distorted settings. Really snarling, spitting, and nasty. I have a couple other guitars with single coils (Carvin and G&L) that sound good also distorted. I would never consider single coils to be just for cleaner sounds. I guess neither would have Hendrix, Malmsteen, Blackmore, Trower, etc. for that matter.

This is an old thread and not sure the original poster is still around but I wouldn't give up just yet on that Strat. Definitely try moving the pick-ups closer to the strings or try a different set.

I have SD Antiquities in my strat, they are so good it should be illegal to buy them.

[tramp]

I appreciate this is an old thread, but i wanna post anyway.

Whenever i feel like my strat is too thin sounding, i pick up my tele.
Although its quite twangy, the sound isn't as compressed and sounds thicker.
I think
Mine is a 89 MIJ with Kinman Broadcaster pickups. I'm playin it lots more than my strat

It may just be that a strat aint the fender for you!

[Spitfire]

I appreciate this is an old thread, but i wanna post anyway.

Whenever i feel like my strat is too thin sounding, i pick up my tele.
Although its quite twangy, the sound isn't as compressed and sounds thicker.

Hardtail and direct mount pickups could explain the compressedness you get from a tele. What if he was like me and can't play anything other than a strat, I need body contours and alderwood, man. hahaha I'd play a tele anytime if it had the contours of a 57' strat's body.

If you need it thicker tone, just duplicate the track (50% pan L and R) for example.

[Kyle]

I appreciate this is an old thread, but i wanna post anyway.

Whenever i feel like my strat is too thin sounding, i pick up my tele.
Although its quite twangy, the sound isn't as compressed and sounds thicker.

Hardtail and direct mount pickups could explain the compressedness you get from a tele. What if he was like me and can't play anything other than a strat, I need body contours and alderwood, man. hahaha I'd play a tele anytime if it had the contours of a 57' strat's body.

If you need it thicker tone, just duplicate the track (50% pan L and R) for example.

Hardtail yes, direct mount, not so much at all. As pickups are not effected at all by the body, it doesn't matter how you mount them. The only thing that creates a pickups sound is disturbance of field, by the moving metal part (the string). How they are attached will make 0 difference as they do not gain any sonic character from vibrating 'with the body' or being 'taken back by a ring'. Strings lose energy to the guitar, but these vibration in no way effect the pickups back on their nature.

[Spitfire]

Hardtail yes, direct mount, not so much at all. As pickups are not effected at all by the body, it doesn't matter how you mount them. [/quote]

So you've tried screwing a pickup directly into the body?
And YOU can't hear a difference?