Looking for pickup advice

LP Freak

LP Freak

Well-known member
I’ve got a Strat with HSS pickup configuration and a light ash body. It has Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle and a Suhr Aldrich in the bridge. The Fralins sound great but the Aldrich sounds like ass in this guitar. It’s too honky and bright. Any suggestions to replace the Aldrich?

aqyWbXxl.jpg
 
LP Freak":38zw0fd9 said:
I’ve got a Strat with HSS pickup configuration and a light ash body. It has Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle and a Suhr Aldrich in the bridge. The Fralins sound great but the Aldrich sounds like ass in this guitar. It’s too honky and bright. Any suggestions to replace the Aldrich?

aqyWbXxl.jpg
Click to expand...
Same exp I had when I tried an Aldrich in my Charvels...almost grating to the ears. I have Duncan customs in there now, thinking of going for a Custom/59 hybrid...but the Custom works well to tame the brightness of the Alder body. JBs are good too...you can make them less harsh by adjusting the pole screws.
 
I haven't played a ton of light ash body Strats but the ones I have were all sort of honky and bright and lacked girth/fullness. I recently sold a USACG that I built because of it, and I LOVED everything else about that guitar. Can't even tell you how many pickups I threw at it. Clean was cool but dirty it just never did it for me.

Hopefully yours isn't like that but I thought I'd at least mention it. I usually like Aldrich bridge pickups.

I have a Dimarzio Air Zone in my Chubtone and that helped with the twangy character. So maybe that or a Tone Zone?
 
LP Freak":yux980wh said:
Thanks. I’m looking for something hotter than a ‘59.
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Talk to Jeff at HighOrder Pickups.

Maybe an asymmetric wind around 8.9 ~ 9.2K

Swap magnets around till you get what you like.
 
Racerxrated":3lkmugkv said:
LP Freak":3lkmugkv said:
I’ve got a Strat with HSS pickup configuration and a light ash body. It has Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle and a Suhr Aldrich in the bridge. The Fralins sound great but the Aldrich sounds like ass in this guitar. It’s too honky and bright. Any suggestions to replace the Aldrich?

aqyWbXxl.jpg
Click to expand...
Same exp I had when I tried an Aldrich in my Charvels...almost grating to the ears. I have Duncan customs in there now, thinking of going for a Custom/59 hybrid...but the Custom works well to tame the brightness of the Alder body. JBs are good too...you can make them less harsh by adjusting the pole screws.
Click to expand...
Is that the Custom 5 that you’re talking about?
 
LP Freak":3ln6fu0w said:
Racerxrated":3ln6fu0w said:
LP Freak":3ln6fu0w said:
I’ve got a Strat with HSS pickup configuration and a light ash body. It has Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle and a Suhr Aldrich in the bridge. The Fralins sound great but the Aldrich sounds like ass in this guitar. It’s too honky and bright. Any suggestions to replace the Aldrich?

aqyWbXxl.jpg
Click to expand...
Same exp I had when I tried an Aldrich in my Charvels...almost grating to the ears. I have Duncan customs in there now, thinking of going for a Custom/59 hybrid...but the Custom works well to tame the brightness of the Alder body. JBs are good too...you can make them less harsh by adjusting the pole screws.
Click to expand...
Is that the Custom 5 that you’re talking about?
Click to expand...
Yep my mistake...Custom 5
 
LP Freak":1wx8hgcd said:
Is that the Custom 5 that you’re talking about?
Click to expand...
Not sure which one racer has but I have a Custom 5 in a Warmoth Strat with Wilkinson trem and I love it in that guitar. I tried it in the Chubtone and loved it there too. But it has a chunk of mids that are subdued, if it matches up with the guitar it can be really good.
 
Beyond Black":4t3j19jr said:
Paul, the Afwayu might be a nice match. About as hot as the Aldrich. Dark with a lot of low end.
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Those are also great with a bright guitar, I also had those in a few Charvels and Jacksons the last few yrs.
 
Kelly":3p694ggo said:
I like the Dimarzio AT-1. What pots are you using?
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I’m using CTS pots and I’ve got it wired like the diagram below so the bridge sees a 500k pot and the middle/neck see a 250k.

89cDoNNl.jpg
 
The AT-1 and Air Zone are pretty similar FWIW. Almost like sisters. I tried both and stuck with Air Zone but can see others preferring the AT. The Duncan Custom 5 is right in that same ballpark. Impossible to say which you'd prefer in that guitar though. If the Dimarzios are a little too soft at the very top end (common for Dimarzios ime) you might prefer the Duncan.
 
Well I grabbed an AT1 and it sounds much, much better. I see what you mean about being soft in the the highs though.
 
LP Freak":1hjejsk9 said:
Well I grabbed an AT1 and it sounds much, much better. I see what you mean about being soft in the the highs though.
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After back n forth between DiMarzio/Duncans over the years, I've gone with Duncans for that very reason. Like the highs better.
 
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