Replacement Humbucker for American HSS ideas???

[sixstringking713]

Looking for a replacement humbucker with a little "more" than what came stock in my 2003 american HSS strat.. I was considering puting a tone zone in there..??

EDIT: it has an ash body and rosewood fretboard FYI

I play:

EVH, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd....

 

[Atomic Playboy]

If you can swing the bucks the Bare Knuckles pickups are amazing. Tim Mills and crew have really done their homework. Various WCR's as well do the job admirably.
If you want an off the shelf pickup as it were, one you can get at say Guitar Center, the DiMarzio Humbuckers get my vote.
Atomic Playboy

 

[Mokaccino]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

 

[Badronald]

I use Suhr Aldrich in my Stratocasters.

 

[sixstringking713]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

it essentially has a stock pickup that is a "pearly gates" type pickup from what i'm told and if feels like it's "lacking" in the guitar as far as output, harmonics, sustain.. oh and I'm looking for under $100 pricetag, this isnt my main axe.

 

[blackba]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

If you go with a JB, I would go with a regular spaced one. On my MIA strat, I started with a regular spaced zebra colored JB. I swapped that out for a white trembucker JB and noticed a significant change in tone and not for the better (got thin and harsh). I had already sold the regular spaced JB too. I then went to an Anderson H3, which was a touch too hot, and finally ended up with an Anderson H2+.

The Anderson H2+ is my favorite, followed closely by the original JB I had. The H2+ does split much better than the JB did. I should mention that after I took out the 2nd JB, I went with 500k pots and uses resistors to get about 250k when using the single coils.

 

[rupe]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

it essentially has a stock pickup that is a "pearly gates" type pickup from what i'm told and if feels like it's "lacking" in the guitar as far as output, harmonics, sustain.. oh and I'm looking for under $100 pricetag, this isnt my main axe.

If it lacks harmonics, its no Pearly Gates clone...that pickup has harmonic content out the azz.
Based on the music you mention, I think a Tone Zone would be too hot. You may want to give the Screamin' Demon a try...its more like a hot vintage humbucker...very misleading name IMO. Great harmonic content with a lot of balls but still very dynamic (unlike a Tone Zone).

I dig older JBs but the new ones sound nothing like those from the 80's...they have a ratty harshness in the upper mids that I find unpleasant and fatiguing. That said, every guitar is different so YMMV.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Duncan '59/Custom Hybrid

 

[racerevlon]

JB is not a bad idea. Stay away from PAF PRO and Air Norton. Norton might not be bad, also PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge might have some game as well. Personally, I don't hear the $150 difference in BOO-TEEK pickups...

 

[sixstringking713]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

it essentially has a stock pickup that is a "pearly gates" type pickup from what i'm told and if feels like it's "lacking" in the guitar as far as output, harmonics, sustain.. oh and I'm looking for under $100 pricetag, this isnt my main axe.

If it lacks harmonics, its no Pearly Gates clone...that pickup has harmonic content out the azz.
Based on the music you mention, I think a Tone Zone would be too hot. You may want to give the Screamin' Demon a try...its more like a hot vintage humbucker...very misleading name IMO. Great harmonic content with a lot of balls but still very dynamic (unlike a Tone Zone).

I dig older JBs but the new ones sound nothing like those from the 80's...they have a ratty harshness in the upper mids that I find unpleasant and fatiguing. That said, every guitar is different so YMMV.

Well, maybe it has enough harmonics? Just doesn't grab me when I play the guitar. Doesn't help that it has a rosewood fretboard too which seems to darken it more than I'd expect it to... I actually got my hands on the SAME EXACT PICKUP direct from fender and threw it in another guitar, and it sounded phenomenal... But in that other guitar it was hardmounted to the wood, maple neck, etc...

Something about using a pickguard and the rosewood fretboard seem to be "masking" the sound of the bridge pickup..

Currently has an HS-4 in the neck and it sounds great, I'm content with that choice so far...


A lot of you have suggested JB's, honestly I kind of want to shy away from the JB. Friend has it in his guitar and it doesnt seem to sound good to me. Seems bland or generic, hard to describe.

screamin demon and '59 seem to be good suggestions that I will check into further

Why do you think a tone zone would be "too hot" in my case here?

What about an Air Zone?

 

[sixstringking713]

bump

 

[rupe]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

it essentially has a stock pickup that is a "pearly gates" type pickup from what i'm told and if feels like it's "lacking" in the guitar as far as output, harmonics, sustain.. oh and I'm looking for under $100 pricetag, this isnt my main axe.

If it lacks harmonics, its no Pearly Gates clone...that pickup has harmonic content out the azz.
Based on the music you mention, I think a Tone Zone would be too hot. You may want to give the Screamin' Demon a try...its more like a hot vintage humbucker...very misleading name IMO. Great harmonic content with a lot of balls but still very dynamic (unlike a Tone Zone).

I dig older JBs but the new ones sound nothing like those from the 80's...they have a ratty harshness in the upper mids that I find unpleasant and fatiguing. That said, every guitar is different so YMMV.

Well, maybe it has enough harmonics? Just doesn't grab me when I play the guitar. Doesn't help that it has a rosewood fretboard too which seems to darken it more than I'd expect it to... I actually got my hands on the SAME EXACT PICKUP direct from fender and threw it in another guitar, and it sounded phenomenal... But in that other guitar it was hardmounted to the wood, maple neck, etc...

Something about using a pickguard and the rosewood fretboard seem to be "masking" the sound of the bridge pickup..

Currently has an HS-4 in the neck and it sounds great, I'm content with that choice so far...


A lot of you have suggested JB's, honestly I kind of want to shy away from the JB. Friend has it in his guitar and it doesnt seem to sound good to me. Seems bland or generic, hard to describe.

screamin demon and '59 seem to be good suggestions that I will check into further

Why do you think a tone zone would be "too hot" in my case here?

What about an Air Zone?

Rosewood fingerboards aren't really "dark" sounding (one of the biggest myths going in regard to guitars IMO) and there are really no tonal benefits gained from direct mounting a pickup (I did a fairly comprehensive experiment with this that I've posted about in the past) so I don't think those are your issues...more likely its simply the overall character of that particular guitar given how all of its components work together.

I think a Tone Zone would be too hot simply based on the styles you mention. Gilmour used Strats and a P-90 loaded Les Paul for his most famous tones, and EVH and Page used Gibson PAF's...fairly low output pickups (although Ed did use some hotter pickups as well as evidenced by photos where he can be seen using Dimarzio Super Distortion and I believe an X2N if my memory serves me). The Tone Zone is very hot with an exaggerated eq curve...about as far from vintage sounding as you can get. I never tried an Air Zone so I can't comment on that one.

Good luck...all you can do is keep trying until you find what works for you and that particular guitar.

 

[The Whale]

I've got a Duncan Alnico Pro II in one strat and a Dimarzio AT-1 in the other. For an all-purpose, versatile rock guitar, the AT-1 slays. Great full humbucker sound without being too much, splits better than the Alnico Pro II, and great dynamics. This pickup is a winner in strats!

 

[chunktone]

A Pearly Gates from SD would fit perfectly.

Otherwise you can't go wrong with a JB.

it essentially has a stock pickup that is a "pearly gates" type pickup from what i'm told and if feels like it's "lacking" in the guitar as far as output, harmonics, sustain.. oh and I'm looking for under $100 pricetag, this isnt my main axe.

The Rio Grande BBQ bucker is right at the top of your price range, and is a great pickup! Harmonics are great, nice warm high-end. One of my favorites!

 

[sixstringking713]

what about DiMarzio DP223 PAF 36th Anniversary?

 

[boost]

what about DiMarzio DP223 PAF 36th Anniversary?

That's what's going in mine. It won't be here until early April though. Mine's a alder body/maple neck. This sounds like the right pickup dynamically for me.

 

[sixstringking713]

after a lot of research... i think i decided to just buy an HH pickguard and get humbuckers....

How does this sound:

Neck: Dimarzio Air Classic Neck
Bridge: Dimarzio Tone Zone

 

[blackba]

Let us know how it works out. I assume you are going with 500k pots in your new pickguard....

 

[sixstringking713]

Let us know how it works out. I assume you are going with 500k pots in your new pickguard....

Yeah new HH pickguard and 500K vol pot

I didn't buy them yet but this is the best combo I have found as far as clips on youtube, specs on paper, etc..

Has anyone ever tried one of the "Air Classic" pickups? Doesn't seem too popular, but the few reviews I have found said they were great?

this is the closest youtube clip I could find of someone using a tonezone in the bridge of an ash strat... Decent tone no?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV61U8WhmxE

and..
https://youtu.be/ZWsXWlHX604?list=UUo5rd ... SYkq2HkzjA

 

[sixstringking713]

and this..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... 2jwY5nV2V8