Suhr Pickups - Power of FL Standards

[MiKeGTR]

Hi

Does anyone know whether the FL standard 'Hot' Bridge pickup can compare to something like a Dimarzio Hotrail or Duncan JB Jr?

I want to upgrade my strat and Love Mike Landau's tone, but ive never really liked bridge pickups in strats and have always changed to humbuckers. I want to keep the S/S/S layout and wanted to know whether a FL Standard set would do the job, or whether a Single sized humbucker would be better. Also, would I need to change the Pots from 250K to 500K if i put a mini humbucker in the bridge?

Many Thanks

Mike

 

[blackba]

I have a MIA strat with Suhr FL standard pickups. Great pickups, just thinking of changing to a RWRP middle pickup to get noise canceling on positions 2 and 4. I love the set in positions 1-4.

As for the bridge alone, like you I never much liked just the bridge SC, they are generally to thin and bitey. My favorite bridge SC I have tried was the Fender Cobalt Noiseless, but those really sounded like a modern SC, almost between a humbucker and a SC. The Neck and middle in that set were not a great match for the bridge (ie you had to re-EQ the amp when switching to the bridge). The bridge in the FL set is okay, but I still don't use it much. I have another MIA strat with an Anderson H2+ humbucker in the bridge and I actually like it split better than the FL bridge alone. I do have the 2nd tone pot wired to the Bridge on my SSS strat, it helps take away a little bite. I generally use the middle position on the SSS strat in place of using the bridge alone as I find the middle has the bite and thickness I want, and cuts just about as well.

As for changing the pots, if you get a SC sized humbucker, I wouldn't bother. My MIM strat with a hot rails in the bridge sounds great with all 250K pots. On my MIA with the Anderson H2+ humbucker, I have all 500k pots, with a 5 way super switch, its wired so the neck and middle SC's see 250k and the bridge gets 500k. The Neck and middle on that are the Fender CS '54's (once again the bridge only sounded thin to me and worse than the bridge only on the FL pickups).

Here is an old picture of my strats. Left sunburst is my MIM with the hot rails. Middle Sunburst is my MIA with Suhr FL standards. Right Red is my MIA with 2 CS '54's and A JB (since been changed to an Anderson H2+)

 

[MiKeGTR]

Thanks very much for the advice. Those guitars are sweet :-D

Tonally, It seems as though I'm after the same thing you are. I think I'm gonna go with FL Standard Neck and Middle, and a hotrail.

One other question, Is the Hotrail Dimarzio or Duncan? and with the combination I mentioned, If I did happen to change the pots would I need a super switch to go with it? Sorry I'm a Noob haha, I'm just searching for 'That' Tone haha :-D

Thanks again

MiKe

 

[blackba]

My hot rails is a Seymour duncan, had it forever, since the mid 90's or so. It does not split that well. My second tone pot on the red on and the MIM sunburst is a push pull to split the coil of the bridge.

On the FL standards, if you are going with a Hot Rails, you may want to get 2 necks as I don't know if the RWRP middle will work well with the hot Rail in the bridge (position 4). My FL standard on the SSS I have 2 necks (one I use in the middle position obviously) and a bridge. I was planning to use the suhr backplate eventually to kill the noise and it only works if the middle is not RWRP. As I mentioned, I am considering getting a middle RWRP and not going with the backplate (expensive).

As for pots, the 500k pots with the super switch is so the SC's 'see' 250k and the bridge sees 500k. You can change them all to 500k if you want, just your SC's will see 500k and may be too bright for your tastes.