HSS suggestions

p90fool

I'm not sure how well an SD P-rails would work in an HSS format, but I'm willing to bet it would be a fun guitar

bertie

Niallmo said:

What about a big, powerful single coil? Seymour Duncan Quarterpounder?

because without tapping the coil, it wouldnt mix well with the "normal"  output ones -  tho if pos 2 quack aint your thing........not a problem

xJonnysixstring

I have a Suhr Doug Aldrich HB that I was planning for one of my Anderson's but have done nothing with it, PM me if any interest.

martinw

I've tried the PAF approach to HSS without success... bridge pickup always too loud for the single coils, and not the right tone. However recently I tried the approach ICBM mentions, using a Tonerider Rocksong (about 12k Alnico II) with a pair of Oil City Stone Tones.

The Rocksong is tapped by a push-pull, and the tapped sound is fantastic, very much like a Tele.The bridge/middle setting is great too. Full HB is still a bit on the loud side, but no worse than using a PAF alike, so all told I'v got a better range of sounds.

Pot size is important. I used 500k pots all round, with a 500k resistor at the single coil tone pot to drop the impedance for the SCs. Works a treat and keeps the bridge pickup from sounding woolly.

I also like the Dimarzio rail type pickups if you want to go down that route, i.e.  a bit more beef than an SC, but not full HB. The Chopper is my favourite.

Fez

Now I like the step up in volume with a humbucker in the bridge.

I think MJW's idea sounds great I might have to try that, anybody got a connection diagram or pointer to one?

ICBM

martinw said:

Pot size is important. I used 500k pots all round, with a 500k resistor at the single coil tone pot to drop the impedance for the SCs. Works a treat and keeps the bridge pickup from sounding woolly.

I forgot to mention that this is important to get the best tones. (Although I prefer to keep a 250K tone for the singles, it doesn't make that much difference.)

It's not very complicated, you can do it with a standard 5-way switch, as long as you have one tone control for the single coils and one for the humbucker (rather than neck and middle), or a single master tone.

martinw

Yeah, I use a separate tone pot for the singles, but I've found I like a 500k tone on hotter (thus darker) single coils anyway. As you say, not a huge difference like the volume pot.

Fez

It only has one tone pot - the poor deprived thing how will it ever cope?

timmysoft

McToot said:

@Kebabkind - cheers Cos,

I actually have the guitar and it's already HSS so no need for the lil 59.  I've had a look round and can't find any of the Suhr HSS sets easily available for sale so I think I'm going to have a go with our very own Guitaweasel.  I've been promising myself some of his for a while now. 

The guitar is this one:



I want to treat it to full new electronics and switch too.  May put a separate thread up about what (good quality) pots and switches etc to get.

Those washburns are great, i had a see through blue/green one with twin humbuckers and the wilkinson trem, i regret letting that one go in the late 90's, never seen another one like it, let alone had the chance to buy one!

Dave_Mc

TheGuitarWeasel said:

I do my Oil City Brass Knuckle ... basically two separate single coils in a humbucker package ... and people seem to like the formula. I believe the Creamery and Fralin do similar so as not to appear partisan
It does work exceptionally well, but sounds unique ... not really like a conventional humbucker ... more like an old Fender Wide Range.

ICBM said:

Seymour Duncan does the Stag Mag too - which is the same, better split single-coil sound at the expense of a less conventional full humbucker sound. You just can't get both a true Strat-type split and a true humbucker in the same package.

(to both of you since you pretty much made the same point) Yeah that's kind of what I'd assume. Bit like the reverse of how split conventional humbuckers sound ok, but not really 100%. Obviously I'd love to have totally authentic split sounds, but (personally) not at the expense of the humbucker sounds since they're normally more important to me. Though I'm guessing if the split tones were more important to someone than the humbucker tones, they'd be well worth considering.

McToot

@timmysoft - it is really nice.  Punches well above its weight.  I have to confess after playing it for an hour or so last night, I'm having faint worries about the size of the neck - it's pretty wide and chunky.  I liked that when I first got it, but now, having spent a lot of time playing my "Tootcaster" homebrew, which has a slight neck, I'm struggling a bit with the Washburn. 

@Fez - you're right you know - well spotted.  I guess I would be looking for a 500k push/pull pot...

McToot

@jonnysixstring - thanks but the Doug A is a bit too hot for my tastes. 

@wolf5150 - I'll certainly bear those in mind...

McToot

Bizarrely - I've just seen another of these Washies on ebay (with a lairy big Floyd type whammy)...

Here

xwolf5150

I have 3 HSS Strats.

1.. Tyler Secret and 2 x Suhr V60LP

2.. Duncan WLH and 2 x Suhr V60LP

3.. Duncan JB and 2 x Lollar Blackface

The one that's the most Strat-like and honestly takes my breath away every time is the one with the Tyler Secret.

That pickup is the most incredible humbucker I've ever played, so if money's no object, get one. ( after import duty it cost me £150 )

I run it with 250k Vol and Tone pot with a .015 tone cap.

The in-between positions are unbelievably pretty and the bridge with tone rolled down is instant Santana lovliness.

I've only just had the Lollars in my Anderson so I'm still dialling them in but so far, I'm impressed.

I do like the JB in the Anderson, but set very low. That seems to help balance it out in position 2 as well as reduce the jump when I switch to the bridge.

The WLH sounds great on its own but awful in position 2 so I've had to forget about that position when I'm using that guitar.

If you weren't so far away, I'd invite you over to try all 3.

McToot

@wolf5150 - that's a ready made HSS showroom right there...