hi fi strat metal tones

[alex1fly]

I'm looking to seriously thicken up the bridge position of a strat (alder, rw board) for playing in a cover band. I'll be needing mainly metal type tones from the bridge, so a healthy amount of grunt and crunch. The SD QP I have in my other strat covers the strat-metal tones well enough for me, I would almost say that I need this strat to not sound like a strat and do more of the hi-fi modern metal type tones. I've tried a SD Custom and a JazzB, but they still sounded too stratty. No actives please

When I think thick I think of the SD PATB series, SD Invader, DMZ Tone Zone... perhaps a Custom 8 would fit my bill?

 

[srf399]

All I can tell you is this.

I have a 1982 strat... alder body with a rosewood fingerboard.

I have tried a lot of SD's and Dimarzio's. I tried the Tone Zone and I didn't like it at all. it was grainy. I have had the Breed bridge pickup in the Bridge position for a few weeks now and it is amazing. For this guitar (alder, tremolo, 25.5 scale)...which sounds like it's very similar to yours it is extremely smooth...big and very articulate. A really nice string click when speed picking... and excellent harmonics and feedback... it took off with beautiful harmonic feedback even when the guitar volume was rolled back to around 6!!! This is the only pickup and strat that I've ever played that had the balls of my old mahogany Gibson Explorer... only difference is this combo is more articulate... you can hear every note!

 

[alex1fly]

Hmm, sounds like I'll be passing on the Tone Zone... especially w/ the roadster, the pup will have to balance with its natural harshness. Wow, it gave your strat the balls of an Explorer, that's a pretty good recommendation! How is the Breed for thrash type palm mutes? Thanks for the reply!

I've also been told that the Steve's Special and the Evo1/2 would give me what I'm looking for. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with these pickups in alder through their mesa?

 

[srf399]

In my guitar it has every bit as much chunk palm muting as the Tone Zone... just not grainy and brittle sounding. The only way I can describe it is like this:

Old PAFs have a really nice warm sound.... the ceramics have the edge.... like hitting a brick wall when you pick.... with a little glass stucco on it

The old PAFs are warm and spongy vintage...

The Breed is like a concrete wall with about 2 inces of foam on it... it's an ultra warm PAF sound before you hit the cement wall. So it tracks really well but at the same time is really thick and notes are not muchy. You can hear every note being played. I think with a recto the bottom end would be huge.

 

[eltrain858]

i recommend the SD hot rails for the bridge.. if you want to hear it in action, check out www.xoclore.com and listen to the song "D-tune". the guitars for that song are almost entirely done with that pickup

edit: i've used it with a jcm900, a line 6 and now a MkIV with great results (to my ears at least...), never tried a rec series amp though so keep that in mind

 

[alex1fly]

I did use a Hot Rails for a while, but swapped it for a Quarterpound. The HR had some nice crunch to it! It did have a staleness that I think the recto brought out. I've heard that the Invader is SORT OF like a full size Hot Rails...

 

[gonzo]

state of the art hi fi metal tones.

bill lawrence 500XL