"Rock/metal" p/u for strat..Suggestions?

[carlsoti]

So here's the skinny...I've got two strats. One is staying original (late 90's lonestar), the other is gonna get a few tweaks. The reason I mention the Lonestar is a matter of comparison. It has "Texas special" single coils, and a pearly gates SD humbucker in the bridge. I like the balace of two types of pick-ups, and I'm looking to go a "step beyond" with the other strat, as the pearly gates doesn't really do "Rock/metal" tones, to my ears. Essentially, I'm looking for single coils, cuz it'll be cheaper than replacing the whole pick-guard. I'd like a neck p/u that's roughly equivilant in output and tone of the pearly gates, and a bridge p/u that's a "step" hotter. I'm really intrigued by the idea of rail humbuckers in a single-coil package, for the lack of output loss while bending. What I DON'T want is full-blown, death-metal, chain-saw sounding pick-ups. They've got to "clean up" a bit with the volume backed off. They don't need to be 50's vintage-strat clean, but they need to be more than a one-trick pony.
The amps I have all run EL84's. One is a stock M/B Rocket 44, the other is a slightly tweaked EVJ.

Any ideas, suggestions, or tone clips of YOUR rock/metal-y sounding strat would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I've already looked through SD's web page. All the clips sound about the same to me.

 

[Elpelotero]

i've played Dave's (clutch71) strat through my rectos and it sounded incredible. He had a Hot Rails in the bridge. Very high output.

 

[clutch71]

Boy, I wish I had some great advise for you but my only experience with rail pick ups is the SD Hot Rails. I really liked it but over time I started experimenting with Gibson 500t, 498 R, Seymour Duncan JB, Jazz, and Distortion pick ups. While I think it's a great pick up it's not a 500t or JB, my two favorite pickups for the bridge.

I've thought about various pick ups similar to it, JB jr, Lil 59 and really haven't decided if I want to got that route with the guitar yet. I will say this, go back and listen to the SD clips with head phones. I found this to be the best way to sample their sound clips.

Tell you what. PM me your address and I'll mail you the Hot Rail. All I ask is that if you don't like it mail it back. If you like it, Merry Christmas.

 

[Roaster]

This may or may not relate, but I went through a half dozen or so rail style bridge pickups in my '62 reissue tele chasing a hot (but not over the top) rock pickup. It came stock with texas specials - great clean, classic pushed tele tones, but not right for me. Then I tried a SD quarter pounder single coil - hotter, but way to middy and honky sounding. The kind folks at Duncan let me trade it for a Little '59 - much meatier, great crunch, liked it. At the time, I was getting a weird feedback howl (more on this later) while playing at high volumes and assumed it was the pickup at fault. So I yanked out the '59. and tried out a GFS Lil' Puncher (extended rails on the GFS will address your concern of even volume while bending) - really liked the GFS, similar to the '59 in many ways, perhaps more articulate and even across the strings - can't beat the price too at less than half of a SD. Still had the mysterious howl at high volume though, so I went off again in search of yet another replacement. At this point I came to the realization that it may in fact not be the pickup causing this, and did some reading up on the matter. After my research, seems that other players have had the same problem with the stock Fender ashtray bridge as the culprit. I scored a modern style heavy duty chrome tele bridge on the Bay to address that problem, but already had a Dimarzio Super Distortion T on order to try as well. Long story short, new bridge got rid of my howling problem, and the Super T nailed the rock crunch I was after. I would think that the strat version of the Super Distortion would be right up your alley from the description you've given here. But I would also not hesitate to recommend the GFS Lil' Killer or the Duncan Little '59. Good luck!

 

[droptrd]

Not a big fan of the rails. they sound dull in the neck and middle positions. they sound full in the bridge, but still not like a full humbucker. I have many fenders, and they all sound night and day from each other. example - I have 2 "97" Am Std's. one has a 496 in the bridge and a p gates (br) in the neck. I love it. I have an identical "97" that i put the same pups in. sounded totally different. I even went as far as putting in the entire pick guard assembely form the other guitar in. still - totally different. I cant explain why. they are identical - same wood and everything. I have also had simular experiances with other strats.

My point LOL! just because a pup sounds cool in one strat doesnt mean it will be the same in another. you might end up like me, blowing through a ton of pups til you find the right one for the guitar.

 

[fishyfishfish]

Joe Barden makes a pretty hot Strat style, as well a Bill Lawrance. I used a Lil' JB in the bridge and a Lil' 59 in the neck in mine, I thought it was pretty balanced as far as dirty to clean with the volume control.