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Post subject: Hwy 1 HSS (upgraded) - mod or leave alone?
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:52 pm
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:15 pm
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Location: Port St Lucie, FL
New to this forum, so bear with me...

Bought this year's model Highway One Strat HSS (upgraded). Playing through HotRod Deluxe amp... trying to get rid of hum without sacrificing tone. I realize Fender amps have a classic hum to them, but most of the hum I get can be eliminated by a tuner stomp box, just makes it difficult on songs with a lot of stops. Could get a noise gate, but already lugging 2 guitars, 2 keyboards, stands for all 5 and a custom pedal board that integrates all of them - not really looking for more gear to hump.

Have heard a lot of other musicians rave about the Tex-Mex series. Band plays a lot of classic/southern rock, but branches out into other genres as well (anywhere from Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, Skynard and Foghat to The Romantics, Golden Earring, Sweet, & Loverboy). I am primarily a keyboardist, but play backup guitar as well. Mostly rhythm parts, very few leads (any lead is just harmony with lead guitarist - VG Strat).

Trying to decipher if 2 noiseless single coils with a Tex-Mex bridge humbucker would be a good combination, install all 3 Tex-Mex pups (if I can find them in a HSS configuration), or if I should leave it where it is. Does the reverse winding of the Tex-Mex single coil really reduce that much hum?

1) Already have 2 Hot Single-Coil with Alnico 3 Magnets on neck/middle (stock). Like the punch I get for rhythm parts with the stock pups, especially in 5th position (neck) on funk and with wah. Which noiseless to go with - Hot or Vintage? Will switching to a noiseless sacrifice sustain?

2) Have not been able to find any comparisons/reviews of the stock Atomic Bridge Humbucker and the Tex-Mex Bridge Humbucker. If I replace the two single coils with noiseless, will that eliminate all hum on position 2 (bridge/middle) on either/both Atomic/Tex-Mex? Would it be worth it to replace the Atomic with the Tex-Mex given the range of music styles we play?

3) Have only been able to find one local distributor that sells the Tex-Mex Bridge Humbucker, don't see it on Fender's site. Is this pup obsolete? Does anyone know of a HSS Tex-Mex Package w/ all 3?

Any and all input and opinions would be greatly appreciated!!


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Post subject: Re: Hwy 1 HSS (upgraded) - mod or leave alone?
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:14 pm
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
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Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
Welcome!

I fear that your post hasn't been answered by the gang at large because unfortunately, there's no practical answer to your question in terms of the best/worst/anywhere in-between pickup or pickup combo for your guitar. You will get as many valid opinions (and diverse ones at that) on this issue as there are stars in the sky.

As to your questions with the Tex Mex, Noiseless and Atomic stuff, I honestly don't know anything in terms of their availability and the degree(s) of their compatibilities as I would surely use a radically different combination for your situation. Again, this goes back to the prior paragraph.

As you have found, trying to hear specific pickups your interested in first hand can be hard to come by too. The best and most objective way I can answer your question is to say, simply keep your ears open with other Stratocasters and begin making note (mental or otherwise) of what YOU heard that YOU liked regardless of brand, model, etc. and not what everyone ELSE gravitates to or away from. Also keep in mind that You Tube has players demonstrating pickups as does several pickup manufacturers websites.

Remember, it's YOUR guitar and YOU are the one who has to play it. So remain independent and patient in this area. And as long as you are unsure, TAKE NO ACTION! Sooner or later, little by little, or sometimes, even all at once, you'll have all the pieces to the puzzle. The bottom line: You'll know when you know.

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Post subject: Re: Hwy 1 HSS (upgraded) - mod or leave alone?
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:12 pm
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Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 1:35 pm
Posts: 2303
Location: DC
hosh79 wrote:
New to this forum, so bear with me...

Bought this year's model Highway One Strat HSS (upgraded). Playing through HotRod Deluxe amp... trying to get rid of hum without sacrificing tone. I realize Fender amps have a classic hum to them, but most of the hum I get can be eliminated by a tuner stomp box, just makes it difficult on songs with a lot of stops. Could get a noise gate, but already lugging 2 guitars, 2 keyboards, stands for all 5 and a custom pedal board that integrates all of them - not really looking for more gear to hump.

Have heard a lot of other musicians rave about the Tex-Mex series. Band plays a lot of classic/southern rock, but branches out into other genres as well (anywhere from Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, Skynard and Foghat to The Romantics, Golden Earring, Sweet, & Loverboy). I am primarily a keyboardist, but play backup guitar as well. Mostly rhythm parts, very few leads (any lead is just harmony with lead guitarist - VG Strat).

Trying to decipher if 2 noiseless single coils with a Tex-Mex bridge humbucker would be a good combination, install all 3 Tex-Mex pups (if I can find them in a HSS configuration), or if I should leave it where it is. Does the reverse winding of the Tex-Mex single coil really reduce that much hum?

1) Already have 2 Hot Single-Coil with Alnico 3 Magnets on neck/middle (stock). Like the punch I get for rhythm parts with the stock pups, especially in 5th position (neck) on funk and with wah. Which noiseless to go with - Hot or Vintage? Will switching to a noiseless sacrifice sustain?

2) Have not been able to find any comparisons/reviews of the stock Atomic Bridge Humbucker and the Tex-Mex Bridge Humbucker. If I replace the two single coils with noiseless, will that eliminate all hum on position 2 (bridge/middle) on either/both Atomic/Tex-Mex? Would it be worth it to replace the Atomic with the Tex-Mex given the range of music styles we play?

3) Have only been able to find one local distributor that sells the Tex-Mex Bridge Humbucker, don't see it on Fender's site. Is this pup obsolete? Does anyone know of a HSS Tex-Mex Package w/ all 3?

Any and all input and opinions would be greatly appreciated!!


Did you modd it?


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