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Post subject: Sd. Quarter Pounders or Texas Specials or what singles?
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:16 pm
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I need an advice here,

Been trying to do some research on SD Q. Pound staggered as a possible replacement for neck and middle (RW/RP) positions in my American Series Strat. It's from 2004, alder with rosewood fretboard. I've put Fender/Schaller locking tuners on it and also a brass nut (for durability and to get some brighter tone from rosewood fretboard). I have played some old Shecter (probably the Dream Machine, so then I liked the brass nut) The bridge pup was replaced with SD Hot Rails...and it's all been very, very good. Now, I think I should get some hotter pups for neck and middle, because I like the both worlds-the blues (SRV, Hendrix, K.W. Shepperd...) and some hard rock with heavy blues too, that's the reason for Hot Rails.
I also like playing heavily overdriven solos from the neck position, it is pretty "OK" now with the stock pups, but I would like a pup that wold sound nice both clean (for bluesy stuff, position 2 and 1) and heavy. Now "heavy" means that I can cut through the mix, even play some chords, power chords, voicings, without getting muddy and losing the mids in the mix. (And without a full size humbucker). I like hearing the open E string sound (or some power chord) with enough clarity (metallic string buzz) even with using high gain in the neck pickup. If having that and the smooth and clear, singing cleans are possible with Q. Pounds - it's what I'll get. But one of the forum members warned me about QP being very noisy, too noisy when overdriven/overdriven heavily. I don't mind the single coils hum, but if that means I'd have to change my amp settings, it would interfere with the sound oh the Hot Rails...Now, about the clean tone I know, it is great (the Shecter I played had QPs or if they were stock Shecter pups-similar enough) but I didn't play it through an overdriven amp..strange enough considering it was in the store I worked in for quite some time...So if not the Q Pounders, what then? Maybe some Texas Specials, SSL-3, Tex Mex...? No mini humbuckers, just single coils, that's something I'm sure of. It would have been helpful if I could find some stock Am. Series pups specs, but just couldn't find any.

Is there anyone who would actually know how would the Q. Pounders sound clean/overdriven in comparison to Texas Specials? Or what if I'd wire the Q. Pounders tapped, maybe that's a good idea? I have to go over to the store to try out some Strats with different pup combinations vs. the Q. Pounds, that would really do some major help, in the meantime all suggestions are most welcome!
Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Sd. Quarter Pounders or Texas Specials or what singles?
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:47 am
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singleplayer75 wrote:
I need an advice here,

Been trying to do some research on SD Q. Pound staggered as a possible replacement for neck and middle (RW/RP) positions in my American Series Strat. It's from 2004, alder with rosewood fretboard. I've put Fender/Schaller locking tuners on it and also a brass nut (for durability and to get some brighter tone from rosewood fretboard). I have played some old Shecter (probably the Dream Machine, so then I liked the brass nut) The bridge pup was replaced with SD Hot Rails...and it's all been very, very good. Now, I think I should get some hotter pups for neck and middle, because I like the both worlds-the blues (SRV, Hendrix, K.W. Shepperd...) and some hard rock with heavy blues too, that's the reason for Hot Rails.
I also like playing heavily overdriven solos from the neck position, it is pretty "OK" now with the stock pups, but I would like a pup that wold sound nice both clean (for bluesy stuff, position 2 and 1) and heavy. Now "heavy" means that I can cut through the mix, even play some chords, power chords, voicings, without getting muddy and losing the mids in the mix. (And without a full size humbucker). I like hearing the open E string sound (or some power chord) with enough clarity (metallic string buzz) even with using high gain in the neck pickup. If having that and the smooth and clear, singing cleans are possible with Q. Pounds - it's what I'll get. But one of the forum members warned me about QP being very noisy, too noisy when overdriven/overdriven heavily. I don't mind the single coils hum, but if that means I'd have to change my amp settings, it would interfere with the sound oh the Hot Rails...Now, about the clean tone I know, it is great (the Shecter I played had QPs or if they were stock Shecter pups-similar enough) but I didn't play it through an overdriven amp..strange enough considering it was in the store I worked in for quite some time...So if not the Q Pounders, what then? Maybe some Texas Specials, SSL-3, Tex Mex...? No mini humbuckers, just single coils, that's something I'm sure of. It would have been helpful if I could find some stock Am. Series pups specs, but just couldn't find any.

Is there anyone who would actually know how would the Q. Pounders sound clean/overdriven in comparison to Texas Specials? Or what if I'd wire the Q. Pounders tapped, maybe that's a good idea? I have to go over to the store to try out some Strats with different pup combinations vs. the Q. Pounds, that would really do some major help, in the meantime all suggestions are most welcome!
Thanks!


Welcome.

FWIW, the brass nut will only affect the tonality/resonance of an open string, same as any other nut. Consequently, it has no influence on what kind of fretboard you are using. Further, contrary to popular belief, brass is a soft metal and oxidizes easily. Keep an eye on wear especially from the wound strings grinding the string slots and gunk building up in all the string slots.

Duncan QPs are superior antennas for unwanted 60 cycle hum; overdriving them will bring out line noise all the more.

Clearly, for your specified stylings, the Hot Rails in the bridge position is an excellent choice.

Based on your neck position requirements (and staying with the Duncan line), you might want to consider a JB Jr. For the middle position, consider either a Hot Rails neck model or a Cool Rails bridge model, either depending on how much "quack" you require. The fact that all three positions would (then) be humbucking would help you dial in even better and more efficient tonality as a whole from your amp.

You're welcome and as always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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Post subject: Re: Sd. Quarter Pounders or Texas Specials or what singles?
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:38 am
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Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:29 pm
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"FWIW, the brass nut will only affect the tonality/resonance of an open string, same as any other nut. Consequently, it has no influence on what kind of fretboard you are using. Further, contrary to popular belief, brass is a soft metal and oxidizes easily. Keep an eye on wear especially from the wound strings grinding the string slots and gunk building up in all the string slots."

Thanks for replying, and this is absolutely true...for the most part at least. I guess it's just my impression I've got a bit lighter tone given by the brass nut..it does oxydize, but no gunk still, I use 0.10-0.46 sets with low action, I tend to use tremolo bar often but not excessive though, I've put the locking tuners instead of the stock ones and it always stays in tune nicely...
Now I know abut the mini humbucker sets, but I kind of don't like the looks of the Strat with them, cosmetically speaking, the sound is awesome but I still want to try out the Q. Pounders...as for the noise - that would be very annoying, yes, that's why I'm considering tapped wiring with a RW/RP middle and the 250K push-pull volume pot (that won't be much of a solution with full power single on OD)...or that would be a splitting pot if I choose mini humbuckers. Thing is, there is absolutely no way to find anyone around who uses tapped high output singles so I could try that out. I'm just gonna have to go back to the store and play some different Strats overdriven along with the Shecter I remember playing, it's too expensive, I guess no one grabbed it yet.
Again, thanks for posting, I'll keep in mind what you said!


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