I bought a MIM Strat specifically as a project guitar. It is a HSS set up right now. I have changed from white pup covers and pick guard to black. So I will need to replace the existing white Humbucker with a black one anyway. My quandary is this, should I just switch out the HB to get a black one for my color scheme I want and in the process upgrade to something better? Or should I switch out the Humbucker to a Single converting my HSS set up to a more traditional SSS set up?

I know, you need to know what music I will be playing to be able to offer advice. So here it is.

I will be playing da Bluesand Classic rock 95% of the time with the other 5% consisting of rock that's a little harder in the range of stuff like Guns and Roses to Metallica.

_________________
2009 Fender Strat MIM
2002 Squire 20th Aniv. Strat
30 year old Les Paul copy which is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

Put in a humbucker and coil-tap. I like the dimarzio paf pro or the seymour duncan pearly gates plus

_________________

I thought the white humbucker looked pretty cool in amongst all of that Black!

Keep it for a while. Lower it, a lot. See how you like it before deciding to ditch it.

I keep the stock humbucker in my HWY1 HSS .... if you get a replacement, it could be too hot, too loud to pair up nicely with the other pickups.

That's the problem a forum member has in another thread.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Look at the Dimarzio Super Distortion. It can be coil tapped (mine is not). It has a classic tone and can crunch when needed.

RK

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I'm not going to submit an actual vote here because it depends entirely on your own tastes. Personally I play a bit of everything. Most of what I do is classic rock and blues but the truth is that I play stuff from Chuck Berry to Pink Floyd to The Kinks to Black Sabbath. 95% of the time I use one of my Strats (err...except when I'm playing acoustics of couse!). Two of my Strats are, very technically humbuckers...my '96 MIM has Duncans and my '08 Squier Standard has Fender Vintage Noiseless. I probably use these two more than the others...but not always. Obviously these sound different from traditional single coils, so for me it's probably more of an aesthetic choice really (in part at least)...I prefer the look of the traditional S-S-S scheme. A "Strat" just doesn't look right to me with a humbucker. It's also worth mentioning however that this is also part of why I have so many different guitars (I think I'm up to 25 total now with 6 being Strats). If I REALLY want a single coil sound for a given application, I grab a guitar with single coils...lately that's been the "vintage looking" Strat I built earlier this year. If I want a heavier sound or more "all around sound", I grab one of the Strats mentioned above. If I want to "shred"...well...then I grab my old Kramer (loaded with a pair of DiMazios and a Kahler trem) .

Mostly it depends on what mood I'm in on any given day....some days I just feel like playing "the red one" or "the blue one". Yesterday I spent the whole evening playing the little dark blue Squier Bullet hard tail I just picked up for $60. For a really cheap guitar, she's got some rather amazing sustain. It also depends on the application...if I'm playing a really important gig, chances are you'll see me on my '96 MIM...she is my favorite. If I'm going to a dive of a club however for a jam or something, then I may take one of the less expensive instruments. If I'm recording, then I will choose the guitar that I feel best suits the tune I'm working on.

Having said that, there's no right or wrong here...it's really up to you. My suggestion would be; before you make a decision based on your little "internet poll", go to a Fender dealer and try -both- to see which sound you prefer. If you like da single coils, go with the single coils...if you like the humbucker better, get a bucker.

The only thing I will add to that is that in my opinion, upgrading the pickups in an MIM...be them singles or buckers, is a very worthwhile thing. In my always and every so humble opinion, the stock pickups in the Mexican Strats really sound pretty aweful...very thin to say the least. That was the first thing I did to my '96 MIM was swap pickups...and she's been thru a few sets before I finally settled on the Duncans.

Beyond that...it's your Strat dude. Do what sounds best, feels best and looks best to you. You're the one who's going to have to play her, not us.

Peace,
Jim

Being a bigger fan of humbuckers more than single coils go for a different hot,dirty,knarly bucker!

_________________
Today is only yesterday's tomorrow

I'm more a humbucker guy than a single coil guy--but for Strats I prefer all single coils--because to me, that's a Strat.

I don't have a Strat at this time, but when I buy one--I plan on getting it SSS.

I have a Mustang, and I have no desire to put humbuckers in it.

_________________
It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.