I'm getting ready to shop around for a Humbucking pickup for my HW1. This actually my short list. Please tell me of your experiences with different humbuckers. Thanks in advance!

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

The type of music you play definitely influences the pup you'll want, but if I were you, I'd definitely check out the following:

1. SD JB: Well balanced, heavy, great for rock, blues & 80's metal.
2. Bare Knuckles Nailbomb: Same as above, British, great bite & low end.
3. SD Blackout: IMO, waxes EMG in terms of a H.O. active pup.
4. SD Custom 5: Scooped, great for hard rock, great highs & cleans

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60th Anniversary AD Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Player's P Bass. Mesa/Boogie Mk IV combo, Marshall JCM800, 1960A cab, Genz Benz El Diablo 60, Genz 2x12" cab, too many neat little practice amps and kit projects!

Check out WCR pickups. www.crcoils.com

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Is this humbucker going into the bridge position alongside a pair of single coils? I assume thats the case.

But what is it that you play? If your single coils are stock Fender they'll be overwhelmed by those rocket fuel Humbukers you're contemplating. Your guitar will be completely unbalanced.

Still, if thats what you want..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

I see that you are only looking at passive pickups. However,I like the EMG 81 in the bridge, but not as a neck pickup. The 85 is better for that. In fact I love the 85 all around better than the 81, which to me only serves well as a bridge PU for high gain. But the 85 uses a alnico magnet and is sweeter than the 81. I would like to try the 85 in the bridge too. The 85 has great output and a warm sweet tone that should compliment a strat well. However, they won't work with your passive pickups

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

Thanks for all of your responses! Please keep them coming.

The guitar I'll be modding is my HW1 HSS. I actually like the 2 Alnico 3 SC pups that are on it. I'm not really unhappy with the Atomic humbucker on the bridge. I'm hung up on aesthetics. I just can't stand that black pups on parchment pickguard.

I'm an old fart. Most people compare my music to Clapton, Hendrix, Gilmour and Santana. I really like psychedelic Rock and Latin Jazz as well as Jazz Fusion and Metal. I've got my heart set on The Blues DeVille Reissue amp. I use a lot of dynamics and I like to control my feedback and distortion using the guitar volume, constantly tweaking as I play.

So it seems the pups I've selected are going to be an imbalance.

This is a dumb question but I need to confirm. 2 passive SCs + 1 active HB will not work well together if at all. Would this be a correct assumption?

Once again, thanks to all of you for your advice

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

EMG's can come in other colors from what I understand.

You cannot use an active pickup with passive pickups, without some intricate wiring/modding going on. The tone and volume knobs are different. I don't know the specifics of why. But they make some great active SC PU's that would be great with an 85 in the bridge. And active pickups tone and volume knobs work great, very linear changes without undesirable changes in tone. I love to roll off the volume knobs on mine when my amp is just past breakup, and then clean it up with the volume knob, then if you want more warmth, just roll off the tone knob for the desired effect. Heck, Gilmour uses the EMG SA single coil pickups, he know a little about phychedelia, I think Clapton may use them as well.

The 85 is a HB pickup that was made to overdrive blues amps, and it does a great job, and you will be able to play metal with it. It actually has more measurable output than the 81 just to help get clean amps into overdrive. The alnico magnets keep it warm and dynamic sounding.

If you went with a 85 SA SA active setup, I am guessing you would never look back. Are you concerned about the battery, well they can last years and against all beliefs, its not like the battery dies one day and you get nothing, they wear slowly, and it hard to tell they are going, but I like the sounds after the battery has been in the guitar a week or so better anyway.

Anyway, its a more costly route than just buying a HB, but you should at least look into it.

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

As you know from previous posts I am partial to my Dimarzio Super Distortion I placed in my Highway 1. I also like the Seymour Duncan TB-5 as well. I almost got that one, but as I am heavily influenced my the Iron Maiden sound, I wanted to try to replicate that sound.

RK