On my "07 MIM HSS Strat I pretty much never use any combo that uses my bridge humbucker. It's just too, mmmm, harsh! The brand isn't mentioned in my specs - just that it's a humbucker. Also, there is no tone control on it.

My Strat single coils, on the other hand, are beautiful, glassy, clear...well, you get it.

I've tried all different settings on my Superchamp, but just can't find a sound I like with that humbucker.

I don't really mind, just curious. Any input is always appreciated.

Gridlok

Try lowering your humbucker pickup height.

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Chet Feathers

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

Thanks, Chet. I'll try it. Right now it's set the same as my single coils. Do you think it's usual to have different height settings. It makes sense, I guess, that the humbucker is getting pounded with too much vibration and so produces a harsher, (not in a nice way) tone.

I'll give it a try!

Gridlok

Humbuckers have a much higher output than single coils, which is why they tend to cause tube amps to overdrive more. Dropping your pickup height should provide a substantial improvement.

Harsh as this may be.....FENDER CANNOT DO HUMBUCKERS RIGHT!!!
Very simple solution.....replace the crap humbucker with a quality pickup such as the Dimarzio 36th Anniv. P.A.F. or some Gibson pups like the 490T, 498T, 57 Classic Plus, or Burstbucker.

THEN....you will hear some TONE!!

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I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed man!

I thought the same of my HSS bucker. Then when I had the guitar set up the tech played with the pickup height and even adjusted the polepieces on one of the coils (the one with the slotted screws). He also hooked up the tone control and now it rocks! Like a different guitar.

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MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

I had the humbucker in my HWY 1 strat for about a year and a half, it was "okay" nothing to write home about, you could def tell I was playing a fender (and some people might like that toneless fender humbucker sound)..... I got used to it over the period.

Just recently (couple of days ago) I dropped a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge and OMG the sound improvement...... It is literally like playing another guitar, the sweet tone, articulation and response on the JB BLOW away the Atomic humbucker, and I will not go back to that egypt

I agree with HWY1, replace your HB with a pickup that fits what you are looking for and actually get the tone you want

I agree with you about the stock bucker in the MIM's. I replaced mine with a SD SH-14 custom 5......big improvement in tone and alot more bottom end as well

Paraphrasing filmdom's legendary SFPD Inspector Harry Callahan......

"A man's got to know his limitations."

Which is why Gibson wisely never went into the amp business in any serious way.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

So I DID lower my humbucker, (about 4 turns), and it changed the tone in a big way. Hard to describe, but the harshness is gone and the sound is, well, let's just say I have another choice now.

It's a great new sound, (thanks Chet and Vulkan). I am really enjoying playing with it. That humbucker doesn't appear to be all that popular here but I am going to stick with it, at least for a while. I quite like the new "crunch".

You guys are the best!

Gridlok

Excellent!!! Now that you have a usable Humbucker, don't forget to dial it in a little more by playing with amp/fx settings.

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Chet Feathers

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

Yeah, I will play around with it for sure.

Thanks again.

Gridlok