Hey guys, I have a newer HW1 HSS Strat with the stock Hot Alnico IIIs in the neck and middle positions. I'm going to replace the atomic humbucker in the bridge with a single coil. Anyway, the Alnico IIIs have a DC resistance of around 11.9 - quite hot. I have a bridge pickup out of an American Series Strat that I'm considering throwing in there, but it's at 7.46 or so DC resistance. Will this pickup be too weak to run with the hotter Alnico IIs in the mid/neck?

I know that most people go hotter in the bridge, but consider this:

I don't play with a lot of gain. I like clean to slightly overdriven tones for a bluesy kind of sound. I spend a lot of time on the neck - even for soloing - moreso than the bridge.

I pick up a ton of good info/ideas from the forum - especially the regulars... You know who you are! Any thoughts?

I'd recommend a different humbucker, a more traditional PAF style that will help give you the slightly overdriven bluesy tone and will have no problem combining with the middle pup. Typically a lower output single coil in the bridge gives you that kind of thin, bright sound often associated with surf guitar. Of course, when you go with the lower output single coil, it gives you better sounds in position 2 and 4. However, your Alnico IIIs are hotter, which may result in a thinner, brighter sound when combined with the bridge. <_<

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edit: double post

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I would agree with the post above, a more vintage PAF-style 'bucker might be nice, and will give you a very versatile axe.

But, since you have the weaker pup in hand, maybe try it in the neck or middle position? Typically, the hottest pup goes in the bridge position to help balance the overall pup-tp-pup volume levels. That American Series would probably make a great neck pup, more of a classic Strat neck tone, depending on your style.

Thanks Capo/Lawdaddy - I REALLY like that classic PAF sound. That said, I'm definitely going with a single coil in the bridge because I'm just not crazy about a HB on a Strat.

I do like the idea of moving one of the Alnico IIIs down to the bridge and using the American Series Pup in the neck. The American Series pickup I have is a bridge pickup, which is different part number than the AM Series mid/neck. Do any of you see any problems moving that bridge pup up to the neck? Thanks again!

7.46 Resistance in a neck, it might work, I've never tried it so I don't know. It is a different part number so I guess it must be hotter than the neck and middle. This might lead to maybe a more trebley tone, but that is just pure speculation. Best advice I can give is to find a SSS Highway One and play it on the bridge pup to see if that's exactly what you want. Also, they do make a PAF style humbucker in a single coil size if you can't get over the looks of a traditional humbucker, just a thought (Seymour Duncan Little 59, Dimarzio Pro Track).

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Double Post again >_<

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You won't damage anything by moving the pups around.

I would guess it's marked as a bridge pup as the middle/necks on the HWY1 might be lower, in the vintage 6k range. A 7.4k neck pup would be considered hot on many Strats! The Texas Specials have a 6.2k neck, and I love the neck pup best on my original '92 SRV Strat.

Hi CBDBRP: it's an interesting question.

The short answer is you can do anything that gives you sounds you like, so experiment away. Bear in mind, if that 11.9 is too hot in relation to the other pickups you can always tame it by lowering it towards the pickguard and achieve your balance that way.

And in any case... On one of my Strats I have the Silver / Blue / Red set of Lace Sensors, which are rated in that order as 7.1 / 12.5 / 14.5k. Unlike Fender (who used to put the Silver in the middle) I run them in that ascending order from neck to bridge. The quite warm neck tone that gives is where I spend most of my time.

14.5 certainly is a mighty hot pickup to have at the bridge, and I only go to that one for some full on aggression at moments when I want to kick the amp over into maximum drive. But even with little variation in pickup height the difference between neck and bridge is more color than sheer volume. The difference in resistance adds hugely to the tonal difference in moving through the pickup positions, but simple balance as such is not a major issue (though some, of course).

Anyhow. Try it and see. No harm done if it turns out you don't like what you are proposing.

Good luck - C

Thanks Ceri - appreciate the detailed response.

Here's what I did, I wired/moved the neck Alnico III to the bridge, then put the Am. Series bridge pup in the neck. Wasn't crazy about the neck or bridge sound with that set up. The neck was kind of brittle and lacked the warmth that I used to get clean. (I favor the neck, neck/middle positions).

So... I wired the Alnico III back in the neck and wired the Am. Series bridge pup in the bridge position. While I was in there, I decided to wire the tone pot from the middle pup to the bridge so I could dial some warmth into the bridge a la Jimmy Vaughn Strat. Overall, I'm pleased with the results so far. The middle is punchier and the bridge is strong, but I can mello it out w/the tone knob.

However, now I only have hum cancelling in position 4 (neck/middle). This doesn't necessarily bother me, but it raises some questions. Obviously the stock Alnico III middle pup is reverse wound, so why wouldn't I get hum cancelling in position 2? Seems to me the Am Series bridge is wound the same way the reverse wound Alnico III is, or else position 2 would be hum cancelling, right?

Double post.

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Its not a question of wind direction and polarity at this point, rather it is of each of the two coils' DC resistances. See, beyond what you've cited above but still in this context, for any two coils to be 100% humbucking, their DC resistance must be exactly the same. Conversely, the greater the difference between two coils' DC resistances one to the other, the lesser the HB effect.

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Hey Martian, Thanks for your input - that makes sense to me.
The Alnico III in the middle read 11.8 when I checked it with my meter if my memory serves me correctly. The Am Series bridge pup came in at 7.46, so that would account for the single cycle hum in position 2. It's not that pronounced.

Glad to help!

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