paf's in a strat

phreddybee · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:14 pm

here's probably a crazy question, but i'll ask anyway.

i bought a new mim hss strat about 14 months ago. it's a great guitar- very happy.
i find that i never use the bridge pickup because i'm not happy with the sound of it.

then the other day i'm playing with a friends les paul with paf's. the sound was just great. awesome mellow clean sound.

my question is this- has anyone put one of these pickups on their strat? just want opinions- pro and con welcome

if you do like them- what ones did you use.

on the other hand, maybe i'll just go to the other team and get a les paul with the paf's

thanks

BMW-KTM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:22 pm

Andy Fairweather Low uses a Strat with two PAF style pickups (not sure if they ARE PAF but the do have nickel covers) at the bridge and middle positions. I've heard him playing both clean and dirty with various artists as well as on solo gigs. His guitar to my ears does not sound like a Strat or a Les Paul. It lacks both the bite and the quack of single coils, sounds quite a bit duller and generally lacks in dynamics of a Strat and does not have the same fullness of a Les Paul. On the other hand it does sound thick. Thicker than a typical HSS Strat. Not sure if that helps as his is not an HSS configuration but it does make sense as Gibson pickups do tend to be less sensitive/responsive to attack and have a darker, thicker sound. To my ears at least.

Martian · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:02 am

IMO, putting PAF type HBs in a Strat makes it sound like a cross between a Melody Maker and an SG, surely no longer like a Strat and positively no where near a Les Paul. YMMV.

John C · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:19 am

You're not ever going to get an LP sound out of an HSS Strat. However, I suspect that the humbucker in your MIM HSS Strat is hotter than a PAF so it would be worth trying one to see if you like it - if not, then start looking for an LP to go with your Strat.

phreddybee · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:23 am

i am thinking of taking a look at the epi nighthawk when it comes out. 399 bucks, and there will be a drop in p90 replacement pup if i desire.

tyguy · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:55 pm **Posts:** 32

phreddybee wrote:

here's probably a crazy question, but i'll ask anyway.

i bought a new mim hss strat about 14 months ago. it's a great guitar- very happy.
i find that i never use the bridge pickup because i'm not happy with the sound of it.

then the other day i'm playing with a friends les paul with paf's. the sound was just great. awesome mellow clean sound.

my question is this- has anyone put one of these pickups on their strat? just want opinions- pro and con welcome

if you do like them- what ones did you use.

on the other hand, maybe i'll just go to the other team and get a les paul with the paf's

thanks

Been there done that in the 70's!Your strat(w/buckers)won't sound like a strat OR a Gibson with no character in tone.I don't like PRS's for this reason as they don't sound familiar like a strat or a Gibson(they play wonderful though).Never remove wood from the body(affects tone more than changing pups)!Buy a Gibson.

eddie_bowers · **Joined:** Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:07 pm **Posts:** 427

The different sting spacing may prevent you from using an actual PAF or Gibson made PU, but Dimarzio and Duncan make "F Spaced" versions I'm sure.

HWY1Strat · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 2:50 pm

Martian wrote:

IMO, putting PAF type HBs in a Strat makes it sound like a cross between a Melody Maker and an SG, surely no longer like a Strat and positively no where near a Les Paul. YMMV.

POPPYCOCK!!!
I have numerous HSS formatted Stratocasters and I have put DiMarzio 36th Anniv. P.A.F.'s in several of them....and they sound FANTASTIC!!
You are going to catch a bunch of flack from staunch purists who claim "that isn't a Strat'!
BOULDERDASH!!!
My Strats have a wonderful position 2 'quack' that goes over very nicely while performing for a crowd. ONLY THE MINORITY OF GUITAR PLAYERS IN THE AUDIENCE WILL PICK UP ANYTHING DIFFERENT!
I have personally found the bridge pickup on a Strat to be of little use. It's thin and brittle. A humbucker in the bridge position makes an already versatile guitar....MORE versatile!
If the guitar is pre-routed for a humbucker....you won't have to hack the body to do it.
Some of the MOST famous sounds in rock music have come from a Strat-type guitar with a bridge humbucker.....ever hear of a gent named EDDIE VAN HALEN!!!

In choosing HSS formatted Strats...I WAS'NT going for a 'Les Paul' sound......I wanted the remaining 4 useable Strat sounds combined with some chunk. In a copy band...that is indispensable...the ability to go from Hendrix to Led Zeppelin (I know about the early Tele-Zep stuff) at the mere flick of a switch!

Listen to the guy in this video.....he's playing entirely on position 2....and this baby's "QUACK HAPPY"!
And THIS doesn't sound like a Strat??!!?
What MORE do you want?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5qwIxtJyfs&feature=feedrec_grec_index

Martian · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:23 pm

HWY1Strat wrote:

Martian wrote:

IMO, putting PAF type HBs in a Strat makes it sound like a cross between a Melody Maker and an SG, surely no longer like a Strat and positively no where near a Les Paul. YMMV.

POPPYCOCK!!!
I have numerous HSS formatted Stratocasters and I have put DiMarzio 36th Anniv. P.A.F.'s in several of them....and they sound FANTASTIC!!
You are going to catch a bunch of flack from staunch purists who claim "that isn't a Strat'!
BOULDERDASH!!!
My Strats have a wonderful position 2 'quack' that goes over very nicely while performing for a crowd. ONLY THE MINORITY OF GUITAR PLAYERS IN THE AUDIENCE WILL PICK UP ANYTHING DIFFERENT!I have personally found the bridge pickup on a Strat to be of little use. It's thin and brittle. A humbucker in the bridge position makes an already versatile guitar....MORE versatile!
If the guitar is pre-routed for a humbucker....you won't have to hack the body to do it.
Some of the MOST famous sounds in rock music have come from a Strat-type guitar with a bridge humbucker.....ever hear of a gent named EDDIE VAN HALEN!!!

In choosing HSS formatted Strats...I WAS'NT going for a 'Les Paul' sound......I wanted the remaining 4 useable Strat sounds combined with some chunk. In a copy band...that is indispensable...the ability to go from Hendrix to Led Zeppelin (I know about the early Tele-Zep stuff) at the mere flick of a switch!

Listen to the guy in this video.....he's playing entirely on position 2....and this baby's "QUACK HAPPY"!
And THIS doesn't sound like a Strat??!!?
What MORE do you want?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5qwIxtJyfs&feature=feedrec_grec_index

I stand by what I've said.

airbornestrat · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:52 pm

It is all in what YOU want! Me, i prefer Fender single coils in my Strats. I have this thing for the fender sound. I appreciate humbuckers in other people's Strats but not for me.
Do what makes you happy and good luck in your quest for some PAFs.
ABS

oasis94 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:21 am **Posts:** 1

i have a paf pro humbucker dimarzio.....and it will give your strat more bite with distortion and drive..... for clean tone it is unique but it still have that unmistakable twang cause its still a strat it wont sound like a les paul .... paf on a strat rules!!!!!!!

Blertles · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:52 am

oasis94 wrote:

i have a paf pro humbucker dimarzio.....and it will give your strat more bite with distortion and drive..... for clean tone it is unique but it still have that unmistakable twang cause its still a strat it wont sound like a les paul .... paf on a strat rules!!!!!!!

I wouldn't mind a Dimarzio PAF Pro or a Duncan Custom in the bridge in my guitar- I am a fan of the 2 pos and the unique quack it gives... very nice. I think a PAF Pro would pair up with MIM std coils very nicely

chromeface · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:16 am

BMW-KTM wrote:

Andy Fairweather Low uses a Strat with two PAF style pickups (not sure if they ARE PAF but the do have nickel covers) at the bridge and middle positions. I've heard him playing both clean and dirty with various artists as well as on solo gigs. His guitar to my ears does not sound like a Strat or a Les Paul. It lacks both the bite and the quack of single coils, sounds quite a bit duller and generally lacks in dynamics of a Strat and does not have the same fullness of a Les Paul. On the other hand it does sound thick. Thicker than a typical HSS Strat. Not sure if that helps as his is not an HSS configuration but it does make sense as Gibson pickups do tend to be less sensitive/responsive to attack and have a darker, thicker sound. To my ears at least.

If you watch the Youtube videos from EC's 2002/2003 Japanese tours, you'll see AFL playing a Fiesta Red Strat with three humbuckers and a handful of mini-switches.

Many of his humbucker-equipped Strats use an active on-board gain boost preamp driven by a black control knob.

fendermandan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:07 am

phreddybee wrote:

here's probably a crazy question, but i'll ask anyway.

i bought a new mim hss strat about 14 months ago. it's a great guitar- very happy.
i find that i never use the bridge pickup because i'm not happy with the sound of it.

then the other day i'm playing with a friends les paul with paf's. the sound was just great. awesome mellow clean sound.

my question is this- has anyone put one of these pickups on their strat? just want opinions- pro and con welcome

if you do like them- what ones did you use.

on the other hand, maybe i'll just go to the other team and get a les paul with the paf's

thanks

I used for a while a Gibson classic 57 hb in my zebracaster with 1M and 500k pot wiring.
The strat sounded similar to SG (a bit too much treble for my taste with 1M).

tdanb2003 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:43 pm

Phreddy here's a short clip of Jimmy Herring. I believe he's playing his customshop Strat with seymour Duncan 59s. The clip is compressed but you can hear the sound is not a Strat and its not a LP either. However I'd take lessons from him anytime...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-h2ACZZ__c

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