guys which of these pickups can give me a good punk rock, grunge, hard rock sound and still give me a nice clean sound in an hss alder strat with rosewood fingerboard?

Based on your choices, I'd go with the Duncan Custom. However, you may need a TB-5 vs an SH-5, depending on the spacing of your bridge.

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yeah that's kind of a dilema too cause i heard that the trembuckers were built for double locking tremolos but the guitar i'm gonna get has a vintage six screw strat tremolo... by the way would you suggest anything else? i mean these are the ones that hit me the most out of all that i heard... i'm trying to find something that'll go from offspring to fall out boy to greenday to nirvana to papa roach

A few points:

You said, "Vintage Tremolo". Keep in mind that there are two spacings. Namely, the Mexican one which uses standard spaced HBs and then there's the American one which uses "F" or "Trembucker" spaced HBs. And no, as you now know, the "F" or "TB" spaced pickups are not just for locking tremolos. Rather, they are for the true, American Fender vintage type bridges.

To add to the aforementioned confusion in terms of string spacing, SOME American Strats now come with standard spacing and SOME MIM Strats come with the "F" or "TB" spacing. It depends on the SPECIFIC model, either way.

I stand by what I've already suggested in terms of your pickup choice with the Custom. Now it is only a matter of getting the string spacing right. Tell me which EXACT Strat you have or even post a picture of it (with emphasis on the bridge) and I will be able to tell you which spacing you require.

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i want to work on a squier... either a bullet strat or a classic vibe 50's strat model i guess this will help me decide... by the way... what's your opinion with basswood as a tone wood?

The Squiers are standard spaced.

Strictly as a tone wood, it is somewhat similar to alder.

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sweet thanks i'm kinda between the bullet and the classic vibe either way though do you think that the sh-4 or sh-5 would work well with basswood?

For what it is worth, I have a SH-5, and play much of the variety of music you spoke of. I have had this pickup in a basswood bodied guitar, mahogany, and agathis. It is excellent and still gets a decent clean. I have also had it wired in a split configuration to provide a single coil sound as well. I believe it will work well for you.

sweet may give it a shot for my next project i got an sh-4 a few years ago and i was saving it for a special ocasion still haven't decided on which guitar cause i'm still saving... i guess i already have cash for the bullet

Either would as they are both high output pickups and less dependent on a guitar's wood(s).

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lol this is gonna be a tough choice cause i could buy the bullet now or i could save the cash and buy the classic vibe later...

I'd save for the Classic Vibe.

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i have a sh-4 in my strat and from rock till metal is all possible.

cheers

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Two points --

1-- Dave Murray's sig Strat has a super distortion..and he sounds like Dave Murray. Not punky, but tight, focused compressed Marshall.

2-- I have an SD in a mahogany, set-neck Dean for a great sloppy punk/rock tone that cleans up very well.

So...maybe SDs and alder do not mix well?

your first point may be true but dexter and noodles from the offspring, joe trohmann from fall out boy and the damned things and kurt cobain (rumored to have a guitar with one) all use super distortion pups as well so there must be something about that pickup (especially with rythms)



what you said here may also be incorrect... i never tried the jb nor the custom but jackson makes a dk-2 dinky model that is made of alder that i wanted a few years ago... it had a jb in the bridge and i believe that even today it is one of jacksons most famous guitars... a friend of mine uses a jb on a maple fingerboard strat and its sound blows me away (it's supposed to be made for rosewood) so i guess not everything you hear is true experimentation is important...
plus you're judging by the brand and not the individual pickup how do you know if there isn't a compatible seymour duncan pickup for alder?