Dear Strat'ers,

I've recently purchased a lovely Fender American Special Stratocaster, the sexy black one. I would like to upgrade it. Initially I was aiming at the pickups alone, but then I read on these boards that the tuners that come stock with this baby don't handle heavier gauge strings, and I use 12's. Would it be possible for me to achieve standard tuning with this gauge, and most importantly, without occurring de-tuning due to the stock tuners? If you guys had positive experience with heavy's and these tuners then I don't see a reason to change. If I would need to swap, what is your recommendation?

Now for the pup's. I play all sorts of music on my guitars, but I would like to aim this one for a colder, aggressive metal tone. I know, many dislike seeing Strat's do metal, but I dislike the designs of those full on metal guitars and love this one. I have been looking up some pickup companies, and have through a lot of recommendations been directed to "Bare Knuckle Pickups". I've heard only positive feedback for them, and don't doubt they're quality. They offer configurations for various guitars, and to my liking a sweet list of HSS pup's. But I am uncertain which of these combos would suit me best. I would like to pull of some Extreme metal tone, ranging from plain 'ol Heavy Metal up to the rawness of Black Metal (a sound example would be a band "Immortal" and they're album "At the heart of Winter"). If anyone has experience with these pup's I would highly appreciate the advice. This is the site;
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/mai ... ss&pickup=.


Thank you very much for taking the time to read, have a nice day..

lol i get ya i hate shred guitars too

Very cool. I have a black '06 HWY1 that I believe have Alnico 5 pickups. They are well suited for a heavier sound. If you can find a HWY1 and check it out. See what you think.

As for other mods:

You vould change out the tuning keys with Scheller locking tuners. I really like them.

You can also swop out the white plastic parts with all black parts. It looks very cool on my black HWY1.

Let me know how all works out for you.

Paris

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1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

All black parts looks so good.

_________________
He who dies with the most Strats wins.

Yeah, all black is sexy. But the only white area on it is the thin line that surounds the scratch plate, which actually gives it a more sleek look. But I would if it's possible like to avoid removing the tuners, so knowing other's experiences on the correlation of these and heavy gauge strings would be great before I do anything to it. Even though it's a "working man's Strat" and cost me a low 750$, it is one of the only all-black Strat's, at least manufactured lately. I haven't even seen custom shop ones..

You can see some of my guitars, to include my black Strat on my Facebook under, "Paris Thalheimer." The only recent change I made to the black Strat was that I added a black tip to the vibrato arm.

A minor note about the pickups and tone pots on the black Strat. I get great over driven tones and susstain when I use postions 2 & 4 and turn the tone down to about 4. I do this to get the same kind of modern Clapton that I get from my Clapton Strat.

_________________
1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

You need EMG 81/89's.

I like BareKnuckles, use them, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to someone after a different sound. However for metal there is only one place to look, EMG.

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No no and no

Brilliant minds think alike....Exactly what I had in mind as I scrolled down the page. He can look at the Zak Wilde models, or even consider one of the Kirk Hammet prewired scratchplates.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

Thanks for the recommendations but as I said, I wish to remain within the HSS configuration, and since BKP's offer a full list of pup's of the kind, I don't see a need to go overboard with changing plates and etc. I wish to keep the project as cheap as possible, that's why I ask about the tuners also. Since you mentioned EMG's, I've never had them installed in my gear, but mostly I've only heard people bash the hell out of them. They say they suck major $@!. Anyway, the entire BKP brand has impressed me with it's offer and designs, so I wish to remain there. Of course, if you know of any other top of the line brand which offers HSS configurations for Strat's, be my guest.

I guess Hammet, Hetfield and Wylde have different points of view. Regardless, there's a KH prewired in an HSS configuration, and their PRO SERIES will allow you to choose and 11 hole HSS Strat pickguard and wire it up to your own specifications. If BKP can do that for you, all the better. Let us know what you end up with. IMHO, if Niki suggests EMG's, there's a point of view you ought to consider seriously.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

I would weigh the opinion of whoever tells you they suck against this list:
James Hetfield
Kirk Hammett
Zakk Wylde
Kerry King
Alexi Laiho
Steve Lukather
Victor Wooten
David Gilmour
Steve Winwood
John Paul Jones
Jeff Loomis
Mike Inez
Robert Trujillo
Chad Kroeger
Glenn Tipton
KK Downing
Jim Root
Lou Reed
Vince Gill
Les Claypool
Stuart Hamm
John Campbell
Devin Townsend
Rusty Cooley
Tosin Abasi
Vernon Reid
Greg Tribbett
Adam Dutkiewicz
Alex Webster
Matt Tuck
Matt Heafy
Stephen Carpenter
Josh Rand
Gary Holt
Jeff Kendrick
Nick Catanese
Rob Cavestany

Now do you like the sound and/or music of the people who tell you they suck better than everyone on this list? If not don't discount them.(There's people on this list I am not a fan of, and some I don't know, but there are a lot whose stuff i really like.) What they have in common is they use various EMG's.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

EMG's

seymour duncan pickups. screamin demon.

311
P-Nut

311
Nick Hexum



311
Tim Mahoney

Aerosmith
Tom Hamilton



After the Burial
Justin Lowe

After the Burial
Trent Hafdahl



Alice Cooper
Keri Kelli

Alice Peacock
Alice Peacock



All Shall Perish, Hiss of Atrocities
Francesco Artusato

Allman Bros.
Oteil Burbridge



Allman Brothers Band
Dickey Betts

Allman Brothers Band; Gov't Mule
Warren Haynes



Angra
Kiko Loureiro

Anthrax
Scott Ian



Anthrax, Helmet
Frank Bello

Arch Enemy
Christopher Amott



Arch Enemy
Michael Amott

Arch Enemy
Sharlee D'Angelo



As I Lay Dying
Nick Hipa

Avenged Sevenfold
Johnny Christ



Avenged Sevenfold
Synyster Gates

Avenged Sevenfold
Zacky Vengeance



Bachman Cummings, Randy Bachman Band
Randy Bachman

Bad Religion
Greg Hetson



Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper

Bleeding Through
Ryan Wombacher



Blink 182
Mark Hoppus

Blue Oyster Cult
Buck Dharma



Candlemass
Lars Johansson

Carl Verheyen, Supertramp
Carl Verheyen



Carnivour, Life of Agony
Joey Z

Casting Crowns
Hector Cervantes



Coliseum
Ryan Patterson

Dark Funeral
Lord Ahriman



Darkest Hour
Mike Schleibaum

Dimmu Borgir
Silenoz



Dimmu Borgir
Simen Vortex

Dinosaur Jr.
J Mascis



Divine Heresy
Dino Cazares

Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, Pete Droge
Peter Stroud



Drama Gods
Nuno Bettencourt

Drowning Pool
CJ Pierce



Every Time I Die
Jordan Buckley

Fall Out Boy
Pete Wentz



Firewind, Ozzy
Gus G

Fu Manchu
Bob Balch



Fu Manchu
Brad Davis

Fu Manchu
Scott Hill



Funeral For A Friend
Matt Davies

G3, racer X, Self Titled
Bruce Bouillet



George Strait
Rick McRae

Goatwhore
Nathan Bergeron



Goatwhore
Sammy Duet

Gorgoroth
Infernus



Gorgoroth
Tormentor

Helloween
Sascha Gerstner



Helstar
Rob Trevino

High on Fire
Matt Pike



Incubus
Mike Einziger

Iron Maiden
Janick Gers



Iron Maiden
Steve Harris

Jesu/Godflesh
Justin Broadrick



Jimmy Bruno
Jimmy Bruno

Katatonia
Anders Nystrom



Kentucky Headhunters
Greg Martin

King Diamond, Mercyful Fate
Mike Wead



Kiss
Bruce Kulick

Kiss
Paul Stanley



Kylesa
Laura Pleasants

Lamb of God
Mark Morton



Lamb of God
Will Adler

Los Lobos
Cesar Rosas



Los Lobos
David Hidalgo

Lynch Mob
George Lynch



Lynyrd Skynyrd
Gary Rossington

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Rickey Medlocke



Mastodon
Bill Kelliher

Megadeth
Dave Mustaine



Megadeth, King Diamond, Eidolon
Glen Drover

moe.
Al Schnier



moe.
Chuck Garvey

Motorhead
Phil Campbell



Nashville $@!&#, HEMI CUDA
Karen Cuda

Nightrage
Marios Iliopoulos



Nile
Karl Sanders

No Doubt
Tom Dumont



NOFX
Eric Melvin

Obituary, Gorgoroth
Frank Watkins



Pantera, Damage Plan
Dimebag Darrell

Papa Roach
Jerry Horton



Paul Simon
Bakithi Kumalo

Pink Floyd
David Gilmour



Poison
CC Deville

Primus
Ler Lalonde



Queens of the Stone Age
Josh Homme

Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle
Troy VanLeeuwen



Queensryche, Soulbender
Michael Wilton

Red Sparowes, Made Out Of Babies
Brendan Tobin



Rise Against
Joe Principe

Rise Against
Zach Blair



Santana, Robben Ford
Myron Dove

Savatage, TranSiberian Orchestra
Chris Caffery



Senses Fail
Jason Black

Senses Fail, Midtown
Heath Saraceno



SINAI, SHINEDOWN, Perry Farrell, Silvertide
Nick Perri

Slipknot
Mick Thomson



Social Distortion, Mike Ness Band
Jonny Wickersham

Social Distortion, Mike Ness Band
Mike Ness



Solo
George Benson

Solo
Johnny Winter



solo
Vernon Neilly

solo, Heart, Guns N' Roses
Gilby Clarke



Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore

Suffocation
Derek Boyer



Suffocation
Guy Marchais

Sugarcult
Tim Pagnotta



Sum 41
Deryck Whibley

Taking Back Sunday
Eddie Reyes



Taking Back Sunday
Matt Rubano

The Cure
Robert Smith



The Dillinger Escape Plan
Ben Weinman

The Dillinger Escape Plan
Jeff Tuttle



Thievery Corporation
Ashish Vyas

Thievery Corporation
Rob Myers



Trivium
Corey Beaulieu

Type O Negative
Peter Steele



Uriah Heep
Mick Box

Velvet Revolver, Guns 'N Roses, Snakepit
Slash Hudson



Velvet Revolver, Neurotic Outsiders
Duff McKagan

(witheld upon request)
Way Cool jr.


Wilco
Nels Cline



Xavier Rudd
Xavier Rudd

Yellow Jackets, Blue Line, Ford Blues Band
Robben Ford



Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen

ok so if hell froze over and seymour duncan shut down, dimarzio also folded up, and i just had to pick EMG's, then EMG 81/89's. are the only ones i would pick period.

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Whatever you decide post pictures.

_________________
He who dies with the most Strats wins.

oh and for a who's who, compare EMGs list against Seymours list.

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

OK...now that we've done our level best to turn this into something akin to being handed a 6 inch ruler in a JHS boy's bathroom, is every body satisfied with their results? Now hand the ruler back to Stratinni and be patient.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"