Ok so I am putting together a parts guitar. I have a set of EMG ZW HB's but I would really like to stick a single coil in between them. Now I know that the ZW's are "designed" for metal/hard rock but that isn't necessarily The style that I will playing that I will playing on this guitar. Those pups are just what I happen to have in my closet at the moment. I play mostly funk/blues/classic-rock so a single coil for the middle position that is ideal for those would be nice.

Basically I want something that has a lot of power but that is not all that metal-y. Budget isnt a gigantic issue (it may be a tiny one ) so just go wild with your suggestions.

Thanks

_________________

Hi patcha, I'm assuming we're talking about a Strat. & going by the genre's you like, If it were me I think I would just buy a loaded pickguard w/sss or hss, & sell that pickguard w/the pups. Or swap out the pups for some tamer humbuckers.

One of my strats has the EMG 85 in the bridge with a 60 in the neck. It's a really versatile setup for everything from blues to driving rock, but your amp will have a lot to do with that as well. I know the ZW set has a lot of people thinking that the 85 is a "neck" pickup, but it makes a far more useful bridge pickup than the 81, IMO. You can try it pretty easily by disconnecting the pickup wire clips and swapping the pickups around. If you've never heard an 85 in the bridge, it may be a pleasant surprise for you. And if you want a single coil sound, I'd recommend an EMG HA for the neck pickup. It has the same sound as an SA single-coil (used in the David Gilmour set), but is humbucker-sized, so it will fit in your pickguard.

And don't worry about a lack of power, since the 85 actually has more output than the 81 does, with a much more complex, full-bodied tone. I found the 60's tone and output level (in the neck position) to be really complementary to my 85 bridge pickup. That guitar has a fat, warm, classic sound, but with much more output, and I'm running it @ 9V instead of 18, which would probably open the sound up even more.

_________________
Strat+Tweed=Tone

I like that idea of putting the 85 in the bridge. Would it be ok to put the 81 in the neck then cuz if I spend money on a whole new HB for the neck, then their is no way that I'll have enough for the single coil AND a nice neck AND a decent finish on the body.

_________________

I didn't care for the 81 at all as a neck pickup. Tone is a very subjective thing, and that's a pickup I just can't like. But, then again, that's one of the cool things about EMG's. You can just swap them around without re-wiring until you find what you like. You might also look into EMG's RPC tone control. It cuts low frequencies and boosts the top end, to get you more of a single-coil sound when you want it.

_________________
Strat+Tweed=Tone