Hi y'all, I don't know what exactly possessed me to do such, but decided to add a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the the bridge slot of one of my strats. I'm going to outfit it with an individual toggle so I can tame it down when need be. The goal is not really to go metal but I know they've got some serious output... I hoping it sounds good cleaned up too.

I opted for a facelift too... aged white plastic parts on a black guard, and the SD is black and cream. The guitar itself is a candy apple red blacktop body with a rosewood highway 1 neck... the two single coils I'll be using are tex-mex.

I've heard that the SD splits very well and I know it's the same pickup Garcia used in the bridge of many of his guitars so we'll have to see if it gets me any closer to Jerry's tone or not... no biggie either way. I was really just missing my HSS strat that I unloaded earlier this year. Because I wasn't playing this one much, I figured I'd goof around with it. I'll be sure to post pics when it's together.

Anyone currently using this pickup in the bridge of a strat?

I had one in my Highway 1 up until a couple months ago. I decided I wanted a SSS Stratocaster. I put it in my Squier HM III. Yes it splits very well. I absolutely love my SD. It is very clean with no distortion applied to the amp, and growls when the distortion is turned up.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

cool... sounds like fun! Here's the mock up I did trying to decide on a color scheme.

I'm also interested on upgrading an American Special Strat. I've found several options, including an EMG KH20 pre-wired pickguard with 2 passive singles and an active 81 h/b. My question is: are modern (or American) made Strats already pre-routed at the bridge pup position in the body for a humbucker? I've seen stock photos on this site showing body sanding on both ssh and sss bodies. I can't identify they as being specific for one or the other, but it seems to me it would save money if Fender is offering a guitar in both pickup configurations to route to the bigger h/b size in the bridge.

Anyone knowledgeable of the American Special series to know if all the bodies are h-s-s routed? Wish I'd have just gotten that style to begin with but I got a killer deal...

Thanks

To the best of my knowledge, American (non-VR) bodies are usually routed HSH. All of mine have been ever since the days of the swimming pool route. The best bet is to pull the guard and have a look-see. Then you'll know what your options are.



I like the Super Distortion. It's one of my favorite humbuckers of all time. I have had one in one of my Strats and it goes back in once in a while. It's the single coil sized one though. DP218. It's very warm and hot and is great for kick-a$s rock and metal.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Where mines the Blacktop body with swimming pool route, I was considering going the p90 route as they make a SD in p90ish form. I thought it would look cool to have three p90's but then considered the fact I'd have to custom make (or order) a pickguard and didn't want to go there, and I wasn't sure if the "the pool" was wide enough to fit p90's.

In any event, regarding the routing of the Am. Special, I do think that all the American Special strat bodies are HSS, as are MIM standards (though the routing is a little different).The newer American Standards are HSH and the older American Standards and Blacktops are pool routes. Most reissues (to my knowledge anyway) are all SSS.

The easiest way to check is to get on ebay and search for "whatever model strat body" and you can check them out that way.

I stand corrected. AS and AD are routed HSH but Specials are HSS. Interesting.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

It seems odd to me... you'd think that for the sake of streamlining operations that they'd be more universal across the board (unless it was some sort of reissue where vintage correctness mattered). Also, I'd think that HSH routing would satisfy about 90% of strat owners' needs for future pickup swaps without the need to return to "the pool", though I really don't think there was anything wrong with that design. I've heard tales of warping and the "less wood = less tone" theory but in my experience, they've help up and sounded just fine... anyhow.

Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to wire up this little creation of mine... I'm toying with adding another small volume knob just for the humbucker or running just a master tone and master volume and using the middle knob for my coil split toggle. I need to think all this through and explore what options I can find on-line. I'm not to bad with soldering but sometimes the logic behind "why" I'm soldering what I'm soldering escapes me.

Just found a cool site... guitar nuts (or nutz... can't remember it but I bookmarked it) Given that there are two mini toggles on the way, I was just inspired to use the other as a "neck on" switch which would open up a few other tones... just a thought and could be useful.

Quick update... still waiting on the mini toggles but the rest of the wiring is done. I was a little bummed that aged white Fender parts didn't better match the Super Distortion but no big deal... I still think it looks pretty nice. With any luck I'll have a chance to get it wired up later today if the toggles arrive...

WOW! Just got it finished an hour or so ago and it sounds fantastic! The toggle by the volume adds the neck pickup so that it runs all the pickups at once, and gets the neck/bridge combo. The other toggle switches the humbucker between single coil and humbucking. All the setting are dead quiet. The switches essentially give you 5 more flavors of goodness.

Kudos to guitarnuts... lots of cool wiring plans and these worked without a hitch! http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/menu.php

As far as the Super Distortion goes... I'm amazed how nice it sounds clean, and how surprisingly well it matches with the Tex Mex single coils... i would have expected a huge jump in volume but it's super manageable to go from the sc's the hum bucker. I was kind of joking about "going metal"... I'm not too into it really (though I like me some Iron Maiden every so often). I really chose this pickup because Jerry Garcia used them, especially in single coil mode... it sounds really nice. Anyhow... I'm going to get back to playing it and I'll try to get a video posted of it soon. Cheers.