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Post subject: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:23 pm
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I was really interested in buying a Fender American Vintage '59 Stratocaster. Thing is I really love playing hard rock, and obviously love the spanky clean single coil sounds. I love the versatility of a humbucker loaded strat. Anyway if I bought a '59 I already really like the pickguard besides the fact it's unique to the instrument and one of a kind. Is there a way I could load a humbucker in it and still have it be professional and look good or do I need to get a whole new pickguard and electronics and everything else?


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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:30 pm
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Got a table router?

You'll need to hog out a pickup cavity in the body if you intend to install a traditional double-coil humbucker.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:31 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Got a table router?

You'll need to hog out a pickup cavity in the body if you intend to install a traditional double-coil humbucker.

Arjay


so basically just measure it perfectly and then cut?


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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 12:38 am
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If you decide to maintain the stock appearance of your guitar but still want that punchy humbucker sound, the best solution is to install a single coil-sized humbucker.

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:13 am
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As chromeface said, thats what I would do. Unless of-course you actualy really wanted an origional humbucker sized unit in there.

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 4:42 am
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In that case you'll need to rout the body for a full-sized humbucker as both the AVRI and AVS are routed for SSS.

If your guitar is a sunburst maple neck '59, a 1-ply 8-hole guard with HSS slots is required.

Warmoth makes 50's-style Stratocaster pickguards routed for a bridge humbucker.

http://www.warmoth.com/pickguard/StratPickguard.aspx

Personally I do not recommend a re-routing of the body, it devaluates your guitar.

In your place I'd go for another Strat with an HHH rout and drop in a loaded HSS pickguard on it or stay with the '59 and slap a single coil-sized DiMarzio Tonezone humbucker in the bridge.


Last edited by chromeface on Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:15 am
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RootsRockers1987 wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
Got a table router?

You'll need to hog out a pickup cavity in the body if you intend to install a traditional double-coil humbucker.

Arjay


so basically just measure it perfectly and then cut?


Not exactly what he meant, This is what a 59 looks like underneath ( Or close enough proximity):

Image

You're going to have to take out a nice chunk of wood if you want to fit a full size humbucker in there. I would go with some kind of rail pickup or single coil sized humbucker. If you want a full size humbucker I'd look at another strat besides the 59, because if you route it you will take several hundred dollars off of the value even if it is professionally done.


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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:04 am
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+1 to the use of a single-coil sized humbucker.

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This guitar has a Seymour-Duncan Pearly Gates humbucker at the bridge and it has a great sound. Simple wiring job unless you want to add coil-tap capability and no change to any part of the guitar or pickguard.

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:16 am
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Just this week I installed a single coil sized humbucker (Duncan SH-1 I believe) and it sounds great. I have 2 other strats with a real humbucker in them and it is very close to the tone of those. I use it for Zep, AC/DC, Scorps, etc.


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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:30 am
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These pickups are all humbuckers......

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Specifically, Dimarzio Virtual Vintage. To see or play the guitar, no one would be the wiser. But the instrument is as quiet as a church mouse yet still retains most of a Strat's sonic character. And aside from a painless pickup swap, no mods were required. Plus it has the cojones that Vintage Noiseless pickups wish they had.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:49 pm
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Try a Fender HSS Stratocaster first. No need to change the pickups. You'll save yourself around $1200.
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Post subject: Re: Vintage Strat with a humbucker
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:39 pm
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otis66 wrote:
Try a Fender HSS Stratocaster first. No need to change the pickups. You'll save yourself around $1200.
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+1

Good suggestion!


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