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Post subject: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 5:57 am
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What the title of the thread is saying. So I got this totally awesome guitar, not my first strat btw. Here is a link of it http://www.toneworld.co.uk/electric-gui ... tion-p1421
I love it to death, but there's only one tiny problem, if I can call it like that. I really find the bridge pickup way too harsh and thin. Although, my favorite position is no2, which includes the bridge pu. Any suggestions? :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 7:05 am
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The Seymour Duncan APS or SSL are both really good, if you want, also the Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials are pretty good


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 7:09 am
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tabeck5 wrote:
The Seymour Duncan APS or SSL are both really good, if you want, also the Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials are pretty good

Never tried an SD in a strat. Texas Specials are good, but I know the sound quite well, so something new would be awesome. Thanks for the advice man! :)


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 7:50 am
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I followed your link. That's a super cool strat. Congrats! Yeah, most vintage output strat bridge pickups are really bright and harsh sounding. Like you said, the #2 position really shines with this type of pickups. If you want to play on the bridge pickup alone I suggest rolling back the tone knob slightly. That's what I do with my single coil bridge pickups on my strats and teles. Otherwise, you can build your tone around your bridge pickup. For instance, set the tone stack on your amp darker, or maybe engage an eq pedal when switching to the bridge. Or you could just replace it with another pickup, like a stacked humbucker or something. Good luck with your tone quest!

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:24 am
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To probably state the obvious: have you tried if a different pickup height would soften it a bit..?


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:26 am
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Hollis Prince wrote:
I followed your link. That's a super cool strat. Congrats! Yeah, most vintage output strat bridge pickups are really bright and harsh sounding. Like you said, the #2 position really shines with this type of pickups. If you want to play on the bridge pickup alone I suggest rolling back the tone knob slightly. That's what I do with my single coil bridge pickups on my strats and teles. Otherwise, you can build your tone around your bridge pickup. For instance, set the tone stack on your amp darker, or maybe engage an eq pedal when switching to the bridge. Or you could just replace it with another pickup, like a stacked humbucker or something. Good luck with your tone quest!


Thanks for your kind words. The strat is absolutely phenomenal :D However, I do not have a tone knob for the bridge pickup and yeah, sometimes I need the bridge pickup. I switch quite frequently between pickups, so changing amp settings is not quite an option. Gonna check out some stacked humbuckers, really.


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:29 am
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jmattis wrote:
To probably state the obvious: have you tried if a different pickup height would soften it a bit..?

Yeah, the results aren't the ones I expected, still trebly.


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:13 am
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Adding a single jumper wire to your selector switch will permit your lower tone pot to control the bridge pickup's tone. It's a pretty common-yet-reversible mod that many Strat owners find useful. Most of my nine Strats are thus configured. Adding a base plate to the bridge pickup might also help to tame the "bite".

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:32 am
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Beautiful guitar!

+1 on giving the bridge some tone control. While you're in there you might consider putting in a no load tone potentiometer. When on 10, it would take itself out of the circuit, giving you the wide open stock configuration. But if the bite is too much you can roll it back, engaging the low pass filter. The only disadvantage is that your bridge and middle pickup would be on the same tone circuit, so you lose a bit of flexibility in the #2 position. I have this configuration on one of my strats and the only thing I don't like about it is that you can feel the knob click into the 10 position, and it is a little harder to pull it out of 10 than it is to roll back a regular knob.

Also, don't discount the value of a biting bridge pickup. I find on its own it can sound thin but when a lot of sound is going on like with backing tracks or playing with others, and I want to cut through without cranking my volume I flip to the bridge and can suddenly hear myself without being loud and obnoxious. You want mellow you still have the other two pickups.


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:45 am
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Thanks guys for all the kind replies, I am starting to love this forum. I will solder the bridge pu to the second tone knob. My question is, can this void the warranty?


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:25 am
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Iffy.

If you allow a Fender authorized tech to perform the mod, perhaps not. If you do it yourself there may be warranty ramifications.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:00 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Iffy.

If you allow a Fender authorized tech to perform the mod, perhaps not. If you do it yourself there may be warranty ramifications.

Arjay

Well, as the guitar is quite new, maybe I will get it to a proper setup at my tech and I'll tell him to make this mod. Thanks everyone and have a nice day!
Here's some Greg Koch for you, and no, I do not work at Wildwood :lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvc5F3i438Q


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Post subject: Re: Bridge pickup is too harsh
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 4:08 pm
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You might also try some Joe Barden's. They have some real gusto, but are certainly not overly bright and may help tame those highs. I am sure there are some youtube vids to check out the tone to see if it meets what you are looking for.

FWIW

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