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Post subject: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:12 pm
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Hi all,

I would like a guitar that can be versatile but primarily used for hard rock, punk and metal.

Which HSS Strat has the most powerful high out humbucker?
Is it the blacktop Stratocaster?


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2015 5:55 pm
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circa late 90s HSS Lone Star Strat with Pearly Gate bucker and Texas Specials single coils.


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:31 am
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Early 1990s Sambora Strat with DiMarzio Custom PAF Pro and active mid-boost circuitry, American Deluxe and Floyd Rose Classics with DH-1 Atomic, Strat Ultra with Lace Sensor Red/Red Dually.


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:59 am
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You could just go for a Strat you fancy, then drop in a meaty humbucker yourself.
The Pearly Gates seem to be a popular as a Strat after market drop in humbucker, because they sound great. Enough bite to mix with the singles and handles distortion very well.
You could also wire it to auto-split with the mid in the 2nd toggle position, using your existing under guard electronics.

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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:18 am
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The Pearly Gates/Pearly Gates + aren't all that high-output; I would consider them to be a slightly overwound PAF-style pickup (makes sense considering they are based on the PAFs in Billy Gibbon's '59 burst, "Pearly Gates"). I think they are so popular for putting in a Strat is that they don't completely overwhelm the single coils - particularly hotter single coils like Texas Specials. Also the old Fender-exclusive "Pearly Gates +" had a bit more top-end than the regular Pearly Gates - supposedly due to the PG+ having different magnets.


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:19 pm
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[b]Johny Soniq[/b

I like Blondie. Looks like it is a design with a specific theme that was adhered to very well. That brass tremola block? What do you notice with that? I haven't seen anyone use brass. Does it ring like they say brass rings?


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2015 5:26 am
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Keep in mind that your amp is going to be 50% of that equation. If it doesn't begin to distort at around 5 and continues up to 11 (lol) 9-10 then perhaps lowering the wattage to an amp that allows your pups to shine should be considered.

I have reached the tonality I wanted with inexpensive pups thru a small amp driven to tears. By the same token the Texas Specials also deliver, but the amp is the critical factor as it is transforming ( no puns ) an electronic signal into an audible frequency ... If that is missing, the most expensive and powerful pups aren't going to help. By the same token, high impedance does not necessarily equate great tonality..

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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:46 am
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Zentar wrote:
[b]Johny Soniq[/b

I like Blondie. Looks like it is a design with a specific theme that was adhered to very well. That brass tremola block? What do you notice with that? I haven't seen anyone use brass. Does it ring like they say brass rings?

Thanks Zentar, the slightly extended ring of a brass trem block is noticeable after changeover. Those saddles are also chrome plated brass. I have not tried titanium yet.
Although the original block was a slightly thinner dull surface alloy, not a full size steel block as some high end strats come with. Then again, there are many different grades of steel quality.
The quality of metal in parts does matter. It all adds up.
You can then choose pickups with a more balanced tonal output, instead of the usual toppy sounding that make up for the lost treble transfer.
There is no doubt that cheaper alloys (parts) usually have a degree of inherently compromised molecular internal structure. They made bells out of brass for a reason, a stainless steel bell sounds good too, but they didn't have stainless steel centuries ago.
Just yesterday a friend sent me a pic of his vintage Tele, he changed the 3 brass saddles for 3 titanium saddles. They don't stand out like brass dogs nuts, same silver color as the bridge plate. He said 'trust me, titanium sound great'. What, better than brass?? I tend to believe him when he's already put Lollar '52T pickups in it, oh and a stainless steel mirror guard, looks killer on a Tele.

Blondie is a freak of set-up, she stays in tune, whatever I bend :twisted:
Today I'm working on a new pickguard for her, textured 304 grade stainless steel with streaky Olympic white permanent enamel inlay. Ha ha, the things I do. Will update pic soon.

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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:29 pm
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I have learned that virtually all metals are alloys. The only pure aluminum is in drink cans. Most trem blocks are zinc alloys but modern zinc alloys can be far far superior to what used to be called Pot Metal. Bridge materiels use Zamak which is Zinc alloy.
Titanium is just coming into its own. Guns use titanium now but those models are extremely expensive. Guitars are tinkering with Titanium now too but I have always been afraid of Titanium because of its unusual finickiness. It is a light metal but can lightness give the ring of the heavier Brass. When I see a titanium bell I'll know Titanium has been mastered by metallurgists


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:40 am
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I went with a Lollar P90 in my HSS. More powerful than most humbuckers and great tone for Sabbath and AC/DC.


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:35 am
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I would have to agree with Johnny Soniq's suggestion of just adding the pickup of your choice to an existing instrument. The truth is that when it comes to pickups, everyone's gonna have their own choice and suggestion....regardless of whether it came stock on an instrument or not. In this case, if your interested in "power", while I might favor something like a Duncan Invader, it might also be worth considering an active pickup such as an EMG 85...it's hard to be active pickups for power.

Seriously...for all the issues you'd have with finding out which Strats had the highest output HB's, I suspect you'd be happier and better off just finding a Strat you really like and replacing the pickups to suit your own needs.

Just my own opinion.


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:34 pm
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You have to get the first generation Sambora Strat to get the full 15db boost. Good luck with that as china has flooded the market with counterfeits and the real one's are very hard to find and costly! Here's mine. It's nearly unplayed.
It was used to record "New Jersey" and "Stranger In This Town"! Then given to Les Paul. ;)

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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 5:30 am
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There was a time when I wanted the highest output buckers I could lay my hands on. I eventually came to realize low to medium output buckers sounded better. Slash is a prime example of a rock star who follows that same principle. He uses low output pups and gets his drive from his amp. Several folks mentioned the Pearly Gates and for good reason. It's a great pickup for a Strat.

My advice (for what it's worth) is to try not to reinvent the wheel. Go with what's already been proven to work.

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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 6:37 am
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bajasdogs wrote:
You have to get the first generation Sambora Strat to get the full 25db boost. Good luck with that as china has flooded the market with counterfeits and the real one's are very hard to find and costly! Here's mine. It's nearly unplayed.
It was used to record "New Jersey" and "Stranger In This Town"! Then given to Les Paul. ;)

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+1

The combination of DiMarzio PAF Pro Custom and switchable Elite circuitry give that guitar serious balls while the two Texas Special singles in the neck & middle deliver lots of SRV grit into the mix.

Later incarnations boasted more traditional hardware, Dual Coil Ceramic stack humbuckers and a modified MDX preamp with a pair of resistors for gain reduction.


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Post subject: Re: Which HSS Strat has the most poewrful humbucker?
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:54 am
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So your saying it had a 25db boost? I had thought that the first one's had 15 db and later 12.5 db.. It's been a while since I have seen the specs. There's been so many incarnations! Thank's for the info chromeface.


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