How often do strat players use the bridge Pup?

Gear
#1

There is a single coil tone missing from my arsenal. I love the bluesy and funky sound of the SRV, Hendrix, RHCP, Nile rogers and the firey Malmsteen! I have a Musicman JP6 with a coil split, but it doesn’t quite cover it - not the same as a true single coil sound.

I’m thinking of branching out in terms of style from the usual rock and metal into blues and funk and want the tone to match.

I have Ibanez RG body and neck that I could modify to have either SSS or HSS configuration. Or go for something like an Sterling cutlass.

In my limited experience with single coils, I have always thought that the bridge pickup is shrill and ice picky. Am I missing something here? How often to strat players use it?

Do I go for HSS or SSS?

Many thanks in advance for any input…

#2

HSS could be more in step with your current tastes and allows you to branch into other territories as well.

The bridge pickup is usuable with a tone control, otherwise I find it too piercing but plenty of people do use it.

I went for HSS because of that versatility but if I had another reliable guitar I wouldn’t mind an SSS setup at all.

1 Like
#3

As niche as it is, what made me go with a single coil bridge is Eric Johnson’s tone, and King’s X.

2 Likes
#4

SSS strats are an archetype guitar.
Just wire the 2nd tone knob to the bridge if you go with SSS.
You could check out SD Fury (YJM) pickups, they are hum cancelling.
Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots are great vintage-style pickups, think SRV.

edit: Single coil bridge pickups have great articulation, they really emphasise aggressive picking, sounds and feels awesome.

2 Likes
#5

I think the most common use of the bridge pickup on SSS is combined with the middle pickup to get hum-cancelling (assuming RWRP middle pickup). This still gets you “quack” but cuts through a little more than combining middle and neck.

As others noted, bridge single coil by itself can be shrill, and traditional strat configuration has no tone control for the bridge pickup. Eric Johnson uses a modified configuration with tone control for the bridge pickup, and many people online advocate that configuration.

1 Like
#6

Great comments guys - plenty of ways to experiment or cope with what I eventually go for, which is a relief because I suck at playing other guitars than my usual, so if I find the guitar that physically suits me I won’t be put off if its HSS or SSS!

Its gonna be a whole new world!

If I had the cash, i’d buy a Sterling JP6 and get a luthier to mod and refinish it! :grin:

Thanks again peeps!

#7

I believe EJ would set his tone to the neck pick-up, then flip to the bridge and roll off the tone until it wasn’t too shrill (EJ wiring has a tone pot dedicated to the bridge. You could experiment with different capacitor values to dial in just rhe right roll off for your sound.

2 Likes
#8

For a while I would wire my guitars that way, .1 uF cap on bridge pickup tone control for a slight roll off of attack.

#9

I just made a “Frankenstrat” with two humbuckers. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the sound of humbuckers. I can get a good rock sound at high gain, and the feedback is nice. I can use the neck pickup for a darker jazz/blues sound at lower gain, but the amp setting has to change.

My philosophy on pickups was influenced by Van Halen and Alan Holdsworth. I’ve seen both of them using guitars with bridge pickups only. That way you can get a good, consistent rock sound by using your amp to add bass, reduce treble, etc. But this amp EQ is useless for the other pickup. It seems to be “one or the other.” If you have a channel-switching amp, you can switch instantly and make both pickups usable. But who’s gonna need to change from a rock sound to a jazz sound in one song? I’ll probably be using a different guitar for jazz, anyway.

Conversely, notice how Pat Metheney’s Ibanez model leaves out the bridge pickup, and has only the neck pickup, for a good consistent jazz sound.

#10

I kinda agree and disagree with you. While I do dig single pickup guitars and using pedals / amps to change the sound, it’s entirely possible (and executed by many pros) to just use the same settings across the board and just switch pickups. Granted, you need to make sure that the pickups you dig are somewhat balanced.

#11

I thought the specific examples of Eddie Van Halen and Pat Metheney were enough to make the point.
If “it’s entirely possible (and executed by many pros) to just use the same settings across the board and just switch pickups,” then it goes counter to what I think are a “good rock sound” and a “good jazz sound.”
Of course, my taste in this is determined by the jazz and rock players I admire: Pat Metheney, Jim Hall, Alan Holdsworth, and Eddie Van Halen.

Jimi Hendrix seemed to be able to use both pickups as you are saying, but it seems he used them for extreme contrasts, such as when he switched to his bridge pickup for solos, usually through a wah pedal.

1 Like
#12

I just saw your reply (what a delay)!

Like you said, there’s no debating tastes, so you might not (probably don’t) dig the players that comes to mind that do this (Petrucci, Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Gilbert) and others. Many videos of them talking about their thought process behind pickup switching.

#13

Rory Gallagher and Uli Jon Roth both used the bridge pickup in the strat back in the day.

#14

One of the best ways to embrace the bridge pickup is to do a course of country chicken picking. Learn a few Brent Mason’s tracks from Hotwired or Brad Paisley to reveal the joys of the bridge pickup. Some times stepping back with just a simple clean amp, reverb and a compressor can be very refreshing, and it’s a very versatile and universally appreciated style, even toddlers respond positively to a track like working man blues! Plus throw in some crosspicking, dynamite with the ladies :wink:

4 Likes
#15

I’m having a late-in-life resurgence of sorts with a Strat bridge pickup, and part of that I think is finally finding a couple pickups that work for me. In particular, the Suhr ML Standard, Fender Eric Johnson, and Suhr V60LP have really clicked for me, probably the third a little less than the first two, but the first two very strongly. They have a gorgeous "“brassy” sort of burnished character to them, bright, but without ice-pick-y presence, and sound absolutely awesome.

I’ve always been a “you buy a Strat for the neck pickup, and maybe the neck/middle in between sound” guy. With a good bridge pickup though, it really is an awfully usable tone, bright, but aggressive and cutting and stinging without being harsh.

FWIW, I do have both of my SSS guitars wired with a tone control in the circuit of the bridge pickup (not always the case with a Fender), but almost always leave it on 10.

I’d also say maybe just spend some time listening to guys who play a Strat and really use the full range of sounds in the guitar - I suspect SRV spent a lot more time switching pickup positions than he generally was credited with doing, particularly if you listen closely to his playing on Texas Flood, it seems like there’s a bunch of subtle shading going on there with the pickup switch.

#16

Great idea… Jeff Beck also springs to mind - he would switch mid- phrase just for one note!

1 Like
#17

Jeff Beck is not a human being, and under no account should one listen to him without first preparing oneself for crippling depression. Dear god, his control over the trem bar. :rofl:

But, yes, good point!

2 Likes
#18

I’ve always wired my Strats where the tone control affects the bridge pickup, to roll off some of that brightness. My favorite wiring scheme for Strats is by Dan Armstrong, published in Guitar Player magazine years ago.