What gives ???

[FullDrive2]

I am at my wits end trying to find strat tones I like. In 2000 I bought a MIA alderbody, rosewood board hardtail strat. The stock pups were average at best. So I tried a set of fender noiseless pups. They were "off". With the 1meg pots that came with they were too bright. With 250 and 500 pots they got too dark to quack respectably. Next I put SD classic stacks in the neck and middle and a cool rail in the bridge. The rail is servicable but the classic stacks are too "stringy" sounding. Not a great description but best I can come up with. Too add insult to injury I played a $200 Samick Malibu that had a better strat tone than my Strat!!

Maybe the issue is using stacked pups instead of true SC's. If I go that route I need some pointers on which ones and quieting them down. My PC monitor wreaks havoc on them when I am recording and that is 90% of my playing.

Anyone with a thought please throw it out there. Nothing too extreme or far fetched as far as I am concerned. Lets hear your ideas. I am desperate.

If its helpful, tones I am into are the usual suspects, Gilmour, Hendrix, SRV, knopfler etc as well as Coco Montoya.

[pc]

Crazy as it sounds--I say go geek.

Go to the Fender website and make notes about what each kind of guitar has--i.e., wood type, which pups, etc.

Then go to the nearest giant MegaFenderMart and play 'em all.

Here's why. You are looking for YOUR sound, which is gonna be somewhere between all the guitarists you mentioned and what sound lives deep in your head.

First, yeah, if you want a more classic Strat tone, you probably want to lose the stacked pups.

I can tell you I love Texas Special Strat pups more than any other. I also think the Custom Shop 50s are awesome. However, to me, the Texas Specials were just good in an Alder Strat, but amazing in an ash Strat. Yet, the CS pups to me are a bit too bright in an Ash Strat. Of the aftermarket pups, I think Kinman AVN-blues are the best noiseless Strat pups, but...

Not to belabor the point, but these are all personal opinions to me. Your mileage can and will vary.

Play 'em all (or as many as you can). It's the best research you can do.

[FullDrive2]

Jack, no question its a matter of personal opinion and taste. I grew up playing HB equipped guitars and this is my first quality SC pup equipped axe. I am hoping to draw on the experience of more veteran players to sort out in a general sense what is worth checking out and what isn't. Just cruising this board has been very helpful. Thanks for throwing your hat in the ring on this one by the way!!

Does your band have a Website? I am just up the road a bit and could check out this glorious Sienna Strat of yours next time I get down there..

[kottkewannabe]

For those tones AND noiseless...go Kinman. Read up on the models and perhaps e-mail Chris...he's been very quick and helpful in his replies. Then, just for some good commentary on guitars in general, click here...http://www.kinman.com/html/toneWorks...fectGuitar.htm

[pc]

No--no website yet, but I'm working on it...

Our next show is at the Short North Tavern, which is on High Street south of OSU campus and just north of the city.

Hit ubergroove@columbus.rr.com and I'll give you more details.

UberGroove email

Yeah, the Sienna Strat is at least glorious to me--I'd be glad to let you check it out.

BTW--the Fulldrive2 is what I consider to be the other glorious part of my tone. :p

[LightninBoy]

You might want to check this site out - he's got all the boutiques available - you could probably describe what you're looking for and get some help choosing which pup is right for you....

http://www.mikelull.com

[Teleologist]

For the sounds you're after, Fender Fat 50s may do the trick. I went back and forth on a '57 RI between the 57/62 PUPs(great classic dual PUP sounds, but too thin used alone) and Texas Specials(great used alone, but not enough cluck and chime used together). I sold the '57RI and picked up a CS '58(came with Fat 50s) and finally, a Strat that does everything well :)

The Fat 50s neck PUP is the same or only slightly warmer than the '54 neck, but the middle and bridge are progressively warmer than the neck. They're not nearly as hot as the Texas Specials. The bridge PUP on mine is ~6.6K(vs. 7.0K for the Texas Special bridge). I did add the jumper to let the tone control work for the bridge/only position, otherwise the wiring is stock.

The Fat 50s middle pup is RW/RP so it's quiet when both PUPs are used. For recording with a PC you can probably turn the monitor off when you're doing a take. A flat panel display is expensive but much quieter than a CRT. I use an infrared keyboard(and big fonts) to get far away. Most software has keyboard shortcuts that will let you control it.

[FullDrive2]

Thanks for all the info guys!!!