Am I the only person...

[MetalheadMattyG]

I like Strats. Even Squire made good strats back in the 80's. I'll be honest, I love my Squire, if Fender's blow them out of the water then I'll go into debt to go and get one. Especially if I can get one with an HSS setup like my Squire.

 

[C2Aye]

Anyone know of some good stacked single coils?
Since I'm interested in buying a start clone that has the "3 singlecouils" configuration and swapping the single for the stacked buckers, since I love the tone of singles, but hate the hum.

There are plently of hum cancelling single coils on the market. I know Dimarzio make them, and Fender American Deluxe Strats come with them as standard. I would look into noiseless pickups before possibly sacrificing single coil tone for stacked humbuckers.

I like Strats. Even Squire made good strats back in the 80's. I'll be honest, I love my Squire, if Fender's blow them out of the water then I'll go into debt to go and get one. Especially if I can get one with an HSS setup like my Squire.

It depends. Apparently, some of the new American models are nothing to write home about so I'd do some research first. I'd recommend the American Deluxe models though, because mine is absolutely awesome and you can get them in a HSS configuration. Only downside is the hefty price tag. Mine cost £900 (which is over $9000, which I am led to believe...I jest, I jest. At the time of purchace, that would translate to $1600 or something)

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

There are plently of hum cancelling single coils on the market.

That's why I would like a suggestion

Also, several people who have used the stacked bucklers have commented that the tone was not very different from the singles.

I know Dimarzio make them, and Fender American Deluxe Strats come with them as standard. I would look into noiseless pickups before possibly sacrificing single coil tone for stacked humbuckers.

Ooh, I didn't know noiseless singles existed, explain.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

I doubt the market is large enough to justify a production model

Maybe not big enough for ALL of that, but I think lots of people would buy guitars with LEDs for fretmarkers.

 

[C2Aye]

Ooh, I didn't know noiseless singles existed, explain.

If you go to the Dimarzio website and then to the 'strat' section, select hum cancelling and you have a selection of single coils, all with no hum

As for me, my Strat came stock with fender samarium cobalt noiseless pickups which are better for metal, if you ask me. They aren't as bright as other single coils and have a very good mid range response (ideal for djentz). However, if you're looking for a classic tone with bright bell tones, then maybe you should look elsewhere.

There are noiseless single coils on the market. I think for this, google is your friend

EDIT: Apparently, I'm a massive idiot who didn't know that the samarium cobalt noiseless pickups in his strat are in fact, stacked single coils. I think I should pack myself a lunch because that was a massive schoolboy error.

 

[Mordacain]

If you go to the Dimarzio website and then to the 'strat' section, select hum cancelling and you have a selection of single coils, all with no hum

As for me, my Strat came stock with fender samarium cobalt noiseless pickups which are better for metal, if you ask me. They aren't as bright as other single coils and have a very good mid range response (ideal for djentz). However, if you're looking for a classic tone with bright bell tones, then maybe you should look elsewhere.

There are noiseless single coils on the market. I think for this, google is your friend

EDIT: Apparently, I'm a massive idiot who didn't know that the samarium cobalt noiseless pickups in his strat are in fact, stacked single coils. I think I should pack myself a lunch because that was a massive schoolboy error.

Yea, DiMarzio's Area pickups are also stacked humbuckers but they sound beautifully single coil. I have som GFS Neovins which are actually side by side blade humbuckers with a grounded shield array that sound remarkably single-coil like and are relatively cheap. The downside to the Neovins is you have to put them right up on the strings, but the NEO7 in Neck is a heavenly smokey blues tone and it quacks pretty nice with the NEO5 in mid.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

EDIT: Apparently, I'm a massive idiot who didn't know that the samarium cobalt noiseless pickups in his strat are in fact, stacked single coils. I think I should pack myself a lunch because that was a massive schoolboy error.

They are only stacked for hum cancelling though, they still sound like true single coils, only without the background noise. The Dimarzio YJMs in my Malmsteen strat sound fucking amazing, and are almost completely silent / don't feedback when not touching the strings, just like a guitar with good humbuckers.

Now, to get round to fixing the crackly jack socket on my strat, the absolute weak point of any Strat

 

[C2Aye]

They are only stacked for hum cancelling though, they still sound like true single coils, only without the background noise. The Dimarzio YJMs in my Malmsteen strat sound fucking amazing, and are almost completely silent / don't feedback when not touching the strings, just like a guitar with good humbuckers.

Now, to get round to fixing the crackly jack socket on my strat, the absolute weak point of any Strat

Crackly jack socket? Unlucky, I've never had a problem with the jack for the two strats I owned.

I think the main weaknesses, in my opinion, of the strat is that older ones have only 21 and that the neck joints are hell for people who regularly play Ibanez's and other shreddy metal guitars. I don't mind the neck joint at all, but it seems to be a regular complaint.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

Crackly jack socket? Unlucky, I've never had a problem with the jack for the two strats I owned.

I think the main weaknesses, in my opinion, of the strat is that older ones have only 21 and that the neck joints are hell for people who regularly play Ibanez's and other shreddy metal guitars. I don't mind the neck joint at all, but it seems to be a regular complaint.

Basically thats what the inside of the Fender jack looks like. The bar that is supposed to sit taut against the end of the cable is eventually bent away and doesn't contact properly, and you have to tighten the outside nut or remove the jack and bend the contact arm back into proper alignment to fix it. Has happened to all 3 strats I've owned, and several of my brother's basses with Fender style jacks. Ibanez used a round contact like this, which pretty much never goes wrong.

 

[Murmel]

Crackly jack socket? Unlucky, I've never had a problem with the jack for the two strats I owned.

I think the main weaknesses, in my opinion, of the strat is that older ones have only 21 and that the neck joints are hell for people who regularly play Ibanez's and other shreddy metal guitars. I don't mind the neck joint at all, but it seems to be a regular complaint.

The fact that most strats come with 21 frets is a huge turnoff for me.. I'd love a HSS strat though.
And you get used to the neck joint. Sure I prefer an ultra access ala Ibanez one, but it's not that bad.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Basically thats what the inside of the Fender jack looks like. The bar that is supposed to sit taut against the end of the cable is eventually bent away and doesn't contact properly, and you have to tighten the outside nut or remove the jack and bend the contact arm back into proper alignment to fix it. Has happened to all 3 strats I've owned, and several of my brother's basses with Fender style jacks. Ibanez used a round contact like this, which pretty much never goes wrong.

All jacks die, even the barrel style ones. Even those really pricey Neutrik ones die. Those open ones have the advantage of being able to be easily bent back into working order (or even better if you like the cable held extra tight), the barrel ones (and other closed designs) need to be completely replaced.

Just unscrew the strat jackplate, bend the contact back in place, place a little bit of blue Loctite on the nuts, tighten the nuts up, and then screw the jackplate back on. Should last a looooong time before you need to fuss with it again.

 

[C2Aye]

I guess because my Strat is only 4 years old, I haven't run into any jack problems as of yet. It's pretty tight and locks the jack in pretty well. My Ibanez 7 has that barrel jack, so I guess I have the best of both worlds.

What I'm really afraid of is if all those extra S-1 switch electronics on my strat (which I never, ever seem to use) fail and somehow completely mess up all the electronics on the guitar.

 

[BigPhi84]

That's why I use Zzyzx SnapJack cables. Just leave the magnetic tips in the jack.

Zzyzx SnapJack? Magnetic Precision Technology

Of course, the downside to these is that you can't leave the tips plugged into an active-pickup-equipped guitar (unless it had a battery on-off switch).

Check them out. I really dig them.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

^^^

I keep meaning to e-mail Zzyzx to see if they'd be willing to sell their connectors separate. I've been meaning to tryout the SnapJack and Pitbull cables, but I like building my own lengths.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

That's why I use Zzyzx SnapJack cables. Just leave the magnetic tips in the jack.

Zzyzx SnapJack? Magnetic Precision Technology

Of course, the downside to these is that you can't leave the tips plugged into an active-pickup-equipped guitar (unless it had a battery on-off switch).

Check them out. I really dig them.

That seems like a pretty cool idea. I don't use active pickups (no better than good passives and extra hassle, totally different story on bass though) so that wouldn't bother me. I did have some cool cables once from Planet waves that had an expansion joint for snug fit.

So you can see the expansion part right just before the metal jack meets the plastic housing. They were pretty good, but as all cables do, they died and I went with other cables as the crappy shop I ended up in didn't stock Planet waves.

 

[PyramidSmasher]

I have 3 fenders... ranging from 68 to 93 in years. I'll get pictures. I dont use any except the customized Music Master though.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

If you go to the Dimarzio website and then to the 'strat' section, select hum cancelling and you have a selection of single coils, all with no hum

As for me, my Strat came stock with fender samarium cobalt noiseless pickups which are better for metal, if you ask me. They aren't as bright as other single coils and have a very good mid range response (ideal for djentz). However, if you're looking for a classic tone with bright bell tones, then maybe you should look elsewhere.

Are they still plenty bright or more warm sounding? I like chime and zing, and I'm fine with a more present midrange as long as it doesn't reduce/cover up the treble.

I think the main weaknesses, in my opinion, of the strat is that older ones have only 21 and that the neck joints are hell for people who regularly play Ibanez's and other shreddy metal guitars. I don't mind the neck joint at all, but it seems to be a regular complaint.

It's never been a problem for me, but they do feel VERY different.

I'm there with ya on the 21 frets thing though.
I'm gonna get a conversion neck so I can add extra frets and make it a baritone at the same time.

 

[jtm45]

If you're looking for some Strat pickups that still have that beautiful traditional Strat sound without the hum then i'd suggest checking out Kinman Pickups.
They sound really amazing and they come in 4 or so differently voiced sets. I think you can also order a solder-free wiring harness with them these days so they're more or less plug n' play (Hank Marvin has his own signature set of Kinmans too!)

Kinman - Home

 

[abstract]

I have a strat that I tore apart and converted to H-H. Sounds amazing with a D-Sonic in the bridge. Needs a fretjob or even a new neck pretty bad though. If I had some spare cash I'd get the trem cavity completely filled in and finished over and get a tune-o-matic string-thru bridge.

 

[C2Aye]

That's why I use Zzyzx SnapJack cables. Just leave the magnetic tips in the jack.

Zzyzx SnapJack? Magnetic Precision Technology

Of course, the downside to these is that you can't leave the tips plugged into an active-pickup-equipped guitar (unless it had a battery on-off switch).

Check them out. I really dig them.

Gayest advert music I have ever heard in my life ever. But the leads seem very cool!

I have 3 fenders... ranging from 68 to 93 in years. I'll get pictures. I dont use any except the customized Music Master though.

DO IT. PICTURES, NOW!

Are they still plenty bright or more warm sounding? I like chime and zing, and I'm fine with a more present midrange as long as it doesn't reduce/cover up the treble.

Not sure about how the dimarzios sound, but the Fender Samarium Cobalt Noiseless are still plenty bright and warm sounding. The neck still has that bell tone, the bridge is nice and snappy and the coil split tones are amazing. I mean, if you compare it to an older strat, you may find it is less bright, but still has that strat tone.

I think the more present mid range is a lot more pronounced with high gain distortion, and in my opinion the SCN's, because they are less bright, are more balanced and have overall, a better tone when distorted. I mean, with some strats, you kick the distortion on and it's one big, fizzy mess