Dual Purpose Guitar:

[Mr. Bert]

I have played the Explorer style guitars for many years now. I have really grown to love the sound produced by the huge slab of mahogany. Currently, I play a Hamer Standard with PAFs. It has a great sound and a nice, thick neck that plays very comfortably.

I also have an old Stratocaster that I use for Hendrix covers and any other song where a bright single coil sound is warranted.

I must admit, the Strat feels very balanced and I have long wanted to create a guitar that would do both. Sound like a Fender and a Gibson at the same time.

However, I have noticed that Strats never truly capture that big, roomy Gibson sound. Most of the Fender Fat Strats I have played just sound muddy.

Do you think this is attributed more to the pickups? Or, the type of wood used in the construction of the body?

I am presently working on the following buildup: It is based on an old Charvel Stratocaster (Alder) with a 1-11/16" reverse headstock neck. It will have a Carvin M-22SD in the bridge position, wired with push-pull pots for double and single coil switching.

The center and neck pickups are Tom Anderson Vintage Stacked Single Coils also wired for coil splitting. The stock 5-way switch gives standard Stratocaster pickup configurations.

What I like about the Carvin M-22SD is the 22 pole pieces and its high frequency response. I considered a Covered PAF or Duncan SH-4-JB, but felt they might sound a bit too thick in the Strat body.

What has your experience been with installing double coils in a Stratocaster style body???

I appreciate your input on this subject...Bert

[toyL]

…about a yr ago I put an 80s model dimarzio dbl-coil in the bridge pos. of a US-made charvel/jackson…now it rocks, especially at high amp-output...I'm very pleased the tone--not exactly like a gibson w/humbucking, but still deep and full.


http://www.dimarzio.com/f_pickups.html --if you have any wiring concerns.

[Outlaws]

Originally posted by Mr. Bert
However, I have noticed that Strats never truly capture that big, roomy Gibson sound.

Thats why you get a Tele.

[jdier]

I cannot answer your question directly however I would suggest you get out to play a G&L legacy special. They have three hot rails in a strat config and you can get them wired with a pull pot on the tone knob that allows for up to 7 pick up choices.

Really a nice playing guitar.

Might make sense to check and ASAT too. I have one and it weights about as much as my buick and has sound for days.

[Richard Monroe]

If you put humbuckers in a thin body about the weight of a Strat, what you get is an SG or a Les Paul Studio. For versatility, I did this. I replaced the Classic 57 humbuckers in my SG with Seymour Duncans, an SH-4 and an SH-14, with coil taps. The tone pots are replaced by push/pull pots, and you have to go to deeper knobs. Click-it's a Gibson SG. Click- it's a Telecaster. Click- it's a hybrid Strat.-Richie

[Outlaws]

Originally posted by Richard Monroe
If you put humbuckers in a thin body about the weight of a Strat, what you get is an SG or a Les Paul Studio. For versatility, I did this. I replaced the Classic 57 humbuckers in my SG with Seymour Duncans, an SH-4 and an SH-14, with coil taps. The tone pots are replaced by push/pull pots, and you have to go to deeper knobs. Click-it's a Gibson SG. Click- it's a Telecaster. Click- it's a hybrid Strat.-Richie

Wow..........

That would feel weird. I think. Getting a thin sound out of a Gibson. I mean, there is just so much power waiting to be unleashed when you play one unplugged...then to plug it in and get a single coil sound, I mean, come on...just seems like sacrilege to me.

[Richard Monroe]

Well, Outlaws, it may seem like sacrilege, but it solves a bunch of problems. First, I love the sound of a Tele, but my hands don't get along well with Fender necks. Secondly, I could only afford one high end solid body. Thirdly, it allows for instant changes in a live situation. I think my axe does exactly what the original poster is looking for.-Richie

[Mr. Bert]

Richard, I think you have the idea I was looking for. A way to switch sounds during a live performance. Nice...Bert

[Richard Monroe]

For a picture of the axe in question, check the pictures off the project page of my website- www.bardwire.com-Richie

[DimChandeliers]

I play a strat, and when I want a Gibson sound I run it thru a wah wah pedal and find a position on the wah that gives me that squaking les paul tone. It's good enough for me.

[foo]

i actually went through what you're going through and came up with the following solution:

A 22-fret maple w/ebony fret board, 4-bolt neck.

2 coil-split Seymour Duncan humbuckers with a Seymour Duncan single coil in between them set up like this:

Neck Duncan Custom Alnico II Vintage Duncan Mag Bridge

I tried to go with a neck-through on a previous guitar and it just doesn't get the Strat 'in-between' tone.

It was wired by a guy who knew what he was doing with a master Gibson/Fender switch - and then the standard switching/wiring for both those manufacturers - so I could pre-set my 'Gibson lead' selection (eg bridge humbucker) while playing my 'Fender rhythm' sound and switch between the two with one switch.

Got great sounds from front single-coil (Tele/Strat SRV solo)) to front 'bucker (Chunky clean rhythm and nice round jazzy solo) to middle sinlge and bridge single coil (Knopfler) and ballsy bridge 'bucker.

worked great.

[Mr. Bert]

Dim,

I see your point about your use of a Wah to give you a different sound, but I am very basic in my approach to effects and equipment. I don't like to 'color' or otherwise alter the sound of my guitars, except for certain cover songs.

I haven't changed my amp settings in 5 years or more and I still have every effect I ever purchased, dating all the way back to 1984. I have a DOD FX 90 Analog Delay, a Boss NS-2 Noise Gate, Boss Chorus and an old Arion Metal Master someone gave to me that I have never used. For volume control I use an old Ernie Ball Volume Pedal.

I don't reset my amp for different guitars, I let the instrument's color come through. On my Marshall, the boost channel is tuned for the Hamer with PAF's.

The gain is set at about 3 o'clock, the bass at 4 o'clock, the contour is at 1 o'clock and treble is all the way up. The sound is a grinding, heavy tone that still has a sharp edge on the top end.

The clean channel is set up for my single coil Stratocaster, but it sounds beautiful when I play the Hamer through it. I sometimes use a little chorus, but again, it depends on the song.

I consider myself a decent (technical) musician, but I place my greatest emphasis on sound quality. People will sometimes compliment me on my live sound, but I think it is more due to the simplicity of my equipment than anything else.

My setup is so quiet it is unreal. I can play at high volume levels without feedback or hissing. Some of the guys I have played with have a myriad of effects and the sound between sets is like bacon frying. Heaven help them if they take their hands off the instrument to adjust a mike stand.

I prefer a natural tone that allows the instrument's personality to be heard. It is just a matter of personal taste.

Foo,

I really like your approach and I think you know what I am looking for. My goal is to find a pickup that (in the Strat body) will give me the sound of a covered PAF with a distinct high-end snarl.

I have huge hands. I wear a size 12 glove and measure 8" from the heel of my palm to the tip of my middle finger, so I love wider necks. I have been thinking about trying a Warmoth Super-Wide Neck and was concerned about string spacing and my choice of a pickup.

The 22 pole pieces on the Carvin M-22 seem like a good idea and allows for string-to-string balance across the spectrum of sound, but it may not be a factor at the bridge.

I am tossed up between the Duncan SH-4 JB and the M-22 SD pickups. Both great pickups, but it is hard to imagine how they will sound when they are in the guitar.

I appreciate everyone who posted to this thread and I would love to hear your opinions and ideas on the choice of pickups...Bert

[JR#97]

Out of the "box", the Ernie Ball Musicman Steve Morse guitar is very versatile in it's tonal options:

http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/sp...tevemorse.html