Single coil sized humbuckers

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SpiderWars

SpiderWars

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I recently bought that Morello Strat that was for sale here and for the most part I like it. But the bridge pickup is a Duncan Hot Rails and it sucks. I’ve never researched single coil sized humbuckers but it seems they all suck.

Do I have this right? They all seem really dull in the top, middy, blurry bass. Any of them any good?
 
I personally think the Hot Rails is one of the best ones out there for hard rock/metal; I went through the Dimarzio Chopper and Tone Zone S (both good but not quite there) and then finally settled on the Hot Rails - it was the only one that truly sounds like a hot humbucker to me

Sucks you're not jiving with it
 
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I had the Hot Rails for Tele in my Esquire, and I did find it very dull and not very attacky. Super hot, though.

I liked the DiMarzio Super Distortion T better, TBH. But mine was microphonic.

Also take a look at the Duncan Quarter Pound series. They're not humbuckers, but they punch like one without being overly twangy like other single coils, but not as dark as the single coil sized humbuckers.
 
I have a couple Duncan custom shop single sized humbuckers I like. One is a slightly modified jb with alnico 5 magnet modified in that it is a blade design, a little tighter and slightly lower output than a standard jb. The second is also alnico 5 but has screw pole pieces and is a bit hotter and tighter jb. I like them both. I bought the first one used and it informed my ordering of the second. If you order one, they ask you what tone you are after and they will build something as close as can be to what you describe. Best option I've found for single sized hums...
 
That1Guy said:
I second taking a look at the SD Quarter Pound (unless you're after super tight metal)
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Even so, I think they do pull it off. I have one in my Esquire, and it can almost keep up with my Les Paul with Fluence Moderns.

To me, it almost sounds like a JB with some P90-ish elements. Probably not the ultimate modern razor tight metal pickup for Drop Z, but just as as JB, it pulls it off.

But I do think the Strat QP's are different specs.
 
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On one of my guitars, I put that Dimarzio Sugar Shakra DP427 in the bridge.
It was actually great sounding and had a lot of output.
 
I have an Area T615 in my tele bridge. sounds good. nice all around tone
could have probably used the hot version but have really no regrets and its dead quite
 
I had a Dimarzio HS-3 in my strat for several years, and it was great. Lower output, but I used a GE-7 to boost it.
 
scottosan said:
250k pots maybe?
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I think, the neck/middle are Fender Noiseless and sound decent. This doesn’t sound like something a 500k pot would fix tho.
Geo said:
How about EMG?
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That would involve new pots, new neck/middle pickups, and a battery. At that point I’d rather cut a full humbucker hole in the pg and install a humbucker. If the humbucker is the right one, a 250k volume works. Like the Jalen Fair Warning…I have one in a Warmoth with 250k volume and it smokes.

The Morello Strat is routed for HSH…I specifically checked that prior to buying. Fearing this exact thing.
 
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SpiderWars said:
I think, the neck/middle are Fender Noiseless and sound decent. This doesn’t sound like something a 500k pot would fix tho.

That would involve new pots, new neck/middle pickups, and a battery. At that point I’d rather cut a full humbucker hole in the pg and install a humbucker. If the humbucker is the right one, a 250k volume works. Like the Jalen Fair Warning…I have one in a Warmoth with 250k volume and it smokes.

The Morello Strat is routed for HSH…I specifically checked that prior to buying. Fearing this exact thing.
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I think all humbuckers with a 250k pot sound dull, FWIW
 
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scottosan said:
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Think all humbuckers with a 250k pot sound dull, FWIW
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Well you know I like bright but I’ve found that the Jalen FW sounds best with a 250k (which is was designed for). When I bought it I forgot and installed it with 500k and was bummed. Then I remembered and boom…there was the sound.
 
I first tried the Hot Rails with 250K pots. It was just plain unusable.

I then had it with a single 500K volume, no tone. Still too dark for my taste.

The thing is that's just how it's voiced. And the fact that Fender bridge pickups are slanted with the bass side of the pickup further away from the bridge itself, doesn't help with tightness and agression in t3h ChuGGZ.
 
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