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The Pickup Place / Bridge pickup for Strat

« Last post by aselix on January 16, 2026, 10:52:13 AM »

I want to replace the bridge pickup in my strat, from a single coil to a humbucker.

Looking for an 80's type lead sound.  Which single coil sized humbuckers should I look at? 

Not necessarily high output, just enough for a strong lead sound.

Thanks

32

The Pickup Place / My Humbucker from Hell REview

« Last post by nienturi on January 09, 2026, 02:48:24 AM »

Hello. This is my review of "Humbucker From Hell". Hope you like it

https://www.tonejourney.com/post/dimarzio-humbucker-from-hell-review

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The mini bar (off topic & misc) / Re: Spam

« Last post by darkbluemurder on January 06, 2026, 05:12:56 AM »

From time to time I see spam threads on this forum, and these are so far the only instances where I exercise my moderator power - such threads will be invariably removed with no exception.

Cheers Stephan

34

The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by gregr on January 03, 2026, 03:15:01 PM »

Generally speaking, my tone control simply removes presence and does little to nothing in a band context when playing anything heavier than mild distortion.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by headcrash on January 03, 2026, 03:20:00 AM »

Well, I don’t like/need tone controls and disconnected them in my guitars (if they have one at all)

With that said, I‘ve experimented with load capacitors in the past and somehow it wasn’t really my thing.
Since I don’t really want or need a lower output single coil sound, there’s no need for me to go that route (single coil + load caps).

I was also intrigued by that Jake E. Lee Charvel, but I wouldn’t be able to handle noisy single coils .

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by gregr on January 02, 2026, 08:48:32 PM »

The Injector Bridge in the neck can be a good sound for sure. I’ve contemplated putting one in the neck for high gain solos, but for me it would just be a 1-trick pony. With weaker pickups there is still the option to turn down the tone control to remove some of the harsher top end. The HB2 is the hottest stacked single coil I’ve used in the neck position. It was in the HSS guitar before the FT1, but it was pitted against a hotter JB2 in the bridge and it just couldn’t keep up. The HB2 is now slated to go in an SSS configuration with a Virtual Solo in the bridge along with the 54P it was previously paired with in the middle position. Like with the Injector Neck you can coax a bit of vintage single coil sparkle out of the HB2, primarily by defeating the dummy coil and secondarily by reducing the loading, combined with the additional step of shelving away some of the body. This final step isn’t necessary for the Injector Neck.

I love the tones Jake E. Lee gets with a pair of SDS-1s and have been contemplating a noiseless option for that. I suspect a Lace Sensor Burgundy or Purple may be a better solution than a stacked design.

37

The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by headcrash on January 02, 2026, 06:00:26 PM »

Thanks gregr again for the info, greatly appreciated !
The video by piguitars was very helpful too. I think this sounds very interesting and I think I will definately try to get an Injector bridge for that guitar. To me it sounds single-coil-ish, but louder and fuller, and without the thinness and without too much „glass“ on top. Might be the thing for me…

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by gregr on January 01, 2026, 05:12:55 PM »

I’ve been modding one of my Marshalls and testing it with my main guitar which has a Screamin’ Demon in the bridge and A3-loaded Duncan 59 Neck in the neck with a passive bass shelf control (to give you an idea of what I like in the neck position). I switched over to the guitar with the FT1 in the neck and both voicings sounded great without adjusting any of the controls on the amp. The bridge pickup is an A2-loaded JB/Screamin’ Demon hybrid which is a tad weaker and darker than the stock A5 Screamin’ Demon. The Screamin’ Demon is a vintage output pickup, on par with a Duncan 59 Bridge. With a stock JB in the bridge the FT1 is going to sound more like a vintage single coil (minus the chime, though still very bright), as if you plugged in a Strat and dialed your amp accordingly. There are key sonic differences between a rail pickup and a single coil, but in the neck position the FT1 sounds more like a single coil than a humbucker.

Piguitars has a demo of the Injector Bridge in the neck position to give you an idea of what it might sound like. It’s too dark for my tastes, personally. It still sounds very bell-like through the midrange unlike the FT1.

https://youtu.be/g5JQBRvF2qc?si=sJshNtJtHc6RCCl5

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by headcrash on January 01, 2026, 05:29:47 AM »

Thanks guys for keeping the discussion going 
I can’t report anything new here, but gregr‘s concerns about the FT1 lacking body made me think again 
Since I already have an Injector neck, the Injector bridge would a) be a good fit for what I want, b) would keep the original look of the guitar and c) maybe keeps the original concept of this guitar.
I think the Axis Sports had some variant of the DiMarzio Velvet series pickups there.
Well, since I rarely use this guitar, I don’t want to invest in a new pickup, so I’ll wait for a good offer on the used market.

40

The Pickup Place / Re: My review of the Super PAF Ceramic

« Last post by wxs3 on December 22, 2025, 09:39:41 PM »

Yes, it still has the virtual tech in it. It has a similar sound to the Duncan 78 at that time. I can’t remember if I used a special magnet size or not though.

Hi guys, long time no post on my end (happens when we get old). I ordered a Super PAF Ceramic and installed it in my Kiesel Delos which has 2 bridge Cruisers in the neck and middle.  It replaced the Air Classic that I was running.  The sound, for me, was too compressed (less openness than the Air Classic).  I'm currently playing classic rock in my current band and recording progressive rock at home and various jams.  It just didn't have the openness that the Air Classic has, and for me, it was an exchange for another (a PAF 7 for the neck of my 7-string Delos with an Air Norton 7 in the bridge).  It was just too much squeeze for me, as I find myself going to more vintage pickups these days.  Some will like it, but for me it wasn't to be.
 Yours in 
Walt

Hi Walt. As a Zappa fan, glad to meet you

Virtual Hot PAf with A2 is something i really like to hear yet i'm afraid to spoil the pickup somehow. Did you leave the "airbucker" tech or took the ring out and put spacers?

Thanks for your review.

Nevertheless the result was too obvious; results from air classic to Super PAF are, you know, inevitable If i were you i would pick something more "real" PAF oriented like Virtual Hot PAF, Fortitude, PAF 36th bridge

I had replaced the cruisers with an Injector neck and Area 58 middle with a full strength Norton in the bridge.  So far/so good, but I due suffer from this disease called "I know how to solder" which seems to help keep Larry DiMarzio in business (all these years of loyalty and not even a Christmas card  )
I actually have an original production (not the custom shop ones) Virtual Paf neck and Virtual Hot bridge along with another Virtual Hot with an A2 magnet swap.  And I also have another strat that is over due for surgery, what fruits might that bare, time will tell.

BTW, I'm a big Zappa fan