[fireheart7]

Hi everyone- Glad to be here, ready to pick your brains

I have a strat loaded with the EMG Lukather set. I installed those over 10 years ago.
I am ready to try something new there. I have and really like the CrunchLab/Liquifire combo on my 'shred' neckthru...
I'd like something less high output on my strat, with a tad more inherent character than the EMG have without going all the way vintage... I have another strat-type like that, lol.
So... thinking about an Air Norton on the neck,
but need pointers for the middle and bridge.
I want the guitar to be versatile, where position 4 shines for clean work, and want hum-cancelling pickups. Plan to wire position 2 splitting the bridge humbucker OR having a switch to make it go parallel on-demand... Would like the bridge to sound open when turning the volume down for mid-gain work...

Is this achievable or am I looking for a purple unicorn?

Thank you all in advance. As you know, changing pickups can be kind of stressful.

[darkbluemurder]

It is possible but probably not without compromising one or more sound options. From your pickup selection I understand your guitar is HSH. Being a strat I guess it has one volume pot and two tone pots.

Air Norton on the neck is a very warm sounding pickup. If your primary use of the neck pickup is soloing above the 12th fret, it is a good choice. Cleans and distorted rhythm is a matter of choice (not my choice but YMMV).

If you go with the Air Norton in the neck you will want a bridge pickup that is hotter, i.e. Air Zone, Transition, AT-1 or even Super Distortion.

Middle depends on whether you play it alone or only in combination with the split humbuckers. If you play it alone you will want a humcancelling pickup. Injector neck comes to mind. If you use it only in combination with the split humbuckers you could use something like the True Velvet.

Do you plan to use the original pickup selector switch? I recommend using a 24-pole switch (check if it fits) for more wiring options.

Cheers Stephan

[Guitar74]

I really like the AT-1 for a 25 1/2 scale guitar. I noticed that you said you want hum cancelling, but what I also noticed is that you are looking at something like a single coil sized 'bucker for the neck. I would probably go pro track if I were to do a rail bucker in a single slot. If it is stacked noiseless, then at least for me, the DP409 all day long with 500k pots. I REALLY like this pickup with 500K. It is pretty much my go to neck noiseless single coil.

[darkbluemurder]

Seems I misread the first post, and missed that the guitar is HSS, and you were looking at the Air Norton S for the neck position. If the ANS is anything like the full sized counterpart my comments still stand.

[Guitar74]

I have yet to try an Air Norton in anything I own. I really need to try one and see what the fuss is about.