[gregr]

SDS-1 vs Lace Sensor Purple
(vs some other fat, quiet, high output single coil that has bite in the neck position and with a top end that is smooth and devoid of glass like the true over-wound single coil that the SDS-1 is!).

Maybe VS; maybe Injector Bridge; not the Injector Neck and not the VVHB2 (you’ll never convince me they aren't too bright relative to the upper-mids!).

Think Jake E. Lee Badlands.

Go!

[darkbluemurder]

Jake E. Lee used SDS-1 in neck and middle in his Charvel so yeah if that is what you are going for, even the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 would be too bright, let alone the Injector neck.

Injector bridge would be a good choice since (1) it is more powerful and less bright than the HB2, (2) it does not hum, which comes in handy for the gainier sounds and (3) the magnets are Alnico 2 so that there is less string pull, which is important in the neck and middle positions. How bright it is exactly in the neck position I cannot say as I have only used it in the bridge positions of three different strats, although in one it was a direct replacement for the HB2. It is still a strat sounding pickup though, even though it does not have the typical ice pick in the bridge position.

Going by specs, FT-1 may be an alternative but I never played one. SatchTrack maybe - haven't played that either, though. Chopper is more of a hot PAF sound and not a hot single coil sound.

Hope that helps
Stephan

The Virtual Solo has Alnico 5 which has more string pull so it should be avoided for the neck position.

[darkbluemurder]

PS - and to address your topic fully: I am not familiar with the Lace Sensor Purple.

[gregr]

Thanks.

I’ve compared demos of the SDS-1 and Lace Purple in various positions. There are very few of the Purple that I found useful however. I’m familiar enough with the SDS-1 so a lack of comprehensive demos is not an issue. What I can tell is that despite the Purple having a very similar frequency range, it is far too polite.

The only track pickups that sound like single coils are the Cruisers and FT1 but they don’t have that pure bell-like tone. The hotter you go the farther away you get. I wouldn’t characterize the Strat version of the Chopper as a PAF, for what it’s worth. It has the bright top end but it’s too thin and has that typical DiMarzio chewy/elastic/vocal/cocked wah style midrange, but that’s neither here nor there.

Back on Jake’s Barlands tone, much of it comes from a Boss OD-1. Perhaps it can get the Lace Purple across the finish line.

Maybe I can find some demos of the Injector Bridge in the neck position, but I somehow doubt that. It seems like it could be a contender.

[gregr]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Kinman Big-Nine-O and/or Kick in the Arse?

[darkbluemurder]

I still have a Big Nine-O although it is not in a guitar at the moment. It has more of a P90 tone than a hot strat single coil. Only used it in the bridge position of a strat. Before that the guitar had a Chopper, afterwards an Injector bridge. It is a bit brighter than the Chopper but not by much. Injector bridge is definitely brighter.

Cheers Stephan

[gregr]

 

You have all three, that’s a stroke of luck!

So between the Big Nine O and the Injector Bridge the Injector Bridge is a closer candidate.

I guess the Kinman about which I need to inquire is the HX-85?

Considering I’ll likely be using these with a JB, the output level also matters. I know you can adjust pickup heights, but that affects tone and feel, so there still is a Goldilocks zone.

Thank you so much for all the information you’ve provided thus far!