[retiredff]

I may look into using a middle pickup, thanks for the info AxemanV90.

Tony

[retiredff]

AxeManV90 - I assume with the 3 pickups you suggested I should use 500K pots and .022uF caps?

Tony

[Axemanv90]

If you are only going to use 2 pups, then I would probably try out the Tone Zone S with a Pro Track.

I would use 500K pots and .022uf for a standard V/T setup. A 0.015uf will make the zero position just a hair brighter and a little more useful imho ("woman tone").   You might want to consider a no-load 500K tone pot so that your tone circuit doesn't suck any tone out when you have it all the way up.  I actually use a 6 position rotary switch on my Gibson SG-Z where the first position is no tone circuit at all and the other 5 are either just caps or a cap & resistor that are tweaked for various sounds like Angus Young, PRS Sweet Switch. Woman Tone (that 0.015uf) and two that mimic useful positions on a standard tone control.

[darkbluemurder]

Slightly off topic but @AxeManV90 - do you use the rotary switch as the sole tone switch or in conjunction with a tone pot?

Thanks,
Stephan

[retiredff]

Thanks AxemanV90 for the help, I appreciate it. I had not thought about the no-load pot. Now I have to research yet another pickup, Tone Zone S.

[retiredff]

@AxemanV90.

I'm sticking with you suggestion of the 3 pickup design, no loads and the cap/pot values. This should be interesting when finished. I won't start buying parts (pups, pots, neck, pickguard) until next month. I'll post a pic when done.

Thanks to everyone for your reply's, I know nothing about aftermarket pups you have helped me a lot.

Thanks again 

Tony

[Axemanv90]

Slightly off topic but @AxeManV90 - do you use the rotary switch as the sole tone switch or in conjunction with a tone pot?

Thanks,
Stephan

Just by itself. It also has a series/parallel/split pickup rotary switch. It has a Mo' Joe in the bridge and a Chopper in the neck.  Fred was too bright for me in the bridge.

There are really only a few usable positions on a tone control and I picked 5 tones that I like best.   I almost always use it in the "OFF" position so it doesn't suck tone. A straight capacitor to ground has a much sharper rolloff than with a tone pot and results in more nasally tones.  One sounds a little like Angus Young's rig and another sounds a lot like the PRS Sweet Switch or Michael Schenker when he uses a wah-wah for a tone filter.   Of course, the "woman tone" is with the pot on zero ohms, so a straight cap does that job too.  The other two tones are just snapshots of two positions on a regular tone knob at about half way and 3/4 of the way off.  I think I used 160K and 90K resistors with a common 0.015uF cap.

[RayBarbeeMusic]

The rail type pickups respond best in the bridge position to 250k volume; but in the other positions, require 500k.  Regardless of what you end up going with, I'd run a 500k resistor from the bridge hot tab to ground to let the bridge pickup see 250k while the others see 500k.  Pretty much kiss your 'quack' goodbye, unless you set up the bridge+neck position on your switch. 

I think what I'd do if I were you is 1) use a super switch, 2) run aforementioned resistor to ground for the "bridge only" position, 3) set up switch positions so that what would normally be the middle+neck position would be bridge + neck.

[Axemanv90]

The rail type pickups respond best in the bridge position to 250k volume;

That is true for most of the rail pickups, since most of them are bright sounding...lots of treble. 

According to the specs, the Tone Zone S is very light on treble and very heavy on bass.  I think that it would probably be an exception to the rule.

[retiredff]

My choices will be:

Bridge = Air Norton S (280)
Middle = Satch Track  (245)
Neck   = Pro Track     (275)

Volume pot 500k and no load tone pots. The reviews I have read said the Pro Track is capable of any rock/blues from '60's-'90's, I should be fine. The Bridges reviews have said is is very good in the bridge position for PAF sounding blues/rock. I'm hoping the middle I can use to add some sparkle but still keep the humbucker tone in 2,3 &4. I'll probably use 1 & 5 most of all but until I get it together...

Thanks again for everyones suggestions.

[Axemanv90]

Good choices.

Perhaps its personal taste, but I compared the Satch Track and the Chopper for the neck position in a mahogany Gibson SG-Z.  These two are so close that they make very little difference and I liked the Chopper more.  I would not pay the extra $ for the Satch name.

[retiredff]

OK AxemanV90. Why is the Satch $5+?

the pups I have selected now;

Bridge = Air Norton S (280)
Middle = Satch Track  (245) <****** Chopper (260) <*****
Neck   = Pro Track     (275)

The chopper is really close to the other 2, is that good or bad?

FYI: I'm buying the pups, pots-3, input jack, 5 way selector, all knobs and wired (NO PICKGUARD) for less than I can buy the parts and solder it myself, from Sigler music 920D.   
http://www.siglermusiconline.com

I'm ordering a custom pickguard (without vol pot hole so I can move it down toward the 5 way switch) from Warmoth when I order the neck for my strat body.

[Axemanv90]

The Satch costs more because it says Satch instead of Chopper.  The pickups cost about the same to make, just with a different formula.

For what you are looking for, the higher output of the Chopper is more in line with a "calibrated" set of pickups, where the output is greater at the bridge position and goes down as you get to the neck position.  Also, you want a little less treble from pickups as you go towards the bridge.  The Satch is just a slightly brighter, less powerful version of the Chopper.

[retiredff]

OK, Thanks for the help.

Because of the shorter scale of the neck I'm using no-load tone controls that should brighten it up some. If it's too bright I can use the tone knobs. I would rather have it a touch bright than too dark.

This will be interesting when finished, hopefully it will be what I want.