[Grubbavitch]

Hi there. Over the last 12 months I've been upgrading my '96 Lone Star strat to handle more modern styles of music (drop c tuning hard rock/metal). After some research I settled on the D Activator-X as my bridge pickup, which has turned out to be a great decision. Replacing a Duncan Designed Pearly Gates, the DA-X has given me red hot rhythm & lead tones for hi-gain music while also curbing some of the guitar's inherent brightness.

I'm now looking to replace the Texas Specials with something slightly better too. While my neck pickup sounds enormous clean, it gets muddy past mid-gain, and I don't care much for the middle pickup at all. 

Currently I have my eye on a combination of two from the Heavy Blues 2, Injector Neck and Area 67. Would love some advice on what could give me a round and rude neck tone (rhythm & lead) and also get a usable clean from a middle or 2nd position.

Cheers in advance,
Peace!

[slugworth]

Chopper in both the middle and neck.

[wxs3]

chopper neck and either fast track one or cruiser in the middle for cleans.

[Grubbavitch]

Must research the Chopper! What are its main characteristics?

[buddroyce]

For the neck since you're looking for something round and rude for more detuned metal here's my suggestions

Fast Track 2 (see Rob Marcello of Danger Danger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baPMMDDosGE )
The Chopper (Trying to find a good video. The two players that I can think of that use it are Ron Thal of Bumblefoot/Guns N Roses and Henrik Danhage of Evergrey/Death Destruction)
Injector neck (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHGv5FCS2j8 )

For the middle position, my recommendation for that guitar is either the Cruiser neck or one of the Area models.

[Luijo]

If you are comfortable with the "blades" look, and I guess you are, then a Chopper for the neck + a Fast Track 1 for the middle, as mentioned by other users, is a very good combo.
The Chopper in the neck gives you the power of a HB but with the clarity of a very fat SC and the FT-1 gives good quack in positions 2 and 4 without splitting the PUs. You have to very careful tweaking the Chopper, tilting it with the treble side closer to the strings helps to avoid mud.
Since I don't care much for middle PUs on their own I usually wire my guitars so that in the middle position I get  N + B. That requires a "super switch" and if you like the idea you happen to have one of those in your guitar.

[Grubbavitch]

I'm really starting to lean towards the FT-2 for the neck, enjoyed that clip and read some favorable reviews for it as a neck pickup in my preferred style. And let's be honest, I'm a hi-gain guy through and through, and I like dark over bright.

Which leaves me to weigh up Chopper or FT-1 for the middle. I'm leaning towards the Chopper and just having a hot guitar from top to tail.

Can anyone spot a glaring problem with that setup?

[HDanhage]

The Heavy blues /67 is à Killer combo I think.
The Chopper is à great pup and very easy played i belive.
I prefer The Heavy Blues when you can really dig into The strings
and really grind.
For crazy shreddy stuff i say The Chopper and for more dirty attiude
Playing The Heavy Blues.
Just My two cents
Good luck

[Grubbavitch]

Sorry to dig this thread up again, but I need some new advice. My strat currently has a Chopper in the neck, a FT-1 in the middle position and a D-Activator X in the bridge, however I now want to change the bridge humbucker to be less high output metal and more versatile, as the guitar is not really being used for downtuned metal anymore (I'm getting a 7-string for that). Obviously I want something that compliments the Chopper and FT-1, and can do a nice Plexi lead tone and some power chordy stuff too.

Thanks for the advice you all gave a couple of years ago, the Chopper is probably my favourite pickup ever, I use it a ton live. Now to get a better fit in the bridge. Thanks.

[jazzfromhell]

Cool, Chopper is one of my absolute favorite neck pickups too.

There are quite a few choices you could try for the bridge. I have a Satch Track in the neck right now (which is very close to The Chopper) and I pair it with a Transition, and its a KILLER combo. Super versatile. I'd also check out Air Zone, Breed Neck (yup, its a great bridge pickup), Norton and the AT-1, although I personally don't like that one.

[headcrash]

I highly recommend AT-1 for bridge which, btw, blends perfectly with FT-1 in middle for in between position (reminds a little of that "quack", but with little volume drop).
It probably won't do uber-precise djent type of (down tuned) riffing, but it does standard drop D pretty well (which is what I use).
It does excellent classic 80s hard rock stuff, fluid leads, and beefy power chord riffing.

[Axemanv90]

I definitely like the Chopper in the neck.  A strat flavor, but thicker and chunkier.  It also splits well for more stratty tones.

In the middle, I would probably go with a Fast Track 1 for heavier stuff. Once again, if you want to get more stratty tones, it splits pretty well.

The Cruiser sounds good but might be a bit weak in this configuration.

[Axemanv90]

Doh!  I just saw where this is an update.

Norton would be a good versatile pickup that would blend well.

[darkbluemurder]

I can also recommend the AT-1.

With your selection of neck and middle pickups I would rule out the Breed neck as bridge pickup since you are probably using 500k pots which make the Breed neck in the bridge very bright.

The Transition bridge looks interesting but I have not played one.

Cheers Stephan