[Mew]

Just curiosity topic.
We all know that HSS Strats have problem with balancing singles and bridge humbucker.
Well ... This got me thinking:
Mini humbuckers instead of full humbuckers in HSS?
Maybe with 300k pots?

[Mew]

Or we can add this to topic:
Which pickups would sound good with 250k pots?
I had in mind PAF Pro, PAF Joe, Gravity Storm neck ... Hm ... Air Classic Bridge?

[darkbluemurder]

I tried the Virtual Hot PAF and the Air Norton in the bridge spot of a strat with 250k pots with excellent results. A mini humbucker should also work well but I never tried that.

Cheers Stephan

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Mini buckers have a particular sound, are you sure you like that sound?

[Mew]

Well, I'm getting some "miss information" from internet.
I tried to google few pickups similar to the one I was about to put on bridge.
Some say that this few similar models need 500k to "breathe properly". Some say 500k is "overkill" in terms of brightness.
So I kinda did have idea to maybe try some mini bucker in that range.
I've read on few places whey would be okey with 250k pots.

On the other hand.
500k on singles would be overkill. -.-

[Mew]

I was about to put Air Classic bridge, with 2 Area 67s. With 300k pots originally.

I want to get something like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozt0VDRSoRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYL_u-Cf94k

Both of this are with 500k pots.

I want something acoustically on neck and mid.

And bridge something in like P90 Marshall light Crunch teritory. xD
Around that sound.

I don't like hot fat honky paf's for sound which I want to achive.
And since I'm moving soon to small apartment ... I guess no more rock and roll earthquackes. xD
On the other hand I generally don't like classic singles on bridge.

So something around P90 Marshall light crunch, but still usable on clean.

Or something like Cruiser in bridge. Something tiny bit more fatter then usual Strat.

Not single coil, and not like, 36th PAF in bridge. xD Something around that area in sound between; Bluesbucker, noiseless P90, Cruiser and Air Classic. Around that sound area.

So I pretty much started to watch all this clips on YT to get idea of something general.

I really did google pickups like; Duncan Seth Lovers, 59s, Gibson Classic 57 .... Pretty much very very similar pickups soundwise.
Tons of stuff all around: Some say 59s need 500k pots to keep them open, some say with 500k they are extremly bright. For Gibson 57s, they say that with 250k they sound like mud. xD Seth Lover is kinda love hate - some say they are mud with 250k, some say that 250k is okey and 500k too bright ..... -.- On the other hand, some say that mini humbuckers generally are okey with 250k pots. Usable. Tons of information .. And I have no idea who to trust. XD LOL.

I did however tried Duncan 59 in Strat from a friend, in bridge. I think he has SSL-1 on other 2 positions. Duncan 59 is pretty similar to Air Classic. Air Classic has tiny tiny bit more mids. Otherwise - similar pickup. It did kinda sound cool in that guitar. I forgot to ask about which pots did he used. But based on fact there are 2 SSL-1 in guitar, and master volume and tone. I guess 250k.

I tried to google Air Classics with 250k pots, didnt found anything usefull in terms of information. -.-

On the other hand again; I only got info on mini humbuckers, that they sound like fatter Telecaster on bridge. XD
But they sound really really good on 250k pots. xD

Ah, internet mess, tons of info.

I should message that friend to ask info about pots, on Duncan 59s.
It sounded good there. I guess Air Classic would sound very very similar.
I should message him to get info.

Anyway, if friend says that he has 250k pots on that 59 - SSL1 guitar.

I will get 300k pots with Air Classic and Areas.

If he says they are 250k, dillema solved.

Only thing which kinda did disturbed me around that guitar. Tiny tiny bit lack of midds on bridge.
So other then that, amazing guitar. Air Classic should solve this tiny issue perfectly.

If he says pots are 250k, I'm getting 300k then.

[Mew]

He did use 250k pots on Duncan 59 SSL1 , just to give you update.
Case closed, I will go with 300k then.
And Air Classic Bridge, dual Area 67s.

[darkbluemurder]

That combination should get you a good sound to start with. After testing it that way you can decide whether it is enough or anything is missing or too much.

Good luck,
Stephan

[Mew]

If friends Duncan 59 did work amazingly with 250k pots.
There is no reason why Air Classic wouldn't work with 300k pots.
Pretty much very similar pickup in terms of sound.

[electricbhakti]

Here’s my vote based on experience:

PG13 Bridge
Injectors for neck and middle.

It will blow you away.

[HarlowTheFish]

Tim Henson from Polyphia has a Dimarzio set with a mini humbucker in the bridge and two tele neck pickups in the neck and middle and his sig sounds pretty killer - pretty much every tone on New Levels New Devils sounds crazy good.

[Mew]

Here’s my vote based on experience:

PG13 Bridge
Injectors for neck and middle.

It will blow you away.

From Injectors neck, I've heard, on review on this forum, they are more on "modern" side, and more like "air nortonish". xD Which I don't like.

And in terms of PG13 bridge. I'm worried about pole string spacing. Since there is only 1 option for string spacing, and pickup does have pole pieces. It's not without pole pieces like Vintage Minibucker which is flat.

But I like idea of PG13 bridge. Just this string spacing stuff is worring me a tiny bit.

I was actually thinking of Vintage Minibucker bridge. Or Air Classic ....

Tim Henson from Polyphia has a Dimarzio set with a mini humbucker in the bridge and two tele neck pickups in the neck and middle and his sig sounds pretty killer - pretty much every tone on New Levels New Devils sounds crazy good.

I'm not fan of Tele necks. And I like Scott's version more, with ofc something lower output on bridge, and noiseless neck / midd.
I'm not fan of Tele neck pickups. :/