SSS Strat vs HSS w/coil tap

[enigram]

Which configuration do you guys think is better for a Strat?
SSS or HSS w/a coil tapped humbucker?
HSS is probably more versatile, but if it kills the classic Strat sound, then no.

[Sixstring]

HSS with a coil-tapped hummer in the bridge. The best of both worlds.

[Peeb]

HSS with a coil-tapped hummer in the bridge. The best of both worlds.

I have SSS, but if I had it to do over again, I'd go with sixstring.

[enigram]

Hmm really?
I thought there would be more SSS Traditionalists.

[Peeb]

Hmm really?
I thought there would be more SSS Traditionalists.

SSS probably really IS a superior traditional strat tone, but it's also less versatile. Sometimes, it would be nice to have that humbucker growl...

[spoonbadger]

im going to go with SSS, i just love that strat tone too much to go sacrificing even a tiny part of it for more versatility. but what i'd really like is an SSS strat where the 2nd and 4th positions could be set in either parallel or in series. that would be much more versatile IMO and would still have all the tasty trad. strat tone.

[Turbo7MN]

SSS. If I'm playing a strat, I have one sound in mind. An SSS strat will always sound like a strat to me, no matter how versatile people claim them to be. An HSS even with a tap kind of kills the "strat sound" a bit. The angled pickup among other things does indeed play a part in the tone.

My strat was HSS to begin with. I converted it to SSS. If you want the bridge pickup to be mose "useable", make sure you've got it hooked to a tone knob.

[Steelhead]

I have an HSS strat ('87) with a coil tap. I was happy with the H, but the S's frustrated me, especially when trying to record close to a CRT monitor. Too much noise.

I ended up replacing the two single coil pickups with DiMarzio vintage blues pickups; similar tone, but much better noise suppression. I changed the wiring so that the signal coil tap applies to each pickup, depending on which is selected with the 5-way. This way, I can get close to the original tone with the tap, or get the noise cancellation even for the neck and middle. Much better, at least for me.

[Bluesaholic]

I need a single coil in the bridge to get the Gilmour thing going.

SSS for me.

[Sixstring]

I have SSS, but if I had it to do over again, I'd go with sixstring.

Go to GFS and get a rail humbucker- it fits in a single pocket with minimal routing of the faceplate. For $30 you can experiment with it.

[azrael]

Which configuration do you guys think is better for a Strat?
SSS or HSS w/a coil tapped humbucker?
HSS is probably more versatile, but if it kills the classic Strat sound, then no.
I've always found a coil split humbuckers to be pretty weak imitations of single coils.
Literally. A coil-split...well, coil, usually has a much lower output than any of the single coils it's being used with. It's got half the output of the normal humbucker. So if the singles were both around 6k DCR, and the humbucker was at 8k DCR...a coil split 'bucker would be at 4k DCR. It sounds thin and weak, to my ears.
So, in summary, if I'm hankerin' for single coils, I'll go get single coils.

[redwolf_92]

SSH ! I just went from SSS to HSS and I am so happy. I just adds so much more versatility.

[Monkeyboy]

HSS for me...... IMO opinion the "classic strat sound" comes from the neck pickup, so having a bucker in the bridge does nothing to change it whatsoever.

[Copper72]

I'll have to chip in with the HSS crowd. I can't help it, I just have to have that humbucker in the bridge position. But I'm not a Strat purist like some of the other fellas.

[guitarist4doodd]

hss for me i dont really like sss setups

[socalscott]

Anderson gits utilize rod magnets as opposed to conventional HB bar mag. The result is true
Strat tones when split. The HB mode offers big open tone, very good definition with distortion. Curious how the fat rods pull no more on the strings than a steel pole/bar mag?
That's quite something, either the mags are weakened or there's steel pole over rod mag?

I have B and N that are 10K and 8.5K. Vintage tones are at my finger tips. The HB mode
still gives big round full tones. So, the rods really influence the HB to be a big SC tone.

[JD0x0]

SSS always thats the point of a stratocaster

[wattage]

If you had only one guitar, then HSS for versatility. If you had multiple guitars, then SSS all the way! Love the Strat sound.