tell me about stacked humbuckers

[Faber]

Mre specifically, stacks for strat. I gather they are higher output and thicker sounding than singlecoils, but will the guitar still sound "stratty" for want of a better word? I'm looking for something thicker and higher output than the Lace Golds that are there now, but i'd still like a bit of the strat character to come through. Basically, some kind of middle ground between a single coil and humbucker sound

[csm]

My experience with Kinman's AVn Blues and Fender's Hot Noiseless is ...

 

Yes, they do indeed sound 'Stratty', bearing in mind that not all 'proper' Strat PUs sound the same. When I had a pair of 63 Strats, my black one (which I still have) was a sharp, 'cut-through' Strat perfect for playing in larger bands and getting heard without having to be stupid loud, and my pink one (sadly stolen) was a warm, 'spready' Strat great for playing trio and filling out the sound.

 

The Kinman set (fitted to an MIM 50s Classic I've now sold to a pal) was more like my black Strat -- though the mapleboarded neck may well have added some highs -- and the Fender Hot Noiseless more like the pink one.

 

What they have in common is that, even with a 'stacked' build, the noise and general sonic crap which the bucker design eliminates tends to live in the same frequency area as some of the Strat's ultra-highs, and eliminating one (which be good) unfortunately means also eliminating the other. Result: 'noiseless' Strat sounds tend to be at the smoother, less biting end of the Strat spectrum and therefore slightly more appropriate for more modern, rockier sounds than for the absolute full-on vintage experience. Some foks may actually prefer this tonality.

 

This is being hyper-picky, though. I've used my Jeff Beck Custom Artist at blues jams going through decent tube amps and, in a full-band context, the distinction isn't a prob.

 

EDIT: If what you want is a more 'humbuckery' sound, then stacks prolly ain't the way to go, because they're still more like a regular Strat PU than like anything else. Joe Barden-style rails -- like various PUs you can get from DiMarzio or Duncan -- or Seymour's JBjr or Li'l 59 -- are downsized humbuckers which fit a Strat single-coil body rout and 'guard slot and are far more likely to hit that halfway house.

[GarysBlues]

Basically instead of a side by side single-coil [thus Humbucker]. The coils are stacked on top of one another [thus Single-Coil size].

I have owned and played a few overn the years. The output doesn't seem to be exactly like a regular humbucker. But they sound GOOD!

[ArKay]

Yup, like this here stacked P90.

 

[GarysBlues]

What do think about the P-90's Arkay?

I have a set of the DiMarzio Virtual Vintage. The rear is a Tone Zone neck is a P-90.

But I have A/B'd the rear Tone-Zone to a real humbucker Tone Zone.

The Tone was very similiar. But I'll tell you what I thought was significantly different. With the Volume UP and then the OD pedal hit and a god amout of gain used...............................The P-90 size humbucker didn't have the harmonics the real humbucker was putting out?

I'm not sure if the VV are stacks....I think so, they could be a side by side?

[ArKay]

I have 3 of them in my Vintage strat, they are Wilkinsons. The guitar has a pot for blending from single coil to stacked and they do sound pretty cool in both modes. Always meant to compare them with standard P90s, but I keep forgetting

[Faber]

My experience with Kinman's AVn Blues and Fender's Hot Noiseless is ... Yes, they do indeed sound 'Stratty', bearing in mind that not all 'proper' Strat PUs sound the same. When I had a pair of 63 Strats, my black one (which I still have) was a sharp, 'cut-through' Strat perfect for playing in larger bands and getting heard without having to be stupid loud, and my pink one (sadly stolen) was a warm, 'spready' Strat great for playing trio and filling out the sound. The Kinman set (fitted to an MIM 50s Classic I've now sold to a pal) was more like my black Strat -- though the mapleboarded neck may well have added some highs -- and the Fender Hot Noiseless more like the pink one. What they have in common is that, even with a 'stacked' build, the noise and general sonic crap which the bucker design eliminates tends to live in the same frequency area as some of the Strat's ultra-highs, and eliminating one (which be good) unfortunately means also eliminating the other. Result: 'noiseless' Strat sounds tend to be at the smoother, less biting end of the Strat spectrum and therefore slightly more appropriate for more modern, rockier sounds than for the absolute full-on vintage experience. Some foks may actually prefer this tonality. This is being hyper-picky, though. I've used my Jeff Beck Custom Artist at blues jams going through decent tube amps and, in a full-band context, the distinction isn't a prob. EDIT: If what you want is a more 'humbuckery' sound, then stacks prolly ain't the way to go, because they're still more like a regular Strat PU than like anything else. Joe Barden-style rails -- like various PUs you can get from DiMarzio or Duncan -- or Seymour's JBjr or Li'l 59 -- are downsized humbuckers which fit a Strat single-coil body rout and 'guard slot and are far more likely to hit that halfway house.

 

 

Thanks, that's a very good breakdown of it. Those are noiseless pu claimed to sound exactly like real SCs (whether they actually do or not). I'm looking for something fatter/ballsier, but still stratty.

Those rail or side by side strat styles might be the ticket. The only rails I have first hand experience with are the hot rails, and those are too hot for what I'm after.

[Faber]

. I have owned and played a few overn the years. The output doesn't seem to be exactly like a regular humbucker. But they sound GOOD!

 

 

Which have you tried?

[Karma1]

I recently put a Duncan Little 59 single space humbucker in my Tele Thinline. Like you, I wanted something that was "higher output and thicker sounding", and this definitely fits the description. It's not as fat as a full size humbucker, but way more than the stock single coil, and it totally screams with high gain distortion. I wired it for series/parallel switching, but I find I rarely use it in parallel - but it's there if I want a thinner twangier sound. The Little 59 is available for Strat's too. Interestingly enough, when choosing a neck pickup to go with it, I choose a Lace Sensor Gold, and they make a nice combo.