Fender Blacktop Strat 2012 HH

kierc · 22-05-2019 2:06pm #1

Hi guys, ive had my MIM Blacktop strat now for about 12 months but im finding it a little muddy sounding if you get me. My question is wouldsome new humbucker pickups give me the cleaner sound (more standard strat like) ?.

Secondly if it came to it, could i buy a loaded pickguard with the same pickups as an american strat an just slot it in and make it a regular strat ??.

All suggestions welcome.

martinedwards · 22-05-2019 2:21pm

humbuckers sound like humbuckers. Strats sound like strats because of the single coils and how they interact,

before you invest potentially hundreds, try a coil split.

if the HBs have four wires rather than two then you can isolate one of the pair.... and get a much more stratty sound

https://www.fralinpickups.com/2018/01/02/coil-splitting-work/

as to the loaded pickguard, look under the one that's on there and make sure that the body is routed in such a way that the assembly will fit.

kierc · 22-05-2019 2:25pm

Thanks martinedwards, ya i totally understand the single coils thing, was just curious about the prospect of changing pickups.
Little bit of a novice on pickups etc at the moment but always learning lol. The USA strat noisless pickups (is the purpose of those to as the name suggests, eliminate hum etc from the single coils??)

KeithTS · 23-05-2019 1:41pm

Hi Kierc,
As Martin said above, the humbuckers will sound very different to a standard strat sound.
That being said, they shouldn't sound overly muddy, they may not be

KeithTS · 23-05-2019 1:44pm

Hi Kierc,

As MArtic has saif above. Humbuckers will naturally sound different to single coils. They have a hotter/louder output and won;t have the same punch or brightness that single coils typically have. That said, they aren't/shouldn't be inherently muddy sounding.

Before spending a fortune on new pickups can you answer the following:
1 - Has the guitar always sounded muddy?
2 - When was the last time you changed strings?
3 - Have you tried the guitar through a few different amps/ or a strat with single coil pups through your amp for comparison?

kierc · 23-05-2019 1:53pm

Yes its always sounded kind of muddy tone, i would change the strings regularly as i gig most weekends. A single coil strat sounds alot cleaner on my amp hence my question.

KeithTS · 23-05-2019 3:01pm

Cool, just had to check as the amp/strings will have a massive effect on the mud-factor.
I also assume it's a rosewood fretboard, this will sound duller than a maple too which won't be helping.

I'm not familiar with the pups in the Blacktop, that guitar isn't meant to sound very like a typical Strat though based on what I've seen/read.
You could try a coil tap if it's possible, worse case you get new tonal options.

Also, raising the poles on the pickup (or the enite pickup so it's closer to the strings) if possible may brighten it up a little. Try playing with the height to see if it makes a difference for you.

Failing that, you can get mounts for fitting single coils in Humbucker slots but after the cost of that plus some decent single coils you'll be paying a decent amount of money. Swapping pickups with ones you have tested in the guitar can be risky as it may not fix your issue so I would try everything else first.

kierc · 24-05-2019 5:21pm

Just wondered would an EQ pedal help brighten up the dark tone ?

KeithTS · 28-05-2019 2:16pm

Rolling off some low ends and adding some mids/trebs won't hurt it anyway.
What controls do you have on the amp?

Fender Blacktop Strat 2012 HH

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