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Hatsubai « Awesome single coil tone »
Published on 03/29/11 at 17:27The Seymour Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered is a true single coil pickup that is quite hot. It has two conductor wiring, staggered pole pieces and an Alnico 5 magnet.
I absolutely adore this pickup as it sounds like a personification of “the” single coil sound. It has that pissed off sound that single coils are famous for, the “vowely” or “tubey” quality in the midrange and some nice treble going on. Seymour Duncan mentions that it has that SRV tone, and I think SRV is a great way of describing this pickup. However, SRV used lower output pickups, so it’s different while being the same, if that makes any sense.
Most people who get the SSL-5 are going to be installing it in the bridge of their strats. However, I think this works awesome in the neck position when paired with a nice humbucker in the bridge. Most single coils are lower output, and they’re a bit harder to play because of that. This has a ton of output, and given that it has a fatter EQ curve, it’s such a perfect match in the neck that it’s scary. Either way, this pickup should work for your situation. If you run it in the bridge, use the SSL-1 for the neck and middle. This’ll add a very versatile setup. If you run it in the neck, try another SSL-5 in the middle and a hotter humbucker in the bridge like a JB. This’ll keep everything even while giving you that classic tone.
If you’re on the hunt for a hotter single coil in the Seymour Duncan line that still sounds like a single coil, this is the pickup I recommend. It sounds absolutely glorious in the neck, too. Why more people don’t try this in the neck, I have no clue. I guess I’m the only one out there who likes hotter neck pickups.
I absolutely adore this pickup as it sounds like a personification of “the” single coil sound. It has that pissed off sound that single coils are famous for, the “vowely” or “tubey” quality in the midrange and some nice treble going on. Seymour Duncan mentions that it has that SRV tone, and I think SRV is a great way of describing this pickup. However, SRV used lower output pickups, so it’s different while being the same, if that makes any sense.
Most people who get the SSL-5 are going to be installing it in the bridge of their strats. However, I think this works awesome in the neck position when paired with a nice humbucker in the bridge. Most single coils are lower output, and they’re a bit harder to play because of that. This has a ton of output, and given that it has a fatter EQ curve, it’s such a perfect match in the neck that it’s scary. Either way, this pickup should work for your situation. If you run it in the bridge, use the SSL-1 for the neck and middle. This’ll add a very versatile setup. If you run it in the neck, try another SSL-5 in the middle and a hotter humbucker in the bridge like a JB. This’ll keep everything even while giving you that classic tone.
If you’re on the hunt for a hotter single coil in the Seymour Duncan line that still sounds like a single coil, this is the pickup I recommend. It sounds absolutely glorious in the neck, too. Why more people don’t try this in the neck, I have no clue. I guess I’m the only one out there who likes hotter neck pickups.