Strat bridge pickup users...

[lttoler]

I have played guitar for years and been in a cover band for the last 4 or so. I have always been very fond of the single coil sound and have used a standard Tele 95% of the time.

One of my top bands has always been the Red Hot Chili Peppers and because of that I have always gone back to try Strats, but I can never seem to get the most use out of them because of the bridge pickup. On every Strat I've played, it has been super shrill and thin and that position. It's cool for some stuff but doesnt seem to be extremely usable. I don't like using humbuckers in a strat.

Is it possible that a Strat just isn't for me?

 

[cherrick]

Definitely possible. Dumping the bridge pup on a Strat gets you a ... Tele.

 

[Gstrat]

The bridge pickup is too close to the strings if it is thin and brittle sounding. Lower your pickups and you will get a fuller sound.

 

[yettoblaster]

Jump a wire on the switch over to where the tone pot takes off for the middle pickup.

Or move the wire from the middle pickup spot where the lower tone pot plugs in to the bridge pu connection ternimal and leave the middle one without the tone control. Both are usable to tame down the bridge.

If you're used to a Tele bridge pickup you may have to move the bridge pickup close to the strings, or get a pickup that's hotter wound.

I use a '62 RI stock wired and find I can get pretty close with the middle pickup by itself, through the right (tweed) amp.

I've left my wiring stock and don't use the bridge pickup except for turned way down for FUNK(Y) and Reggae grooves. It has its charms, just isn't a Tele bridge pu by any stretch.

 

[stratman323]

Lots of us think that the weakest thing about a Strat is the bridge pickup, while the best thing about a Tele is the bridge pickup. Seymour Duncan attempted to solve that problem with the Twangbanger, an overwound Strat bridge pickup with a metal base plate (like a Tele).

Twang Banger™ APST-1 - Seymour Duncan Vintage Output

It's fatter & more compressed sounding than a standard Strat bridge pickup, & it's just about ideal, as far as I'm concerned. Here's my Tokai fitted with one of them.

Tokai Goldstar TST-55 Sonic Blue/ Fender Pro Reverb - YouTube

 

[stratomaster96]

I use the Strat bridge pickup for leads sometimes when I want a lot of bite.

 

[Sunburst82]

The bridge pickup is my favorite when its time to give it some edge... its great

 

[Sin Nombre]

I need the bridge pickup for surfverb.

 

[jazzrat]

I actually use the bridge pickup 90% of the time but a tone control is critical.
I have a Dimarzio Virtual Solo at the bridge in my EJ Rosewood but I've always been able to get usable tones from the variety of strats I've had. The one constant has been, they
always had a tone control. In some instances I did the jumper mod mentioned above to the 5-way.
Really very easy and instantly makes the bridge more usable.

 

[stratman323]

I actually use the bridge pickup 90% of the time but a tone control is critical.
.

I agree a tone control is vital, I just wire a Strat up to have a master volume control, Much easier to use, & easy to do.

 

[JLOC]

If you have a 5 position switch, try setting it between the bridge and middle pickup. That's what I do for clean leads. If you have a 3 position switch you can stop it between the middle and bridge pickup settings and it will mix the 2. I had a 3 position switch for years on my '62 AVRI but added a 5 position a few years ago. I tend to do the opposite setting for rhythm, between the neck and middle pickup. This flexibility is one of the nicest features of a 3 pickup instrument like a Strat. I have a 3 pick up Gibson Firebird that I dislike because there are three pickups but no opportunity to blend them.

 

[WetSand]

I don't see Frusicante as much of a bridge pickup guy, except likely for some distorted solos, which I believe he also puts through a DS-2. So maybe you're trying to use it in the wrong context? Thinking he plays mostly through the neck. But I agree that a tone control on the bridge is very nice.

 

[nickmsmith]

The bridge pickup is the least favorite of mine in an everyday situation. out of the 5, it is the least used.

If you are playing with some gain,playing surf music, or country twang, then it's perfect. but I don't do any of those on a regular basis.

But that's part of the beauty of the strat. It can be all things, to all people.

 

[Stratoskater]

Yep hated it too until I hooked up the tone control to it. Roll it back to 6-8 and it rocks!

 

[gripweed]

I don't see Frusicante as much of a bridge pickup guy, except likely for some distorted solos, which I believe he also puts through a DS-2. So maybe you're trying to use it in the wrong context? Thinking he plays mostly through the neck. But I agree that a tone control on the bridge is very nice.

I think especially in the earlier stuff Frusicainte used a lot of bridge pickup.

I use Seymour Duncan's Antiquity Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup. It's the first Strat bridge pickup I've gotten along with.

 

[WetSand]

I think especially in the earlier stuff Frusicainte used a lot of bridge pickup.

I use Seymour Duncan's Antiquity Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup. It's the first Strat bridge pickup I've gotten along with.

That's a good point, I often find myself thinking in terms of Stadium Arcadium, despite having all Chili Peppers albums
Also, I know when Frusciante's vintage pickups die he uses Seymour Duncan Antiquities, but not sure if he uses the Texas hots or the surf ones.

 

[stratomaster96]

I like the Strat bridge pickup wide open, Leo got it right with that!

 

[e44crowe]

I love my bridge pup for that 50s sound. Must have the tone control for fine tuning the sound though.

 

[Gstrat]

I love the bridge pickup on my Strats,great for Rock-n-Roll riffs.You just can't have it close to the strings, lower it and it warms up.

 

[Stark]

One of my fave things about the Stratocaster is the contrast between the bridge and neck pups. I rarely—if ever—use the middle pup. I've kept my AVRI '57's stock, 3-way switch. I love the way a Strat sounds when you're really digging in on either the bridge or neck pups and switching between them while soloing.