• Join the A7X Discord!

    We're updating the community and moving all social content from the community to the Discord. All lessons related conversations will still take place here though! Join the Discord below and view the full announcement for more details

    JOIN THE DISCORD VIEW THREAD

Pre-load Strat Pickguards ?!

Alicia Willis

Moderator
Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,382
    2
    5,151
    34
    Lexington, South Carolina
    5
    I have a 2019 Player Series HSS strat. Alnico V single coils and Alnico II humbucker.

    I love the sound/tone of my guitar coupled with out tube amps but I’ve been looking to deepen the sound.

    I would like a lighter, brighter, neck pickup but wouldn’t mind a bit more nastiness from my humbucker lol.

    ive looked at various pre loaded pick guards and the Seymour Duncan 920 D seems like it might fit the bill on paper but I can’t find any videos with anyone using a lot of distortion or gain.
    what would captain ED recommend?
    or should I leave what I have alone and just maybe work on tweaking amp settings / pedals ?

    I have two tube amps. A Blackstar and a Marshall.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Ed Seith

    Alicia Willis

    Moderator
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,382
    2
    5,151
    34
    Lexington, South Carolina
    5
    I tried several guitars when I finally got my own (not playing my hubby’s guitars) and fenders just feel great in my hands. But I want to nail down the tone I want lol. We have a schecter that feels nice (not as nice as my fender) and I get a heavier tone out of it (it has EMG’s)
    I might be reaching to far on what my guitar can do lol
     

    Alicia Willis

    Moderator
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,382
    2
    5,151
    34
    Lexington, South Carolina
    5
    Last person to talk to. I have never found a Strat I got along with. I just this week got my first ever SSS guitar, and it's an Ernie Ball Music Man.
    Also, I don’t have Ernie Ball Music man money lol. We just finished paying off the Malmsteen strat and then the hubby sold it. The man is the king of the buy and sale I swear ! Lol
     

    Jesse Salmons

    Stairway to Heaven Tab Studier
    Nov 11, 2019
    501
    1,292
    25
    Indiana
    8
    God i wish i could help but alas im a humbucker guy! What i would do is use the videos that ARE available and see how well they compare to your idea of the sound you want. Sometimes though, the sound you’re looking for could be in a pedal, could be in different amp settings, and even settings on your guitars tone knob. Before buying anything id tweak your settings and see if maybe you can get that sound out of your current gear, and if not, continue on looking! Sorry i couldnt be more help!
     
    Synner Endless Summer Collection

    Ed Seith

    Supreme Galactic Overlord
    Staff member
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    3,882
    15
    6,602
    53
    Marana, AZ USA
    soundcloud.com
    35
    lol I guess I should have put this elsewhere. You are the mighty and powerful ED though ! 🤣

    Just cuz it's got my name on it doesn't mean I'm the only one with answers, or even the one with the BEST answers. It still fits here. I like to learn shit, too!
     
    • Haha
    Reactions: Alicia Willis

    Ed Seith

    Supreme Galactic Overlord
    Staff member
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    3,882
    15
    6,602
    53
    Marana, AZ USA
    soundcloud.com
    35
    • Love
    Reactions: Alicia Willis

    idssdi

    Sold-out Crowd Surfer
    Nov 11, 2019
    5,336
    6,754
    Groningen
    11
    I have no experience with changing pickups in my guitar so I would definitely advice going through the settings on your amp/tone knob before buying a new pick guard

    I did do a little googling though


    There's also a Steve luckather hss preloaded pickgiard but those are Emgs so don't know whether that works if you don't have a battery compartment in your guitar yet.

    Most preloaded pickguards are sss so for your configuration it may be better to buy separate pickups to get the king of tone you want out of it.
     
    • Love
    Reactions: Alicia Willis

    Alicia Willis

    Moderator
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,382
    2
    5,151
    34
    Lexington, South Carolina
    5
    God i wish i could help but alas im a humbucker guy! What i would do is use the videos that ARE available and see how well they compare to your idea of the sound you want. Sometimes though, the sound you’re looking for could be in a pedal, could be in different amp settings, and even settings on your guitars tone knob. Before buying anything id tweak your settings and see if maybe you can get that sound out of your current gear, and if not, continue on looking! Sorry i couldnt be more help!
    I have a humbucker in my strat now. Love it and it’s mostly what I use lol. I rarely use my single coils.
    I find the issue with a lot of videos for fender stuff is they only focus on ONE type of sound. Which I get. But if I’m paying $$$ I want to see everything it can doya know. Not just the typical fender sound.
     

    Alicia Willis

    Moderator
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,382
    2
    5,151
    34
    Lexington, South Carolina
    5
    EMGs are EMGs no matter what they're in, but there are a lot of hot humbuckers out there that will beef up your strat. You mentioned wanting a loaded pickguard - you can try something like this:

    Holy shit ! Thanks ! Idk how I’ve not seen this one yet !!!!
     

    Alicia Willis

    Moderator
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,382
    2
    5,151
    34
    Lexington, South Carolina
    5
    I have no experience with changing pickups in my guitar so I would definitely advice going through the settings on your amp/tone knob before buying a new pick guard

    I did do a little googling though


    There's also a Steve luckather hss preloaded pickgiard but those are Emgs so don't know whether that works if you don't have a battery compartment in your guitar yet.

    Most preloaded pickguards are sss so for your configuration it may be better to buy separate pickups to get the king of tone you want out of it.
    Thanks Ids ! I had looked at the first one you sent. It might fit the bill. Youre right too, there are so many options for SSS strats, so maybe just redoing the pickups themselves would be a better idea.
    I was just trying to get around having to take it to someone lol.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: idssdi
    Synner Endless Summer Collection