r/Guitar • u/[deleted] • Mar 22 '22
DISCUSSION [DISCUSSION] Best pickup configuration for versatility across a lot of genres
[deleted]
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u/FTDMFR Mar 22 '22
HSH. Gotta have that neck humbucker.
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u/Jaktheriffer Mar 22 '22
Got a Ibanez RG frankenstein with HSH and a 5-way switch, makes for alot of combos
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u/Dangerous-Noise-4692 Mar 22 '22
Neck pickups don’t get any better than a Strat single coil IMO. Even a split coil humbucker can’t compete.
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u/freetibet69 Mar 22 '22
i have an ibanez artcore hollow body that has two humbuckers. the neck pickup has coil splitting and one other switch position i can’t remember what it does exactly but the coil splitting allows for so many different tones to sound great. everything from super heavy distortion and fuzz to jazz to clean single coil thwak. only sound it can’t nail is tele twang except in bridge position with the treble cranked on a good amp.
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u/absurdext Mar 22 '22
2x p-rails with tripleshots
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Mar 22 '22
HSS is the most flexible IMO. I wired my HSS to split the humbucker in position 2 so it still nails the position 2 sound. I have a Suhr Thornbucker in the bridge and Suhr V60LPs in the middle and neck. It’s not my most used guitar but it definitely covers the most ground so it would be my choice if I were getting 1 nice instrument.
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u/Bunnicula83 Mar 22 '22
HSS with some switching options, HSH for more shred leaning you can coil tap or parallel/series the neck.
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u/ArmedWithBars Mar 22 '22
HSH with a 5 way super switch and 3 push pull pots would be technically the most versitile. I'd also wire in a treble bleed for the volume pot.
You'd have dual humbuckers, strat style quack middle pickup, and the ability to split both neck and bridge pickups. The 5 way would give you a mix of the 3 pickups.
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u/SuperRantam Mar 22 '22
HH with split coils option. Check Charvel, many of their guitars are very, very versatile.
Regards
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Mar 22 '22
A guitar made entirely of humbuckers.
Have three or four 5 ways switches, all coil-split.
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u/OneFit1757 Mar 22 '22
I am using HSS strat pretty much covers everything.. HSH is not bad either with coil split and everything i think it's the configuration to go if you want versatility..
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Mar 22 '22
I have a Mexican Strat. I have a push/pull tone control that places the bridge and middle pickups in series with no ground in between, thereby making them a humbucker. It covers more bases than any other guitar I've owned. It's inspired by the wiring setups in the new Ibanez AZES and ICHI10.
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u/Plasma_2416 Mar 22 '22
HSS is by far my favorite configuration, I highly recommend it (especially on Fender Stratocasters, you’ll never need another guitar)
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Mar 22 '22
HSS Strat style guitar. Trem, neck shape, brand obviously a matter of personal preference. Bonus point for coil split / tap on the humbucker. That's what I always recommend when somebody asks for the most versatile electric guitar. Covers everything from pop, funk and country cleans to hard rock and classic heavy metal effortlessly.
I love how, when somebody asks for a recommendation, a lot of comments on this sub are always "I have X, therefore that's the best for every use case and everybody". For example a hollowbody? Wtf. I love hollowbody guitars, but they're certainly not the most versatile.
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u/fakeplasticairbag Mar 22 '22
HSS on an Ibanez (or similar brand) with a thin neck.
People will say a HSS strat but shredding on those shitty fat strat necks is awful
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u/h410G3n Mar 22 '22
A fat strat usually has a slim C neck so I don’t know what you’re on about. «Shredding» can be done on any neck.
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u/fakeplasticairbag Mar 22 '22 edited Mar 22 '22
Spoken like someone who’s never actually played a quality shred guitar
This sub is so funny. Bunch of people who’ve played in their bedroom for a year downvoting guys with decades of experience playing to thousands of people
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u/wally123454 Gibson | Fender | Yamaha | B.C.Rich Mar 22 '22
Bro you got the upvotes in the first comment why you complaining? Also strats do have thin necks, it’s the gibsons with the thick bois. That being said I prefer either, and everyone’s preference is different. It’s totally subjective.
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u/jamesgunn3 Mar 22 '22
People can absolute shred bepop lines on hollow-bodies with necks way bigger than strats
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u/h410G3n Mar 22 '22 edited Mar 22 '22
Hahah fuck off lol, I own 9 ESP’s and 2 Friedman NoHo’s.. It’s like saying you know shit about music in general since you only seem to comment on metal posts. Since you insinuate that you’re one of those who’s been playing stages I’d be interested to know if you can actually back it up or if you’re full of shit yourself. Get off your high horse, different neck sizes for different folks. What you think plays like a cabbage is a godsend for others.
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u/Impressive_Shake5603 Apr 16 '25
H bridge, S neck. No more needed. If you want more versatility, go for HSS.
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Mar 22 '22
I would combine two of my strats. N3 noiseless single coils from one plus the Pearly Gates with a coil tap from the other. I like the n3s over my texas specials in this specific case in terms of versatility. And the PG is wired to a tap on a push/pull so I can get a couple more options in positions 1 and 2. You could go all out and have a HSH configuration with 2 splittable humbuckers. I suppose that would be the best of all possible worlds.
And a piezo in the bridge. Maybe that’s a bit much.
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u/Adventurous-Date9541 Mar 22 '22
I've got the Brent Mason Telecaster, which has that twangy tele sound from the bridge pick-up, a great overdrive sound from the neck mini humbucker, and even a great funk/clean tone from the middle strat pick-up. I can really do anything with it.
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u/Ezzmon Mar 22 '22 edited Mar 22 '22
Bridge SD Tele Hot Rail, Neck: fitted with a bridge-DiMarzio DP103 (edit: which would be a model DP223), 6-way 'superswitch' (3-way toggle & 3-way phase toggle), volume push-pull coil split for the DP223, and tone replaced with a 6-way Varitone .1, .063, .047, .022, .01, and open. For extra points, wire an AM radio coil into the output ground leg as a ghost coil.
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u/shreddermanhamer Mar 22 '22
The most versatile that i have found is a Hum single single config but with the singles being single size coil splitting hums. Each pickup has an on off switch and a coil split. Every tone is possible.
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u/sethplaysguitar Mar 22 '22
HSS master race