Has anyone had any experience with the Hot Lead Stack STK-T2b from Seymour Duncan?

[Normandyr2k]

I'm looking to replace my stock pickup to achieve a bigger noiseless telecaster sound. I play mostly hard rock and wanted to know if this pickup would be a good fit. I was also looking at the hot rails, but heard it has a crunchy sound that is possibly due to the ceramic magnets. I thought the Hot Lead Stack would be better because of the resonant peak and Alnico V magnet. Should I go with the Hot Lead Stack?

 

[Big White Tele]

Yeah, I have a hot stack. Does what your looking for. If you wire it so you can split it, you get a decent single coil tone as well. Nice pickup.

 

[Chet Johnson]

I respectfully disagree. I had this pickup once. It isn't nearly as hot as you'd expect. It was in my 2nd tele at the time. The first has Texas specials in it. The Hot Stack isn't even close to that output, and the Texas Special is just a single coil.

For mostly hard rock, I'd try the Li' 59 or Hot rails.

Good Luck

 

[Normandyr2k]

I'm not sure if you guys are talking about the same pickup.

Here is the pickup I'm interested in

It is the Hot "LEAD" Stack.

 

[braderrick]

I have one in one of my teles and I love it. It can do rock or country. By the way it IS pretty hot hence the name. 10.7 k ohms split and 21.4 full. I say that's pretty hot!

 

[patrickhowell]

I thought the Hot Lead Stack would be better because of the resonant peak and Alnico V magnet. Should I go with the Hot Lead Stack?

Looks like it's got a ceramic magnet:

"The added windings and the hot ceramic magnet make this a pickup extra powerful."

- http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/telecaster/cutting-edge/hot_lead_stack/

 

[Normandyr2k]

Confused on the magnet?

In the pickup description it says it has a Ceramic magnet, but in the tone chart it says it has an Alnico V bar. Which is it?

 

[klasher]

I have one in one of my teles and I love it. It can do rock or country. By the way it IS pretty hot hence the name. 10.7 k ohms split and 21.4 full. I say that's pretty hot!

So, can you give me an idea of what it sounds like? Can it do a real creamy type of drive sound or does it turn into more of a buzzy ZZ Top type of sound? Does it sound good on clean/light od? Is it ice picky at all? Is it more country or more Keith Richards? Sorry for all the questions, I've just never seen a real good thorough review on one of these.

 

[twangcaster1]

Yep. Sounds cool, but it's definitely not quite a "traditional" tele sound.

 

[Psyclone]

I just picked up one of these pickups at a remarkably cheap price. I was gonna look for some feedback here and see what folks thought, and up jumped a monkey, here's a thread about 'em.

I'm gonna let it rip in an Esquire I've been thinking about. Should be great fun.

 

[Big White Tele]

I respectfully disagree. I had this pickup once. It isn't nearly as hot as you'd expect. It was in my 2nd tele at the time. The first has Texas specials in it. The Hot Stack isn't even close to that output, and the Texas Special is just a single coil.

For mostly hard rock, I'd try the Li' 59 or Hot rails.

Good Luck

Might have something to do with how its wired, You can wire it as a humbucker or as a low output single coil. I have one tapped with a mini switch for a low output single coil sound, and flip the switch to a hot humbucker. Works for me.

 

[braderrick]

Might have something to do with how its wired, You can wire it as a humbucker or as a low output single coil. I have one tapped with a mini switch for a low output single coil sound, and flip the switch to a hot humbucker. Works for me.

True, thats where the 10.7 and 21.4 k ohms comes in. I'd say the push/pull or mini switch is a great idea. It would be the best way to get the most out of this pickup.

As far as how they sound, which way you wire them IS going to make a difference klasher, but I can tell you it definately isn't ice picky at all, the distortion and overdrive stuff isn't the buzzy type I don't think. I don't really know how to explain it. I don't do the overdrive thing much any more so I'm not much help. I'd recommend wiring the pickup as noted above and I'm sure you can find both the clean and distorted tones you're looking for.

 

[Normandyr2k]

Which pickup will get me closer to a sound similar to a JB?

I have been looking at the Hot Lead Stack, Hot Rails, Tone Zone T, and Super Distortion. Which one will do the trick? My setup is just an original 5150. I don't want a crunchy EMG sound.

 

[badmelonfarmer]

I agree with it not being that hot. I bought one to work with a SD Jazz humbucker in the neck.

I could not get them to balance at all the Jazz was just WAY too loud even with the Jazz below the pickguard level and the STK-T2b nearly touching the strings!

it is a nice sounding pickup, but is not hot at all, even SD admitted this in emails with them.

I was sorry to see it go, but went with a lil 59 in the bridge which balances really well. not a typical tele Single Coil sound but I like it.

So I would say it may be a little hotter than typical SC PUPS, but NOT compared to Humbuckers or rails.

Cheers

BMF

 

[old_picker]

i had one and i thought it was dull and lifeless - no sparkle or bight - kind of flat really

 

[swangdb]

Here is the pickup I'm interested in

It is the Hot "LEAD" Stack.

I have one of these in my Tele. I bought it used from a friend, he told me he'd had it for around 20 years. I expected not to like it. But it is not that hot, which is a good thing to me. Mine is twangy and in fact sounds like what I expected the Duncan Vintage stack tele pickup to sound like. I like it for country music but it gets a good classic rock tone with the right amp/pedals/settings.

 

[Hoodster]

I'm interested in this pickup in as well, but it's curious how varied the reviews are, here and elsewhere. I think it would be useful if people note whether they use 250 K. or 500 K. pots, and also whether they are wiring them for full or tapped output.

For those who have used this pickup with good results, I'd like some input on a good matching neck pickup (single coil size). Duncan recommends their vintage stack, but I haven't heard great things about that. Will one of their traditional single coil neck pickups work, and if so which one?

 

[old_picker]

I'm interested in this pickup in as well, but it's curious how varied the reviews are, here and elsewhere. I think it would be useful if people note whether they use 250 K. or 500 K. pots, and also whether they are wiring them for full or tapped output.

For those who have used this pickup with good results, I'd like some input on a good matching neck pickup (single coil size). Duncan recommends their vintage stack, but I haven't heard great things about that. Will one of their traditional single coil neck pickups work, and if so which one?

interestingly i found the neck pickup excellent and thought the bridge pretty ordinary as stated before - as far as getting a hotter tone there are way better humbuckers than this one - i thought it was half arsed and replaced it with a real humbucker - result was very good - if you just want distortion it will do the job but if you want tone the vintage stack rythm is toneful but the hot stack aint

 

[Jim Sams]

I sort of like the bridge hot stack. It does take away a lot of the twang/snap/icepick that some teles has. Try it, you might like it.

 

[Hoodster]

AGAIN, Please tell what pot values you used!