Best pickups for clean rhythm playing? - Suggestions

[TheJacket]

EVERY pickup company with sound samples provides nothing but clips of lead guitar playing....what about us band guys that are the background STRUMMING and LIKE it that way!?!?

I am looking for great RHYTHM/STRUMMING pickups (humbucker at the neck, single coil at the bridge..)...very clean throaty, jangly,twangy....chimey like Keef but cleaner.

Any sites or ideas, fellas? I can go $110 - $150 for both, can be different brands, etc...thanks!

PS - I play mostly thru lower wattage Fender tube amps which are then mic'd thru a PA.

 

[Bluesbob]

How 'bout this...

I'm thinkin' SD mini-humbucker at the neck and a lower-output vintage traditional Tele bridge pup like the SD Broadcaster or CS '51 Nocaster. I think this would be great for big full chords, but if you want more chop maybe a stacked coil humbucker would be better. I have a Seth Lover neck pup with a Nocaster bridge (like Keef!) in one of my guitars and the combo sounds great for lead and clean arpeggios, but might compress too much for a clean, acoustic-like strumming sound. By the way, my other Partscaster has an SD Antiquity I bridge with a '54 neck and it sounds nice and clear and "woody" playing strummed chords in the middle position (neck and bridge parallel), but the '54 neck is a single coil.

 

[TheJacket]

I'm thinkin' SD mini-humbucker at the neck and a lower-output vintage traditional Tele bridge pup like the SD Broadcaster or CS '51 Nocaster.

Thanks Mr. Bob...can you easily install a mini -humbucker in a cavity already routed for a full size one?

Ya know, I never hear any love/respect for Fender's wide range humbucker...

Im still leaning toward Tonerider...the vintage alnico PAF for the neck, and the vintage single coil at the bridge....

 

[Telenator]

I love P90s for rhythm. The tight focus of a single coil with the fat sound of a humbucker.

 

[eggman]

Howdy,

BluesBob's suggestions are very good. I will only add to the list SD '59 (n) or Dimarzio's Eric Johnson Humbucker, which is patterened after the P/U found in the old Gretsch Country Gentleman: low/moderate output and articulate.
As for Single-Coil, I like DiMarzio's Twang King; a perennial "best bang-for-the-buck" choice here at TDPRI. Good luck!

Eggman
PS: All of my suggestions are AlNiCo, fwiw.

 

[dadm]

anything will work if you do your part. a vintage tele rythm sounds great just listen to steve cropper.

 

[Zebulon Bluze]

I agree with the P-90's. Great rhythm sound. Nice and balanced. Oh how I miss my 330.

 

[psychotech]

I got some from a website (link removed) and I believe and they have sweetest rhythm tone can be had. They are custom wound strat pickups at about 7.5k across the board. The harmonic balance, fundamental and output are perfect. They are just hot enough to get a little breakup on a Bassman turned up but back down the volume on say switch setting 4 and you have smooth full fat clean punch. My 1999 Mexi Fat Strat is my favorite guitar with Singles in it an it is absolutely a dream. Got to (link removed) and check out the pickups for sale on his website.

psy

 

[psychotech]

Hello, thought you might want to know about a website I found that has custom pickups of every discription and I have some in my strat and they sound like a dream. Check out (link removed).

psy

EVERY pickup company with sound samples provides nothing but clips of lead guitar playing....what about us band guys that are the background STRUMMING and LIKE it that way!?!?

I am looking for great RHYTHM/STRUMMING pickups (humbucker at the neck, single coil at the bridge..)...very clean throaty, jangly,twangy....chimey like Keef but cleaner.

Any sites or ideas, fellas? I can go $110 - $150 for both, can be different brands, etc...thanks!

PS - I play mostly thru lower wattage Fender tube amps which are then mic'd thru a PA.

 

[Kris]

Check out the Harmonic Design Vintage Plus neck pickup.

Kris

 

[nic'o'caster]

Check out the Harmonic Design Vintage Plus neck pickup.

Kris

+1 my favourite rhythm pickup, very straty, punchy, clear but full, perfect for clean rhythum !
I have found it works better in an ash body and a maple neck, a bright guitar will compensate for the lack of upper highs.


Also, good suggestion from Bluesbob : mini HB neck pup and broadcaster bridge pup... Wait, isn't it the exact descripton of the hot rod 52' ? I think you should definitely check one before price get too high !

 

[Chrismo]

If you're looking for a neck humbucker, maybe a Duncan Jazz?

 

[tele salivas]

I like a mini humbucker in the neck myself, a little more clarity than a full humbucker for how I play...no problems with a full route, the pickguard takes care of that