# Fattening my Fender



## Hinrich (Feb 12, 2006)

i know there's a similar thread but it doesn't seem to answer my question.

i've got a Fender Highway 1 Strat (USA) and installed a Demarzio Fast Track 2 humbucker on the bridge. It fattens the sound alright but get this:

I also have a Yamaha Pacifica which is comparable to the Mexican Fat Strat. Not only is the sound fatter than the Fender, it is also louder. I play it through a Mesa boogie F30.

My dilemma is, I like the tone that I get with the Yamaha because the humbucker has more distortion and I would play that instead, but the sound quality isn't there so I want to keep playing the Fender.

I'm new to electric guitars so I don't know pickups very well. Can anyone recommend a new set of pickups for me that will increase the output volume, allow me to get a fat distorted tone on the bridge yet still maintain the Strat sound on the mid and neck positions?


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## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

raise your pickups closer to the strings on your strat.


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## Hinrich (Feb 12, 2006)

I tried raising my pickups and it sort of works but I lose the sustain because of the magnetic pull. I'm positive that they're set to where they're supposed to be.


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## Yerffej (Feb 7, 2006)

Hinrich said:


> I tried raising my pickups and it sort of works but I lose the sustain because of the magnetic pull. I'm positive that they're set to where they're supposed to be.


yeah, start at 1/4 inch on each side. lower the bass side if you want more treble, lower the treble side if you want more bass


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## Hinrich (Feb 12, 2006)

It's not an issue of how loud it is, I want to replace my humbucker to fatten the sound similar to my PAC. The humbucker I am using in my strat is a Dimarzio Fast Track 2, the single coil sized version. I am assuming that the reason my Pacifica has a heavier sound is because teh humbucker is the double size. Is this true?


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## keefsdad (Feb 7, 2006)

The full sized ones usually do sound different. You could try something like a SD hot rails, not full size but pretty hot.


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## Hinrich (Feb 12, 2006)

I think I'll try a Seymore Duncan double humbucker if I can get it to fit - it's time for a change!


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## justing (Feb 2, 2006)

Hey Hinrich, 
I would try a high output full-sized humbucker. I don't know if it will greatly increase your output or not (depends how hot the pickup is), but it'll probably sound better than the little single coil sized ones at least. I used to have a SD hot rails in the bridge of my tele, and it sounded really really bad..


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## Hinrich (Feb 12, 2006)

> Hey Hinrich,
> I would try a high output full-sized humbucker. I don't know if it will greatly increase your output or not (depends how hot the pickup is), but it'll probably sound better than the little single coil sized ones at least. I used to have a SD hot rails in the bridge of my tele, and it sounded really really bad.


Hey Justing

Thanks for the advice. I assumed that a full sized double HB would sound better but I needed to hear it from another person who experienced the same. No I'm not concerned about the output volume, just wanna hear smore ballsy.


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## asatattack (Jan 7, 2006)

Hinrich said:


> I think I'll try a Seymore Duncan double humbucker if I can get it to fit - it's time for a change!


 If you go to Seymour Duncan's web site they have a tone chart with a link to audio samples you may find helpful. Just a thought; the brightness/ballsiness of your Highway 1/Pacifica may be linked more to the characteristics of the wood and not the pickups.


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## Hinrich (Feb 12, 2006)

asatattack said:


> If you go to Seymour Duncan's web site they have a tone chart with a link to audio samples you may find helpful. Just a thought; the brightness/ballsiness of your Highway 1/Pacifica may be linked more to the characteristics of the wood and not the pickups.


Interesting - both bodies are alder but the fretboard is maple on the PAC and rosewood on the HWY 1 - I'll go ahead with the SD and see for myself, if it doesn't make a difference I'll know for sure. Thanks for pointing it out ASA!


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