Single Coil Recommendations

[beneharris]

I just had a Yngwie build finish up at Warmoth, and they shipped today. I have been wanting to get a full set of HS pickups that were used in the original signature guitars, but I just can't find them. So in the interest of getting the guitar built, what single coils should I get that would do sort of the same thing? I guess since they're stacked humbuckers I wouldn't be opposed to something like that as well.

[Jeff]

I won't use any single coils that aren't Fishman. I seriously love my Greg Koch set, and will be doing a Warmoth strat later this year with the Fluence strat set.

[beneharris]

All of their stuff is active, right?

[Jeff]

All of their stuff is active, right?

I mean, yeah technically they're active. But do the singles sound like "active" pickups? No, definitely not. They sound like singles with no noise. Definitely better IMHO than like SD Vintage Stack pickups, or Dimarzio Area.

[beneharris]

What sort of battery life are you getting out of them? It is pretty neat you can buy a rechargeable pack for them.

Are they super twangy? I need to look up some videos.

[Drew]

Best "true" singlecoils I've ever used are the Suhr ML Standards. Any of the Suhrs, really - they just sound "bigger" than anything else I've played. I thought I was happy with the EJ set in my rosewood/ash strat until I got my maple/alder one back, and the Fenders just sound kind of "filtered" by comparison, like there's something being removed from the bottom. The MLs are fairly hot without sounding it, punchy and a bit more midrangey than is normal for a singlecoil, but still sound pretty "traditional" when played clean. The combination of a vert traditional singlecoil attack with a little more mids always makes me think of Yngwie on fast single note lines, but if you wanted something even more traditional, I was also very impressed with the V60LPs I eventually put in my ash strat just to have something a little different.

[Leah]

Suhr MLs or you can buy the Legacy Alnico pickups from G&L directly for a fair bit less money.

[Bloody_Inferno]

Aren't the new HS4s a rebrand of Yngwie's old Dimarzio YJMs?

[Überschall]

The BKP Trilogy Suite is stellar.

[beneharris]

Aren't the new HS4s a rebrand of Yngwie's old Dimarzio YJMs?

That's true. The way I was reading Dimarzio's description it made it seem as if it were a more 50s sounding pickup. I'll look into it a bit more.

[beneharris]

The BKP Trilogy Suite is stellar.

I have been wanting to try those, but I never see them come up for sale.

[beneharris]

Best "true" singlecoils I've ever used are the Suhr ML Standards. Any of the Suhrs, really - they just sound "bigger" than anything else I've played. I thought I was happy with the EJ set in my rosewood/ash strat until I got my maple/alder one back, and the Fenders just sound kind of "filtered" by comparison, like there's something being removed from the bottom. The MLs are fairly hot without sounding it, punchy and a bit more midrangey than is normal for a singlecoil, but still sound pretty "traditional" when played clean. The combination of a vert traditional singlecoil attack with a little more mids always makes me think of Yngwie on fast single note lines, but if you wanted something even more traditional, I was also very impressed with the V60LPs I eventually put in my ash strat just to have something a little different.

Suh'rs pickups are surprisingly awesome. I've got them obviously in my Suhr, but I've stuck a few in other guitars and I've always been impressed. I'll keep an eye out for some of those, too. I was able to snag an HS3 off Reverb yesterday, so I'm down to looking for one.

Sorry for the million posts - forgot to do a multi. Haven't had any coffee yet this morning

[Überschall]

I have been wanting to try those, but I never see them come up for sale.

for good reason. They’re awesome.

[beneharris]

I'll be on the lookout for some. I have a hard time paying the $300 for a new set, though.

[RevDrucifer]

I thought his signatures were just re-branded HS-3’s?

[jacksonplayer]

If you're going to be doing Yngwie-ish stuff, then a set of stacked humbuckers is crucial. Real single-coils won't get that sound. Sort of in between a single coil and a humbucker.

[Bloody_Inferno]

I thought his signatures were just re-branded HS-3’s?

Last time I checked, before switching to Duncans, Yngwie had an HS3 in the bridge with 2 YJMs (now rebranded as HS4s) in middle and neck.

[beneharris]

I think originally he had hs1/2/3. Then the 1 was rebranded at 4. I can't remember off hand what position they were all in.