Anyone use Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders?

smitty_p

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So, I'm in the research phase for a high-gain, SSS Strat build. This will be a high-gain companion for my other Strattykaster, which has a nice vintage-type output.

I'm interested in the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/quarter-pound-strat-calibrated-set

Does anyone here have any experience with these? From the videos I've seen, I like them. But, I will be the first to admit that videos can be deceiving.

For those who may suggest some flavor of humbucker, stacked or otherwise, I'll be honest. I'm not really interested in that approach. I have humbucker territory well-covered with my other guitars. I'm really wanting a single-coil build.
 
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Fender Texas Specials are strong but very "Stratty"....

Also take a close look at Lace. I've built a few high end solid bodies with an array of Lace pickups and the instruments sold fast due to the wide variety of tones from them. Course the fact the instruments were handmade with killer woods and finish helped a bit too. But Lace is underappreciated yet they're likely the best pickups in my opinion.
 
I have QPs in my Jazz bass and also installed a QP bridge pickup in a friend's Telecaster.

The output of all of these are very high. My friend with the Tele is cheap and didn't want to pay for a new harness so I wired it straight to the jack. The difference in output between that and his Epiphone SG with P-90s was such that he stopped using the Maxon OD-9 overdrive with when using the Tele.

The ones in my bass are very growly, more scooped than the stock Squier ones

If you have the option of a coil tap version like with the Tele pickup I'd say it's worth the extra coin.

The staggered coil version is for 7.25" radius Strats, otherwise use the flat version
 
I have QPs in my Jazz bass and also installed a QP bridge pickup in a friend's Telecaster.

The output of all of these are very high. My friend with the Tele is cheap and didn't want to pay for a new harness so I wired it straight to the jack. The difference in output between that and his Epiphone SG with P-90s was such that he stopped using the Maxon OD-9 overdrive with when using the Tele.

The ones in my bass are very growly, more scooped than the stock Squier ones

If you have the option of a coil tap version like with the Tele pickup I'd say it's worth the extra coin.

The staggered coil version is for 7.25" radius Strats, otherwise use the flat version

Thanks a lot for the reply, Dave. That is helpful.

Your point about your friend not needing his overdrive anymore is helpful, too. More and more I've been relying on just my amp's overdrive with the guitar pushing it. Not needing the OD is attractive to me.

Yes, I will go for the tapped version, if it's available for the Strat pickups. I'll check into that.

Thanks also for the info about the staggered version vs. the flat.

I know your friend has the Tele version, but how would you describe the tone?
 
I would describe the Tele version as the closest thing to having a hot P-90. It is on a par with my BKP Stockholm in terms of hotness, and maybe a bit more compressed. To my mind it doesn't sound much like a Tele unless you get the tapped version and use it in tapped mode for Tele tones.

We used to be in a band together. I am pretty sure we used the Telecaster for the demo. We definitely used my SG Junior with the BKP. He is playing the lead part, I am rhythm.

It's pretty rough but it cost us $100 to record and was done in single takes, so what can I say! :D


I think they might have used the Telecaster on their split 7" with Misawa too, but I wasn't there for that recording so I am not sure.

I think the Strat version might not be as hot as the Tele version, hence they don't offer a tapped version (as far as I know).

Here's a demo of the Tele QP with coil tap:

 
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I used a Quarter Pounder in my Strat for a while..... fairly hot...good gain with an EQ, but noisy. I switched to the DiMarzio HS-3 around 1988....
 
So, I'm in the research phase for a high-gain, SSS Strat build. This will be a high-gain companion for my other Strattykaster, which has a nice vintage-type output.

I'm interested in the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/quarter-pound-strat-calibrated-set

Does anyone here have any experience with these? From the videos I've seen, I like them. But, I will be the first to admit that videos can be deceiving.

For those who may suggest some flavor of humbucker, stacked or otherwise, I'll be honest. I'm not really interested in that approach. I have humbucker territory well-covered with my other guitars. I'm really wanting a single-coil build.

Try the DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2....or, the now out of production YJM...it's 100% faithful to the original single coil sound, but hum cancelling....
 
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