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I can't decide between the surfer or the texas hots for my new SSS lake placid blue start It seems to me, from reading opinions 'round here, that the surfer is more glassy and sparkly and has more top end. It's lively basically. And the texas hots have more sizzle and are quot;ruderquot;. Am I right? Ayway, I was thinking with going with the hots just because somone, Lew I believe, said that they are better for a SRV tone, which, IMO, is the best strat tone ever. I'm really a Les Paul guy (this is my first strat), but I've really gotten into SRV lately, so I decided to get a strat The tone I want is that beautiful quot;Little Wingquot; clean tone, but I also want to be able to pull off a buttery smooth distortion occassionally.

However, my strat is a basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, so it probably won't be as quot;livelyquot; as a standard alder/maple/maple strat and could benefit from the surfers. I don't really know which route to go, that's why am I asking you guys. So waddya think: Surfers or Texas Hots?


Originally Posted by JPPI can't decide between the surfer or the texas hots for my new SSS lake placid blue start It seems to me, from reading opinions 'round here, that the surfer is more glassy and sparkly and has more top end. It's lively basically. And the texas hots have more sizzle and are quot;ruderquot;. Am I right? Ayway, I was thinking with going with the hots just because somone, Lew I believe, said that they are better for a SRV tone, which, IMO, is the best strat tone ever. I'm really a Les Paul guy (this is my first strat), but I've really gotten into SRV lately, so I decided to get a strat The tone I want is that beautiful quot;Little Wingquot; clean tone, but I also want to be able to pull off a buttery smooth distortion occassionally.

However, my strat is a basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, so it probably won't be as quot;livelyquot; as a standard alder/maple/maple strat and could benefit from the surfers. I don't really know which route to go, that's why am I asking you guys. So waddya think: Surfers or Texas Hots?surfers in the neck and middle and a Texas hot custom bridge in the bridge!

Yeah, that thought came out and sounds quite nice actually... but don't you have to do some trickery with the wiring when combining the two? Maybe I just made that up though...

If you combine Antiquities, you have to reverse the white and black wires on the Ant I bridge, and swap the neck pickup for the middle pickup on the Surfers, but wire them properly.

Does anyone know the circumstance for using a Twangbanger bridge w/2 Surfers. Do they jive, or do you have to do the same thing?


Originally Posted by GearjoneserIf you combine Antiquities, you have to reverse the white and black wires on the Ant I bridge, and swap the neck pickup for the middle pickup on the Surfers, but wire them properly.

Does anyone know the circumstance for using a Twangbanger bridge w/2 Surfers. Do they jive, or do you have to do the same thing?I belive that 2 surfers and a TB are the same...John uses that set up in hus blue Strat...maybe he will chime in


Originally Posted by JPPI can't decide between the surfer or the texas hots for my new SSS lake placid blue start It seems to me, from reading opinions 'round here, that the surfer is more glassy and sparkly and has more top end. It's lively basically. And the texas hots have more sizzle and are quot;ruderquot;. Am I right? Ayway, I was thinking with going with the hots just because somone, Lew I believe, said that they are better for a SRV tone, which, IMO, is the best strat tone ever. I'm really a Les Paul guy (this is my first strat), but I've really gotten into SRV lately, so I decided to get a strat The tone I want is that beautiful quot;Little Wingquot; clean tone, but I also want to be able to pull off a buttery smooth distortion occassionally.

However, my strat is a basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, so it probably won't be as quot;livelyquot; as a standard alder/maple/maple strat and could benefit from the surfers. I don't really know which route to go, that's why am I asking you guys. So waddya think: Surfers or Texas Hots?

I use the Surfer neck and middle and Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup, but the Surfer Custom bridge is great too. It's brighter than the Texas Hot and gives even chimier tone when combined with the middle pickup. I like the extra mids and slightly more compressable and touch sensitive tone of the Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup for soloing and bright glassy big deep tone of the Surfers for playing rythym.

SRV didn't use alnico 2 pickups like the Texas Hots...he used alnico 5 pickups like the SSL-1's and Surfers.

I think a guy should go with whichever pickup gives him the tone he hears in his head and makes him feel the most comfortable so he can forget about pickups and just play!

I know Darrin is a big SRV fan and loves his Texas Hots through his tweed Bassman Reissue. They do have a beautiful vibe and alot of personality and soul. More mids than the Surfers and a thicker tone with less of the sharp glassy edge alnico 5 Strat pickups have.

But IMO, the Surfers are closer in tone to the real '62 or '63 Strat pickups in my '63 Strat and to the pickups that SRV used: more bass, more treble, more chime, more glass...great for Lenny, Riviera Paradise, Little Wing, etc. But some guys aren't really comfortable with that sharp glassy vintage Strat tone.

Me? I can't get comfortable with anything else!

Except I do prefer the alnico 2 9.5K Texas Hot Custom Bridge pickup for soloing on the bridge pickup. Alnico 5 in a Strat bridge pickup sounds a little shrill and overly bright to me sometimes so I use alnico 2 for the bridge position.

I feel the same way about my Teles and tend to use alnico 5 for the neck and alnico 2 for the bridge.

Lew

Yeah.... think I'm gonna go w/ the Surfers for neck and middle, texas hot for the bridge. These will be my first Duncan pickups, I'm pumped I'm not completely comformtable with wiring these pickups, but I'll figure out when the time comes...

Lew, don't you have to cross up some wires if you use a Texas Hot in the bridge, and the Surfers in the neck/middle? if you want to cancel the noise for 2 and 4 positions on the 5 way switch?

I'm using the Surfer/Surfer/Twangbanger and yes,I had to flip flop the wires on the Twangbanger...I think I put the white wire on the Twangbanger's plate over to ground and reversed the white and black wires to the switch and my pot ground...I think? Might be suffering from C.R.S. Can't Remember Sh$t! LOL....

It's a little tricky mixing the Surfer neck and middle with the Texas Hot bridge but if you pay attention you can get it right the first time. Two things to remember:

1. Reverse the black and white leads of the Texas Hot bridge pickup: black to switch and white to ground. (Otherwise the TH will be put of phase with the Surfers)

2. Put the Surfer labeled RW/RP in the neck position and the one that is NOT RW/RP in the middle position. (Now you'll have humcancelling when the pickup in the middle is combined with the neck or bridge pickup)

Lew