# Hsh strat for metal



## toolshed (Feb 12, 2012)

I have an 06 highway one american strat. I play metal and have had an idea to put a humbucker single humbucker configuration in it. Have any of you played a hsh strat and was it actually able to compete with the other shreddar guitars out there? what pickups will work best?


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## snowblind56 (Feb 12, 2012)

I have an American Strat that I have an HSH pickguard in. It has a Duncan Custom 5 and a Jazz neck with a fender single coil in the middle. That guitar just dominates. Sounds as good as any of my other shredder guitars, but geared more towards 80's metal. I also had that pickguard in a Swamp Ash bodied, Hardtail USA Strat that was pretty wicked in it's own right.

Plenty of people use Strats for metal. They are unbelievably versatile. Just like plenty of people have used Les Pauls for metal. Just because they aren't pointy, doesn't mean it won't work. Try it out for yourself. The investment in the pickups/pickguard costs less than a new guitar. 

And seriously, Strats work for Iron Maiden. That should be good enough of a reason.


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## drgamble (Feb 12, 2012)

Yeah, I've heard a lot of metal bands say that they use Les Pauls and Strats for studio work. These are workhorse guitars. A lot of bands will ditch their ibbys, esps, etc for an album because these guitars just have a really good sound, and let's face it, there's a reason these guitars have been around forever.


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## dschonn (Feb 12, 2012)

i´ve modded my squier with new electronics, pickguard and put a dimarzio d activator in the bridge and a air norton in the neck! apart from only having 21 frets that are pretty worn down it slays  i recommend this configuration!


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## fitterhappier (Feb 12, 2012)

I've got an old Peavey Predator that I retrofitted with an Invader in the bridge and Full Shred in the neck. It destroys - and is awesome for metal.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 12, 2012)

With the right pickups, your strat will work for the heavier stuff. 

The only thing that would be restricting is only 21 frets and the pickup routing. Well, not really the pickup route, since you could get stacked single coils now. 

Get a Super 3 in the bridge, a Tone Zone (S) in the neck, and something else in the middle.


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## Justin Bailey (Feb 12, 2012)

Nope, a strat can never do metal, ever, regardless of mods. You're gonna have to buy a black RG, sorry.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 12, 2012)

Justin Bailey said:


> Nope, a strat can never do metal, ever, regardless of mods. You're gonna have to buy a black RG, sorry.


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## Hemi-Powered Drone (Feb 12, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The only thing that would be restricting is only 21 frets and the pickup routing.



I thought Fender used a swimming pool route?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 12, 2012)

dragonblade629 said:


> I thought Fender used a swimming pool route?



I think with a few of them, by my Squier strat is routed for HSS. 
And according to what I'm reading, HWY 1 strats are HSS routed, unless OP could check and inform us.


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## ittoa666 (Feb 12, 2012)

Jon from Cryptopsy. Nuff said. Strats can do anything, and I love em for that.

Also, I have an invader in my strat and it sounds like a chainsaw.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 12, 2012)

And don't forget about Andreas Kisser, who swears by Fender and Seizi strats.


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## Fiction (Feb 12, 2012)

Yngwie 

It's definitely possible, you could put bkps in a daisy rock and metal the fuck out... Although the neck might feel like ass


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## Justin Bailey (Feb 12, 2012)

Everyone knows Bareknuckle isn't the only pickup manufacturer that makes pickups, right?


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## snowblind56 (Feb 12, 2012)

Justin Bailey said:


> Everyone knows Bareknuckle isn't the only pickup manufacturer that makes pickups, right?



No, not many folks around here know that.


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## Ardez (Feb 12, 2012)

Fiction said:


> Yngwie
> 
> It's definitely possible, you could put bkps in a daisy rock and metal the fuck out... Although the neck might feel like ass



Neck that feels like ass...


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## drgamble (Feb 12, 2012)

The American Deluxes actually come with 22 frets and a bridge humbucker, should work nicely for metal. I have an old Japanese model with an Invader in the bridge and it even has a Floyd on it. To top it all of it has a blackburst paint job, doesn't get much more metal than that.


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## McBrain (Feb 12, 2012)

drgamble said:


> The American Deluxes actually come with 22 frets and a bridge humbucker, should work nicely for metal.



And a 9.5"-14" Compound Radius.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 12, 2012)

Yeah, now that I read the HWY 1 strat specs, its actually 22 frets instead of 21.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Feb 12, 2012)

There's this too:



I've always been a big fan of the look of a Fender HSH with no Floyd. I'm glad one of the new Blacktop series are actually doing this too.


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## Thep (Feb 12, 2012)

While we're at it...

MARDUK!!!


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## Estilo (Feb 13, 2012)

I think people who use strats/ teles for metal are going against the current. Sure you can mod them but they'll never respond as good as guitars geared for heavy stuff. Unless, of course, they're made like Alex Wade's .


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## McBrain (Feb 13, 2012)

Estilo said:


> I think people who use strats/ teles for metal are going against the current. Sure you can mod them but they'll never respond as good as guitars geared for heavy stuff. Unless, of course, they're made like Alex Wade's .



So what exactly will make a HSH strat (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body) respond(?) worse than "guitars geared for heavy stuff" such as an ESP M-II (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body)?

Sure, the strat's got 2 frets less and medium-jumbo frets instead of jumbo's, but those are characteristics you can find on a ton of "metal" guitars. The only place where you might have a problem, is with the radius on the strat (9.5"), but the American Deluxe series (and the friendly people at Warmoth) can help you with that problem.


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## snowblind56 (Feb 13, 2012)

Estilo said:


> I think people who use strats/ teles for metal are going against the current. Sure you can mod them but they'll never respond as good as guitars geared for heavy stuff. Unless, of course, they're made like Alex Wade's .





McBrain said:


> So what exactly will make a HSH strat (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body) respond(?) worse than "guitars geared for heavy stuff" such as an ESP M-II (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body)?
> 
> Sure, the strat's got 2 frets less and medium-jumbo frets instead of jumbo's, but those are characteristics you can find on a ton of "metal" guitars. The only place where you might have a problem, is with the radius on the strat (9.5"), but the American Deluxe series (and the friendly people at Warmoth) can help you with that problem.



And what about everyone who uses Charvels for metal? Charvel started out hot-rodding Strats. Bigger frets and a humbucker. Done. Metal guitar.

It's all perception. Just because most people don't use Strats for metal, doesn't mean they can't be. The main reason they aren't widely used is because they don't look "metal", not because they don't sound great. If you replace a Strat neck with a pointy headstock neck, does it make it sound more metal?


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## Estilo (Feb 13, 2012)

McBrain said:


> So what exactly will make a HSH strat (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body) respond(?) worse than "guitars geared for heavy stuff" such as an ESP M-II (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body)?
> 
> Sure, the strat's got 2 frets less and medium-jumbo frets instead of jumbo's, but those are characteristics you can find on a ton of "metal" guitars. The only place where you might have a problem, is with the radius on the strat (9.5"), but the American Deluxe series (and the friendly people at Warmoth) can help you with that problem.



It's hard to explain it with a cerebral approach, I guess the best way I can explain would be the purpose the guitar was made for, which contributes to the ultimate feel, character and sound. This is more so than the shape, wood materials or number (or size)of frets (LPs, Eclipses, SGs, Sabers, RR's, and many more are 22 frets, and frets on some Gibsons are actually smaller than on Strats). 

I mean, Strats are known for that jangly, bell-like chime. Even Yngwie's tone has that character. So does Dave Murray's and Janick Gers'. And the neck. From what I've observed over the years metalheads like C or D profiles ala Schecters and Ibby's. Fender's Strats tend to have a V-tint to their neck profiles (NOT ALL, but I've noticed this amongst MIM, Am Std and their boutique line). All these I'm sure are not the most conducive specs for metal. You might argue that you can swap the pickups, throw in a floating bridge, maybe even sand the neck and refret with jumbo frets. But why bother going through all this to make a non-metal guitar more suited for metal, when you're not really out of options out there? Hence why I said "going against the current". The Fender brand is one of the very first that most people will come to know. If they're that mainstream, and that good to use for metal why is it that the number of metal bands using them are that few?


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## Riggy (Feb 13, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> And don't forget about Andreas Kisser, who swears by Fender and Seizi strats.










EDIT

That should totally say fretboard.

But yeah, Strats pwn.


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## Andromalia (Feb 14, 2012)

Are you all fucking kidding me ? No Maiden picture yet ? 






younglings....


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## uncle_sprinter (Feb 14, 2012)

Strats are metal! Throw a high output humbucker in there and your good to go!


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## Andromalia (Feb 14, 2012)

With the nowadays easily accessible humbuckers in single housing you don't even need that. ^^

Dave murrays last ones do not have a humbucker routing that I know of.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 14, 2012)

Riggy said:


>


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## All_¥our_Bass (Feb 15, 2012)

Not HSS but relevant:


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 15, 2012)

Its not plugged in...




'TIS A WITCH! BURN THE HEATHEN!!!!


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## mr_rainmaker (Feb 15, 2012)

OMG!!! THAT IS EPIC!!!!!


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## avenger (Feb 15, 2012)

Guys you can't use grandpas guitars for metal.


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## Sang-Drax (Feb 15, 2012)

Pretty much any guitar could do metal with the right amp and pickups, IMO 

Well... any _electric_ guitar.

EDIT: Roland Grapow used S-S-S Fenders in Helloween until 2000 or so, with a considerably heavier tone than the classics who inspired him (Malmsteem and Maiden):


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## Murmel (Feb 15, 2012)

Riggy said:


> EDIT
> 
> That should totally say fretboard.
> 
> But yeah, Strats pwn.



Hey, I made that meme 
But yeah, you're right, it should say fretboard. I just made it in haste.


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## kman42 (Jun 7, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The only thing that would be restricting is only 21 frets and the pickup routing. Well, not really the pickup route, since you could get stacked single coils now.



Even then, I cut the space I needed with a die grinder w/ cutting disc, a chisel and a soft touch .


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## kman42 (Jun 7, 2012)

McBrain said:


> So what exactly will make a HSH strat (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body) respond(?) worse than "guitars geared for heavy stuff" such as an ESP M-II (maple neck, rosewood fretboard, alder body)?
> 
> Sure, the strat's got 2 frets less and medium-jumbo frets instead of jumbo's, but those are characteristics you can find on a ton of "metal" guitars. The only place where you might have a problem, is with the radius on the strat (9.5"), but the American Deluxe series (and the friendly people at Warmoth) can help you with that problem.



Speaking as a player who only had an Ibanez S7320 for a few years, there are definitely aspects of a guitar that make it more metal. Mainly the neck - bigger frets, but also a thinner neck helps a ton. Also, a floyd rose tremolo goes a long way, and higher output pickups work a treat .

As for hsh guitars going heavy, check out the guitar I just finished building:




The neck is a SD Jazz, middle is a Dimarzio True Velvet and the Bridge is a Dimarzio Air Classic. The Air classic is a vintage type, fairly low output pup cause I don't play much metal anymore, but if I got a super distortion or something similar (like the Dean Matt Heafy in another of my guitars - 12.7k output ) It would kill people! The Jazz neck pup can do any kind of lead you ask it to.


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## Zado (Jun 7, 2012)

jari maenpaa uses a tele( sc only),and imho his tone is supreme


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## thedonal (Jun 7, 2012)

I've got an HRR Strat (Hot Rod Reissue) which started as HSS but I added a neck humbucker. 

It sounds great and plays beautifully (maple neck/board and chunky frets). 

I have a DiMarzio Super 3 at the bridge and Seymour Duncan '59 at the neck. However, as my body (or the guitar's!) is basswood, I cannot necessarily comment on pickup choice for you. 

It'll definitely do shred and metal (lovely neck profile too), but I tend not to (it's got a nice sweet, singing tone at the bridge and the 59 gives it that big, fat, chunky Les Paul sound)

Perhaps an Evolution set- the Jem 7VWH is an alder body, so you kind of know how that will sound (even though his fretboard is rosewood).

I find the basswood body is brighter and more energetic (notes absolutely leap out of the thing acoustically and when plugged in), whereas alder (that I have in my Strat plus) is slightly darker and not quite as loud. 

To be honest, that HRR strat is just amazing, tone wise. Maybe you need to source a basswood body!


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## USMarine75 (Jun 7, 2012)

The Dave Murray Strat absolutely shreds! I loved how it played and it wasn't too $$$ either. The Jim Root Strat shows that they can be metal as F if you want. And of course Charvel has been making metal "strats" for years. 

Throw in a Tone Zone / Air Norton combo or Tone Zone / Evolution and see what that does to your sound!


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## TankJon666 (Jun 7, 2012)

Yeah why not. Loads of Strats used in metal. 

I used an SG special with the standard gibo pickups in a death metal band. Sounded killer through a triple rec. When we played with other bands I thought it sounded way more defined and full than the usual pointy, EMG'd up guitars.


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## USMarine75 (Jun 7, 2012)

All_¥our_Bass;2869804 said:


> Not HSS but relevant:


 
^ Holy metalgasm.


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## wrongnote85 (Jun 7, 2012)

this is my number 1. i've modded the shit out of this guitar. as far as pickups are concerned, i've got a JB in the bridge, and fender tex mex in the middle, and a screamin' demon in the neck . this guitar slays, and yours can too!


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## McBrain (Jun 7, 2012)

kman42 said:


> Speaking as a player who only had an Ibanez S7320 for a few years, there are definitely aspects of a guitar that make it more metal. Mainly the neck - bigger frets, but also a thinner neck helps a ton. Also, a floyd rose tremolo goes a long way, and higher output pickups work a treat .



Well, I was talking about the general construction of a strat. Pickups will of course have to be changed, but I kind of assumed that was understood. Also its not a biggie, even if it needs a bit of routing.

I think you will be surprised by how many actually prefer a neck with a little meat on it for metal. For instance, my Caparison Horus has a beefier neck than my friends US Deluxe Strat and I think we can agree that a Horus is a metal guitar and a fairly popular one at that. 

About the frets... A lot of modern strats comes with medium jumbo's just like a lot of "metal guitars". I know a lot of people prefer 6100's but as long as we're in the medium jumbo - extra jumbo spectrum, then its more of a preference thing than a must for playing metal if you ask me.

Also not all metal players like floyds or other floating bridges for that matter. And a decked strat trem is as great as any hardtail (IMO), as long as its got solid saddles and the height adjustment screws are not too long.


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## sell2792 (Jun 7, 2012)

You can use any guitar to play anything, especially Stratocasters. It's just about personnel preference.. I sold an amazing American Strat awhile back because it didn't sound heavy enough to me, but really I was just too lazy to experiment with changing pickups, and I regret it a lot. Also, recently I borrowed a friends American Strat for a few days with a Hot Rails in the neck and tuned it down to drop C... It sounded damn heavy!


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## Ocara-Jacob (Jun 7, 2012)

I've been using an HSS Standard Stratocaster for... since I started playing. I chose to get a strat as my first guitar because I had played one before, and I felt like they could do anything. And hey, guess what, they can. Before I got that strat, I played on my dad's OLD Peavey Raptor, so that thing helped me figure out what I wanted my first guitar to look like. ANYWAYS.

Yes. HSH Strat = Metal. Do it.


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## possumkiller (Jun 7, 2012)

I use SSS Strats for metal. The stock bridge pickup in my CV60s Squier is great at getting that tight EMG 81 metal crunch. Singles are way under-rated IMHO.


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## jordanky (Jun 8, 2012)

I could play anything with my Strat and be totally comfortable and it just has a single P90 in the bridge. I, for one, LOVE LOVE LOVE the sound of a single coil with a hefty amount of gain behind it. Actually my single coil vs humbucker guitar ratio is slowly turning towards the twangy side, but I would be perfectly fine playing a show in my rock and roll band, then tuning my Strat down and stepping in with a metal band. I wonder why it seems like more metal oriented players recently are busting a nut over Telecasters, but seem to kind of shun basic Strats? I love them both, but I've always been kind of curious. It may just be me though. Anyways, I love my Fenders!


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## wakjob (Jun 8, 2012)

My #1 guitar is a old Fernandes Strat. Dimarzio Norton in the bridge and some locking tuners.

Was in drop A for almost a decade.

And really? Can it get any more 'djenty' than single coils?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 8, 2012)

Here's a video of me using an single-humbuckered strat for metal. It's a Squier Strat with an EMG 85 in the bridge.

Short video and the quality isn't that good, but it gets plenty modern.


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## jordanky (Jun 8, 2012)

wakjob said:


> Can it get any more 'djenty' than single coils?



This too. I'm surprised we don't have more BKP equipped Telecasters on here haha


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