Anyone playing a strat for smooth jazz? What PUPs

[Skiroy]

Hey guys Im new to this site. I play smooth jazz,mostly upbeat R&B/soul style. I have a hollow body and want to add a solid body strat to my tone arsenal. I have not heard too many strat that do well here but I have heard a few that are great. I currently have Texas Specials which are just too high gain. And I running through a fender twin and/or a roland cube 80.

I was wondering if anyone here is sporting a Strat for smooth Jazz here ans which pickups do you suggest?

Here is a clip of the tone I want.

The gut is using a Twin and the PUPs he said are Rio Grande but he doesnt know which set. I emailed Rio Grande and I received no response.

Adam Harris jazz guitar jam - YouTube

Thankx

[backliner]

That Adam Harris clip looks like he's using a Standard American Strat, by the two point trem and flat saddle bridge. I'd say it sounds like it too.

You can buy/order American Standard pickups from any Fender dealer. Rio Grande makes VINTAGE TALLBOYS, which are hot like Texas Specials, and then other sets that are even hotter.

The hotter you wind a pickup, the less highs you get. Those seem to have pretty good highs.

That's not the sound I use when I use my AV '62 RI Start for straight ahead jazz, which has the stock '57/'62 Fender pickups. I roll back the tone pot more.

The Texas Specials are pretty hot. The modern American strat pickups less so; the '54 CS pickups even less hot; '57/'62 vintage even less; and probably the CS CBS '69 set least hot of all.

Then there is a host of aftermarket pickup makers like DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan, and their descriptions of what they offer in sounds.

FWIW, hearing Adam on that clip, EMG's might be about right. More highs AND lows.

[Skiroy]

Originally Posted by backliner

That Adam Harris clip looks like he's using a Standard American Strat, by the two point trem and flat saddle bridge. I'd say it sounds like it too.

You can buy/order American Standard pickups from any Fender dealer. Rio Grande makes VINTAGE TALLBOYS, which are hot like Texas Specials, and then other sets that are even hotter.

The hotter you wind a pickup, the less highs you get. Those seem to have pretty good highs.

That's not the sound I use when I use my AV '62 RI Start for straight ahead jazz, which has the stock '57/'62 Fender pickups. I roll back the tone pot more.

The Texas Specials are pretty hot. The modern American strat pickups less so; the '54 CS pickups even less hot; '57/'62 vintage even less; and probably the CS CBS '69 set least hot of all.

Then there is a host of aftermarket pickup makers like DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan, and their descriptions of what they offer in sounds.

FWIW, hearing Adam on that clip, EMG's might be about right. More highs AND lows.

How would you say how hot the pickup is effects the tone in this contents? How do the 57/62s work for this type of Jazz tone? I was actually thinking about a pair of those for the neck and middle. Those do well for blues and clean soul stuff from what I hear. If they will nail this jazz tone also they might be my go 2 PUPs.

[Skiroy]

How noisy are the 57/62s? The New N3 noiseless PUPs seems pretty good for Jazz and pretty much everything else. And where do the N3 Noiseless PUP fit on the HOT scale?

[Skiroy]

bump

[M-ster]

Check out Soco's post of him playing Stella ...

[Skiroy]

Originally Posted by M-ster

Check out Soco's post of him playing Stella ...

Why?
Anyone else have insight?

[LoungeRat]

I have a strat (with a maple Charvel neck) that has Seymour Duncan Hot Rails (I know...I know!) in the neck and middle positions. The middle position with the tone rolled back a little just nails it for smooth jazz. I'm playing it through a Roland JC-120 so I'm sure that helps plus the bridge is solid brass which is not as bright as steel. It may just be a combination of the parts but it's actually a good guitar for smooth jazz--very smooth and clean sounding.

[mikeph]

I use and used an american strat in college, I got a Dimizario Cruiser in the neck position and rolled the tone down. I like it, plus Dimizario has a 30 day exchange policy.

[Patrick2]

I had a strat style guitar made for me for smooth jazz. Very old swamp ash, ebony finger board, (bound . . looks great) and EMGs. Had a fat switch for added edge .. . hated it. Took it out. I love the guitar's tone and versatility. You should look into the EMGs.