We’re frequently asked to make pickup recommendations for H-S-S guitars—guitars with a humbucker in the bridge and Strat-style single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. We offer many pickups that can be excellent fits for these guitars, but there are several additional considerations.

FENDER-STYLE GUITARS AND H-S-S

Before we get to our recommendations, it’s important to note that Fender (as well as most Fender-style) guitars use wider string spacing at the bridge. So-called “F-spaced” bridge humbuckers are designed to address this wider string spacing so the strings align with the pickup’s pole pieces. Many, but not all, of our humbuckers offer F-spaced versions. To determine if you need an F-spaced humbucker for your H-S-S guitar, measure the spacing from the center of your 1st to 6th string saddles at your bridge. F-spacing is approximately 53mm (as opposed to the widely-used “G-spacing” which is approximately 50mm). F-spacing is not critical at the neck or middle position, as the strings naturally taper inward as they travel toward the nut.

Our F-spaced bridge humbuckers are made with 4-conductor leads giving you the option to wire your guitar for coil splitting. We configure the individual coils of our F-spaced bridge humbuckers to allow for hum-canceling operation when the humbucker is split and combined with the single-coil middle pickup (in selector position 2).

H-S-S RECOMMENDATIONS

Our two most popular H-S-S sets are:

Bridge: Low Wind Imperial (available in both F-spaced and G-spaced)
Middle: Vintage Blonde
Neck: Vintage Blonde

— and —

Bridge: Standard Wind Imperial (available in both F-spaced and G-spaced)
Middle: Sixty-Four
Neck: Sixty-Four

The Low Wind Imperial/Vintage Blonde/Vintage Blonde set retains the most “quack” in position 2 when combined with the split humbucker coil. This set is sweeter, with more treble emphasis and note definition overall than the Standard Wind Imperial/Sixty-Four/Sixty-Four set.

The Standard Wind Imperial/Sixty-Four/Sixty-Four set will drive the amp harder and may be better suited for a harder rock or driving "blues" sound. This set would also be recommended for those that play clean and want a little fuller midrange tone that’s very touch sensitive. The Standard Imperial/Sixty-Four/Sixty-Four set has more of a grind, and a noticeable increase in output, midrange, and bass than the Low Wind Imperial/Vintage Blonde/Vintage Blonde set.

For either set, the bridge humbuckers match up well in volume with the rest of the set when the pickup is in split-coil mode. In full humbucking mode, the bridge pickup in the Standard Wind Imperial/Sixty-Four/Sixty-Four set will have a more noticeable bump in output relative to neck and middle, whereas the Low Wind Imperial/Blonde/Blonde set will have a more subtle boost in output relative to its neck and middle pickups.

In either case, an El Rayo humbucker (available in both F-Spaced and G-spaced) can be a good alternative bridge pickup. The El Rayo has a wide dynamic range and full frequency response, with greater touch sensitivity and far less compression than the Imperial. Some players have found the El Rayo humbucker to be a particularly good match with the Sixty-Four neck and middle, as the El Rayo shares some of the same touch sensitivity and full low-and-midrange.

---

MORE H-S-S OPTIONS

Though there are many H-S-S combinations that can work, here are some examples of other combinations that have been popular with our customers:

Bridge: Eldorado (available in both F-spaced and G-spaced)
Neck: Special S
Neck: Special S

For those looking for a hotter and darker sound with the fullest-sounding split coil voice. Also suitable for players who play clean and want bolder lows and mids with a wide dynamic range. The Eldorado bridge pickup is very touch-sensitive and remains clear and articulate even under moderate to heavy overdrive and does not compress like an Imperial.

---

Bridge: dB (G-spaced only)
Middle: Special S
Neck: Special S

Our hottest bridge humbucker paired with two hotter/darker single coils. The dB will balance well with the neck and middle in split coil mode but will be significantly higher output in full humbucking operation. This could be a good fit for a player who wants a bridge sound that comes through strong for lead playing while having classic single coil neck/middle sounds for rhythm or comp work. Also suitable for players who play clean and want very full low and mids with a wide dynamic range.

---

Bridge: Raw Power (G-spaced only)
Middle: Special S
Neck: Special S

A great fit for players who want a very aggressive, full-bodied bridge pickup that behaves a little more like a conventional humbucker than the El Rayo, dB, or Eldorado. This set will provide a lot of tonal contrast, with a dark and burly neck and middle pickup and “in-your-face” bridge pickup that’s very bold. An especially good pairing with brighter British amp sounds.

---

Bridge: LollarTron Humbucker (G-spaced only)
Middle: Vintage Blonde
Neck: Vintage Blonde

This set features a bridge pickup that’s brighter than an Imperial with more “chime.” Please note that the LollarTron is not available with 4-conductor leads, meaning that you will not be able to use in/out of phase switching or coil splitting.