Which tone rider pickups for my st-1

[Micko]

Hi guys.
I would like to upgrade the pickups it my st-1
Which strat single coil tonerider’s would suite heavy blues and rock.
I hear the city limits might be the go?

[Rossc0]

Apologies I hate when people do this and don't answer the question, but here goes anyway :-). I got the Benson Kenny Wayne Shepherds
and could not be happier. Works out at $255 for the 3, but still seems like a bit of a bargain for hand wound USA made pickups, and they are right in the ball park for the sound your after.

[Simon Barden]

Probably City Limits or Classic Blues. The Classic Blues neck and mid pickups are very slightly hotter than the City Limits, whilst the City Limits bridge pickup is just a bit hotter than the Classic Blues (its DCR is 8.9k vs 6.9k of the Classic Blues, but the 43AWG windings on the City Limits add 27% more resistance, so is equivalent in DCR to a 7k 42AWG wound pickup).

The extra windings give slightly more inductance to the City Limits bridge than the Classic Blues, so will have slightly more output because of that, but also less highs and more mids.

The swap to less powerful Alnico 2 magnets on the City Limits bridge G,B and E strings means that they will a bit have less output than the wound strings with Alnico 5 magnets, but be slightly brighter as a result (countering the extra inductance).

But I wouldn't expect there to be a huge difference in sound and output between the two sets. A lot more will depend on your amp and pedals.

You could make either of those sets work for heavy blues and rock (in fact you could make any Tonerider set work with the right amp and pedals). And if you look outside of Tonerider, there are countless alternatives that would fill your needs. It's really one of those 'no right answer' questions.

[McCreed]

I don't think you'd go wrong with the City Limits for those genres, but of course the pickups are only one part of the whole tone equation.

A second choice might be the Classic Blues set. I have a set but haven't installed them yet. They're eventually going into a current strat build.

There are a few similarities as well as differences between those to sets to consider.
The main difference is the bridge pickup in the City Limits uses both A3 & A5 magnets, is wound with 43 gauge wire and has the highest inductance of the two sets (3.8H).

The Classic Blues are all A5 magnets, 42 gauge wire as well as slightly higher inductance across all three pickups, with the bridge pickup inductance at 3.3H.

Both sets have the "Modified Vintage Stagger" pole pieces. Each set at under $150, they're great value.

[Dofreo]

I put the City Limits into my MIJ Strat. I love them and as I play rock, blues and pop styles I think you'll like them. The middle pick up is my fav and I rarely stray from it.
Good luck, Go the City Limits.

Dave

[Simon Barden]

The main difference is the bridge pickup in the City Limits uses both A3 & A5 magnets, is wound with 43 gauge wire and has the highest inductance of the two sets (3.8H)..

A2, not A3. I have just double checked.

https://tonerider.com/product/city-limits/# (tech specs tab). Not a huge difference, but there is some (especially as A3 doesn't have any cobalt in it so strictly it isn't AlNiCo, just AlNi)

[Micko]

Thanx guys for your reply’s
As you have given me more than one option,
I am just going to have to build a second strat style guitar so I can compare them for my self 🤔 for the time being I use a peavy renown 300watt combo for loud recording and
positive grid bias fx2 For silent recording.
I find most of the tones in bias fix sound thin and fizzy with the standard pickups of the pitbull st-1 but sound fine with both my maton ms 500 and epiphone LP

[Simon Barden]

That's always going to be the case when comparing single coils against humbuckers. Single coils benefit from less gain than humbuckers, but more compression, either from a pedal or by turning a valve amp up loud. They start off with more treble than humbuckers, and as distortion adds more harmonics and so more treble, they can get fizzy very quickly.

Using mid-rich drive pedals also helps to beef up the sound, and certainly use different pedal settings (or even different pedals) than you would for humbuckers. But using a single coil guitar and and humbucker guitar in a mix helps keep them separate and occupying different tonal areas, whereas when using two single coil or two humbucker guitars it is a lot harder work to keep them sounding distinct.

But a second Strat style guitar is always a good idea. A third is even better.

[Micko]

Or a strat with a humbucker🤔😁

[Micko]

The st-1 sounds good through my peavy renown. It has a great non fizzy crunch. But it could do with some vintage 30 speakers to fatten up the tone.

[McCreed]

Quote Originally Posted by McCreed View Post
The main difference is the bridge pickup in the City Limits uses both A3 & A5 magnets, is wound with 43 gauge wire and has the highest inductance of the two sets (3.8H)..


A2, not A3. I have just double checked.

https://tonerider.com/product/city-limits/# (tech specs tab). Not a huge difference, but there is some (especially as A3 doesn't have any cobalt in it so strictly it isn't AlNiCo, just AlNi)

That would be a typo

[Andy40]

The st-1 sounds good through my peavy renown. It has a great non fizzy crunch. But it could do with some vintage 30 speakers to fatten up the tone.

You got a TS-808 pedal? If not, you can build one. Can't go wrong with a st-1 and a TS pedal.

[Micko]

I have no peddles yet

[Micko]

A tube screamer is first on the list