Any body use a Mini in a strat bridge?

[FireBros.]

I have a MIM Strat with a SM-1 Firebird style mini humbucker in the neck position. I got the idea from Brent Mason who uses a Mini in the neck of his famous primer gray Tele. It sounds amazing. I've been using it in this configuration, for about 5 years. Recently I've felt I needed a little more oomph from the bridge pickup, and I thought it would look cool to put another Mini in the bridge position. I still want keep the quacky #2 position. Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

[the guy who invented fire]

Hey man, welcome to the board!

My dad bought a Strat one time, when he gopt it it had 2 SSL-1's in the neck and middle and a duncan Minibucker in the bridge...he soon changed it to 3 SSL-1's...only because he is a Single coil man...over a dozen guitars and only 1 with buckers! Before he made the swap I asked to borrow the guitar for a little while...At the time I had no single coil guitars and wanted to give it a try...this guitar was amazing...I did one session with it, I'll try to find a tune or two and maybe post them or send them to you. It really was a killer guitar. I know that the spacing will be colse on the neck...and not a close on the bridge...just as one more idea you should check in to single coil sized buckers...JB Jr, Lil 59, etc...Although I must say that Strat did sound killer!

The guy who invented fire

[FireBros.]

Hey Man Who Invented Fire, thanks for the info. Do you know if that strat your dad had, had a maple or rosewood fretboard?

[Frantic_Rock]

I got a highway 1 strat with a maple neck.
It has 2 antiquity single coils (neck + mid) and a hotrail in the bridge.

I put in a mini switch and a lindy fralin blender pot. This alltogether gives me 9 combinations.

One of my favorite combos is the 2 antiquities in series, paralleled with the hotrail in the bridge. It sounds like a les paul.

The 2 antiquities in series also give me a good jazz tone when i roll the volume down to 6 or so.

[the guy who invented fire]

it was an alder body, maple fingerboard...killer tone

[FireBros.]

On this same topic does anyone know how the Firebird style mini's (SM-1)compare with the different duncan single coil sized humbuckers, as well as the SM-2 and SM-3?
In my strats neck position the SM-1 has just a little more low mid bump, and no hum. It doesn't seem to have any difference in the treble. In fact when I first had it installed, I was amazed at how little it changed the tone of the guitar.

[orbiter]

I have 2 bolt-on style guitars w/ mini's ... I am in love w/ the SM-3n ... still has that great mellow smoothness but has a bit more "sizzle" than the sm-1 if my memory serves me. it really is one of my alltime favs ..

.. I cant comment on the #2 position Q? as I've got H/H config ... but I will say the SM-3b is a nice pup too ... it doesnt stoke me as much as the neck pup does ... but it's got great crunch and plenty punch for rock and blues type stuff ..

I called and asked if MJ could build me a slightly dif. mini for the bridge on one of these .cuz the sm3 was close but not quite what I was hearing in my head .. and well ... lets just say "mission accomplished"..

[FireBros.]

I have 2 bolt-on style guitars w/ mini's ... I am in love w/ the SM-3n ... still has that great mellow smoothness but has a bit more "sizzle" than the sm-1 if my memory serves me. it really is one of my alltime favs ..

.. I cant comment on the #2 position Q? as I've got H/H config ... but I will say the SM-3b is a nice pup too ... it doesnt stoke me as much as the neck pup does ... but it's got great crunch and plenty punch for rock and blues type stuff ..

I called and asked if MJ could build me a slightly dif. mini for the bridge on one of these .cuz the sm3 was close but not quite what I was hearing in my head .. and well ... lets just say "mission accomplished"..

hey orbiter, what kind of bridge do you have in those guitars, and what kind of wood are they made of

[FireBros.]

I think this is what they call a bump

[DuMenegozzo]

Guys, is any of you using a regular Fender Vintage strat tremolo with a mini in the strat bridge? I'm building a 3-minis strat and have found out that my SM-3b may not be "tremolo-friendly" regarding the string spacing... Have you had any problem like that?

[FireBros.]

Guys, is any of you using a regular Fender Vintage strat tremolo with a mini in the strat bridge? I'm building a 3-minis strat and have found out that my SM-3b may not be "tremolo-friendly" regarding the string spacing... Have you had any problem like that?

I was wondering the same thing. The Man Who Invented Fire made reference to the string spacing issue in his first post, but I wasn't clear if it was going to be a problem. I noticed that the sm3 "contains a high-carbon steel blade" I don't know if that has anything to do with string spacing or not. Any info from the board would be cool. thanks

[mrfjones]

I was wondering the same thing. The Man Who Invented Fire made reference to the string spacing issue in his first post, but I wasn't clear if it was going to be a problem. I noticed that the sm3 "contains a high-carbon steel blade" I don't know if that has anything to do with string spacing or not. Any info from the board would be cool. thanks

the high carbon steel blade would replace those pole pieces that would give you a string spacing problem, like a hotrails. With the blade in stead of the pole pieces you can have different string spacing and not worry about lining up pole pieces with strings because you only have one long pole piece. It seems like it would work to me, but you would need to make sure that the blade goes at least from one e string to the other.

[orbiter]

hardtail ~~ alder body ~~ maple rosewood 25 1/2 scale neck.

AKA .. my secret weapons ~G

[FireBros.]

hardtail ~~ alder body ~~ maple rosewood 25 1/2 scale neck.

AKA .. my secret weapons ~G

Is the bridge pickup angled or straight on your guitar, and what type of bridge is it, pics would be cool. Thanks

[DuMenegozzo]

hardtail ~~ alder body ~~ maple rosewood 25 1/2 scale neck.

I think the string spacing on the hardtails is the same as on the tremolos, right? Orbiter, do you have any problems with your high and/or low E using that mini in the bridge position?

"mrfjones" is right, my concern is exactly if that "high-carbon steel blade" can reach both my E strings. One of my friends, a experienced guitar builder and SD dealer, told me I'd have problems...

[orbiter]

hey hey.... my mini is straight ..and it's a strat style hardtail .... the string response is very even ... and smooth..

~G

[DuMenegozzo]

hey hey.... my mini is straight ..and it's a strat style hardtail .... the string response is very even ... and smooth..

Thanks, Orbiter! Yours is a SM-3b, right? That custom mini you have, does it also have the blade magnets?

I think i'm sticking with the SM-3b for now...

Anyone mixing minis and Phat Cats? (ok, this one is harder)

Thanks everyone