my friend has a fernandes retrorocket config sss. he listens and plays mainly alternative and indie music. we were wondering would it be more suitable for him to change the config to ssh?
in any other case, what pickups would you recommend for sss/ssh configs relating to those sounds?
Unless your friend LIKES the sound of a single coil bridge pickup - why stick to SSS?
Its not so much about the genre but does he like the sound?
The main problem with SSS to my ears is - a typical strat bridge single coil sounds just too thin. in comparison to the other pickups especially the neck single coil. Much of the "problem" can be solved by installing a metal baseplate but its still there to a certain degree.
Move over to a HSS, the problem can be solved but if you are going low output, the problem comes back except this time round, the bridge H can be too loud, too bassy, too much mids ,etc etc.
However a HSS is probably more versatile - you can run the H in parallel or split. And the H is better suited to higher output single coils, especially the stacked humbucker variety.
If you are going for HSS, look out for output and magnet strength. The difference in resistance between neck single & bridge humbucker should be around 2k... and the humbucker shouldn't have too strong a magnet - alnico 2 would be better suited for lower output singles and some pup makers, esp the handwound ones ,will degauss a magnet for you to better fit the singles.
