Taming the bridge pickup of American Standard Strat

[RudyH]

I play my American Standard Strat almost exclusively with the neck or mid+neck middle pickup. I don't like the sound of the bridge pickup. It's just too twangy. What can I do to give the guitar a jazzier sound? Are there amp settings I'm not aware of that would help?

 

Thanks.

[ksdaddy]

How about if you just rewire it so the tone control works on the back pickup as well? That could tame it a little, at least take the edge off.

[cvansickle]

Put a Fralin Steel Pole 42 or 43 in the Strat's bridge. Problem solved for me, YMMV.

[RichCI]

I went through the same thing when I got my first Strat. you're probably experiencing a screeching sound G string which is not uncommon. First, try lowering the pickup as that can often solve the problem right there.

 

I have both of my Strat wired like ksdaddy suggested it works, but it also tends to take some good stuff away from the sound of the bridge pickup.

 

The solution for me ended up being a replacement set of pickups but you can just replace the bridge one. What you go for depends on what you want; I didn't want a radical change from the stock pups, just some of the edge taken off so that was what worked for me.