Can single coils rock hard?

[DonP]

Seeing a lot of threads on people wanting to get a strat, maybe a tele, etc.

I picked up some sort of strat, a MIM, and if you were to ask me, I'd call it a 50s classic but it was made in 1996 (MN66???), and from what I read 50s classics didn't start until 1999. It has custom shop pickups. Not sure if the bridge had any upgrades.

I'm still a hard rock metal head, no worries there. I'm just looking at ideas of hard rock with single coils. My thoughts are:

Rush
Deep Purple
Rainbow
Journey
Night Ranger?
Loverboy?
Pat Benatar?
Heart?

I know only certain songs from some of the above are done with singles.

I'm just not into Clapton, Jimi, SRV, etc.

Name some other hard rock stuff done with singles.

[toejam]

Yngwie

[Bigfknbang]

criss oliva from savatage used alot of single coil tones didnt he?

[Jacksons Shred]

Yngwie

Fuckin ToeJam. Beat me to the punch.

Well you know what? Fuck ToeJam!


But srsly.


Ask Yngwie.

[Bigfknbang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAzAVwyHZos

[markD]

one of my heaviest tones is when i play my vintage strat with the bridge and middle pickups together through my amp. i need to dial the gain back a bit, but the TONE is crushing. it's not super-hi-gain, just very meaty and thick.

i used that set-up one night at rehearsal and everyone in the band was SO fatigued by the end of the night, they begged me to never bring the strat ever again....

[Hellbat]

I believe Night Ranger would be humbuckers generally. I'm pretty sure Brad Gillis uses a humbucker at the bridge on his strat. His Fernandes sig models had a bucker for sure. Howard Leese from Heart played Les Pauls for the most part I think.

I think since Yngwie started using the stacked buckers just about everyone playing single coils is using stacked or minibuckers. Strat single coils just aren't used much since the 80's in hard rock/metal. P90's probably get more action.

[DonP]

one of my heaviest tones is when i play my vintage strat with the bridge and middle pickups together through my amp. i need to dial the gain back a bit, but the TONE is crushing. it's not super-hi-gain, just very meaty and thick.

i used that set-up one night at rehearsal and everyone in the band was SO fatigued by the end of the night, they begged me to never bring the strat ever again....

What type of pickups were you using? There is some sort of Fender custom shop pickups in this axe, but I haven't figured out which ones they are.

[DonP]

Yngwie

Yep. Missed that one.

[DonP]

criss oliva from savatage used alot of single coil tones didnt he?

I'm more of a Sirens/Mountain King/Power of the Night kind of guy, but I'll check out some of the later stuff, including the vid you posted.

[DonP]

I believe Night Ranger would be humbuckers generally. I'm pretty sure Brad Gillis uses a humbucker at the bridge on his strat. His Fernandes sig models had a bucker for sure. Howard Leese from Heart played Les Pauls for the most part I think.

Yeah, I thought Heart had more strat action.

I think since Yngwie started using the stacked buckers just about everyone playing single coils is using stacked or minibuckers. Strat single coils just aren't used much since the 80's in hard rock/metal. P90's probably get more action.

In general, I'm just trying to figure out if there's a place in hard rock for vintage singles, like in a tele or a strat.

With P90s I'm thinking early Sabbath or maybe Boston. Lot of confusion if Tom used P90s or Super D's.

[toejam]

With P90s I'm thinking early Sabbath

Actually, wasn't the first Sabbath album played on a Strat?

[Hellbat]

Paul Gilbert used singles in his sweet reverse iceman at NAMM last winter. Not sure if the are stacked or minibucker though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2RFCZMP4Pc

Reverse Iceman 2 in this vid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB-7P7RYanE

[DonP]

Actually, wasn't the first Sabbath album played on a Strat?

I think I remember reading that somewhere. Or is it just an internet rumour?

[Sunbane]

I think I remember reading that somewhere. Or is it just an internet rumour?

I remember reading in an interview that Iommi used to play a strat, but prior to recording Black Sabbath, his guitar was stolen or broken, or some such shit. So he had to record it with an old SG that he usually just had as a backup.

I guess the rest is history.