95 Stratocasters with Humbuckers: Have the Best of Both Worlds

Author: Santiago Motto

Aka. Sandel. Telecasters and all-mahogany Martins lover.

Besides that, Sandel is a professional writer, guitar player, confessed guitar nerd, and all-things-guitar consumer. He has been playing for 25 years which makes him a nineties kid with serious low-tuning youngster years, and a pop palate for melodies, ballads, and world music.

Whenever Santiago is not pouring all that experience and love for the instrument into articles, you can find him playing live shows supporting his music and poetry books as “Sandel”. If he’s not doing either of those, you can also find him gigging with his band, “San Juan”, writing, reading, or enjoying the Sun.

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Editor: Edward Bond

Edward has been playing the guitar since 2002. So Edward has over 20 years of experience as a guitarist, has authored 15 guitar books, has written for renowned music blogs, and spent a decade teaching music. He began merging his passion for writing and music in 2020 and has written for big guitar websites such as Guitar Head Publishing and KillerGuitarRigs.com.

Originally from Seattle, Edward moved to Norway in 2021 for a master’s in music. He’s studied at the Jazz Institute Berlin and Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and currently resides in Trondheim. His education includes a European Jazz Master’s, a diploma in Film and Game Scoring from Sofia, and a Bachelor’s in Jazz from University of Oregon.

Edward has played in numerous bands and currently, Edward works on his own project Starship Infinity

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Let me say that Stratocasters with humbuckers take the cool level to a new high. HSS guitars (Humbucker – Single – Single) pack all the punch you need near the bridge and all the nuances, dynamics, and spanking midrange of single coils close to the neck.

The best part is that you can use and abuse one of the most comfortable electric guitar shapes on this planet to become the next guitar hero of your generation.

Yes, Stratocasters with humbuckers are lit. I’m about to tell you all about them so you can pick the one that will catapult you to stardom.

After all, I’ve been playing them all my life, and the time to pass that knowledge on to you has arrived. So, beware because this is an information avalanche coming your way.

Read on!

37 Stratocasters with Humbuckers: HSS Configuration

The best way to get into this fantastic world of Stratocasters with humbuckers is to get an HSS Stratocaster. This configuration features one humbucker in the bridge position and two single coils in the middle and bridge. Compare this to a standard Strat with three single coils, one in the bridge, the middle, and the neck.

This HSS configuration is excellent for those who pivot between rock and soul, funk, hip-hop, and blues.

Brand	Model	Design	Pickup Config.	Price Range
Fender	Juanes Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Fender	Michael Landau Coma Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Fender	Aerodyne Special Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Fender	Limited Edition Player Plus Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Fender	American Performer Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Fender	American Ultra Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Fender	American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Fender	Player Plus Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Fender	American Professional II Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Fender	JV Modified ’50s Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Fender	Player Stratocaster HSS Plus Top	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Fender	Player Stratocaster HSS	Strat	HSS	$$$
Fender	Tash Sultana Stratocaster	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Ibanez	AZ2204 Prestige	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Ibanez	AZES40	Strat	HSS	$$
Ibanez	GRX40	Strat	HSS	$$
Ibanez	SEW761FM	Super Strat	HSS	$$$
Jackson	Pro Plus Series Soloist SLA3Q	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$
Jackson	X Series Dinky DK3XR	Super Strat	HSS	$$$
Jackson	X Series San Dimas SDXM	Super Strat	HSS	$$$
Jackson	Pro Plus Series Soloist SLA3	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$
Schecter	California Classic	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Schecter	Nick Johnston Traditional	Strat	HSS	$$$
Charvel	USA Select DK24 HSS 2PT CM QM	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Charvel	USA Select San Dimas Style 1	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Charvel	Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$
Charvel	Pro-Mod DK24	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$
ESP/LTD	ESP Snapper CTM	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Kramer	SM-1 – Maximum Steel	Super Strat	HSS	$$$$
Kramer	Focus VT-211S	Strat	HSS	$
Kramer	Striker	Super Strat	HSS	$$
Music Man	Cutlass RS	Strat	HSS	$$$$$
Yamaha	PAC612VIIFM	Strat	HSS	$$$$
Yamaha	PAC112V	Strat	HSS	$$
Yamaha	PAC212VQM	Strat	HSS	$$$
G&L	Tribute Legacy	Strat	HSS	$$$
G&L	Fullerton Deluxe Legacy	Strat	HSS	$$$$$

*Consider all links in this post to be affiliate links. If you purchase, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. It helps us to keep the lights on, thanks! 🙂

32 Stratocasters with Humbuckers: HH Configuration

After the HSS experience, next in line is an HH Stratocaster. These guitars pack two humbuckers and are the choice of players like Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Slipknot’s Jim Root (on his Strat, Tele, and Jazzmaster), and many others.

If you’re used to playing a Les Paul or SG-style guitar, this is a great transitional configuration.

Brand	Model	Design	Pickup Config.	Price Range
Squier	Contemporary Stratocaster FR	Super Strat	HH	$$$
Fender	Jim Root Stratocaster	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Ibanez	AZ2402 Prestige	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Ibanez	AZ42P1 Premium	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Ibanez	RG5121ET	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Ibanez	RGT1220PB Premium	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Ibanez	RGRTB621	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Ibanez	GRG220PA1	Super Strat	HH	$$$
Ibanez	RGD61ALET	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Ibanez	SML721	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Jackson	American Series Virtuoso	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Jackson	JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22	Super Strat	HH	$$
Jackson	X Series Soloist SLX DX Camo	Super Strat	HH	$$$
Jackson	Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Evertune	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Jackson	JS Series Dinky JS11	Super Strat	HH	$
Schecter	Banshee GT FR	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Schecter	Banshee Mach-6 Evertune	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Schecter	C-6 Deluxe	Super Strat	HH	$$
Schecter	Damien-6	Super Strat	HH	$$$
Charvel	Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
ESP/LTD	ESP Horizon – I	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
ESP/LTD	M-1000	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
ESP/LTD	M-1000 Multi-Scale	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
ESP/LTD	MH-1000 Evertune	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
ESP/LTD	H-1001	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Kramer	Pacer Classic	Super Strat	HH	$$
Kramer	NightSwan	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Music Man	Sabre	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
EVH	5150 Series Standard	Super Strat	HH	$$$$
Caparison	Dellinger II Prominence	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Caparison	Horus-M3	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$
Caparison	TAT Special FM	Super Strat	HH	$$$$$

10 Stratocasters with Humbuckers: HSH Configuration

The HSH Stratocaster is the ax we associate with virtuoso players.

It’s the configuration of choice for legends like Steve Vai, and it’s all over the ’80s and the ’90s. Why is this pickup configuration so popular among metal players and virtuosos? Well, you have the best of all words.

Humbuckers in bridge and neck positions, as well as a middle single coil, allow you an expansive sound palette with only a five-way selector.

Brand	Model	Design	Pickup Config.	Price Range
Fender	Player Stratocaster	Strat	HSH	$$$
Ibanez	AZ2407F Prestige	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$$
Ibanez	AZ47P1QM Premium	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$
Ibanez	RG8870	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$$
Ibanez	RG5170G Prestige	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$$
Ibanez	RG550 Genesis Collection	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$
Ibanez	Steve Via Signature PIA3761	Super Strat	HSH	$$$
Ibanez	S6570SK Prestige	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$$
Jackson	Phil Collen PC1	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$$
Charvel	MJ DK24	Super Strat	HSH	$$$$$

16 Stratocasters with Humbuckers: Other Configurations

Some Stratocasters worth noting don’t obey the classic combinations we named above. This shorter chart is devoted to these weird and often unique guitars.

For example, if you haven’t played a Sustainer system, Ed O’Brien’s (Radiohead) Stratocaster offers a humbucker, a single coil, and the Sustainer. That’s what I mean by endless sonic possibilities! Well, Radiohead’s success can be explained as a decades-long sonic experiment.

Brand	Model	Design	Pickup Config.	Price Range
Squier	Limited Edition Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT	Strat	H	$
Fender	Tom DeLonge Stratocaster	Strat	H	$$$$
Fender	Fender EOB Sustainer Stratocaster	Strat	HS + Sustainer	$$$$
Fender	Dave Murray Stratocaster	Super Strat	HHH	$$$$
Jackson	Concept Series Soloist SL Walnut	Super Strat	HS	$$$$$
Jackson	X Series Soloist SL3X DX	Super Strat	HHH	$$$
Schecter	Damien Platinum 6 FR	Super Strat	H + Sustainer	$$$
Charvel	Henrik Danhage Signature	Super Strat	HS	$$$$$
ESP/LTD	M-1 Custom ‘87	Super Strat	H	$$$$
ESP/LTD	E-II M-I Thru NT	Super Strat	H	$$$$$
Kramer	Baretta	Super Strat	H	$$$
Kramer	Baretta Special	Super Strat	H	$$
Kramer	The 84	Super Strat	H	$$$
Yamaha	PAC311H	Strat	H + P90	$$$
EVH	EVH Frankenstein Relic	Super Strat	HS	$$$$$
EVH	Striped Series ‘78 Eruption	Super Strat	H	$$$$$

5 Best Stratocasters with Humbuckers – My Favorites

Best Budget – Ibanez AZES40

What Do I like?

• The 25” scale makes it an excellent bending guitar with firm tension for chords and riffs.
• The matte finish on the maple neck feels smooth and comfortable.
• HSS pickup configuration with the Alter switch gives you ten usable pickup combinations.
• Ibanez reliability and build quality.

What Don’t I Like?

• Ceramic pickups are a little too hot for Stratocaster sounds.
• I missed Ibanez’s tall frets.

Who Is It For?

Beginners will have fun playing this guitar and finding many usable tones. Also, session players and seasoned musicians looking for a budget-friendly second or third guitar. Finally, all those players who love a versatile do-it-all guitar will consider this guitar a hidden gem in the Ibanez catalog.

Best Value for The Money – Charvel PRO-MOD SAN DIMAS STYLE 1

What Do I like?

• Original Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo system.
• Original Seymour Duncan Distortion high-gain, great-sounding pickups.
• 12 to 16” compound radius makes this a great riffing and lead-playing guitar.
• No-load tone control and push/pull volume control for more tonal options.
• The truss rod adjustment wheel is conveniently located at the heel mount for easy access.

What Don’t I Like?

• It does not come with a gig bag or hardshell case.

Who Is It For?

If you’re searching for a great guitar that plays and feels like a more expensive guitar at a price you can afford, you have to try this Charvel out. Plus, with the push/pull capabilities and super-hot pickups, you get a wide variety of tones in a high-performance guitar.

Most Versatile – Fender EOB

What do I like?

• Factory-installed Sustainer pickup system.
• Three different pickups with distinct sounds in a single guitar.
• Seymour Duncan JB Jr. couples great with the Fender Custom Shop Texas Special middle pickup.
• Easy-to-access Sustainer switches are conveniently installed.
• Classic Fender Stratocaster looks with a much broader tonal variety to choose from.

What Don’t I Like?

• The combination of Texas Special pickup + maple neck can be too bright at times.
• The master tone knob doesn’t allow fine-tuning to tame the treble of the bridge pickup.

Who Is It For?

This guitar is incredible for those who play ambient guitar and love stacking reverb, delay, and modulation effects. The different tones and the endless sustain of the Sustainer pickup open up many more options. 

For example, you can create lush, continuous melodies effortlessly.

Also, it can make a great secret weapon for a home studio.

Best For Modern Metal Tones – ESP MH-1000 EVERTUNE

What Do I like?

• The Evertune bridge is virtually impossible to bring out of tune.
• The Fishman Fluence Modern active pickups offer a variety of fierce, modern tones.
• It has a very thin, U-shaped neck with extra jumbo stainless steel frets for years of playing life.
• 3-piece maple neck with ebony fingerboard for added snap and high-end.
• Mahogany body for the low-end those heavy chugging palm-muting sounds need.

What Don’t I Like?

• Doesn’t come with a gig bag or case.

Who Is It For?

Metal tones just come to your fingers the moment you pick this mean machine up. I mean, the Fishman pickups are menacing, and when paired with a pushed tube amp, you’re in heavy-chugging heaven. 

On top of that, the Macassar ebony fretboard over the maple neck gives you enough definition and treble to play fast solos. You can hear (and enjoy) every note.

So, modern metal players shouldn’t overlook this metal monster if it fits your budget.

Best Premium – Schecter California Classic

What Do I like?

• Outstanding looks and a high-end guitar feel.
• Highly-resonant, lightweight swamp ash body
• The USA Pasadena Plus humbucker in the bridge position and dual USA Monster Tone single-coil pickups give you a broad tonal palette.
• Two-point modern tremolo packs classic looks and modern functionalities.

What Don’t I Like?

• The mind-blowing quilted maple top is a veneer applied over plain maple.

Who Is It For?

This guitar is excellent for those who love old-school looks and modern features. Plus, this is a perfect instrument to add some power to a classic lineup or collection. This guitar is a perfect instrument for those who like having one main guitar to play 90% of the time.

Why Choose a Stratocaster with Humbuckers?

From some guitarists, the HSS vs SSS discussion is solved with a coil-split switch. That being said, I think there’s no way you can make the humbucker sound with single coils and vice versa.

But why do the humbucker mod, then? Well, Stratocasters with humbuckers give you all those fantastic humbucker benefits depending on the wiring. These benefits are:

• No hum (hum-bucker, duh!).
• Full, round sound.
• Can drive a tube amp easily.
• The possibility to split coils and use a single-coil-esque sound.

Humbuckers vs. Single-Coil Pickups on a Strat

If you’ve ever played a 50s Stratocaster, like the Classic Vibe 50s Strat by Squier (to me, their best effort in the Squier catalog), you’ll know about the shrillness and treble-oriented sound of the bridge pickup.

Some players swear by that glass-like sound, but for many of us, that’s not our cup of tea.

Therefore, having a humbucker in the bridge position can give you an extra oomph to bring your Stratocaster to modern, rocking tones, replacing a pickup you wouldn’t use anyway.

HSS vs. HH vs. HSH: What’s The Best Pickup Configuration for a Strat?

There’s no right or wrong when answering this question. That said, let me tell you what I think about each of these configurations:

• HSS Configuration: This is, perhaps, the best transition configuration to enter the humbucker world. You still have a very Strat-like feel and sounds but with a secret weapon at the bridge position. This is one of my favorites, especially to spice up a blues solo, starting it on the neck and finishing on the bridge pickup.

• HH Configuration: This configuration works great for players who want the comfort and looks of a Stratocaster and the tones and appointments of an instrument intended for heavier music. Also, this is a great configuration for those from the Gibson world trying to go for a faster neck and a lighter ax.

• HSH Configuration: This virtuoso-friendly configuration is a do-it-all machine. On the one hand, you can do Gibson-like tones on bridge and neck positions, but you can also take it all to single-coil land with the flick of a switch. Positions 2, 3, and 4 on these guitars are Strat-esque, while positions 1 and 5 are full, round, and Les Paul-esque.

Active vs. Passive Pickups for a Strat

The active vs. passive pickup question likewise does not have a right or wrong answer. Let me tell you, I’ve had both installed on the same guitar.

It was a confusing time. I was a Zakk Wylde fan back then, but all I had was this cheap Stratocaster copy. So I removed all electronics and installed a new animal print pickguard with a single EMG-81 hooked up to two batteries. Thanks for that, Zakk.

That guitar had every pickup configuration you can think of throughout my years of playing it. I don’t even remember what it had when it got stolen.

Anyways, old stories aside, let me tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of active pickups.

The Good

• Noise reduction.
• Power, midrange, and gain.
• Transparency.

The Bad

• The learning curve to handle active pickups can be steep.
• Transparency makes you hear every nuance of your playing and discover new mistakes.
• Not every pedal or amp sounds good with active pickups.

The Ugly

• You might have to re-route your guitar.
• Running out of batteries in the middle of a show is the closest you get to a nightmare.
• They don’t mix well with passive pickups because of the tone and gain difference.

Now that you know about all the Stratocaster humbucker models and the truth about active pickups, you’re ready for some Stratocaster customization that can offer you more than just classic Strat tones.

FAQs

Conclusion: Stratocasters with Humbuckers

Adding a humbucker to a Stratocaster can take your playing to a new territory.

Moreover, pickup changes are among the cheapest and most drastic tone experiments. Therefore, before selling that Strat you fell out of love with, just put a humbucker (or two or three) on it and try it again.

After all, you know that Stratocasters are as comfortable as electric guitars get for most players.

Do you have a humbucker-equipped Strat in your collection? Have you ever modified a classic Strat to add power to the equation? In the comments below, I would love to read your story.

Finally, rest in power, Ed. Thank you for being the face of this humbucker-equipped musical revolution.

Happy (high gain) playing!