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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups that have left you less than impressed?

« on: December 23, 2014, 03:59:04 PM »

I recently picked up a Suhr SSH+ bridge pickup after seeing a TZ/SSH+ comparison on YouTube, and it is a huge improvement over the TZ. No flub or overpower bass frequencies and still has all the power and harmonics you could want in a pickup. Great split sounds as well 

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups that have left you less than impressed?

« on: December 12, 2014, 02:49:14 PM »

So recently picked up a Seafoam Green Fender Roadworn with custom shop fat 50's.

Fender Fat 50's bridge. Aweful pickup, not fat and not even present when compared to the others, I thought maybe there was something wrong with it, it had this nasaly, thin out of phase sound, when use by itself. measured 6.5 kohm instead of the spec'd 6.2. Couldnt get any volume out of high strings at all, they almost disappeared. However neck and middle sound great, I just dont get it.

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Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: PAF Joe

« on: November 14, 2014, 08:52:16 PM »

I used the paf joe in the neck of a 22 fret guitar and a 24 fret guitar and it just didn't have the cut and body I was after. I couldn't get a good sound out of it and it didn't pair well with either a Tonezone or Dsonic. That's when I tried the PAF Pro and fell in love. I recall the Paf Joe feeling squishy and undefined. I was looking for a clear articulate pickup, with quick picking definition.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups that have left you less than impressed?

« on: November 13, 2014, 01:16:49 AM »

Seymour Duncan Pegasus 6, didnt have much to offer in the low end, fairly trebly. Cleans were nice, and coilsplit sounded very straty but under gain it wasnt the prog monster I expected it to be, it sounded more like an over processed 80s hair metal tone. Sold it right away. Apparently it was better suited for drop tunings.

Dimarzio Paf Joe, thought I liked it but it felt too squishy, and lacked in articulation for a neck pickup. Paf pro was a good replacement.

Air Norton S good placement on a 24 fret 
Guitar but bad on a 22 fret. Just mud, and doesnt balance out well with any bridge pickup.

Pre-B1 nothing special, doesnt have the twang but isnt that thick and powerful either. Forgetable.

Fs-1, same as the pre-B1

Fender SCN bridge pickup too bright, although does well under gain.

Area 61 thin and lacking in output, hard to pair well with bridge humbuckers

Air zone liked it but not enough output and had some sag/squishyness on higher gain. Assuming it was the air-ing.

Tonezone results vary on p/u height placement. Too much bottom end for most applications, might be good in alder body maple neck/board with floating trem?

Honorable mentions

Bareknuckle rebel yell set nice amount of power in the bridge, with an interesting vocal vowel sound, neck is warm and very paf like with added clarity.

Gibson 57 classic warm thick and great with tube distortion

Gibson burstbucker pro similar to the rebel yells but a little less output on the bridge.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Hum canceling replacement for the FS1?

« on: November 12, 2014, 09:08:25 PM »

I have the Virtual Solo in the middle position of my RG550, and its awesome. Has nice output and is still very single coil like while having more body and warmth, but not too much. I think it would be a close noiseless option to the FS-1, which I have in the middle position in my tele. They do share some similar qualities, but I would have to investigate further to give you a proper description.

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The Pickup Place / Re: HSS configuration. what works best for you?

« on: November 12, 2014, 08:15:32 PM »

Sorry Stephan, I should note it needs to be a standard single coil, for humcanceling in the 2 and 4 position. I am thinking a Red Velvet for output and warmth, since it will be between an AT-1 and Chopper. Red velvet is standard on many high end Ibanez and is often found in between a set of evo's if im not mistaken, so I have confidence it will lend the tonality im after, which is 2 and 4 quack and jangle.

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The Pickup Place / Re: HSS configuration. what works best for you?

« on: November 08, 2014, 09:50:45 PM »

So to get back to my original post, I have since put a Dsonic(bar towards the neck) a converted tele pickup without the cover and staggered poles in the middle and an air norton S in the neck wored to a Schaller E type + that allows switching for Bridge, br.split and middle parallel, br. And neck parallel, middle and neck split parallel, and neck. Its a great way to get quack and humbucker tones, I also wired the Dsonic and Air Nortpn S to a push/push coil split on my tpne. My findings are that the Dsonic is too sterile, as I love the vintage but hot feel of gibson burstbucker pros, or Bareknuckle rebel yells, and that the air norton lacks on clarity and definition in the 22 fret position. So my next attempt if I go Dimarzio is the AT1 bridge, and a Chopper S neck but unsure of a well suited standard strat pickup for the middle that will fit well on a 500k pot.

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The Pickup Place / Re: HSS configuration. what works best for you?

« on: August 15, 2014, 08:17:18 PM »

Very interesting! Thanks for chiming in guys. I have an Ibanez SAS36 that is proving a burden to find the right voice for her. I love the Hendrix position 4 tone, never really use the middle alone, but want a bridge pickup that can do it all. Tried a pegasus but it sounded sterile and thin, more in an 80s hair metal vein on high gain. I am looking at a Norton for the bridge, to add some girth and output, open up the tone and make up for the thinness associated with the floating two point wilkinson-esque ibby trem. I also want to try an air norton S in the neck to allow coil splitting when used with a schaller E type mega switch. Perhaps a traditional single coil for the middle, which wont be used alone but only when paired. Anyone have any insight on these

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The Pickup Place / HSS configuration. what works best for you?

« on: July 16, 2014, 06:57:33 PM »

Curious what pickups some of you are using in your hss style guitars. What works well together for the two singles? Looking for ideas for my Ibanez SAS36FM
 

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Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: PAF Joe

« on: February 03, 2014, 11:13:52 PM »

I have to agree with slugworth. The PAF Joe is my least favorite Dimarzio I have tried. I have been a fan of the PAF Pro in the neck, but recently sold off 11 of my 16 guitars and picked up a Gibson Les Paul traditional. The open coil 57 Classic pickups are amazing, very warm and responsive. Thru my newly aquired 90's Orange OR120 the tone is awesome! Seems as tho I may no longer be monogamous with Dimarzio

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Guitar Lounge / Re: H-S-H models? (other than Ibanez)

« on: August 03, 2012, 07:58:28 PM »

Just remembered G&L makes the invader line. they are an excellent guitar company. All guitars,are ordered specific to customers specs... Amazing playability

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Guitar Lounge / Re: H-S-H models? (other than Ibanez)

« on: August 02, 2012, 10:04:40 PM »

washburn made a couple in the early to mid 90s, they had over seas and US models. Not bad guitars at all!
Carvin Offers HSH models!
Many strats have HSH options, you just need to get a pickguard, or route your own, to allow it. Many bodies come already routed for HSH...
You could always get a luthier to route you a middle singlecoil into any HH guitar.

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The Trading Post / Re: Awesome Traders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

« on: August 02, 2012, 08:57:54 PM »

Alowerdeep is a trust worthy trader! He is an individual of his word. Great packing, safe secure. Very Happy...

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups that have left you less than impressed?

« on: July 29, 2012, 05:14:52 PM »

Indeed! As is why I'm glad i have A8 mags, and they are fun to drop into A5 pickups, just adds some output and boosts the lows and highs a smidgin. I did this today a few minutes ago in a '91 Ibanez V1 neck pickup and man did it fix that pickup right up! The added power and clarity was just what that thing needed.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups that have left you less than impressed?

« on: July 29, 2012, 02:39:42 PM »

I think if you have a pickup you really like, but you want to tailor it more in your own person taste, then modding is great. But to take a pickup you genuinely don't like and tinker with it, may just leave you feeling like you wasted your time. Slim chance you'll like even after all that work and effort, you may just feel like youve gone insane (like i did with the D activator)
Altho I did like hte A8 mag swap in the D-activator it still have the same overall high end spike that i really did not like. Seem scratchy and harsh... And since my rig sounds great with other pickups i use, I aint changing it for a D Activator