46
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 26, 2023, 03:39:01 AM »
Yes, they work well together, both in output and tone.
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47
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 25, 2023, 03:28:04 AM »
I am using a Virtual Vintage 54 Pro in the neck. It is a tele from a local builder that has a humbucker route in the neck so a strat pickup fits with the right pickguard.
Cheers Stephan
EDIT to remove typos
Cheers Stephan
EDIT to remove typos
48
Guitar Lounge / Re: Out of phase, half-out of phase, power-out of phase
« on: May 17, 2023, 05:24:15 AM »
A few days ago I equipped my LP Standard, which has a Custom 5 and a DiMarzio Vintage Minibucker neck (DP 240) with a push-pull for out-of-phase. I also added another push-pull to split the neck humbucker.
When I first tried the OOP the reaction was that this exercise was a waste of time as it sounded as tinny and nasal as always. Then I started thinking about all the Peter Green tone talk and listened to a few of his tracks. That sounded different but why? The solution was rather simple - just dial the neck volume back a tiny bit. The sound becomes stronger but still has that hollow honky out-of-phase tone but it is no longer tinny or nasal. This was the ticket. Joe Perry uses that on a few Aerosmith songs as well. I love this tone. It is so different and refreshing.
Therefore I will never install an OOP option on a two humbucker guitar that has only one volume control again (guitar with two single coils see my earlier post - here I would choose HOOP). I definitely will install this in other guitars that have individual volume controls for bridge and neck.
Cheers Stephan
When I first tried the OOP the reaction was that this exercise was a waste of time as it sounded as tinny and nasal as always. Then I started thinking about all the Peter Green tone talk and listened to a few of his tracks. That sounded different but why? The solution was rather simple - just dial the neck volume back a tiny bit. The sound becomes stronger but still has that hollow honky out-of-phase tone but it is no longer tinny or nasal. This was the ticket. Joe Perry uses that on a few Aerosmith songs as well. I love this tone. It is so different and refreshing.
Therefore I will never install an OOP option on a two humbucker guitar that has only one volume control again (guitar with two single coils see my earlier post - here I would choose HOOP). I definitely will install this in other guitars that have individual volume controls for bridge and neck.
Cheers Stephan
49
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 17, 2023, 05:14:17 AM »
Indeed, splitting the minibucker results in a thin single coil sound that is quite weak when used individually but sounds ok (to me) when combined with the bridge humbucker. It is basically the sound of two humbuckers in parallel but with added top end which I find useful for clean tones.
"As it stands, based on what I believe is in the owner’s best interest and the tone of this guitar, the Hot T should be replaced with a Super Distortion T. I envision there being 4 worthwhile combinations: bridge, bridge and neck combined, bridge and neck split with the coils wired in series, and neck. I don’t see the neck split being a worthwhile option."
Are you going to use a 5-way super switch? Then you should be able to get these combinations even though you may have to design the circuit. Bridge and neck split with the coils in series would give you about the same volume as the individual humbuckers and both together so the volume match would be fine. Whether you (or your customer) like the tone is a different matter. I am not very fond of the series linkages of coils from different humbuckers but that is personal preference. I definitely would want the Super Distortion T with the coils in parallel on the 5th setting for a brighter tone that has still good output. That is also personal preference but most of my guitars get that.
Good luck,
Stephan
"As it stands, based on what I believe is in the owner’s best interest and the tone of this guitar, the Hot T should be replaced with a Super Distortion T. I envision there being 4 worthwhile combinations: bridge, bridge and neck combined, bridge and neck split with the coils wired in series, and neck. I don’t see the neck split being a worthwhile option."
Are you going to use a 5-way super switch? Then you should be able to get these combinations even though you may have to design the circuit. Bridge and neck split with the coils in series would give you about the same volume as the individual humbuckers and both together so the volume match would be fine. Whether you (or your customer) like the tone is a different matter. I am not very fond of the series linkages of coils from different humbuckers but that is personal preference. I definitely would want the Super Distortion T with the coils in parallel on the 5th setting for a brighter tone that has still good output. That is also personal preference but most of my guitars get that.
Good luck,
Stephan
50
The Pickup Place / Re: New Jake Bowen Signature Mirage Pickups
« on: May 16, 2023, 03:29:38 AM »
They are on the website, too, with all the specs.
51
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 12, 2023, 04:01:53 AM »
That is not my experience with the Area Hot T. Although it does sound like a hot tele bridge pickup it never occurred to me as over the top bright. Both the Area T and the Area 615 T are significantly brighter.
Chopper T and Vintage Mini Neck was a combination I used with great enjoyment in a telecaster, with 500k post for volume and tone. The reason I took them out was that due to the string spacing and alignment, the 1st string was a bit weaker than the others on both pickups. This bothered me, otherwise I would have kept them. It was not the fault of the pickups though as in other guitars they did not show this problem.
Cheers Stephan
Chopper T and Vintage Mini Neck was a combination I used with great enjoyment in a telecaster, with 500k post for volume and tone. The reason I took them out was that due to the string spacing and alignment, the 1st string was a bit weaker than the others on both pickups. This bothered me, otherwise I would have kept them. It was not the fault of the pickups though as in other guitars they did not show this problem.
Cheers Stephan
52
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 11, 2023, 03:17:12 AM »
The Chopper T (with the coils wired in series aka "normal humbucker wiring") sounds more like a hot PAF type pickup whereas the Area Hot T sounds like a fat tele bridge pickup. So if you want to go more towards a humbucker tone, Chopper T is a fine choice. If you set up the guitar with a push pull pot you can put the coils of the Chopper T in parallel - that makes it sound more like a traditional tele bridge - not quite but a good approximation.
Cheers Stephan
Cheers Stephan
53
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 04, 2023, 04:00:11 AM »
While I have no experience with the bridge minihumbucker (DP 241), I have the neck minihumbucker (DP 240) in three different guitars, even though I never used it split. I also have the Area Hot T and can say the following:
1. The Area Hot T and the minihumbucker should match well in output and also tonewise.
2. My personal preference with the minihumbucker would be a 500k volume pot. If you are set on having a 250k load for the bridge pickup, I recommend using a 500k volume pot and solder a resistor (470k to 560k) from the tab where the bridge pickup is connected to ground. By doing this you reduce the load to approx. 240k to 260k whenever the bridge pickup is selected, and have 500k with the neck pickup.
3. The tone pot value is pure personal preference. Keep in mind that the tone pot is usually wired as a variable resistor, i.e. a 500k tone pot has the sound of a 250k tone pot when you turn it down a little but you cannot turn up the 250k tone pot as this is the maximum resistance it has to offer.
Cheers Stephan
1. The Area Hot T and the minihumbucker should match well in output and also tonewise.
2. My personal preference with the minihumbucker would be a 500k volume pot. If you are set on having a 250k load for the bridge pickup, I recommend using a 500k volume pot and solder a resistor (470k to 560k) from the tab where the bridge pickup is connected to ground. By doing this you reduce the load to approx. 240k to 260k whenever the bridge pickup is selected, and have 500k with the neck pickup.
3. The tone pot value is pure personal preference. Keep in mind that the tone pot is usually wired as a variable resistor, i.e. a 500k tone pot has the sound of a 250k tone pot when you turn it down a little but you cannot turn up the 250k tone pot as this is the maximum resistance it has to offer.
Cheers Stephan
54
The Pickup Place / Re: Low output humbuckers for distorted tones
« on: April 28, 2023, 03:36:45 AM »For reference the Custom 5 is hotter and more scooped compared to the Custom Custom
That was also my observation after changing the A2 in the CC to A5.
I’m still interested in what is in the guitar now as a reference. Charvels often use the JB and I believe the Duncan Distortion. The Custom 5 and Custom Custom have less output than either.
I had the Custom 5 back to back with a JB type pickup in the same guitar and found the outputs rather similar. However, if the guitar has a certain midfrequency the JB accentuates the JB will appear louder. The Distortion should have more output due to the ceramic magnet.
Cheers Stephan
55
The Pickup Place / Re: Low output humbuckers for distorted tones
« on: April 27, 2023, 03:32:33 AM »
When you say "dense and middy" are you saying low mids, center mids or high mids? If the guitar has a lot of low mids I would not use any of the Duncan Custom models and stay with a lower output pickup, e.g. PAF type, Moe Joe at the higher end. If the guitar is focused in the center mids, then Custom 5 would be a good choice. I have rarely seen a guitar having too much high midrange, though.
Cheers Stephan
Cheers Stephan
56
The Pickup Place / Re: Low output humbuckers for distorted tones
« on: April 25, 2023, 04:05:10 AM »
Moe Joe would not have too much gain as it is in the hot PAF territory. The highs are there but not sharp. I think it would be a good choice. Probably the 36th anniversary bridge would also be good but I never played one.
Cheers Stephan
Cheers Stephan
57
The Pickup Place / Re: Satch Track vs Bluesbucker (bridge position)
« on: March 10, 2023, 03:57:01 AM »
The partial split is most beneficial with humbuckers with nearly identical coils as they are usually designed purely for the humbucker tone (i.e. coils in series). Keep in mind that when the humbucking pickup was invented in the mid 50s the goal was to eliminate hum. Nobody thought of using only one coil as that would have defeated its purpose of eliminating the hum. Only later splitting of the humbuckers became popular in an attempt to get Fender-like tones out of a dual humbucker guitar.
With the Bluesbucker, a partial split is not "necessary"as the single coil tone has almost the same output, because it was designed for that. Of course there is nothing wrong in trying, and if you prefer the partial split to the regular split it is your choice.
Cheers Stephan
With the Bluesbucker, a partial split is not "necessary"as the single coil tone has almost the same output, because it was designed for that. Of course there is nothing wrong in trying, and if you prefer the partial split to the regular split it is your choice.
Cheers Stephan
58
The Pickup Place / Re: Satch Track vs Bluesbucker (bridge position)
« on: March 06, 2023, 02:43:40 AM »And looking at your list of pickups I see the "Mo' Joe" (and Fred too), so I wonder if maybe I should consider that model too for my project.
Sure. Both would work depending on what you are planning to use as a neck pickup and as values for your volume control. I use the Fred in a HSS set up with a 250k volume pot which works really well there. With a 500k volume pot it might be too bright. Mo' Joe works well with a 500k volume pot - I have it as a bridge pickup in an HSH set up, incidentally with a Bluesbucker in the neck.
Cheers Stephan
59
The Pickup Place / Re: Satch Track vs Bluesbucker (bridge position)
« on: March 03, 2023, 04:13:52 AM »
No experience with the Satch Track, only with the Bluesbucker, and only in the neck position so I am afraid I am not of much help here ... I used the Chopper and Chopper T in the bridge position with good results, and they sound good in parallel, too.
The Bluesbucker would have the advantage that the single coil tone is almost as loud as the humbucker tone.
Cheers Stephan
The Bluesbucker would have the advantage that the single coil tone is almost as loud as the humbucker tone.
Cheers Stephan
60
The Pickup Place / Re: Pre B-1 or Area T Hot?
« on: March 02, 2023, 03:50:20 AM »
I have used (and still do) all of the tele bridge models mentioned, except for the Pre-B1.
Area T - classic telecaster bridge tone
Area 615 T - still classic tele twang but more output. However, if you are going for classic, my vote goes to the Area T.
Area Hot T - still tele like but more mids. If Blues(rock) is what you are shooting for, the Hot T is a good choice.
Chopper T - with the coils in series it does a hot PAF type tone. With the coils in parallel it does the tele twang. If you want versatility out of a tele, that would be the best choice.
Cheers Stephan
Area T - classic telecaster bridge tone
Area 615 T - still classic tele twang but more output. However, if you are going for classic, my vote goes to the Area T.
Area Hot T - still tele like but more mids. If Blues(rock) is what you are shooting for, the Hot T is a good choice.
Chopper T - with the coils in series it does a hot PAF type tone. With the coils in parallel it does the tele twang. If you want versatility out of a tele, that would be the best choice.
Cheers Stephan