226

The Pickup Place / Re: Looking to try something between a 36th PAF and Tone Zone

« on: May 06, 2015, 12:57:56 AM »

Slugworth:

Man not sure what you're hearing with the AT-1, you sure yours isn't defective?  It is WAY fatter/darker/harmonically more complex, and comes across much hotter than a VHPAF, which is basically just an overwound PAF.  I ended up putting A3 in my VHPAF to take some edge off, and that's with 250k pots.  Hot, middy, or dark it is not.  The AT-1 is far closer to the AZ in terms of output and dark/bright/mids, and I can't imagine it getting along with 250k pots unless the guitar or amp were REALLY bright.

Based on that and other places I've seen you say you used 250k with an AT-1, I'm thinking something is wrong with your AT-1. 

I still have and use both pickups in multiple guitars, along with AZs, Breed Necks, Norton, and I really have no explanation at all for your take on the AT-1 other than to say yours might have a defect.  I'd actually be rather surprised if it didn't, or if there weren't some wiring or grounding issue happening.

227

The Pickup Place / Re: Looking to try something between a 36th PAF and Tone Zone

« on: May 04, 2015, 09:21:56 PM »

I've had both the VHPAF and 36th in the same guitar, the 36th bridge was actually the replacement in the DiMarzio lineup for the VHPAF. 

They are VERY similar.  I found the VHPAF to be slightly fatter in the highs and lows, but not night and day at all.  Not sure what Slugworth's rig is like but obviously he's hearing something different than what I am.  All kinds of things affect perception of a pickup's tone.  I'd put the VHPAF right next to and holding hands with the 36th on that list.

228

The Pickup Place / Re: Looking to try something between a 36th PAF and Tone Zone

« on: May 04, 2015, 02:38:32 AM »

Comparing those 2: 

1) AT-1:  works well with 500k pots, fat vocal lead tone but with some bite on the highs, low mid hump for balls on chords, seriously complex harmonic content.  Comes across as having much higher output than DiMarzio's chart would indicate.  If combining with another humbucker or hotter singles that like 500k, i.e. Injector necks, heavy Blues, Cruisers, this works better.

2) Norton:  High mid emphasis, IMO does not like 500k pots. The highest I've used it with good results is about 400k but that guitar has an aluminum guard so there is lots of stray capacitance running around to darken up that Norton.  More like 250k-350k seems to fatten it up and take off the harsh in most guitars.  When combined with the right value volume pot, has a very vocal midrange, albeit brighter and not as fat as the AT-1.  Doesn't have the complex harmonics of the AT-1, more like what you'd hear on a PAF.  Very clear and articulate, comes across as lower output than the AT-1 in spite of DiMarzio's chart, but not in a bad way.  It sounds clear and clean due to the brightness.
Combining with Area 67/58/61/54, or similar singles that like 250-300k pots, this works best.

229

The Pickup Place / Re: Chopper - Cruiser - Cruiser in a Strat

« on: May 04, 2015, 02:28:05 AM »

I generally don't like the Chopper with 500k, but the cruisers demand it, so if you already know you like the Chopper with 500k, go for it.  The Cruiser is an interesting pickup.  If you find the chopper too bright, you can always use a resistor to drop the load until it sounds ok.

230

The Pickup Place / Re: Looking to try something between a 36th PAF and Tone Zone

« on: May 02, 2015, 06:17:34 PM »

Having used everything in question here, I'm going to give you an order that goes from one to the other:

36th bridge
Breed Neck
Norton
AT-1
Air Zone
Tone Zone. 

That is also pretty much the order from bright to dark as well, and in order of low-end content (the breed neck is *NOT* boomy in any way).  There is of course more going on.  The harmonic content of the AT-1 is something that is hard to describe, it is very complex in a way nothing else really is.  The AT-1 also has more low mids and less high mids than a Norton, which is very focused on the high mids, and the breed neck to me is like a more balanced Norton.  The AT-1 is not dark though.  Its....well you have to hear it.  No way to really describe it with words.

Also, I would NOT recommend an Air Norton in the bridge, it will rip your head right off.

231

The Pickup Place / Re: What is "normal" turnaround time for pickup installation?

« on: April 22, 2015, 06:16:43 PM »

Full guitar setup I did for a buddy of mine, which included new bridge installation, new tuners, fret leveling, new electronics and of course new set of DiMarzio pickups set us back only couple of hours, of which the fret leveling took the majority of the time.

I'd like to observe that and critique the results.

232

The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 21, 2015, 12:24:03 AM »

If you hate the quack thing stay away from Areas, Cruisers, etc. 

233

The Pickup Place / Re: What is "normal" turnaround time for pickup installation?

« on: April 19, 2015, 08:07:59 PM »

Turning the truss rod does cure fretting out assuming the neck was back-bowed and the fretting out was on the lower frets. 

All that said, $90 for what amounts to not even a setup seems high, I wouldn't charge anything close to that for filing slots and adjusting the rod.  Also, 6 weeks is more like refret turnaround. 

Sounds like whoever that was has more business than they need.  If you can go elsewhere and get competent work done, do it.

234

The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 16, 2015, 06:33:32 PM »

Rail types = anything with 2 parallel rails. 

Areas:  61, 67, 58, 54, Injectors, Heavy Blues 2.  Does *NOT* include the HS series, nor the old virtual vintage, although they confuse things with the way they name the 54. 

What I've started doing is using a hotter middle pickup, and in the position where the neck/middle are in parallel usually, I wire a super switch so that the bridge and neck are in parallel as I like that sound better.  This gives me a nice beefy middle pickup that still quacks when in parallel with the bridge, but sounds great by itself for blues tones, the Tele-like bridge+neck combo, and I add a switch or push/pull to get the neck/middle parallel spot if I want, although I really only like that combo with a clean sound. 

235

The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 14, 2015, 05:53:44 PM »

I was referring to the Area series, the Injector being the only one that I think works well with 500k.  If you're using a rail type in neck or middle, definitely use 500k.

236

The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 08, 2015, 02:14:02 AM »

You could try:

1) 500k pot but instead of running at 500k, try various resistors across it (1M, 2.2M, 3.3M, 10M) and see which gives you a nice increase in openness without sounding too bright. 

2) If you go 500k full on for the air zone (not a bad idea) use Injector necks in the other two positions.  They work great with 500k pots.  54s might be too shrill.

3) keep the 250k or try some combination of (1) and, as suggested above, pop a Norton in the bridge.  I recently put one in the bridge of a strat in similar circumstance and like it a lot there, whereas I pretty much hated it in other circumstances.  It comes alive in that application. 

237

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

« on: August 15, 2014, 08:59:18 PM »

If you're looking at a Norton to add girth, look elsewhere.  Girth does not describe a Norton.

238

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

« on: July 16, 2014, 07:09:57 PM »

I have a lot of guitars with that setup and a lot of combinations of pickups in them. 

The one that never fails to bring a smile to my face and make me really not want to put it down is AT-1 bridge with Injector neck in middle and neck, 500k pots, .0022uf tone cap, 20 pole 5 way so the AT-1 goes into parallel mode when in combination with the middle pup.  Fantastic sounds in every position, and the strat "quack" is all there in 2/4.  Very Texas except on the bridge only setting, when it is super fat/articulate.  Sort of like Scott Henderson's tone in the Face First/Reality Check Tribal Tech era. 

239

Guitar Lounge / Re: Tuning problems with Les Pauls

« on: July 09, 2014, 12:59:31 AM »

90% of general tuning issues people bring me and blame on nuts, bad trems, cheap tuners, etc, are due to loose parts.  Mostly the nut around the peg and the screws that hold the pegs tight.   

With a LP type, you have a huge amount of down pressure due to the angle headstock creating friction, and the string going over the nut then shooting off at an angle to the tuner. 

You mentioned you have a bone nut.  Bone is fine for acoustics where you aren't bending strings all the time, or (maybe) straighter string pull guitars like a Tele or a strat if you can tolerate either using lube (yuck) or some minor tuning issues.  On electrics, I don't recommend, nor do I personally use, anything but graphtech, and only use bone after a discussion of the above with a customer and at their request even knowing the potential issues.  A properly cut graphtech nut will never need lube, and will stay in tune as well as any other guitar when used on a LP. 

Another issue you have with a tune-o and stoptail type guitar is sharp down angle after the bridge over a sharp metal saddle.  Most people see the screws on the tailpiece and assume "hey it's a screw, lets screw it all the way in!"  but that is not necessary and can lead to  tuning issues, collapsing bridges, etc.  It only needs to be down far enough to create enough down pressure over the saddle.  Also, the string going over that sharp, pointed metal saddle and being bent so it slides a bit can be an issue.  Again, graphtech saddles are the cure for that, and I find they sound very nice on a tune-o type bridge. 

If your bridge is loose on the posts and can slide a bit, that can also create tuning issues (as well as intonation issues as it moves around over time).  Tonepros bridges are the cure for that.  I don't think they do anything for "sustain & tone" as they claim, but they DO keep parts from sliding around and from falling off during string changes, and from having to re-do your action height after string changes.   A fairly cheap investment, or get a tap & drill and some set screws and make your own.

A final issue is string stretching.  Few people seem to stretch their strings out enough.  I grab them at the 12th, yank them up and down, back and forth, then re-tune, and when they no longer go out of tune, they are stretched. 

Even my LPs and similar guitars with trems (bigsbys, deusenberg les trems) stay in tune great, but it takes some extra steps to get there due to the non-straight string pull past the nut and the down pressure from the angled stock. 

240

Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Area 58, 61 and 67 Strat Pickups

« on: July 09, 2014, 12:38:30 AM »

I've found that pickup height makes a big difference. 

With Areas you tend to put them close to the strings because unlike regular singles, you can without causing intonation or warbling issues.  BUT, you lose quack with the middle pup up close. Backing off the bass side on both middle and neck helps as well. 

Oddly, I've found that two injector necks in neck/middle with 500k pot gets AMAZING quack.  With an AT-1 in the bridge set to go into parallel mode when in position 2 combined with the middle injector neck, the quack/tone is fantastic and authentic as can be.