31
The Pickup Place / Re: Is the Virtual Solo discontinued?
« on: July 28, 2023, 01:14:09 PM »
I don’t know what country you’re in but they appear to be readily available in the US.
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32
The Pickup Place / Re: The Area Hot T and EJ Custom Neck
« on: July 11, 2023, 11:45:30 AM »
I find the 46 tubby sounding and the 42 too loose. I try to adjust everything so that the notes on the 10th through 12th frets don’t collapse using the neck pickup while still having enough gain for the guitar to sing at club volume primarily using preamp gain and overdrives.
Ignoring single coils and rails I normally don’t stray beyond a vintage output humbucker in the neck. I do like the PAF Pro and LiquiFire though I don’t like anything hotter than a hot PAF in the bridge which doesn’t leave many candidates for those two pickups.
I don’t think I would ever use the EJ Custom Neck for anything other than this application simply because it’s too weak for a humbucker; though for this application it gets an enthusiastic endorsement. In addition to working well with the Hot T it should work well with the Chopper T, perhaps even more so.
Ignoring single coils and rails I normally don’t stray beyond a vintage output humbucker in the neck. I do like the PAF Pro and LiquiFire though I don’t like anything hotter than a hot PAF in the bridge which doesn’t leave many candidates for those two pickups.
I don’t think I would ever use the EJ Custom Neck for anything other than this application simply because it’s too weak for a humbucker; though for this application it gets an enthusiastic endorsement. In addition to working well with the Hot T it should work well with the Chopper T, perhaps even more so.
33
The Pickup Place / Re: The Area Hot T and EJ Custom Neck
« on: July 10, 2023, 10:37:23 AM »
You mentioned the Full Shred before. I remember it being extremely tight but sounding more like a humbucker than either the HFH or EJ. Admittedly, it’s been almost 10 years since I used a stock FS. It would be interesting to throw the EJ Bridge into the mix since it should be closer in output to the HFH.
I don’t know what gauge strings you use but I moved away from a 46 as a low E because I never liked the way it sounded on a 25.5” scale guitar. 25.1” is better but I’m still happier with a 44. I tailored my string set to my liking: 10, 13, 16.5, 26, 34, 44.
I don’t know what gauge strings you use but I moved away from a 46 as a low E because I never liked the way it sounded on a 25.5” scale guitar. 25.1” is better but I’m still happier with a 44. I tailored my string set to my liking: 10, 13, 16.5, 26, 34, 44.
34
The Pickup Place / Re: The Area Hot T and EJ Custom Neck
« on: July 07, 2023, 06:31:27 AM »
The EJ neck is quite a bit brighter, more open and not at all chewy like the Vintage Minibucker neck. It is brighter than the HFH as well and is a lot leaner in the low end. It is very clean like the HFH, cleaner still because it is weaker, but it has a more focused top end and doesn’t have the acoustic/piano quality of the HFH. It has a similar frequency response to a single coil but is louder and more full. I’m not familiar with Filtertrons so I can’t comment on that, but I will say that the EJ doesn’t really sound like a humbucker.
35
The Pickup Place / The Area Hot T and EJ Custom Neck
« on: July 06, 2023, 01:43:14 PM »
This is my third topic on my Telecaster experience, apologies. I could have added this to either of the other discussions but I believe it warrants its own subject line.
This all started with me purchasing an Area Hot T for a friend which I had paired with a Vintage Minibucker Bridge in the neck of a $200 Squier. The Hot T sounded thin and the output was slightly low relative to the minibucker, but I could tell it was a great pickup. We ended up replacing the Area with a Chopper T and also replaced the die-cast saddles with steel ones. A set of 500k pots and we called it a day. He’s happy.
I was so impressed with the Area Hot T that I bought a Mexican Telecaster to put it in. It was initially paired with a Vintage Minibucker Neck but it didn’t cut enough. I exchanged the Minibucker for an EJ Custom Neck and am quite satisfied.
The volume control is 500k with a treble bleed. The tone is a dual 250k/500k concentric pot. The neck and middle position are using the 500k portion of the control while the bridge position is using the 250k portion.
With the tone rolled back a bit on the Area and after some minor height adjustments which include adjusting the fillisters on the EJ, the tonal balance and relative output between the two pickups are right on the money.
The EJ is indeed very lean and bright, but it still sounds best with 500k controls. With an additional capacitor and two resistors on the tone control I can warm it up nicely with it rolled back. With this modified control the EJ is very useable for jazz.
Between the treble bleed and the larger value volume control the Area Hot has more than enough Tele snap and spank. I opted for the dual control because the Area has so much bite that the EJ can’t keep up unless the tone on the Area is rolled back as I already mentioned. This would likely still be the case even if the Area were using 250k controls. I think this has more to do with pickup location than anything and is exacerbated by the fact that I have the Area up fairly high. I know I can load down the Area with a resistor, but with a separate tone control there’s no point; besides, it’s better to have too much than not enough.
This all started with me purchasing an Area Hot T for a friend which I had paired with a Vintage Minibucker Bridge in the neck of a $200 Squier. The Hot T sounded thin and the output was slightly low relative to the minibucker, but I could tell it was a great pickup. We ended up replacing the Area with a Chopper T and also replaced the die-cast saddles with steel ones. A set of 500k pots and we called it a day. He’s happy.
I was so impressed with the Area Hot T that I bought a Mexican Telecaster to put it in. It was initially paired with a Vintage Minibucker Neck but it didn’t cut enough. I exchanged the Minibucker for an EJ Custom Neck and am quite satisfied.
The volume control is 500k with a treble bleed. The tone is a dual 250k/500k concentric pot. The neck and middle position are using the 500k portion of the control while the bridge position is using the 250k portion.
With the tone rolled back a bit on the Area and after some minor height adjustments which include adjusting the fillisters on the EJ, the tonal balance and relative output between the two pickups are right on the money.
The EJ is indeed very lean and bright, but it still sounds best with 500k controls. With an additional capacitor and two resistors on the tone control I can warm it up nicely with it rolled back. With this modified control the EJ is very useable for jazz.
Between the treble bleed and the larger value volume control the Area Hot has more than enough Tele snap and spank. I opted for the dual control because the Area has so much bite that the EJ can’t keep up unless the tone on the Area is rolled back as I already mentioned. This would likely still be the case even if the Area were using 250k controls. I think this has more to do with pickup location than anything and is exacerbated by the fact that I have the Area up fairly high. I know I can load down the Area with a resistor, but with a separate tone control there’s no point; besides, it’s better to have too much than not enough.
36
Guitar Lounge / Re: Out of phase, half-out of phase, power-out of phase
« on: July 06, 2023, 12:38:54 PM »
I think as guitarists we tend to gravitate toward the tones which were recorded from yesteryear. If it weren’t for Peter Green I would never appreciate the sound of out of phase humbuckers. I read that it happened by accident.
The 3-pickup Les Paul Customs were originally wired with the middle pickup out of phase combined with the bridge pickup in the middle position. This wasn’t my bag so I put mine in phase and lowered it. The middle pickup is the stock T-Top with a Duncan Custom in the bridge. It makes for a nice clean tone without much quack as it’s mostly loading down the Duncan. This was a bit of a departure as the original bridge pickup was also a T-Top. As an aside I’ll also mention that with the stock wiring you don’t have the ability to blend controls as the middle position uses the same volume and tone as the bridge position and the neck position gets the other pair of controls. This never bothered me so I didn’t change it.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that 6.2 is a standard value in the 10% series along with 1,1, 1.3, 1.6, 2.0, 2.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.3, 5.1, 7.5 and 9.1, in addition to the values in the 20% series. The values used in the Kinman treble bypass are 1nF and 130k IIRC. A 10% change in components is audio circuits is normally noticeable so I recommend getting them.
The 3-pickup Les Paul Customs were originally wired with the middle pickup out of phase combined with the bridge pickup in the middle position. This wasn’t my bag so I put mine in phase and lowered it. The middle pickup is the stock T-Top with a Duncan Custom in the bridge. It makes for a nice clean tone without much quack as it’s mostly loading down the Duncan. This was a bit of a departure as the original bridge pickup was also a T-Top. As an aside I’ll also mention that with the stock wiring you don’t have the ability to blend controls as the middle position uses the same volume and tone as the bridge position and the neck position gets the other pair of controls. This never bothered me so I didn’t change it.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that 6.2 is a standard value in the 10% series along with 1,1, 1.3, 1.6, 2.0, 2.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.3, 5.1, 7.5 and 9.1, in addition to the values in the 20% series. The values used in the Kinman treble bypass are 1nF and 130k IIRC. A 10% change in components is audio circuits is normally noticeable so I recommend getting them.
37
Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: The Bluesbucker
« on: June 15, 2023, 09:18:41 AM »
I’ve always liked the idea of a Lace Sensor Purple/Emerald Dually in the neck position.
There isn’t much in the way of demos of the humbucker-sized Fantom P90, but based on one by Phillip McKnight it sounds really good. The spec suggests it’s a bit hot but if the sole reason is to get a noiseless P90, I think it might be the better option.
There isn’t much in the way of demos of the humbucker-sized Fantom P90, but based on one by Phillip McKnight it sounds really good. The spec suggests it’s a bit hot but if the sole reason is to get a noiseless P90, I think it might be the better option.
38
The Pickup Place / Re: HFH vs EJ Neck vs EJ Bridge
« on: June 06, 2023, 11:41:27 AM »
The Full Shred Neck is a good idea. I use their coils to make hybrids. I think I have a couple lying around to cobble one back together.
I think I’ll get an EJ anyway seeing that I can exchange the mini rather than sell it at a loss.
I think I’ll get an EJ anyway seeing that I can exchange the mini rather than sell it at a loss.
39
The Pickup Place / HFH vs EJ Neck vs EJ Bridge
« on: June 06, 2023, 03:40:46 AM »
I’m emailing back and forth with DiMarzio but want to get some additional input while I wait for the next reply.
I’m currently using a Virtual Mini Neck with an Area Hot T the relative output is good but the mini is too warm.
I compared the Tele with another guitar that has an HFH and thought it could also be a good pairing, albeit a little fuller and a bit scooped compared the mini. The extra midrange of the mini compared to the HFH makes it seem almost as loud as the HFH.
The specs suggest that the EJs will be leaner than the HFH which will bode well for the Hot T. I’m wondering where the HFH sits relative to the EJ neck and bridge in terms of output and EQ. Based on demos the EJs seem to have quite a bit of push in the top end. This was particularly apparent in one that compares them to Burstbuckers, where the EJs cut right through.
Backing up a bit, I’m after a neck pickup that keeps the low strings bright and can cut like the Hot T. I fear that the neck version of the EJ will lack body and sound too uneven. At the same time I worry that the bridge version will be too hot.
I floated the idea in my last email about swapping in an Alnico 2 in order to drop the level and sweeten the highs of the EJs but haven’t heard back about it. I have reservations that an A2 could weaken the neck version too much, or warm the bridge version up too much, putting me back into the position I’m currently in with the mini.
I’m currently using a Virtual Mini Neck with an Area Hot T the relative output is good but the mini is too warm.
I compared the Tele with another guitar that has an HFH and thought it could also be a good pairing, albeit a little fuller and a bit scooped compared the mini. The extra midrange of the mini compared to the HFH makes it seem almost as loud as the HFH.
The specs suggest that the EJs will be leaner than the HFH which will bode well for the Hot T. I’m wondering where the HFH sits relative to the EJ neck and bridge in terms of output and EQ. Based on demos the EJs seem to have quite a bit of push in the top end. This was particularly apparent in one that compares them to Burstbuckers, where the EJs cut right through.
Backing up a bit, I’m after a neck pickup that keeps the low strings bright and can cut like the Hot T. I fear that the neck version of the EJ will lack body and sound too uneven. At the same time I worry that the bridge version will be too hot.
I floated the idea in my last email about swapping in an Alnico 2 in order to drop the level and sweeten the highs of the EJs but haven’t heard back about it. I have reservations that an A2 could weaken the neck version too much, or warm the bridge version up too much, putting me back into the position I’m currently in with the mini.
40
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 29, 2023, 01:38:20 PM »
I got a Chopper T to put in the Squier with the Bridge Minibucker in the neck. It has a little more output and is wider sounding than the Hot T but also has less emphasis in the upper midrange. I imagine this is no surprise to anyone who has used both pickups. Unfortunately it’s still too small against the minibucker. It’s clear that a Super D T or a Tone Zone T will be the best pairings. I guess the Tone Zone is fatter through the mids, but YouTube demos aren’t very helpful with these, ignoring the fact that they have to translate over to the thin sounding Squier. The Chopper does sound good, likely due to the 250k pots that are taming the high end. Tone-wise it seems like it’s more in line with the Super D than the Tone Zone because it’s more neutral(?). Any thoughts?
The Chopper may end up going in the Ultra at which point we’ll have to choose a neck pickup. The Twang King isn’t going to be a good fit for the owner. The Neck Minibucker is obviously a good choice, but I was just looking at a Duncan Quarter Pound Neck, to which DiMarzio has no equivalent. From what I heard it sounds very nice, but the problem is it’s going to be noisy which will be a non-starter. One demo compares it to a Jazz Neck, at which point the EJ Custom Neck came to mind. Spec-wise the output is on-par with the Bridge Minibucker, which I already know is too hot, however the EQ is quite different. Are there any thoughts on this one?
The Chopper may end up going in the Ultra at which point we’ll have to choose a neck pickup. The Twang King isn’t going to be a good fit for the owner. The Neck Minibucker is obviously a good choice, but I was just looking at a Duncan Quarter Pound Neck, to which DiMarzio has no equivalent. From what I heard it sounds very nice, but the problem is it’s going to be noisy which will be a non-starter. One demo compares it to a Jazz Neck, at which point the EJ Custom Neck came to mind. Spec-wise the output is on-par with the Bridge Minibucker, which I already know is too hot, however the EQ is quite different. Are there any thoughts on this one?
41
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 25, 2023, 02:45:31 PM »
Sounds like an awesome choice to me!
42
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 21, 2023, 03:30:54 AM »
So I just bought a Tele and will be putting the Area Hot T in it. I said earlier that I’d rather have a Twang King in the neck over a neck Minibucker. The reason being I think I’d prefer a single coil in the neck, but I’m not 100% sure that I want to go in that direction as I fear there being a large discrepancy in output.
What are you using in the neck with an Area Hot T, Stephan?
What are you using in the neck with an Area Hot T, Stephan?
43
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 17, 2023, 12:06:27 PM »
In general I don’t like the sound of split humbuckers (parallel wiring even less, more often than not). Split humbuckers work ok in the neck position because of the location; and up to the point of losing too much top end, the hotter the pickup the better. I don’t think the neck version of the minibucker would have enough sauce to split for my tastes.
In order not to sound contradictory, the discrepancy in level between a split bridge minibucker in the neck and a Super D T in the bridge is the reason why I wouldn’t find splitting the minibucker worthwhile. I think the Super D in parallel would be a better option, though I don’t think it’s the type of tone he would use.
In order not to sound contradictory, the discrepancy in level between a split bridge minibucker in the neck and a Super D T in the bridge is the reason why I wouldn’t find splitting the minibucker worthwhile. I think the Super D in parallel would be a better option, though I don’t think it’s the type of tone he would use.
44
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 16, 2023, 01:33:50 PM »
Update:
I installed a Vintage Minibucker Bridge in the neck position with the Area Hot T in the bridge position. The results really aren’t all that surprising.
The pickup sounds big but not overwhelming, producing an even tone that is not at all dark. The split sound is surprisingly good. It is considerably weaker than the pickup wired in series. It doesn’t have the same bottom end that you would expect from a true single coil, unsurprisingly. However, it is full through the midrange with a bright top end that is not brittle but this will certainly change with a darker, more resonant guitar.
Taking a step back, the tone control was not connected when it was first installed with the neck pickup only seeing the 250k load from the volume control. The top end stung which wasn’t all they surprising based on the results I got from the Hot T, though it wasn’t nearly as sharp. I then connected the 250k tone control which tamed the top end significantly. It needed to remain at 250k without warming up the pickup to the point of being dull. The tone was still quite good. I didn’t try the pickup split until after the tone control was moved from the bridge pickup back to the output from the switch, which undoubtedly tames the top end of a split humbucker.
While the bridge pickup easily keeps up through the midrange, it does sound somewhat thin in comparison with the height of the neck pickup above the point to where it will have the hollow acoustic quality which I despise.
The middle position sounds very good with both with the neck pickup in series and split without either pickup dominating the overall tone.
It is clear that 500k controls are necessary for the minibucker. The Hot T by itself or in combination with the neck pickup either split or in parallel will need additional loading. The best option for the tone control would be a 500k/250k concentric pot, ideally, though a simple dual-ganged control should work just fine. A quad-pole switch will be necessary in order to assign loading and tone controls appropriately.
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.
There is no doubt in my mind that the neck model of the minibucker is the better pairing with a Hot T if there isn’t any desire for split operation. If I owned a Telecaster I would likely want an Area Hot T and a Twang King in the neck, though I can see the Neck Minibucker being an excellent pairing if the tone of a traditional neck pickup isn’t desired.
I installed a Vintage Minibucker Bridge in the neck position with the Area Hot T in the bridge position. The results really aren’t all that surprising.
The pickup sounds big but not overwhelming, producing an even tone that is not at all dark. The split sound is surprisingly good. It is considerably weaker than the pickup wired in series. It doesn’t have the same bottom end that you would expect from a true single coil, unsurprisingly. However, it is full through the midrange with a bright top end that is not brittle but this will certainly change with a darker, more resonant guitar.
Taking a step back, the tone control was not connected when it was first installed with the neck pickup only seeing the 250k load from the volume control. The top end stung which wasn’t all they surprising based on the results I got from the Hot T, though it wasn’t nearly as sharp. I then connected the 250k tone control which tamed the top end significantly. It needed to remain at 250k without warming up the pickup to the point of being dull. The tone was still quite good. I didn’t try the pickup split until after the tone control was moved from the bridge pickup back to the output from the switch, which undoubtedly tames the top end of a split humbucker.
While the bridge pickup easily keeps up through the midrange, it does sound somewhat thin in comparison with the height of the neck pickup above the point to where it will have the hollow acoustic quality which I despise.
The middle position sounds very good with both with the neck pickup in series and split without either pickup dominating the overall tone.
It is clear that 500k controls are necessary for the minibucker. The Hot T by itself or in combination with the neck pickup either split or in parallel will need additional loading. The best option for the tone control would be a 500k/250k concentric pot, ideally, though a simple dual-ganged control should work just fine. A quad-pole switch will be necessary in order to assign loading and tone controls appropriately.
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.
There is no doubt in my mind that the neck model of the minibucker is the better pairing with a Hot T if there isn’t any desire for split operation. If I owned a Telecaster I would likely want an Area Hot T and a Twang King in the neck, though I can see the Neck Minibucker being an excellent pairing if the tone of a traditional neck pickup isn’t desired.
45
The Pickup Place / Re: Area Hot T/Minibucker Pairing
« on: May 12, 2023, 10:53:33 AM »
Thanks for the input. I trust what you’re saying, 100%.
I am able to get a good tone out of it but I have to turn up the bass farther than what I think is reasonable. I had to go back to the zinc saddles because the steel ones were too narrow. I ordered wider one. I didn’t notice they were also available in brass until it was too late to change the order. Drilling so the body is string-through is possible but pretty ambitious considering I don’t own a drill press. The body is thin like the Affinity series. The neck is pretty good, but my expectations were never that high. This is why I’m considering giving up and going with a Super D. It ought to compensate for the lack of resonance. I’m waiting to see what the owner thinks.
I am able to get a good tone out of it but I have to turn up the bass farther than what I think is reasonable. I had to go back to the zinc saddles because the steel ones were too narrow. I ordered wider one. I didn’t notice they were also available in brass until it was too late to change the order. Drilling so the body is string-through is possible but pretty ambitious considering I don’t own a drill press. The body is thin like the Affinity series. The neck is pretty good, but my expectations were never that high. This is why I’m considering giving up and going with a Super D. It ought to compensate for the lack of resonance. I’m waiting to see what the owner thinks.