46

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

« on: August 03, 2014, 10:48:02 AM »

Lace Sensors: Just so bland and lifeless.

Fred: A strange combination of compressed and weak.

Duncan Designed version of JB: A loud, inarticulate but thin, mess. Don't like the regular JB either but not for the same exact reasons.

Most ceramic mag pickups.  Many ceramics sound great with high gain, but that's not my only game.

47

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

« on: July 17, 2014, 02:45:57 PM »

I have that combination on two of my guitars. My number one is two vintage spec true single coils in the neck and middle. The Bridge pickup is an Air Classic that auto splits to the slug coil in position 2.  The Air Classic balances well with the true singles. I have the second tone on the the bridge humbucker and its 500k. I have found that the True Velvet neck is really good in the neck of such a set up  because it sounds good both clean and dirty. Many true singles don't sound so good dirty but the TV does. I'm a blues player mostly and when I do rock its more of the classic rock/blues rock genre. The Air Classic is perfect for classic bridge humbucker tone balancing true singles in the neck and middle, and an HSS strat is perfect for live playing.

On edit: Corrected an error. It splits to the slug coil, not the screw coil.

48

Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Air Classic

« on: February 08, 2014, 02:48:58 PM »

Its not muddy. I think its warmer because it doesn't have an upper mid spike.

49

Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Air Classic

« on: February 07, 2014, 09:31:11 PM »

I havn't tried the AC in the neck position.  Give me a couple weeks, though, and I will have tried the AC in the neck of a LP.  I can say that in the bridge position it is warmer, and more dynamic, and more touch sensitive than the 36th.

I'd definitely like something quieter and with more touch response and dynamics with the volume/tone controls.

^^This the AC does well, at least in the bridge position

The Bluesbucker is pretty loud for a neck position pickup unless your using a high output pickup in the bridge position. I have a BB in the neck of a superstrat and a TZ in the bridge barely balances it. 

I have no experience with the EJ neck.

50

Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Air Classic

« on: May 29, 2013, 11:06:36 AM »

It may be a little late, but yeah I have insight on this wonderful pickup.  It is my favorite humbucker and use it in multiple guitars.  I have a set of custom made PAF clones as well and the Air Classics sound very close, but with better picking dynamics.  It is the touch response that sets the Air Classics apart from the herd of PAF clones.  You can get the type of dynamics and draw out musical tones best illustrated by early Alman Bros live recordings with the Air Classic.  It's a very musical sounding pickup with good clarity. You can hear every note in complex chord. Might be a bit polite for those that like their sound a bit rude though.