Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

[brinton]

they don't say much about this pickup's tone, or the PATB-1 (sweet and bluesy sings ) If anyone knows about this pickup's tone let me know about the humbucking tone.

[mongrollo]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

So you have the same problem as me... I have been a while trying to find it out.

There is a interesting thread in the Vault section

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=6686

And a clip in the tips and clips made by ArtieToo

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=12264&highlight=stag

But there isn't much information compared with the classic humbuckers. Anyway I allready had ordered two to replace my 59/JB combo. In a few weeks I will be finding out by myself, may be I could tell you more...

You can also check the reviews in www.harmony-central.com

[ArtieToo]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

Hi brinton; I've come to realize that the way a Stag Mag sounds depends a lot on the position of the moon.

I love it one day - hate it the next. Its an odd p'up. Right now I have it installed in a guitar with a 3-way switch so I can use it in full HB mode, or just the north coil, or just the south coil, along with a 59 in the neck. I generally don't care for it by itself, but it supports the 59 excellent. The 59 tends to be mellow. Switch in the north coil, and it adds that touch of "jangle" that gives me a nice rich sound.

Come back tomorrow . . . and I'll be loving the Stag Mag all by itself.

Its just one of those things.

[Metalman_666]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

What are some tonal things you can use to describe the sound? Bassy or bright? How's the midrange on it?

[ArtieToo]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

I was just jammin' on my Stag Mag equipped guitar, so that I could answer that better for you. I think I've come to a conclusion, but don't take this as gospel just yet.

The Stag Mag is really just two Alnico II Pro's mounted side by side. Or, to put it another way, its the neck and middle Strat pups mounted together on one base. As I'm pickin' on here, I think I liked this better in the neck position, than in the bridge position. The SM is definitely bright and jangly. When I had two of them mounted in the neck and bridge positions, I liked the neck position better, with a little bridge added in. I didn't use the bridge by itself. Since the SM was designed as a bridge pup, when it came time to change it out, I replaced the neck SM with a 59. Now that I'm playing it, and trying to pay attention to the sound, I realize that the SM only serves to augment the 59 in the neck. I don't really like it on its own - however, I remember that when I had it in the neck position, that I did like it on its own there.

So, what I'm saying is, the SM is bright on its own. If you put it in the bridge position, you're compounding the brightness aspect of it, making it not ideal. Whereas, if you put it in the neck position, the natural "jangliness" of it compliments the neck "mellowness" to form a nice, rounded sound. Its a rich, defined sound in that position that works well on its own. Sorta like having the neck and middle p'ups of a Strat on at the same time . . . a "natural" selection.

So . . . I'm going to move this Stag Mag up to the neck position, and see what I can mate it with in the bridge, and go from there. I can just move the 59n to the bridge, but I don't think that would be a good choice. I also have a C5 that I can put in there. That might work out well. And, I have a Custom and a Distortion on the way from another transaction.

Its a tough p'up to nail down. At least for me . . . so far. Judging by the lack of responses in the "review" section, for the Stag Mag, perhaps for others too.

I realize that I've probably just confused you more than helped you . . . but thats the nature of this p'up. At least in my view. Maybe Evan will pop in here and tell me what I'm doing wrong. It's his fault that I bought them.

Edit: I'm just thinking about what I said there. I'm beginning to wonder if SD might do better to market the Stag Mag as a "neck" p'up rather than a "bridge" p'up. I'm going to play around with this in the neck position a bit more, and then expand on that idea at that time. Stay tuna-ed!

[mongrollo]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

Artie...

I think it could be worth trying the SM in paralell. Ussually low output humbuckers sound thin in this configuration but this is because the split tone it is also thin. In the SM case they should have a nice, decent usable split tone. So I think the paralel tone should be usable too. (and it will be humcancelling)

When my pair arrive I am going to set them for a humbucker/split/parallel configuration.

[ArtieToo]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

Hmmm . . . thats a thought. I haven't tried that yet.
I'll give it a try.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

I always thought the SM was made specifically to sound good split and combined with a middle single coil (like in a Fat Strat). How does it sound split at the neck?

[ranalli]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

Edit: I'm just thinking about what I said there. I'm beginning to wonder if SD might do better to market the Stag Mag as a "neck" p'up rather than a "bridge" p'up. I'm going to play around with this in the neck position a bit more, and then expand on that idea at that time. Stay tuna-ed!

That's what I thought it would be best for going by the description and stats....sounds alot like the Dimarzio Humbucker From Hell....I definitely wouldn't put that in the bridge although I love it in the neck. I'd be curious to try the Stagmag though....it would be cooler to have regular pole-pieces though.

[korinastratkyle]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

Has anyone here tried it in the bridge position for hard rock\metal\shred? How's the sound? ArtieToo, is your StagMag in series or parallel in those clips? The clean sounds nice and articulate but balanced!

[ArtieToo]

Re: Stag Mag Humbucking tone?

In those clips, its in series. In other words, just ordinary 3-way switch wiring, with the addition of a toggle to split the SM into north or south coils.

I had the Stag Mag in the neck for awhile, with another at the bridge. I definitely liked it better in the neck. My second favorite SM sound is split, used with the 59 in the neck.

I'll see if I can find the time next week, (or maybe this weekend), to move it to the neck, and try it with a different pickup.

In case anyone is getting confused here, I have two Stag Mags. They both used to be in a Peavey Patriot. I replaced the neck one with a 59. Thats why I keep refering to "the one in the neck", and "the one in the bridge".