Question about the Tone wiz?

[ztevie]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

Bands...? Well, when it comes to harder rhytm I would say Metallica, Rammstein and such gets pretty close. Tight rhytm with lots of palm-muting and very heavy...
For the lead-parts I like to play deep, singing, highly-distorted stuff with clarity despite the distortion. Harmonics, bends and fast, but not muddy, passages. Maybe John Petrucci is the closest I can think of right now, altough I'm not playing his kind of music, but his tone is pretty close...

These are the main tones I'm looking for, altough I'd really like something cleaner for the neck. Occasionally I do wander away improvising with clean sounds, and then I'd like something not too bright, a sort of laid back, mellow tone which also should have lots of clarity.
Thats why I'm concidering Jazz or EMG60A in the neck, at least I think they get pretty close.

I can't say that any band has the perfect tone that I'd like to copy, I can hear it in my head but it's impossible to put words to what it sounds like...

I guess that the SD's are far more versatile than the EMG's, but I'm afraid(for the bridge PUP anyway) that they won't give me that extra bite and punch I'd like for my metal sound...?
I've read somewhere here that the Duncan Designs that's on my Schecter now is pretty close to sound like the DD? Well, I don't think the sound from the Designs are even close to what I'm looking for. They're too nice sounding.
I would really like to try the DD out, to see if that really is the case, but I live in Sweden and I'm planning to order the PUP's from abroad(I'll save a lot), so to return them is not something I'd really like to do...

Appreciate your help guys, I really need it to make the right decision.

[FretFire]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

What amp are you using? That will make a big difference as well, possibly moreso than the pickups. If you have a high gain amp, getting a crazy high output pickup could very well compress your tone and make it get buzzy, where a lower output choice could fatten it up. Different people like both, it depends on what you're after.

The C5 I have in the bridge of my C1+ seems to balance out the somewhat middy tendencies of the guitar rather well. I has plenty of chunk on the low end, and the lead tone is VERY throaty. It doesn't have the spike in the mids that can make pickups like the JB or DiMarzio Fred sound overly vocal or nasaly. If you have a middy amp or guitar the C5 is a good choice since its mids are a bit scooped (but it still cuts through).

[ztevie]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

Amp? None, really...

Well, actually I have a Peavey 40 watt, and a Kustom 15 watt for playing at home.
I rarely use them though. I've just upgraded my computer to be able to record stuff with Cubase. I use a Line6 POD 2 for amp-modeling, effects and such.
I've found I get really decent sound out of the Line6 when plugged into a PA-system, which I do at rehearsal-studio and at smaller club gigs.
I never play at bigger places than that, so I find a bigass Marshall-stack or similar both difficult to bring and unnecessary for where I play...

I know I'll never get that "true" Mesa/Marshall tube-sound. But hey, there are metal bands with big record-deals playing the POD at live gigs, believe it or not...
First and foremost I think you'll have to have the basic sound you want in the guitar and pup, then color it with whatever comes next in the signal-chain?

Of course, at high volumes, with a high-gain amp you can get great results with a pickup that's not very hot, maybe that's why I'm leaning towards EMG... Can SD really get me closer to the sound I want with their pups and my gear??

I actually have an old Peavey Vandenberg guitar with a humbucker and a singlecoil. That humbucker gets me pretty close to the sound I want, it's got loads of output and distortion in itself, I can roll off the dist-knob on my 15-watt Kustom to about 13 and still get a pretty monstruos roar from it.
I've no idea what pickup it is, I've just read that it's of the brand Alnico?? Has there existed such a brand? I thought there was only a type of magnet called that?
Could it be an old SD??

Oh, by the way, some says EMG's are real quiet, that's a HUGE advantage recording by the computer at home...

[FretFire]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

In my experience, the POD is fairly dark sounding, so you'll probably want to stay away from overly bassy pickups (like the Invader for example). The pickup in your Peavey guitar is probably just a stock Peavey job, and Alnico is just referring to the type of magnet inside it. As far as recording near a computer, if buzz is an issue simply turn away from the monitor or turn it off during your take.

[metaled]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

I think the DD will go great with mahogany cause the wood will beef up the lack of bass from that pickup!

[ztevie]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

The buzz is not very noticeable with the Peavey humbucker, the single coil on the other hand... Sounds like there's a angry bee somewhere in the room.

I've done a quick research on the Peavey pup, and yes you're right, it is a stock that Peavey made.
I'm surprised how well it sounds though, the duncan designs HB-103 on my Schecter aren't even close to them. I really hope the DD has significantly more power to them if I go with it.
I would really like to have some different pickups available to try them out for myself, that would be sweet...

[FretFire]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

Single coils are always more susceptible to noise than a humbucker... I mean the darn things are named a HUM-bucker haha. I hear the DD sounds great in Schecter axes, Jerry Horton from Papa Roach uses a DD/Jazz combo in his sig. Schecter and gets some fairly heavy tones.

[ztevie]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

Yeah, I know about Jerry Horton.
I'm a little doubtful though about an artists sound compare to what I can achieve at home...
But OK, it's a guideline to what it could sound like anyway.

I'm more lost than ever, I guess I'll read some more before I decide(as if that would help?). Or I'll just order and take my chances! I could always sell it with some financial loss... You gotta pay if you want perfection, right...?

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Question about the Tone wiz?

I'm gonna suggest the Custom 5/59 or Custom 5/Jazz

The C-5's best attributes are it's tight low end thump, great for palm muted metal riffage, as well as it's neutral mids and highs, which let the guitar and amp dictate that.

If you use your neck more for clean chording or rhythm playing, go with the Jazz.
If you use your neck pickup more for highgain soloing, go with the 59.

The C-5 is kinda like the JB, except it sounds more balanced in it's frequencies, and less compressed sounding.