I need a new bridge pickup for my LTD EC500. It is shaped like a Les Paul, but with a thinner mahogany body and has a 24 fret rosewood fretboard. It needs to be a backup guitar to my '79 Yamaha SG2000 for when my band is going to play its first couple of shows in a few months. The problem is that the EMG pickups in the LTD make it sound a lot different from the Yamaha and I need them to sound more similar in case the Yamaha fails mid show and I need to pickup the LTD.
The plan is to sell the EMG set and use that money to buy a new passive bridge pickup, so I can get closer to my sound and break even money wise. I have a Dimarzio Bluesbucker laying around for the neck position. Now I just need a new bridge pickup. They don't need to 'match' because I don't use the neck position much.
I recorded the dry sounds of both guitars to see what needs to be different compared to the EMG81. The Yamaha recording has a lot more bass, but the bass sounds big and clear. It has less mids than the EMG, but doesn't sound all that scooped, because it does have a lot of low mids. Both have ample highs, but the highs sound different. Quite clear and slightly smoothed on the top end on the Yamaha, but the highs on the EMG sound quite flat and hard. Contrary to what I expected, the Yamaha actually does not seem any lower in output than the EMG, but perhaps it just seems that way because of the big bass, which the EMG lacks.
So, who can recommend a pickup that can get my LTD to sound closer to my Yamaha? It doesn't need to sound 100% exactly the same, but I do want to get a lot closer than I am now. It seems like I need to look in the 'medium output' or 'vintage hot' area of pickups with big bass, flat or slightly scooped mids, clear highs and slightly smoothed top end (compared to an EMG81). Preferably passive, widely available (used) and in the Dimarzio/Duncan price range. Thanks!
The plan is to sell the EMG set and use that money to buy a new passive bridge pickup, so I can get closer to my sound and break even money wise. I have a Dimarzio Bluesbucker laying around for the neck position. Now I just need a new bridge pickup. They don't need to 'match' because I don't use the neck position much.
I recorded the dry sounds of both guitars to see what needs to be different compared to the EMG81. The Yamaha recording has a lot more bass, but the bass sounds big and clear. It has less mids than the EMG, but doesn't sound all that scooped, because it does have a lot of low mids. Both have ample highs, but the highs sound different. Quite clear and slightly smoothed on the top end on the Yamaha, but the highs on the EMG sound quite flat and hard. Contrary to what I expected, the Yamaha actually does not seem any lower in output than the EMG, but perhaps it just seems that way because of the big bass, which the EMG lacks.
So, who can recommend a pickup that can get my LTD to sound closer to my Yamaha? It doesn't need to sound 100% exactly the same, but I do want to get a lot closer than I am now. It seems like I need to look in the 'medium output' or 'vintage hot' area of pickups with big bass, flat or slightly scooped mids, clear highs and slightly smoothed top end (compared to an EMG81). Preferably passive, widely available (used) and in the Dimarzio/Duncan price range. Thanks!
Comment