Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

[ThunderLizard]

Hi all! Long time Duncan user but new member in the forum here. I have a Dean V that I love the looks and feel of. The problem is it has the stock Dimarzio Super Distortions that have gold covers with no holes. I love the look and string balance is fine, it is just too warm sounding with no definition. I would like to have a sound similar to a Whole Lotta Humbucker but fear the all mahogany body and neck plus covers will make the Lotta Humbucker still be too warm. Any recommendations?

[ItsaBass]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

You could try Super 2's for a brighter high output tone, or Humbucker From Hells for a bright low output tone. Both are still beefy pickups with the right amp settings.

[formula73]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

Try 50s wiring, first, then I recommend a Custom/59 or maybe Custom 5/Jazz for even more brightness.

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

Super Distortion too warm... Curious. Is it an exceptionally fat sounding guitar unplugged? Have you tried messing with the pickup height? Whats your amp set up like? I dont think that unless the guitar is stupidly warm sounding on its own that the WLHB would be too fat. But then again the super D itself isnt particularly fat...sooo....

[formula73]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

In my experience, the Super D, especially newer ones, are very meaty.

I'm not really a fan of Dimarzio, in general, aside from old Super Ds and old X2N Power Plus.

[soulforger]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

Maybe the covers change the character that much, my Dean V with two Super Distortions (uncovered) is never muddy and has beautiful clarity. Indeed, it is one of the best sounding guitars I've ever had. Gibson Iommis with gold covers?

[ThunderLizard]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

I didn't even think of the 50s wiring probably due to the 2 volume 1 tone configuration. I did try monkeying around with potentiometer values it didn't make me any happier with the stock pickups though. I'm pretty sure the covers are mostly responsible for the bad sound. My ML sounds awesome with the same pickups. Also I tried it years ago with no covers and it sounded like a totally different guitar.

[ThunderLizard]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

This V is very thick sounding unplugged. The pickup covers seem heavier than any covers I've seen before. I agree Super Distortions especially from the '80s generally are not very warm. In fact I normally consider them to be kind of "honky" with the upper midrange boost they have.

[formula73]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

The covers are definitely a factor; Dimarzio uses brass for everything, which apparently kills highs, especially under covers.

[shawn7oh]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

One thing you could try is changing the caps to a lower value for more highs. Otherwise, am a big fan of Seymour Duncan SH6, the Duncan Distortion in bridge, with JB or whatever in the neck position. The SH6 sounds good covered or exposed, if you can't live with the covered sound you can also try putting holes in the covers. I recommend wax potting the pickup, get some white canning wax at the grocery store, melt the wax in a tin can, let it cool just a little but still liquid, pour it into the pickup cover, and stick the pickup in. Let the wax cool to solid. Take the potted pup out, clean off the pole pieces, drill pole piece holes in the cover, have it done at a machine shop if you have to, make em nice. You'll have a butt kickin pickup for the bridge.

The reason for the minor trouble with wax potting it, you'll get clean separation, even with the pole pieces exposed, so you get a defined string separation sound. You have to try it to experience it. It gets rid of the mush and garbage, the strings become discrete, distinguishable.

You also eliminate squeeling, you can get controlled feedback, not uncontrolled feedback. Stuff like that. Don't believe me, and put down that you did some simple minded bull**** that some cabinet making dabbler suggested, lol.

[Chrisp]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

I didn't even think of the 50s wiring probably due to the 2 volume 1 tone configuration.

With 2 volumes and 1 tone you already have 50s wiring for the tone.

What about the volume controls? With the selector switch in the middle position, do they act completely independently, or does turning either volume right down switch off the other pickup too (either is master)? If the former (independent) that would explain the muddiness.

[Rockstar216]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

Have you tried raising the pickup height a bit closer to the strings? Warm with no definition sounds like you may have too much bass in your in EQ or not enough treble. What amp are you using and what pedals if any?

[Aceman]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

Assuming the pups are adjusted properly: too high or too low could mess with the tone. My first step would just be remove the covers and see what's up. That's free and easy. If you STILL have the issue and can't get the sound, now we are talking about the mahogany is just that war.

I'd go Super2 from DMZ, or Distortion from Duncan. Try a Jazz neck. Either will get the job done. If it is low output pups you want, I'd get a set of Pearly Gates.

If the covers really are the issue (I doubt it), just get some different gold covers. By the way - we can't really give the BEST advice without some pics!

[ThunderLizard]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

Sorry I've not responded in a while all. It is indeed the covers that were fouling up the sound. I ran it without the covers and it sounds pretty good. I think I need to be a little less finicky about looks and get either a Duncan Distortion or SH-18. I was running it through an ADA MP-1, not exactly the darkest sounding preamp in the world, into a mixer with headphones. I don't really need this guitar to have real high output. My Dean ML and heavily modified Gibson "The Paul" are set up for that. I will get some pics up soon. Unfortunately the only camera I have right now is my crackberry.

[ThunderLizard]

Re: Recommendation for Dean V with covered pickups?

It turns out there is more to the story. I played the guitar a bit this morning and switched to the neck pickup. It sounded awful. Evidently when I took the covers off the pickups I reinstalled them reversed. I did some more swapping around and found that the problem was half the covers and half the pickups fault. Now the guitar has an old Duncan 59BJ in the bridge and the good Super Distortion in it. It is so much better! It is still a little lower output and a little less bass than I'd prefer though. Looks like a Whole Lotta is in it's future. Now the covers and pickup are marked "do not use" and tucked away in my spare parts box. I did find a pic that includes that V and a few others I'll post here. Thank you all for your help!