Time for plan B

[southadc]

It's time for plan B I think.I've got a 7-string Schecter Avenger that I wanted to drop active pickups into, but it's not going to happen (I can't bring myself to have it routed for EMG 707s, I don'want a livewire metal in both bridge and neck positions 'cos I won't be able to get a decent clean sound, don't like livewire classics, and the guy at Mastertone pickups won't talk to me).

I'm going to have to go for plan B, which is passive humbuckers. The combination I'm looking at is a JB at the bridge, Jazz at the neck, with an EMG-SPC replacing the tone control to fatten up the sound when I want it.

http://www.emgpickups.co.uk/guitaraccs.htm

I'm mostly into the nu/thrash/death metal sound, but I still want to get a playable 80s type heavy metal sound too . Would this set up be OK for this? The other options I was looking at are maybe a 59 at the neck, and maybe a custom or a duncan distortion at the bridge (still with the EMG circuit).

Any comments would be appreciated. The amp I'm running into is a Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 half stack, the pedals are a crybaby wah, 6-band EQ, Korg AX1G, and a Danelectro free speach talk box.

[Nightburst]

Re: Time for plan B

Well I don't know what you want from a neck pickup but I'm not shure a Jazz will be hot enough for your tastes if you are into Active pickups.

Btw, the JB would do what you describe but maybe a set of DD's would be a better choice for thrash/metal?

[southadc]

Re: Time for plan B

I tend to use the bridge p/u for hard rhythm and the neck pickup for when I play clean - if I use the neck p/u for leads, it's more for leads when I want to hear each note without too much dirt

I quite liked the sound clip of the distortion actually - but I'm probably using a totally different set-up to what was used for the sound clips. I guess the real question here is whether I'd be able to use the JB how I intend and beef it up for heavier stuff using the EMG-SPC. I guess I'll just have to try it out.

Incidentally, I'm putting a set of EMG 707s into my other 7-string, so I'll have that to tide me over if I don't like what I do with the Schecter

[Zerberus]

Re: Time for plan B

Custom Bridge, for the Neck: More a "cleaner" clean opr more a "warmer" clean? That will decide between Jazz and ´59 respectively

[southadc]

Re: Time for plan B

Custom Bridge, for the Neck: More a "cleaner" clean opr more a "warmer" clean? That will decide between Jazz and ´59 respectively

Hmm, sound in head, hard to describe.....

A clean, more articulate clean I guess. A sound I have in my head at the moment is a clean neck pickup with a touch of reverb and a little chorus, kind of eerie sounding I suppose! I guess I'm guilty here of ltrying to look for 2 pickups to provide all the sounds I want

I'm more interested in clean and defined from the neck pickup, rather than warm, but without sounding brittle. Would that be more like a Jazz than a 59?

[mjsever]

Re: Time for plan B

That Jazz neck pickup is really clean, really articulate, really responsive. It's bright without being brittle, full sounding without being boomy, just a really nice neck pickup. I think that pickup would sound nice and "shiney" with some chorus (if that makes sense) without being too thin.

Regarding the JB, make sure you have a 250k volume pot for that pickup. Otherwise I can almost guarantee it will be too bright for you.*

*(I say this in just about every one of my posts about the JB so if people have read this advice before please forgive me... I just wish someone had said this to me before I had mine installed.)

[southadc]

Re: Time for plan B

That Jazz neck pickup is really clean, really articulate, really responsive. It's bright without being brittle, full sounding without being boomy, just a really nice neck pickup. I think that pickup would sound nice and "shiney" with some chorus (if that makes sense) without being too thin.

Regarding the JB, make sure you have a 250k volume pot for that pickup. Otherwise I can almost guarantee it will be too bright for you.*

*(I say this in just about every one of my posts about the JB so if people have read this advice before please forgive me... I just wish someone had said this to me before I had mine installed.)

The jazz sounds like just what I'm looking for in a neck pickup then!

The controls on this guitar will be a single volume (which I'm changing out soon for a push/push pot, so I can select an appropriate resistance based on the pickup), and an EMG Strat presence control. I don't know what value the pot on that has, but will it affect my choice in volume pot, given that it is an active circuit? I'll probably be looking at a 250k volume pot if I get a JB (though I am still torn between that and a custom).