Distortion neck with hex screws

[natelc1979]

I made a job with Alnico 8 mag and hex screws I’m thinking about pairing it with a distortion neck. I’d like it to match with the hex screws, what would putting hex screws In the distortion neck make it sound like?

[alex1fly]

I've put hex screws in 8 humbuckers (57 Classic set, 85/15 set, JB, Jazz, generic stock set), and in every case it made the sound tighter and more articulate.

[beaubrummels]

Every pickup I've put hex screws in became scooped/flat all across the upper/lower mids while whatever the treble the pickup had was still intact and the bass end got tighter. Even a plain 59 with hexes becomes like a scooped metal pickup IME. I've done it with a Custom, 59, Jazz, few others. For example, a Custom 5 with hexes sounds suspiciously like a louder Screamin' Demon with a touch more mids. Hexes seem to have a significant affect on the overall sound, in my experience.

[natelc1979]

Do you think it would make the distortion neck to trebley?

[beaubrummels]

In my experience, hexes don't add treble, they push down/flatten out some of the mids and leave the treble as-is. So if the pickup has treble you like, it will still be there just as before, IME.

But keep in mind, when you change the EQ balance of something by turning down certain frequencies, some players might perceive the change as adding other frequencies (relatively), particularly if you readjust your amp afterward, like if the pickup gets more scooped and you turn up your amp to compensate, you might react to it as 'hey, the treble got a bit louder'. But in my experience, the hexes don't really touch the treble. (Others on here might have had a different experience; it could depend on the pickup, perhaps one I haven't tried)

[bigcupholder]

Do you think it would make the distortion neck to trebley?

The Distortion neck is a dark pickup to begin with so I really doubt it would be too bright just from swapping pole pieces.

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[hamerfan]

I use a DDn as bridge pickup in a Les Paul.

[beaubrummels]

Since it was originally a bridge pickup, that makes great sense.

[ArtieToo]

Don't hex screws tend to be shorter than normal humbucker screws? I wonder how much of the tonal difference is attributable to that? In other words, could you achieve close to the same results by trimming the pole screws shorter? I don't know. Just wondering.

[Demanic]

I have a Distortion N in the neck of my "coffin lid". I swapped the Filisters for hexes and put in a polished A4 magnet. It's also mounted in a Triple Shot ring.
Split to the hex coil. It sounds very vintage Strat like. I usually run it in parallel for noise canceling, and it still sounds stratty but keeps up with the Alternative 8 in the bridge slot. In series its a darker neck humbucker, but still articulate.

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[ICTGoober]

Don't hex screws tend to be shorter than normal humbucker screws?

Nearly any screw - not just hex - are available in multiple lengths.

[beaubrummels]

Don't hex screws tend to be shorter than normal humbucker screws? I wonder how much of the tonal difference is attributable to that? In other words, could you achieve close to the same results by trimming the pole screws shorter? I don't know. Just wondering.

FWIW My experience with that is shorter screws make it seem brighter (possibly reducing the bass a bit?). Hex heads make it scoped/flat in the mids.

[Demanic]

FWIW My experience with that is shorter screws make it seem brighter (possibly reducing the bass a bit?). Hex heads make it scoped/flat in the mids.

When paired with a polished A4, they just seem to tighten everything up and emphasize attack without getting too bright and raspy.

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[beaubrummels]

When paired with a polished A4, they just seem to tighten everything up and emphasize attack without getting too bright and raspy.

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I think the A4 might fill back in some of the mids? So in the end you get something very tight and even.

[Demanic]

I think the A4 might fill back in some of the mids? So in the end you get something very tight and even.

Not so much fill, as flatten the whole response. And yes, very tight and even, which to me sounds vintage. If the instrument sounds a certain way unplugged, it just seems to translate that without coloring it one way or another.
And because of the wind, it's still a very powerful pickup.

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