Alternative to an Alternative 8

[ratiug]

I recently picked up a 2013 Kramer Assault Plus. An LP style guitar but with a 25.5" scale.
It came stock with Duncan pups. A '59 neck and an Alternative 8 in the bridge. These pups are wildly mismatched. The A8 being very loud that no amount of adjusting can balance it with the '59.
I do have a spare Dimarzio Fred that I could install. Any thoughts?

[jeremy]

if you are looking for a better output balance, i think the fred is a fine choice. i had one in the bridge of an ibanez rg550 for years with the stock v1 neck and loved it

[ehdwuld]

You could swap magnets in the alternative 8
i believe its the same wind as a JB
In which case, an A5 mag will make it a JB

I may be wrong

[Ascension]

Have a Sentient neck with an Alt 8 bridge in my old Solid KOA Carving DC 127 and that combo sounds killer.
Most of this is pretty raw and with both pickups together through my little Mesa Subway Rocket.

https://youtu.be/wmn5MsaWWW4?si=Ng1QqJSfn7DE-YQo

[Ascension]

You could swap magnets in the alternative 8
i believe its the same wind as a JB
In which case, an A5 mag will make it a JB

I may be wrong

Alt 8 is not the same wind as a JB have had Alt 8's and also JB 8's they are much different.

[GuitarDoc]

Yeah, Alt 8 is not the same as JB...I love the Alt 8, hate the JB with any magnet in it.

[GuitarDoc]

I recently picked up a 2013 Kramer Assault Plus. An LP style guitar but with a 25.5" scale.
It came stock with Duncan pups. A '59 neck and an Alternative 8 in the bridge. These pups are wildly mismatched. The A8 being very loud that no amount of adjusting can balance it with the '59.
I do have a spare Dimarzio Fred that I could install. Any thoughts?

You should be able to balance it with the 59 in the neck. I've done it very easily by lowering the Alt 8 and raising the 59.
But if you've already tried that then rather than replacing the Alt 8, consider replacing the 59 with a Jazz bridge model.

[jeremy]

id start with, which pups tone do you like more? if its the neck, then swap the bridge. bridge, then swap the neck. i try and find the pups that work best together in a particular instrument to get the balance and blend of tones im looking for. if you love the 59 neck, then try the fred and see what ya think and we can go from there

[Rex_Rocker]

You should be able to balance it with the 59 in the neck. I've done it very easily by lowering the Alt 8 and raising the 59.

Each to his own, but I've never gotten PAF-types in the 7 or low 8K range to work (Jazz, '59, or otherwise) with high output bridge pickups.

The only way I've ever accomplished volume balance is lowering the bridge pickup lower than the neck pickup, but at that point, I feel like I'm compromising the tone of the bridge pickup just to make an underpowered neck pickup sorta work. Not worth it, IMO.

IME, there are much better alternatives to the Duncan '59 to match with high output bridge pickups. A neck pickup doesn't have to be low output and chripy bright to sound clear/good in the neck position.

IMO, of course.

[Clint 55]

If you want to try to stay with the Alt 8, stick an A3 in it and it will drop the output.

[GuitarDoc]

Or you could try a C5 which pairs very well with the 59.

[ehdwuld]

Each to his own, but I've never gotten PAF-types in the 7 or low 8K range to work (Jazz, '59, or otherwise) with high output bridge pickups.

The only way I've ever accomplished volume balance is lowering the bridge pickup lower than the neck pickup, but at that point, I feel like I'm compromising the tone of the bridge pickup just to make an underpowered neck pickup sorta work. Not worth it, IMO.

IME, there are much better alternatives to the Duncan '59 to match with high output bridge pickups. A neck pickup doesn't have to be low output and chripy bright to sound clear/good in the neck position.

IMO, of course.

hmm

does this refer to the JB/Jazz combination that a large group of people use with no issue?

[Mincer]

I've never had those kinds of balance issues.

[GuitarDoc]

I've never had balance issues, even with the Alt8 in the bridge and 59 in the neck. But then I usually have a Jazz or Demon in the neck (I don't particularly care for the 59).

[ehdwuld]

I've never had balance issues, even with the Alt8 in the bridge and 59 in the neck. But then I usually have a Jazz or Demon in the neck (I don't particularly care for the 59).

as do I

generally set the hotter bridge first
as it doesnt have much range (JB is particular about where is sits under the strings)
then up and down with the neck to balance

if that doesnt work then I have something wired wrong

but I guess other people have differing expectations and results

go figure