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Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

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  • Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

    I have a Flying V Custom with ebony board. It tends to be a bright guitar, BKP Nailbombs (ceramic and alnico) were both too bright in the bridge. I have guitars in all kinds of tunings from standard all the way down to C#/Drop B, but this one gets used for D standard (whole step down) or Drop C a la Mastodon, no metalcore or djent, just high gain bluesy/stoner metal and rock.

    All my low tuned guitars have high output pickups: Distortion, Fluence, Anderson H3+, etc.
    Looking for this one to have a bit more dynamics for leads, my amps have plenty of gain on tap so I don’t have to have that push from the guitar. It currently has a 500T/496R set and it’s nice for chugging along and riffing out but I have plenty to do that with and want something a little different and honestly don’t care for the 496R in the neck.

    Guitar is black with gold hardware, so I want to keep with pickups with gold covers. On hand to try I have a Saturday Night Special set in gold, and I also have a Custom Shop Pearly Gates set like JMI sells (the way the Reverend orders them), except in un-aged nickel covers and screws. They measure 7.7k neck and 8.6 bridge with A2 magnets. They’ve never been installed in anything so I don’t know how they’ll behave downtuned. I had an SG in D standard with the SNS set before and thought it was just ok, not bite-y enough. I preferred the 57 Classic set. SNS to me was much better at Standard tuning.

    My gut tells me to try to CS PG set first, but the hitch is I’d have to change the covers and screws and while I do that regularly on pickups I’m kinda squeamish about messing with an MJ wound custom set and her wax potting. I’d obviously put them in as they are first and then if I like them change the covers. I know Brent Hinds from Mastodon had some great tones with a Flying V with 57 Classics for a while so that makes me lean this way toward the PG set.

    Thoughts?
    Last edited by RyeDaddy; 07-05-2020, 09:54 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

    While I find the SNS somewhat bland, I do think they handle drop tuning surprisingly well because they really don't have much low end. I use my SNS guitar for our drop D (actually C#) stuff. The PG set should absolutely give you more bite and would make the most sense as a starting point.

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    • #3
      Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

      I like the SNS set here, especially if this is a bright guitar. A PG set can get bright in some guitars. I think the SNS will do downtuned stuff well, and especially the bluesy dynamic solos you want...I mean, that is what it does the best, really. I look forward to updates on this project.
      Administrator of the SDUGF

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      • #4
        Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

        Well, tonight’s the night I’m gonna get around to it and we’re split evenly here. Anybody else have an opinion?

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        • #5
          Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

          I'd just go with the one that already has the covers you want on them since you're worried about screwing up the potting on the other ones.

          If you think it's reasonably close to 50:50 which you'll like more, there's no shame in taking the path of least resistance here.

          Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

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          • #6
            Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

            both sets are cool but the cs pearlys are terrific, especially the bridge pup

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            • #7
              Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

              Alright, since we were split evenly the only sensible thing to do was to try both, which was no small feat. I made the post originally because changing pickups in this V are a HUGE pain in the ass and I only wanted to do it once. But...

              The CS Pearlies are exactly what I expected, they sound like a beefier Pearly Gates set. Very Billy Gibbons, even in a V tuned down a whole step. However, as Mincer suggested: just too bright for this guitar. They are super cool, raunchy in all the right ways but in the Flying V which lacks bottom end already there was just not enough lower mids and bass for rhythm and riff work. Very nuanced and touch sensitive, and at the same time HOT for a PAF type. Also very sensitive to pickup height and surprisingly percussive. Pinch harmonics are just addictive and so easy. They’re gonna be great in a Les Paul at some point, I’ll keep them till then.

              The SNS set was as I experienced before, kind of bland (very even EQ as advertised) but with a bigger bottom end than the PG set and still touch sensitive and open in comparison to the ceramic hot pickups I’ve been using. Still, verging on too bright for my tastes... which is unique to this guitar I know. Maybe I should just change to a higher value tone capacitor.

              Either set would cut well for a band mix and it’s not as though either couldn’t have the top end dialed down via the EQ on the amp or use of the tone knob. In the end I left the SNS set in because I was tired of changing and testing but I’m not sure they’re what I’m really looking for. This guitar is finicky. Beautiful and plays like a dream but hard to match pickups with. Even the 498T that it came with in the bridge was too bright for me. Best match so far has been the 500T, but not the most dynamic.

              Hmmmm... I may just go find a set of 57 classics. The quest goes on...
              Last edited by RyeDaddy; 07-09-2020, 07:06 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

                Lace Deathbuckers. The search will be over.

                Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

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                • #9
                  Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

                  Just did a Gibson Faded V for a client that as super weird with high output pickups. .He wanted Duncan Distortions in it but they sounded awful, tried a JB that didn't cut it either. Ended up putting in a Slash set and they smoke in this guitar
                  My Bands -
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                  Just some fun guitar stuff from time to time
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                  • #10
                    Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

                    id say if you didnt like either the sns or pg then the 57 classics arent going to work for you either.

                    i assume you were putting sets in? did you find the neck pups also lacking in the same way, seems like you were just talking about the bridge pups.

                    if everything is too bright... do you find a tone you like rolling the tone back a bit?

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                    • #11
                      Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

                      Originally posted by Demanic View Post
                      Lace Deathbuckers. The search will be over.

                      Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
                      Man, I own and have owned lots of Lace humbuckers and they ARE great, not to be vain but the aesthetics are just not going to match this guitar.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Flying V: Custom Shop PG set or SNS set for D-Standard?

                        Originally posted by jeremy View Post
                        id say if you didnt like either the sns or pg then the 57 classics arent going to work for you either.

                        i assume you were putting sets in? did you find the neck pups also lacking in the same way, seems like you were just talking about the bridge pups.

                        if everything is too bright... do you find a tone you like rolling the tone back a bit?
                        Yeah I was using complete sets. I did find I LOVED the SNS neck, the bridge was just ok. The CS Pearly Gates bridge was great with the tone rolled down just a hair, the neck is maybe not quite perfect but it’ll do for now, it’s a little dark.

                        Last night I got a wild hair and thought that in my experience (with multiple Distortion sets) gold covers and screws tend to sound more tame than uncovered or nickel... so....

                        I went ahead and cracked open the Pearly Gates set and changed out the covers and screws for gold from a Mayhem set I have in the closet. To my surprise, the bobbins were double cream which really made me want to save them for a Les Paul, but I had gone too far to turn back. Also, they didn’t appear “lightly potted”, they had just as much wax as the Distortion set I cannibalized, so no worries about messing things up.

                        I also changed the tone cap from a 22 to a 47 and back in the Pearlies went. VOILA! They’re great. Not too bright, but ALMOST on the bridge when tone is on “10” but still manageable and I have all that raunchy but nuanced goodness for everything from riffing to bluesy leads, to full on Texas squeals and attitude.

                        I think perfection might be to swap the neck for the SNS neck, but I’ve had enough soldering and undoing screws for now and am happy with this. PG neck’s a little dark for leads but not terribly so and sounds great clean.

                        Thanks guys for the input.

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