4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

[Ascension]

I did this today with my Fender Prosonic over a jam track Blues in G piece. I used the Prosonic for this due to it being VERY VERY expressive MUCH more so than my Marshall. I plugged up a guitar tuned it and played straight through 1 take using absolutely no effects. I used all Washburn USA custom shop guitars the 95 MG 100 with the Dimarzio Norton, 95 MG 122 with the Custom 5, 95 MG 102 with the JB and the 97 Salas with the Crazy 8. I never changed any settings from one track to the other so this should give an accurate representation of the different solo tones with the pickups.
First up is the JB in the Swamp ash MG 102 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=261302&songID=5569146
Next is the Custom 5 in the quilt maple over mahogany MG 122 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=261302&songID=5569186
Next is the Swamp Ash MG 100 with the Dimarzio Norton http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=261302&songID=5569160
And last is the Stevie Salas neck through with the Crazy 8 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=261302&songID=5569123

 

[walt]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

As far as liking them with this style of music, I would list them this way:

1. C-5 was my fav out of the bunch, just seemed more at home with this style of playing.

2. JB was my second as I thought it was heading towards that "hot rodded" les paul tone aka Gary Moore, not a bad thing just not my cup of tea for this style of music.

3. The Norton seemed to be out of place here. I kept hearing heavier tones which made me think it would be more suited for metal more so than blues.

4. The 8, while I haven't really warmed up to this pickup yet, I felt it was in the same catagory as the Norton.

There you have it, I'm sure others will have fun and chime in also.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

I'd have to listen to them for a while, because the difference isn't huge. However, the JB sounds like a typical JB: it just sounds like a humbucker should. I think it's the best fit for the song. The Crazy 8 sounds very compressed but very high output, and very singing: that one place where some of the note bends (?) sounded very smooth. The Custom 5 sounds less high output but I couldn't hear much that I liked with that pickup, sadly: I was hoping to hear more scoop but didn't hear it, and expected it to be smoother than the Crazy 8. The Norton sounded harsher than them all. To me, distortion seems to make all pickups sound the same.

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

For that sort of thing stick with the JB, the C5 sounded great, but not really bluesy, just a bit to rock. The crazy 8 was not really doing it for me and neither was the Norton, just didn't sound very clear.

personally I rarely play blues ona bridge pickup, but that's me.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

Honestly, I don't think any of those four tones really suit the material. The JB and the C5 sound decent, the 8 sounds out of place (the tone doesn't blend well with the backing track), and the Norton sounds like every DiMarzio humbucker I've ever heard.

That aside, it's good to hear a compare/contrast of those four. I have a JB in my Strat and a C5 in my LP, so you even chose pickups I'm familiar with

 

[Ascension]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

personally I rarely play blues ona bridge pickup, but that's me.

I feel ya as I normally would have played this one with a variety of pickup settings. What I was looking for was a simple piece that would showcase the different chacter of the pickups. Blues no effects and the same amp with out changing setting between takes seemed to make sense.
To me I agree the JB and Custom 5 both seemed to fit this style the best. The Crazy 8 however seemed very jazzy smooth warm and singing with a lot of compression. It was the biggest surprise of um all.
The Crazy 8 has just a HUGE sweet warm and mellow clean tone and was not at all what I expected. I would like to hear a Alnico 8 mag in a 8.5 or so PAF style wind. That could be a COOL pickup!!

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

I'll say one thing though, the Crazy 8 sounded real smooth and beautiful, even if it was very high output. I'd be very willing to use one of them for instrumental rock and metal!

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

The C5 is such a great pickup. Really hard to beat. That bouncing sound it has is so cool!

When thinking just tone I liked them in that order:
1. C5
2. Cr8
3. JB and Norton equally.

Maybe I'm wrong but the Crazy 8 sounded like BB King from Hell in that one, especially on the higher notes. It was quite bluesy IMHO, just a little more aggressive.

I agree about the C5 that it was pure rock. The other two sounded more modern to me. The JB with a little more gain could be Dave Mustaine and Norton (first time listened to it - I was always wanted to listen to it after some reviews from users - thanks for that Ascension) eq-wise seemed something between JB and C5 but with a way more modern character.

 

[Ascension]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

I'll say one thing though, the Crazy 8 sounded real smooth and beautiful, even if it was very high output. I'd be very willing to use one of them for instrumental rock and metal!

That is my take also it would be AWESOME for Prog stuff. I may have the chance to play on a couple of instrumental metal tunes on a couple of comp CD's on two of the Boards I am on. I was once apon a time a Guitarist in a White Metal Hairband back in the late 80's - 90's and still chat with some of those guys. The Crazy 8 may be just the ticket on a track or two of that stuff:cool2:!

 

[DazH]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

C5>C8>JB>Norton

 

[WGTP]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

Great work. We need more of this sort of analysis/evaluation. How do the guitars sound if you put the same pickup in each? Do the guitars sound different than the pickup changes?

 

[Ascension]

Re: 4 Pickup Blues in G solo tone shootout C-8, Cust 5, JB, Dim Norton

Great work. We need more of this sort of analysis/evaluation. How do the guitars sound if you put the same pickup in each? Do the guitars sound different than the pickup changes?

Good question on the guitars. The MG's are the same except for the color and pickup configuration on the 100 and 102 both are swamp ash all were built in the same year at the Chigago USA custom shop. The MG 122 with the Custom 5 it is Quilt Maple over Honduras Mahogany but also is the same model same neck and hardware and only the body woods are different. All three of those sound really close accousticly. The Salas however is a different beast alltogether with a mahogany neck and body + 24.75 scale vs 25.5 and is a neck through guitar vs a bolt on for the others.
The Salas is a pretty dark guitar accousticly so that does skew the tones some.