A case for low-medium output pickups!

[papersoul]

I did some experimenting the other day and found lower output pickups faired best for all styles to my ears.

If you have a good amp with enough gain, I say to stay in the lower output range. I find lower output pickups more articulate and fatter for all styles. I can get some of the fattest heavy chunck for anything frmo Megadeth to King Diamon with an 8.4-9.5k PAF pickup and leads seem fatter than with a higher output pickup which to me adds compression to leads that I can't get rid of.

Cleans are also exceptional with lower output pickups as well as I like the fact that they seem the most harmonically rich and complex for big chords.

Listen to some of Jolly's sound clips where he runs the Pearly Gates for high gain and the Custom for high gain in another clip.

I am certain I am not the only one....

My favorite seems to be 42 gauge wire in the 8.4-9.5k range.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Sound/recording quality (as well as playing) is not so hot...but yeah I think low output pups can get pretty fat chunky low end

linky

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Sound/recording quality (as well as playing) is not so hot...but yeah I think low output pups can get pretty fat chunky low end

linky

Jeff, what do you mean about the sound/recording quality?

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I mean, I don't know how to record worth a $hit

no recording software...pod XTL was clipping the windows sound recorder...etc etc

just saying that you can get plenty of chunk out of PAF styled pups...my tone is pretty chunky there, and through a tube amp the BB pros sound even chunkier...

EDIT: and my Faded has even more low end than the Black Standard I made those clips with...

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I agree. I love the PG's in my Lester for all around work, but theres a lot of fun to be had with a hot amp and a pickup like a Custom. :burnout:

 

[ErikH]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I'm finding myself agreeing with this more and more. Although, I still love my Custom Customs and will never stop using those. They may be wound hot but they don't behave like it. To me, the CC is what an overwound PAF should sound like, even with the mids.

 

[ranalli]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I've never found low output PUs to be clearer or tighter than high output ones in general. There's too many other factors I believe.

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

You guys should try some WCR pickups. His are such that even the hot ones have so much clarity and dynamics - very unique. I haven't tried the CC because I have been avoiding what others say about excessive mids.

 

[ErikH]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

You guys should try some WCR pickups. His are such that even the hot ones have so much clarity and dynamics - very unique. I haven't tried the CC because I have been avoiding what others say about excessive mids.

Click on the "Hear It" link in the my sig next to my LP or Marshall.

 

[walt]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I have had Duncan Distortions, JBs, Customs, Custom-Customs, C5, Invaders, and other med to high gain pickups made by Dimarzio and Duncan. I now have a pair of 59s in a strat and a Virtual PAF and Virtual Hot in a Wolfie. I believe that the other higher output pickups "compress" the tone of the instrument that they are in where the lower output pups seem to let the instruments personality (tone wise) come through. I will never own an instrument with a high output bucker ever again.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

My favorite pickup is a 9k ish A5 P-90. I'm not sure if that's "low output" but it gets me everything I need.

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I love the Demon ( 10 kz ) but i played an Ibanez super70 ( 7.8 kz ) with alnico8 mag and it was even better .

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I'll let you know how I feel after I get the vPAF/vhPAF's in my Mcnaught :beerchug:

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I play some very heavy music and I keep finding myself coming back to the low-medium output pickups. Lots of companies market the high output pickups as working well with hot modern amps but I find the opposite.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I agree...Low output pups are good match for high gain amp and HO pups work best with lower gain amps.

Perfect example is the DiMarzio SuperD....through an old NMV or JMP or 800-2203 they sound awesome (assuming it's in a decent piece of wood) But run them through a very saturated preamp and they get thin, compressed and buzzy as hell....can't say why really..I guess cos they were designed to "create" the distortion in those old lower gain amps...not handle as much as you can throw at them with a modern amp design.

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I agree...Low output pups are good match for high gain amp and HO pups work best with lower gain amps.

Perfect example is the DiMarzio SuperD....through an old NMV or JMP or 800-2203 they sound awesome (assuming it's in a decent piece of wood) But run them through a very saturated preamp and they get thin, compressed and buzzy as hell....can't say why really..I guess cos they were designed to "create" the distortion in those old lower gain amps...not handle as much as you can throw at them with a modern amp design.

Thing is, for gigs I use a Line 6 Vetta II and prefer the lower output pickups for all of my amp simulations and tones...clean to balls out metal.:dance:

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Thing is, for gigs I use a Line 6 Vetta II and prefer the lower output pickups for all of my amp simulations and tones...clean to balls out metal.:dance:

I should clarify...

LO pups work good regardless...high or low gain....moderate crunch or tons of saturation (as long as it's an artriculate pup/voiced well so it doesn't get muddy/farty)

HO pups don't work well with high gain as the tonal qualities of the instrument are lost...in the case of the SuperD in a Puala when driving something similar to a 2203/1987/1959, they still retain a fat and ballsy character...just drive the amp a bit harder..but when ya slam it into say a TSL or Boogie with the preamp gain cranked, they get real thin, real quick. They weren't designed for Rectumfriers...they were designed for NMV's

EMGS are about the only exception I've experienced...they sound fat with high or low gain, but tonally I don't care much for them regardless of gain level.

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Jeff, EMGs have a super low ouptut magnet so maybe that is part of it...but the preamp boosts the signal.

Funny how pickups such as the WCR Herc is marketed to high gain players playing modern monster amps.....weird?

I have a PRS CE-22 with Dragon pickups and am thinking I need to go lower output as well. There are some exceptions.....the Rio Grande BBQ, wound with thin wire at 12.5k sounds pretty fat no matter what.

I currently play through a digital modelling amp so I sacrifice a bit but I constantly get compliments from tube snobs at gigs and I enjoy the versatility and ease of set, etc. but, I think modellers tend to sound a bit more compressed so no matter the amp model or gain level I find low-medium output pickups warmer and richer.

 

[BowerR64]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I agree, most pickups ive used that are 10k and under ive liked. IMO between 8 and 10k is the sweetspot.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I prefer the clarity of lower gain pups, singlecoil or humbucker. High output pups have their place (metal, heavy stuff) but for all around use, lower gain is the way to go.