A case for low-medium output pickups!

[Lewguitar]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

When it comes to neck humbuckers, any hotter than 7.5K to 8K is to hot for me...I just can't get the clarity for chords that I need. For the bridge HB I'm more flexable: anywhere from 8.5K on up is cool as long as the tone is what I would call "musical". I like the 14.4K Custom Custom alot and have it in two guitars. And I have the vintage output 8.5K 59 B in two guitars too. I do find that the 8.5K to 9.5K output bridge humbuckers have more "breath" to thier tone though...when you get into the 14K to 16.6K range of the Customs and JB the mids start to get very full and lack breath. Lew

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Lew, I didn't realize they made an 8.5 59B. I thought they were all aroung 8.1k.

Anyway, you may really like the Rio Grande BBQ when you get it because it is right in the middle, and even across the tonal spectrum, not too hot nor too cold, not too dark nor too bright. Very versatile indeed.

Funny how everyone differs in their opinion of what works and what doesn't. Most say lower output pickups for everything including heavy rock otherwise you end up with a compressed and smaller signal? But, look at the WCR Herc (17k) designed for modern high gain amps! Look at the WCR Fillmore which is around 13k but sound like it has more breath than you would expect for that output level.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

They do!

I have a "outlier" a 8.75K 59B!

B

 

[ErikH]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Man, I just realized my setup is looking a lot like Lew's these days. Two guitars with the CC and soon to be two with the 59 (one is a Little 59). Can't wait until I can get the 59 to slap in with a neck APS1. Should be a sweet sounding axe with those.

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I like the Demon a lot but i recently played on an Ibanez super70 witch have 7,9 kz resistance but with an alnico 8 magnet and it is what i always wanted ; fast pick attack , balanced EQ , no compression and a lot of power !
:beerchug: :beerchug: :beerchug: :beerchug: :beerchug: :beerchug: :beerchug:

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

When it comes to neck humbuckers, any hotter than 7.5K to 8K is to hot for me...

I'm with you. I'll go even further and say that most of the time even 7.8k is pushing it a little.

 

[APB_4]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Surely the whole idea of increasing the output is to distort the pre. If your not using a tube amp without a drive(or other) channel then there's surely little point unless it happens to have the tone you want. I mean you can always mix them up, Dime used a dimebucker (obviously) with a 59 in the neck and played mostly through Randall SS amps.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Yeah, you can see what I use below. The C5/PG hybrid is about 10.6k. It can do ANYTHING. I think it's amazing. I've played metal a plenty with it. It'll back off and do blues, it'll sing beautifully.

The neck pup is a bit hotter for a neck pup, but still sounds good with the aged A2 mag it came with.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I can't even say I like one or the other. To me, I just look and listen to a guitar, and say "what is it going to be used for, and what are the best pickups for it?" Then, I'll listen to a few different pickups in it, till I realize where that particular guitar comes alive. There's some pickups that work in almost anything, like 59's, C-5, CC, and Seths, then there's times when I use something that sounds crazy to someone else, but if it works, it works.

I like low output humbuckers in guitars that have a naturally fat and resonant tone. In guitars that don't have the greatest natural tone, I'll use higher output pickups to push it in a direction I want.

The biggest surprise I've had is that a Gibson 498T beat every Duncan in my basswood/maple veneer G&L Legacy Deluxe! I never liked that pickup in Les Pauls, but it sounds perfect in that guitar. That's why I can't say I like high output or low output the best.....it's all about what the pickup is going into.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

The biggest surprise I've had is that a Gibson 498T beat every Duncan in my basswood/maple veneer G&L Legacy Deluxe! I never liked that pickup in Les Pauls, but it sounds perfect in that guitar. That's why I can't say I like high output or low output the best.....it's all about what the pickup is going into.

498T gets a bad rap in a Les Paul...and I'd agree for the most part..frequency overlap...just like a JB. In other Gibsons (assuming a good piece of wood), it's a damn fine hot rock/metal pup. PAF on roids with a bit of a mid spike.

Gibson pups get a bad rap period , IMO. I think alot of what people are hearing are incorrectly set up pickups (i.e. GC off the rack) , and/or poor wood.

 

[ErikH]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

The Gibsons that I like are the 57 Classics and Classic +. A buddy of mine got a set for his Flying V and asked me to put them in. Talk about improvement. Those pickups made that guitar sound like it's supposed to. I don't know what was in it, old model, but they sounded horrid.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

The Gibsons that I like are the 57 Classics and Classic +. A buddy of mine got a set for his Flying V and asked me to put them in. Talk about improvement. Those pickups made that guitar sound like it's supposed to. I don't know what was in it, old model, but they sounded horrid.

I've got a brand new 57 and 57 plus at the house...I bought 'em for the bird and never put 'em in. Not sure what to dow ith them now.

They are great sounding pups in the Paulas and SG's I've played them in. Warmer Duncan 59 type sound...they really don't sound as middy/flubby as most A2 pups.

 

[ErikH]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I've got a brand new 57 and 57 plus at the house...I bought 'em for the bird and never put 'em in. Not sure what to dow ith them now.

They are great sounding pups in the Paulas and SG's I've played them in. Warmer Duncan 59 type sound...they really don't sound as middy/flubby as most A2 pups.

Put 'em in. I bet she'll sound better than she does now with them. :fing2:

Hehe...just saw you changed your avatar. Very nice.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Put 'em in. I bet she'll sound better than she does now with them. :fing2:

Differnt, yes..not sure if it would be better....I really LIKE the 498T in that guitar. The 490 does lower gain and cleans better...high gain...not so nice..57 would def sound better there.

Hehe...just saw you changed your avatar. Very nice.

 

[jimlp]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

The Gibsons that I like are the 57 Classics and Classic +. A buddy of mine got a set for his Flying V and asked me to put them in. Talk about improvement. Those pickups made that guitar sound like it's supposed to. I don't know what was in it, old model, but they sounded horrid.

I think Gibson has been using the 500t/496n set for quite a while in the V's and Explorers, at least since the mid 90's.

 

[ErikH]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

I think Gibson has been using the 500t/496n set for quite a while in the V's and Explorers, at least since the mid 90's.

This one was older than that. It was a late 80's / early 90's V. Real nice guitar. Needed new tuners after a while though.

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Lower output pickups I think end up sounding a bit bigger and beefier in the mix where high output pickups tend to get compressed and sound smaller. I think a lot of metal heads would do better with lower output pickups these days! I wonder how Zakk would sound with some low output buckers?

 

[ranalli]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Lower output pickups I think end up sounding a bit bigger and beefier in the mix where high output pickups tend to get compressed and sound smaller.

I don't think so at all and have never found that to be true in the least.


The way the pickup is voiced has more to do with it than output by a longshot.

 

[toneseeker]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

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

Rich, HERC designed in conjunction with Wags. He likes them just fine running through his
T Rex. :13:

 

[papersoul]

Re: A case for low-medium output pickups!

Rich, HERC designed in conjunction with Wags. He likes them just fine running through his
T Rex. :13:

Jim's pikcups do sound big! Still my favorite.