A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

[OlinMusic]

I am a firm believer or seeking advice as much as giving it. It is sooo much easier to be objective when judging others sound than judging your own!

As much as I love my A2Pro/CC set up in my PRS (as you can see I only list my main rig below in the signature), I am not thrilled with the FEEL of the CC. I felt like the VPAF's in a PRS were clear and creamy and full at the same time. People tell me the Duncans sound more raw and rock n roll. I can't decide. My sound is pretty classic, but I shred here and there, and have to have a good sound to match rock vocals and play many situations (from country to rock - I split my coils etc)

I would prefer anyone who advises to bear in mind, I DO NOT use PODs etc much. I almost always use HIGH END TUBE AMPS for gigs and Studio - rivera, budda, marshall.

I love the CC for punching thru, but it doesn't clean up as well as I like at times and it's too full. I felt the VPAF bridge was NOT full enough, so I thought the VHOTPAF might be the ticket.

Please vote and do help an indecisive forum brotha here!

Merry XXXmas

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

The CC is an alnico 2 pickup and very smooth...the highs are not aggressive or spikey at all. I think the two Dimarzios you are mentioning might be alnico 5: more bass and more treble. Personally, I love the Custom Custom and all I need to do to get it to have the treble I need is to adjust it very very close to the strings...just about as close as I can get it without the strings buzzing against the poles when playing at the very top of the neck. Lew

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

hmmm I sometimes feel like the fatness of the pickup and lower mids makes it sound "slower" so to speak. Not great for fast runs. I love the A2Pro bridge, but I already have one in my Les Paul. hmmmm not the best "huge" sound like the A2Pro. So I considered headin' back to Dimarzio's, at least for the PRS. For this reason I was hoping some of the VPAF and CC people would chime in.

 

[marshallartist]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

I like the CC/APH-1 combo alot. I have it in my Ibanez AX320 (Not a PRS but I like it) and it is my "go-to" axe for all things rock. I agree that it has a very raw and agressive sound but it's not very versatile. It's kindof a one trick pony.

My Les Paul on the other hand has a Dimarzio Breed Neck pickup in the bridge and it is extreemly versatile. It doesn't have the edge of the CC but it can pull off anything from old Elvis tunes to early Metallica without missing a beat. It also works fantastically for jazz and country which I am begining to venture into.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

hmmmm BREED NECK, eh? hmmmmm Hadn't even thought of that one.

Anyone have any thoughts on the BBQ or Nordstrand?

SO MARSHALL ARTIST give me your in depth thoughts, analysis and tone critique of the BREED bridge, por favor?

I agree with the CC being one trick - its a bad ass trick, but one trick.

 

[ErikH]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

The CC is hardly a one trick pony. It can used for blues, rock, country or metal.

Lew, just so ya know, DiMarzio's are either ceramic or A5. I've looked all of them on their site and haven't seen a A2 model. Something I do to get more treble is maintain the usual distance I like but adjust the treble string screws to be slightly higher. It works well.

Merry Christmas!

 

[swishy k]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

Good timing on your question. I just got back my sons PRS Santana SE yesterday. I had a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Hot PAF installed in the bridge for him for Christmas.

He has hardly put the guitar down he loves the sound so much. It has gone from a pretty good sounding guitar with a standard humbucking tone to an instrument with a sound that really has some "character" in it.

How do I describe it. Before the swap it had a good sound, but one that was pretty middle of the road. With the VVHPAF it now has "vibe" and "mojo", with the above mentioned "character". That's not really technical, I know, but there's just that something about it now. It seems to have brightened up the tone a little, but the real difference is how articulate the notes sound. Even power chords with higher gain still have depth rather than just a wall of noise.

And the great thing for a guy like me is my son likes the ZZ Top type of overdrive grind it now produces, as well as the classic rock and blues tone I remembered from way back.

All in all it was well worth the money. Now for his birthday it's the neck's turn. Any suggestions for a pickup to get a more lead tone from, somewhere between a hot strat and P-90 growl? The guitar tech suggested the "air classic", saying because the mids are a little less than the highs it has more of a single coil sound to it.

 

[fusion101]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

the alnico 2 pro and custom custom is the best combination ever

 

[Travis]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

I've got the CC/APH-2 combo in one of my Charvel 750xl's. It really is a tough pair to beat, extremely versatile. Although, I'm interested in hearing more about the Virtual Hot PAF's from DiMarzio, myself. I have heard only good things so far.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

Tell me there isn't MAJOR BIAS - this being a DUNCAN FORUM

I must say I tried LEW's advice and moved the CUSTOM CUSTOM as close to the strings as possible. BEAUTIFUL move, esp adjusting some of the pole pieces. The pickup is too robust to some degree, but man it can slap a Marshall like an old Super Distortion can.

 

[walt]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

Good timing on your question. I just got back my sons PRS Santana SE yesterday. I had a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Hot PAF installed in the bridge for him for Christmas.

He has hardly put the guitar down he loves the sound so much. It has gone from a pretty good sounding guitar with a standard humbucking tone to an instrument with a sound that really has some "character" in it.

How do I describe it. Before the swap it had a good sound, but one that was pretty middle of the road. With the VVHPAF it now has "vibe" and "mojo", with the above mentioned "character". That's not really technical, I know, but there's just that something about it now. It seems to have brightened up the tone a little, but the real difference is how articulate the notes sound. Even power chords with higher gain still have depth rather than just a wall of noise.

And the great thing for a guy like me is my son likes the ZZ Top type of overdrive grind it now produces, as well as the classic rock and blues tone I remembered from way back.

All in all it was well worth the money. Now for his birthday it's the neck's turn. Any suggestions for a pickup to get a more lead tone from, somewhere between a hot strat and P-90 growl? The guitar tech suggested the "air classic", saying because the mids are a little less than the highs it has more of a single coil sound to it.

I put the Virtual Paf neck in my Wolfgang with the Hot in the bridge and couldn't be happier and it matches very well with the hot in the bridge. I agree that power chords are very articulate with this pickup. What I really love about these is that they do not color your sound and make the amp do what it's suppose to do....work. I'm going to put this same combo in my Wolfgang standard (anyone want to buy a pair of Wolfgang pickups??). :smoker:

 

[madguitar26]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

i dont like the cc´s fatness either,makes notes kinda slower,i know what you mean.
listening to the sound clips by users from the forum were great but played with my hands sounded like crap.
id say an anderson H2+ humbucker.BUT they suck on the clean channel big time.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

I found the CC to have a great tone that is sweet and round,but it lacked the highs I needed from the eq of the pickup...Bringing it up too close to the strings is something I don't like because I feel the pickup is too present and direct sounding....I always go a bit lower because I feel the pickup sees more overall string vibration and the pickup isn't choked by having the strings too close to the pickup top...You can get away with the high and tight adjustments on the humbuckers because the magnet is at the bottom of the pickups,but I always seem to end up with my pickups down lower and I trust my ears and my instincts on this type of stuff....YMMV obviously.

I'm going to buy a VPAF Hot pickup this week,as I got some extra spending money and I'll review it in my Gibson SG that now has a Fred in the bridge..It'll be a good comparison I think?

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

walt, does the V Hot PAF still retain clarity? The DiMarzio description says it's "less about sweet and more about attitude". I'm wondering if the regular VPAF in the bridge would have a more vintage character to it. This combo is also on my short list of pups for my LP.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

walt, does the V Hot PAF still retain clarity? The DiMarzio description says it's "less about sweet and more about attitude". I'm wondering if the regular VPAF in the bridge would have a more vintage character to it. This combo is also on my short list of pups for my LP.

I should have my own VPAF Hot next week to try out in my Gibson SG...

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

I should have my own VPAF Hot next week to try out in my Gibson SG...

I look forward to your review (if I can wait before buying some this weekend!)

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

walt, does the V Hot PAF still retain clarity? The DiMarzio description says it's "less about sweet and more about attitude". I'm wondering if the regular VPAF in the bridge would have a more vintage character to it. This combo is also on my short list of pups for my LP.

yup...it definetly retains it's clarity. I've got one in the bridge of my McNaught and it sounds awesome. It's a fairly low output pup that sounds awesome clean and works very well with any amount of gain.

 

[walt]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

yup...it definetly retains it's clarity. I've got one in the bridge of my McNaught and it sounds awesome. It's a fairly low output pup that sounds awesome clean and works very well with any amount of gain.

1+++++

 

[ranalli]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

yup...it definetly retains it's clarity. I've got one in the bridge of my McNaught and it sounds awesome. It's a fairly low output pup that sounds awesome clean and works very well with any amount of gain.

How does it work for higher gain type stuff?? I'm not really a VH tone fan and I'm afraid that being lower output it will fall apart under high gain. Well not fall apart...but I had PAF Pro and it was just lacking something when I wanted to jack the gain up....I'm afraid this will be the same way.


Everything else about these pickups sounds awesome...but I'd like something that can at least get as tight/heavy as a JB under high gain for a little chugga-chugga.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Re: A2Pro/CC or Dimarzio VPAF/VHOT PAF's? HELP ME!

How does it work for higher gain type stuff?? I'm not really a VH tone fan and I'm afraid that being lower output it will fall apart under high gain. Well not fall apart...but I had PAF Pro and it was just lacking something when I wanted to jack the gain up....I'm afraid this will be the same way.


Everything else about these pickups sounds awesome...but I'd like something that can at least get as tight/heavy as a JB under high gain for a little chugga-chugga.

this pickup sounds great with high gain. I've got a 92' BF Dual Recto, MK III Blue Stripe and a Splawn Quickrod. All 3 of these amps have MASSIVE amounts of gain, and the vhPAF sounds great through all of them. very tight and articulate, w/o the harshness that some higer output pups tend to have.