Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

[Gone_Shootin]

I finally got sick and tired of the Burstbuckers I had in my Explorer (dull and lifeless, they need to be in a bright guitar), and put the Screamin' Demon I used to have in it back in, along with an Alnico II Pro neck that has been sitting on my shelf for a couple years. The A2Pn came out of a King V that I bought for my Black Winter set, and for whatever reason, I've never used it until now.

So anyway, I do like the A2Pn, has a nice round bluesy tone, but it's just a hair too wooly and dark. I have A3, A4, A5 and UOA5 magnets on hand that I'm considering (not too keen on turning it into a Jazz with an A5 though, too far in that direction for my tastes). I also have some A8 and C8 mags, but I think they'd be overkill. So I'm just looking for opinions/experiences.

And as a side note, the Demon is full of fillster screws. I swapped the hex screws over to a JB to tighten up the low end and put the JB's fillsters in the Demon. It added a fair amount of low end from what I remember from last time I had the Demon in the Explorer, but it also seems to have made it a little more articulate and less harsh (got rid of the chirp). I may nip a little bit off the ends of the screws to dial back the low end a little, but for now, it's fine. It's not like it's loose or flubby.

 

[GrilledChickenSalad]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

Seth Lover or Antiquity

 

[Mincer]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

I say try the A5 magnets- you might like it. You already have them, and it doesn't cost anything but time. I'd think if you wanna buy something, look at a 59 in the neck and a Hybrid in the bridge.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

to keep the tonality you have but a little less bottom, id try the a3. a4 will tighten and brighten things a bit

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

You could also use a set of short fillisters on the APHn. I've done it witht pickups that have too much low end response and it does seem to shave some off without changing the inherent character of the pickup.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

Thanks for the pickup suggestions, but I'm just looking at mag swaps. I like the pickup, but it just needs to be a little brighter.

I say try the A5 magnets- you might like it. You already have them, and it doesn't cost anything but time. I'd think if you wanna buy something, look at a 59 in the neck and a Hybrid in the bridge.

I have a Jazz neck in one of my Les Pauls (same wind with an A5), and it's ok, but is a little bland for my tastes. I'll probably swap mags in it later on as well.

to keep the tonality you have but a little less bottom, id try the a3. a4 will tighten and brighten things a bit

I may try an A3 first, but have a feeling that I'll end up with the A4. I'll make up my mind before this weekend, when I'll have time to mess with it.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

One more question before I swap mags this weekend. I understand that the UOA5 should sound fairly close to the A3. Would it fall somewhere in between the A3 and A4? Because I'm having a hard time making up my mind between the A3 and A4.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

Would suggest an A4 with those being a little bottom heavy any way to add a little snap and sparkle over the A3. If that doesn't do the trick my suggestion is a Sentient. Fatter and hotter than a Jazz with a much fuller tone but still very clear, tighter brighter and much more articulate than the Al II with a great singing solo voicing at gain. Have 2 one in Koa one in Mahogany and love them in those woods.

 

[Condemned soul]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

A Jazz Bridge as a neck pickup goes nicely with a Screaming Demon. Had this setup in an old Explorer I previously owned.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

You can do a lot with pickup adjustments. You might just have the A2P too close. How far from the strings are the tops of the bobbins?

 

[orpheo]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

if a5 is too bland, a4 is imho the ticket. a3 is pretty nice but in pickups (in guitars) where a2 is already a good choice.

imho

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

You can do a lot with pickup adjustments. You might just have the A2P too close. How far from the strings are the tops of the bobbins?

Height was the first thing I tried. I'm not sure what the distance is right now, but I tried pretty close to sunken down into the ring and everything in between. There's no maple in this guitar, just mahogany with a rosewood fretboard, so it's pretty dark.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Alnico II Pro neck too wooly in Explorer.

Got done swapping mags a little bit ago. Put an A4 in the A2Pn. I also tried a C8 in the SD, but it brought back the chirp with a vengeance. So I threw a A8 in there, works great.

The A4 in the A2Pn brought out a nice bright and sparkly top end without being harsh, kept that nice round bell like bluesy mid-range I was loving and the lows are nice too.

The A8 in n the SD kept the lows about the same but a little tighter (expected that), and brought out a nice grindy midrange bark. I A/Bd it with my Epi LP Custom which has a Custom in the bridge. That LP with that pickup has always had a grind in the mids that really scratches an itch, but the Demon A8 in the Explorer may be a new favorite. Granted, those guitars don't exactly sound alike. Similar, yes, but not alike. But I'll have to let the magnets settle in and play them some more to make up my mind. The only issue is that I must've knocked some wax loose in the wrong place, because now the Demon squeals under gain...oops. lol