Alnico II Pro

[RipShredScream]

Hey, I posted a thread a few days ago, asking some advice for pickup selection. I have a guitar that I'm setting up to be Hum-Hum-Sing (yup, Humbucker Bridge, Humbucker Middle, Single Coil neck)

In the bridge i'm sticking an SH-12, in the neck i'm going with a Dimarzio, I'm starting with an Area 58 and if its too low on the output side i'm moving to a Cruiser. My problem lies with the middle.

I want a huge, buttery, smooth, PAF sound with just a tint of treble bite and not too much output. Someone here on the board suggested the Alnico II Pro Bridge model.

Number one, what are the tonal differences between the neck and bridge models of the Alnico II pro?

Number Two, what are my other options? What about the Dimarzio Air Zone? Or SD Custom Custom?

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Alnico II Pro

A2P gets my vote too. Why do you want to get DiMarzio-ed in the neck? a Classic Stack+, Duckbucker, or even Li'l '59 should work well.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Alnico II Pro

I have a neck alnico II pro in the neck of a paul and love it!!! For lack of fund, I put the bridge AIIp I had in the neck of another and its still real nice, it just has alittle more brightness and has a little bit of a wah tone to it. It sounds good, but for what I want, the neck may work better. However, for your application, It could be great. Itll give you a diff tone in the mid. It has enough highs to cut thru, but it isnt bright, but is warm and doesnt flab up at all.

 

[Artie]

Re: Alnico II Pro

I want a huge, buttery, smooth, PAF sound . . .

I would never call an AII Pro "huge". Buttery, smooth, PAF, I'll go along with.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Alnico II Pro

Why do you want a humbucker in the middle? And why not just get a stacked humbucker for there?

 

[RipShredScream]

Re: Alnico II Pro

I was originally going to go Hum-Sing-Sing and go with a Lil 59 or something, but all the reviews I read on single-coil sized humbuckers said they aren't quite convincing, they still sound a bit single-coil-ish. With the exception of Cool Rails and Hot Rails I suppose, but I dont want to go that route.

I'm going with the Area 58 in the neck because I want something that just has an insanely beautiful, articulate clean. I dont want quack or blues out of it. I heard the sound samples on the Area 58 and loved it.

I'm normally an SD guy, but I dont have anything against Dimarzio.

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Alnico II Pro

I'm going with the Area 58 in the neck because I want something that just has an insanely beautiful, articulate clean. I dont want quack or blues out of it. I heard the sound samples on the Area 58 and loved it.

I'm normally an SD guy, but I dont have anything against Dimarzio.

Well, DiMarzio's sound samples are not really good reference, because there's really nothing to compare them to. Baut feel free to get it if you feel like it.

 

[RipShredScream]

Re: Alnico II Pro

Well, DiMarzio's sound samples are not really good reference, because there's really nothing to compare them to. Baut feel free to get it if you feel like it.

Normally I would agree, but the sound samples for the Area 58 are all nearly totally clean, and just the guitar. Not sound samples of the band that plays them, after hours and hours of production.

So, I can get a better idea of what it sounds like.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Alnico II Pro

Hey, I posted a thread a few days ago, asking some advice for pickup selection. I have a guitar that I'm setting up to be Hum-Hum-Sing (yup, Humbucker Bridge, Humbucker Middle, Single Coil neck)

In the bridge i'm sticking an SH-12, in the neck i'm going with a Dimarzio, I'm starting with an Area 58 and if its too low on the output side i'm moving to a Cruiser. My problem lies with the middle.

I want a huge, buttery, smooth, PAF sound with just a tint of treble bite and not too much output. Someone here on the board suggested the Alnico II Pro Bridge model.

Number one, what are the tonal differences between the neck and bridge models of the Alnico II pro?

Number Two, what are my other options? What about the Dimarzio Air Zone? Or SD Custom Custom?

My '59 neck in my Showmaster has the sound you describe, but I love how the A2P single coils sound, and since the A2P is supposedly very similar in sound, I'd recommend that.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Alnico II Pro

Traditional (side-by-side) humbucker in middle position (of 3-pup guitar) = mud. Stay with single coil.

EDIT: Although a minihumbucker in the middle works well.

 

[RipShredScream]

Re: Alnico II Pro

Traditional (side-by-side) humbucker in middle position (of 3-pup guitar) = mud. Stay with single coil.

EDIT: Although a minihumbucker in the middle works well.

Not too worried about that, I'm using the demon for everything that needs tightness. plan on using the middle position for "melody" leads. I want them to sound kind of "loose". Plus I use either .11's or .12's in standard (25 1/2" scale), so theres a bit less flab.

My big problem is this, I basically want 2 neck pickups, lol. I want a big PAF neck sound, and a really good single coil neck sound.

I would maybe split the Alnico II pro, but I dont want any hum, and doing the whole parallel thing doesn't seem to sound as good.