Another matching a Phat Cat question

[RockinProf]

Hi again all,

Still trying to narrow down how I want to equip my versatility Les Paul (93 Standard) that still has the stock 498T & 490R are just blah. In the guitar closet I've currently got a 1980 Ibanez Artist (Perpetual Burn (B) and Air Classic (N)) that does the Rock Les Paul thing great, a Fender Custom Shop shred Strat (Floyd, JB (B), SSL2(M), Quarter Pounder(N) and a 93 AVRI 62 reissue strat with APS2s, so going for a sound/feel that's outside of those three. Keep in mind that I'm going for warm versatility - pop to blues rock to early heavy metal to fusion... Amps are all low watt combos that I run in parallel (Soldano Atomic 16, Marshall DSL 201, Fender 65' Deluxe Reverb reissue) so you have all the context.

For the LP Standard (which acoustically is fantastic) I've nailed down the neck to a Duncan Phat Cat. I'm struggling with the bridge pickup though. Looking for something that balances well with the Pahat Cat, but that's warmer than the Perpetual Burn (great cut and a terrific pickup, but I've already got that going on). Currently considering:
a) the Suhr SSV+ but there's very little online chatter on how this would sound in a Les Paul and if it would be hot enough to play nice with a Phat Cat - I normally like a bridge pup ~5% louder than the neck after being setup right
b) the Pearly Gates - seems like it would be nice and warm with a bite but not sure if the Phat Cat would overpower it
c) Duncan Eclair/JB2 - I have the JB going on in the one Strat and it's the right pickup there, but unsure about if it and the Phat Cat would would be musically suitable together with all the upper mid honk of a JB
d) DiMarzio 36th Anniversary PAF - no experience with this one, but the claims are that it's warm and everything PAF with just more heat. I have to admit I have a bias where I've never had a really warm DiMarzio so I'm a bit skeptical.

This was just so much easier as a kid in the late 80's/early 90's when tone was that damn nuisance that came between the 128th notes and enough gain to kill fish at 500 yards was all that mettered.

Thoughts, experience ideas?

Thanks all!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

The Phat Cat goes well with many kinds of pickups, so what sound are you after? You said the current pickups are 'blah', but can you put that in tonal terms? Do you want a powerful pickup or something more vintage?

 

[RockinProf]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

Thanks for the reply,

By blah, I mean that there's just nothing that captures that natural acoustic character of the guitar in a good way, also the 498T is raspy and harsh in segments of the tonal spectrum that just don't work for me. Overall, I want to replace the 498T with a smooth and warm PAF voiced pickup that's going to give me about a +5% volume increase over the Phat Cat that's going in the neck. Does that help?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

You might dig the Slash pickup, the APH-2. It is warm and smooth. The Alnico II Pro is even warmer. If you want a higher output than those, check out the Custom Custom.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

I really love the Pearly Gates bridge with a Phat Cat neck. Had it in a Warmoth Warhead 7/8 (Gibson scale strat.) Very versatile combo–smooth to rawk tones.

 

[RockinProf]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

I didn't think the APH-2 had the "heat" to balance with the Phat Cat, but I'll consider that now. I'm skeptical of the SH-11 (Custom Custom) as I've read a lot of reviews that suggest a Les Paul isn't the right instrument for that pickup.

Thanks

 

[RockinProf]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

I really love the Pearly Gates bridge with a Phat Cat neck. Had it in a Warmoth Warhead 7/8 (Gibson scale strat.) Very versatile combo–smooth to rawk tones.

Thanks, how did you find the balance between the two pickups? With my approach, output mismatches sound pretty ugly.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

Thanks, how did you find the balance between the two pickups? With my approach, output mismatches sound pretty ugly.

They balanced extremely well together–I didn't have any mismatch problems. Both are quite hot but they are tamer than say something like a JB.

I found that changing the Magnets in both to UOA5 made them more beefy and defined plus made the Harmonics richer.

 

[RockinProf]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

They balanced extremely well together–I didn't have any mismatch problems. Both are quite hot but they are tamer than say something like a JB.

I found that changing the Magnets in both to UOA5 made them more beefy and defined plus made the Harmonics richer.

Thanks, that helps narrow this down a bit.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Another matching a Phat Cat question

Thanks, that helps narrow this down a bit.

Most welcome and hope to have been of help!

Hopefully others will chime in too!