Best amp to hear differences between pickups?

[treyhaislip]

I always found the Yamaha THR 100HD to be really intriguing and was surprised it didn't seem to get much traction.

I really liked my second amp modeler, a Yamaha DG Stomp (more than 20 years ago!), which seemed to be ahead of the other stuff available at the time.

Before that I had a Zoom 505, which was garbage.

I think what went wrong was people, myself included, wanted a gigable version of the THR10s. The 100HD has no built in effects (other than reverb) and is more of a traditional "head" than the smaller THRs (have more of a computer speaker than traditional guitar amp.) You don't get the same tones out of it as the original THRs.

That being said, I love my THR100HD. It is super quiet, lightweight and has incredible tones. It gets enough Fender-ish and Marshall-ish tones to cover plenty of ground. Being able to have both amps on at the same time gives some really unique tones as well as stereo options depending on how to run out. I use it with a 2x12 loaded with Eminence Texas Heat speakers and it replaced my Fender tube amps for gigs (solid state, easy to move, multiple options out, etc.)

I've always liked the tones from those old Yamahas (really, never had a bad experience with Yamaha--the Motif was my favorite keyboard.) Always wondered why they didn't offer more guitar stuff.

 

[sumitagarwal]

I think what went wrong was people, myself included, wanted a gigable version of the THR10s. The 100HD has no built in effects (other than reverb) and is more of a traditional "head" than the smaller THRs (have more of a computer speaker than traditional guitar amp.) You don't get the same tones out of it as the original THRs.

That being said, I love my THR100HD. It is super quiet, lightweight and has incredible tones. It gets enough Fender-ish and Marshall-ish tones to cover plenty of ground. Being able to have both amps on at the same time gives some really unique tones as well as stereo options depending on how to run out. I use it with a 2x12 loaded with Eminence Texas Heat speakers and it replaced my Fender tube amps for gigs (solid state, easy to move, multiple options out, etc.)

I've always liked the tones from those old Yamahas (really, never had a bad experience with Yamaha--the Motif was my favorite keyboard.) Always wondered why they didn't offer more guitar stuff.

Well now Line 6 is their guitar brand, right?

 

[treyhaislip]

Well now Line 6 is their guitar brand, right?

That is correct-since 2013! Still, I prefer the clean tones from the Yamaha gear over the cleans from the Line 6 stuff (even post Yamaha buy out.)

 

[sumitagarwal]

That is correct-since 2013! Still, I prefer the clean tones from the Yamaha gear over the cleans from the Line 6 stuff (even post Yamaha buy out.)

Agreed, and I always loved their focus on KNOBS! Catalyst now seems to have that.

I've been a Fractal user for a long time now, so always jealous of knobs...

 

[Mincer]

Agreed, and I always loved their focus on KNOBS! Catalyst now seems to have that.

I've been a Fractal user for a long time now, so always jealous of knobs...

Once my Fractal is set the way I like, I never touch the knobs.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

For me it's edge of breakup to moderate grit that reveals most about the personality of a pickup.
There's quite a bit in the feel and response that just won't show plugged into a clean channel.
Not to mention the way a pickup interacts with the guitar's volume knobs.

The other crucial factor for me is volume.
At living room levels you can't evaluate some subtler aspects of character, especially in the mids and highs.
IMO you can only really get to know a pickup when you've played it at band volume.

There have been pickups I thought I didn't like until I'd played a gig or two on them.
To be fair, there have also been some that I knew right away weren't for me.
But sometimes it just takes getting used to them - especially if they're rather different from what you've been using.

As for the amp, I concur: it's really best to audition through one you know very, very well.
My tryout amp is my old Boogie Mk II; after thousands of live shows & studio sessions I know it better than any other.
Also, it doesn't have a particularly forgiving nature - it reveals quirks and/or flaws ruthlessly rather than glossing over them.

I don't try out pickups or guitars using my rack rig anymore because the Triaxis makes anything sound great.

 

[Securb]

for me, i always test things through my most used amp. i know what the amp sounds like with a variety of guitars and know what i expect to get out of the amp. its personal, but ive found thats what works best for me

This is the best method for most. Use what your ear is familiar with most.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

for me, i always test things through my most used amp. i know what the amp sounds like with a variety of guitars and know what i expect to get out of the amp. its personal, but ive found thats what works best for me

This is exactly right.

whatever amp your ears are most familiar with will give you the most correct and discernable feedback.

 

[sumitagarwal]

While I 100% agree with the practical advice of going with the amp you know best, I think it sort of avoids the question of which specific amp would, in theory, showcase the tone and dynamics of different pickups to a wide range of players. Maybe the (ridiculous) hypothetical is: you're a pickup boutique and you can have one and only one amp in your shop for customers to audition different pickups through.

I definitely think that edge-of-breakup and the ability to move in and out of dirt using your right hand is key, but what amp does that while not overlaying too much of it's own tone?

For example, the AC15/AC30 has great right-hand dynamics, but no matter which guitar I plug into those it always sounds like I'm playing a Vox AC, rather than playing a Les Paul or playing a Stratocaster. On the other end a blackface Twin Reverb does not have those interactive picking dynamics, but there's no mistaking a Les Paul for a Strat or vice-versa.

 

[jeremy]

my most used amp is a '66 fender deluxe reverb so i test the pups i wind into that amp, and it gives me a pretty good idea of how they sound and compare to other pups

 

[Mincer]

While I 100% agree with the practical advice of going with the amp you know best, I think it sort of avoids the question of which specific amp would, in theory, showcase the tone and dynamics of different pickups to a wide range of players. .

To be fair, it was just for the individual player (yourself) and not a wide range of players. Everyone is different, and if I plug into an unfamiliar amp with a new pickup, I have nothing to base it on, much less if there is a new guitar with unfamiliar wood. I might love it, but that is gonna be a long shot.

 

[sumitagarwal]

To be fair, it was just for the individual player (yourself) and not a wide range of players. Everyone is different, and if I plug into an unfamiliar amp with a new pickup, I have nothing to base it on, much less if there is a new guitar with unfamiliar wood. I might love it, but that is gonna be a long shot.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense.

Let me rephrase this: what's a highly-interactive amp with relatively neutral tonality?

 

[Mincer]

Yes, that makes a lot of sense.

Let me rephrase this: what's a highly-interactive amp with relatively neutral tonality?

I'd have to go back to a clean amp that you are really familiar with.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

I’d test a pickup on the amp that I use most. Or amps, as the case may be. I would test the pickup on that amp in the manner that I normally play it, that is, dirty, clean, in between, or whatever.

 

[Fender_Punk]

I would say a Sovtek MIG 50W or 100W head. Or a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI.

 

[NegativeEase]

The question was about HEARING the difference between pickups.

I stand by a Fender DR, TWIN or Jazz Chorus type SS for this task

 

[GuitarStv]

The question was about HEARING the difference between pickups.

I stand by a Fender DR, TWIN or Jazz Chorus type SS for this task

I find that edge of breakup sounds reveal the most differences between pickup voicings to me. The little hint of compression helps you hear nuances that you would miss in a completely clean amp. Not sure the ultra clean of a JC, or a twin (at least a twin at non retarded volume levels) would work.

 

[NegativeEase]

I find that edge of breakup sounds reveal the most differences between pickup voicings to me. The little hint of compression helps you hear nuances that you would miss in a completely clean amp. Not sure the ultra clean of a JC, or a twin (at least a twin at non retarded volume levels) would work.

If you getting the edge of breakup from the amp, yes -I can see that... -as -as soon as an amp goes into saturation the differences between pickups becomes less of the thing -as soon as they are really compressed the nuances start to disappear.

 

[maug2122]

You did the right thing. I plugged my Chandler Tube Driver into the loop of the JC once and did not like it at all. It sounded too sterile. Plugged in the front of the amp, the Chandler makes the JC sounds like a very powerful well, defined Marshall. IMO the JC 120 is a great amp for high-gain applications.

Man, those Chandler Tube Drivers can make an SS amp sound come alive .

 

[dave74]

IMO the best amp to compare pickups is: The setup you primarily play with the boost/od/eq that you primarily use.
This isn't the best to compare for others, like if making a shootout video, but when comparing for yourself it's only how it all meshes through your own rig that matters.