Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

[Dr.J4ckal]

Hey guys. I'm looking for new bridge pickup for my new superstrat. It has ash/maple body, maple/ebony fingerboard and 24,75' scale. The bridge pickup is positioned a few milimeters further to the neck than most other guitars. I've tried numerous pickups in this guitar and here's what I think:
- dimarzio breed: great clean sound when split but distorted it is way too muddy
- dimarzio dominion: perhaps my favourite of the bunch, great rhythm and lead sound, heavy yet very tight. The only issue is I wish it has a bit more output to balance with the stock oem neck pickup. The sound gets harsh if I put it any closer to the strings.
- dimarzio tone zone: it has the perfect amount pf output, but in this guitar it's too middy and not tight enough
- dimarZio steve special: perhaps the worst, bland sterile lifeless
- dimarzio super distortion: perhaps too much output, but tolerable. The issue is it sounds a bit too wild and all over the place, not as defined as dimarzio's modern offerings, it's quite fizzy.
- dimarzio crunch lab: I love this pickup in my basswood 25,5' strat, but in this guitar it's muddy
- duncan antiquity JB: sounds great, but I wish its a bit tighter. I also wish it has 4 conductor wiring and short legs.

So I have several pickups in my mind that I would like to try in this guitar: dimarzio super 3, duncan TB5 custom, PATB 1/2/3. I'm particularly interested in how these pickups compare to the antiquity JB, as it's what I have in the guitar at the moment. Thanks!

 

[Flavio Echart]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

Hi, I assume if you play a superstrat and with those humbucker options, you're into something Hardrockish... Tell us what you play!

Regarding pickups, that's a bright guitar and the SD TB-11 Custom Custom is possibly the pickup you're after. It's a medium output pup, it has a 14.4 DC Resistance but it has an Alnico II magnet too, so it doesn't feel so hot, but it's tight, defined and has a *lot* of warm mids, being highs sweet and singing.

The TB-11 is just a Custom, which has a ceramic magnet, that Seymour swapped the magnet for an Alnico II. I've tried both and like the TB-11 much more, I felt the Custom kinda compressed, not with a good string separation if you know what I mean.

On the other side, if you want monster output and a huge low end, this is not the pickup for you...

Hope this helps, cheers!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

Actually, if you want something a bit brighter than the Antiquity JB, look at the Trembucker JB or the Full Shred. Both have 4 conductor wiring, also.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

- dimarzio dominion: perhaps my favourite of the bunch, great rhythm and lead sound, heavy yet very tight. The only issue is I wish it has a bit more output to balance with the stock oem neck pickup. The sound gets harsh if I put it any closer to the strings.

I like the Dominion a lot as well. have you tried to set it where you get the best sound from it and then adjusting the neck pickup accordingly? or perhaps looking for a new neck pickup could be the answer. while not the highest output out there, the Dominion is still pretty loud. what are you using in the neck position??

the Super 3 is also a good pickup and commonly overlooked, as people assume it's 'darker' than it really is. it's pretty versatile and fits in the mix really well.

my Antiquity JB has short legs and 4-con wiring put on by MJ in the custom shop before I got it. based on your comments on the other pickups, I can see how you'd want something 'tighter'. that TB5 is scooped enough to seem like an out-of-character choice when compared to what you've said about other pickups. the PATB1 might be an option.

but if you're already planning on replacing a pickup, I'd stick with what is working for you in the bridge and find a neck pickup to pair up better. I'm not sure what you're goals are, but I've tried a Dominion neck and a Bluesbucker with the Dominion bridge and they both work out very well.

 

[jtougas]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

Parallel Axis Distortion?

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

Just a thought that would be cheaper–have you considered replacing the screws in that JB for hex/allen keys?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

a tighter jb with short legs and 4 cond sounds like a normal jb to me. biggest difference is the roughcast vs polished magnet tonally

 

[elelpe]

Re: Bridge pickup recommendation for ash/maple 24,75" scale guitar

Invader sounds great in ash body with maple neck.