Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

[Gtrjunior]

Obviously I know this is a Duncan forum but:
1) the Dimarzio forum is too slow
2)you guys know your ****

SO!
Les Paul Standard+
Splawn Quickrod

I had a set of BKP Rebel Yell installed and although they sounded good there was semi harsh high end there that I didn't like.
I emailed Dimarzio and they recommended a Gravity Storm Bridge and a Titan neck.
I installed them yesterday:
1) the Gravity Storm did in fact tame the high end like I wanted but it seems to lack the harmonic content I was hoping it would have. It sounds a little lifeless.
The Titan under gain with soloing sounds phenomenal. But on the clean channel sounds like ass.
This is a 2016 Quickrod with a very good clean channel...it's not the amp. The BKP sounded damn good here.
This is the first ceramic pickup I've ever owned.
Admittedly I only eyeballed the pickup height when I installed them...
Dimarzio will let me exchange these pickups for something else...
I guess I'm looking for any recommendations/ suggestions. If I can make the current pickups work for me I have no problem with keeping them.

Would a more PAF style neck pickup still give me the roundness I liked with the Titan and still stay clean and full on the clean channel?
Is there a way to improve the lifelessness of the GS? I realize that this pickup is a different tone than the BKP so maybe I'm just not used to it yet. Like I said it sounds really good, just not as rich as I'd hoped.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

Tweak the pickup heights first.

What kind of tones are you going for?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

Well, it's a Quickrod so basically a hot rodded Marshall type....
Jerry Cantrell on the Dirt album is a good place to start. His tone in Rooster is amazing. Iirc, he was using a JB in his G&L(?). And I believe the GS isn't too far off from that.

So tweak the heights....
I'm assuming lower the neck, for sure. That might help clean it up.
And I might need to lower the bridge as well, it's fairly high.
I'll have to look into Gibson factory settings and start there.

 

[jimlp]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

Dimarzio Dominion bridge, PAF Pro Neck?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

In case you wanna go for a PAF-style neck pickup, I really like the PAF 36th Anniversary myself. It's very smooth yet clear under gain, and it's still got that vintage-y sweetness clean.

Dimarzio Dominion bridge, PAF Pro Neck?

I had that combo in an Ibanez, and to me, it wasn't all that great. I thought the PAF Pro was way too bright and chirpy for the Dominion (which isn't a dark-sounding pickup itself). I thought switching from the bridge to the neck position and having the neck position be the brightest of the two was kinda odd.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

All other brand questions are welcome here! Tone is tone. You need what you need.

Les Paul Standard+
Splawn Quickrod

The foundation does not get much better than this...sorry I can't speak to the specific DiMarzio's. But yes - tweak amp knobs, tweak pickup heights, adjust poles, etc....never a bad move. So many pickup swaps are due to

a) A poorly adjusted pickup and
b) Not waiting for your ears to adjust to a different sound

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

I would think the AT1 would be closer to what you are looking for. It's supposed to be their take on a rounder, smoother JB. If you want a round but clear neck, I would say possibly the air norton, the illuminator neck, the transition neck, or a Fred.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

I like the Air nNorton neck call....

 

[Gtrjunior]

Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

Ok...so I went online and jotted down the Gibson recommended heights and went and set the pups there...still not right, waaay to hot.
So I went back to the neck pickup and tweaked, tweaked and tweaked some more. And I finally got it sounding right. The cleans are full on the bottom and chimey up top. I actually had to set the treble side slightly lower. Under gain it still has that sweet roundness I liked in the first place only now it was much more articulate.
I did basically the same with the beige Gravity Storm. The overall height here is higher (which is the norm) and as I backed the pickup up off the strings it just came ALIVE. Again here I set the treble side a half turn lower which tamed the highs and balanced to output over the entire pickup.

Damn these pickups sound GOOD now!!
With the pickups adjusted too high it was like it was choking in its own magnetic field. Lowering them just allows them to breathe like they were meant to. Lesson learned!!

I really appreciate all the helpful responses here. I learned a valuable lesson both about pickup height adjustment and trusting my ears!

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

There she is!!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

as I backed the pickup up off the strings it just came ALIVE. Again here I set the treble side a half turn lower which tamed the highs and balanced to output over the entire pickup.

Damn these pickups sound GOOD now!!

Common problem - dudes push standard output pups right up to the strings for max output. Hot, yes, but the sustain and tone is just killed.

Hot pups are that - hot. I personally find they sound best backed off just a touch from spec. Still hot as a mofo - but all the tone you need.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Can I ask a Non-Duncan question?

Common problem - dudes push standard output pups right up to the strings for max output. Hot, yes, but the sustain and tone is just killed.

Hot pups are that - hot. I personally find they sound best backed off just a touch from spec. Still hot as a mofo - but all the tone you need.

Agreed....I remember as a kid always raising the pickups up high! I had no idea what I was doing all I knew is I got "more" out of it.
We all know more isn't always better especially with hot pickups.