Complete 180...

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Complete 180...

Yeah I am most pleased with the 59b with the A2 magnet.
Very open and not flabby or unfocused.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Complete 180...

So all a test like that is going to do is point out the differences between pickups...

This is what's really important when buying pickups though. None of those clips are my taste in tone, however, they do offer some insight as to the differences between the pickups.


And that's really the only way to buy pickups IMO. Comparisons from pickup to pickup. Someone can come in and say, "hey this pickup is great with great presence cut and a tight bottom end". I can go put that pickup in my setup and it could sound completely different.

But if I know how the pickup I already have in there sounds and can compare it to the others then I can easily know what direction I want to go in....for the most part I haven't been wrong yet.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Complete 180...

And on the topic of high output vs low ouput...I do find that despite the insane amounts of gain that amps have these days, for a really tight sound, I prefer a relatively high output humbucker such as a JB or something.

The vintage PAF stuff just doesn't hold up under high gain IMO....they're not aggressive enough IMO. That's not to say that they couldn't be but I dont' think they are designed that way on purpose.

 

[BS123]

Re: Complete 180...

I prefer lower output pickups like the Seth Lover, 59B and Antiquity because the tone has more breath and space to it. Overwound pickups tend to sound thicker, smoother and more compressed and the tone gets all filled up...less room to crunch in a way.

Lew

I agree 100%. I don't mind slightly overwound vintage-type pickup. I like to hear the openness and let the amp do the work.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Complete 180...

And on the topic of high output vs low ouput...I do find that despite the insane amounts of gain that amps have these days, for a really tight sound, I prefer a relatively high output humbucker such as a JB or something.

The vintage PAF stuff just doesn't hold up under high gain IMO....they're not aggressive enough IMO. That's not to say that they couldn't be but I dont' think they are designed that way on purpose.

Sorry but that most certanly depends on the player...

 

[ranalli]

Re: Complete 180...

Sorry but that most certanly depends on the player...

Certainly not.

In general stronger magnets conventionally used in higher output pickups can make the pickup sound tighter than weaker magnets.


This is in Seymours Q/A somewhere but I forget where.


I don't use high output pickups for output, I generally use them for tightness.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Complete 180...

http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/seymours_q_and_a.shtml#91

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Complete 180...

Well still disagree...
It is a combination of player and amps and speakers....
I know a player or two who use lowoutput pickups, who can go from tight to wide....
It is a skill more than equipment.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Complete 180...

And on the topic of high output vs low ouput...I do find that despite the insane amounts of gain that amps have these days, for a really tight sound, I prefer a relatively high output humbucker such as a JB or something.

The vintage PAF stuff just doesn't hold up under high gain IMO....they're not aggressive enough IMO. That's not to say that they couldn't be but I dont' think they are designed that way on purpose.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant to say in my last post.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Complete 180...

Well still disagree...
It is a combination of player and amps and speakers....
I know a player or two who use lowoutput pickups, who can go from tight to wide....
It is a skill more than equipment.

Good players can negate alot of natural qualities of almost any setup, however we're only talking about pickups here.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Complete 180...

...sure but it is still the player that makes the sound

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Complete 180...

What's that quote? Something like:

"It doesn't matter so much what you're playing through as much as what you're playing through what you're playing through."

 

[Wattage]

Re: Complete 180...

"You got to get through what you’ve got to go through to get what you want, but you got to know what you want to get through what you got to go through"

Ginger - The Wildhearts

 

[Maggot]

Re: Complete 180...

There's different kinds of gain, dudes. With a bunch of people playing the same type of music and looking for the same type of sound, there are still gonna be big differences in how much gain people prefer. It's more of a feel thing than a sound thing. If you like as much gain as possible in your high gain sounds but still want a defined sound, then get a high output humbucker, so it won't sound soupy. If your high gain doesn't really need all that much gain, then a lower output humbucker, like the nameless SDs I had on my Ibanez V (probably 59s or Seths), will be fine.