Distortion neck magnet swap suggestions please ?

[StvnMikel]

I bought a Charvel Pro-Mod So Cal Style 1 HSH a month ago/ It has a Distortion bridge and neck with a Custom Flat Strat in the middle. I like the tone of the Distortion neck but, I prefer a lower output neck pickup and, I want to try a magnet swap before I do a pickup swap. I spent a lot of time adjusting pickup height and adjusting pole pieces, right now the top of the pickup is almost even with the pickguard.

 

[Chistopher]

Have you tried parallel?

 

[StvnMikel]

Have you tried parallel?

That's something I didn't think about. Thanks for the idea. I'll have to get a mini toggle

 

[jeremy]

i like the distortion neck in series for solos, but for clean stuff it isnt great. parallel should definitely help

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I've tried A5, but it never really becomes "lower output".

I didn't like A5, honestly. It becomes kinda like a darker Air Norton that way.

I overall can't say I love the Distortion Neck, personally. Not in the bridge. Not in the neck.

 

[StvnMikel]

I've tried A5, but it never really becomes "lower output".

I didn't like A5, honestly. It becomes kinda like a darker Air Norton that way.

I overall can't say I love the Distortion Neck, personally. Not in the bridge. Not in the neck.

The Air Norton isn't one of my favorite neck pickups, I had a Ibanez RGT42Fm with an Air Norton in the neck position, in that guitar the AN was too smooth for me. I like neck pickups with a little bit of bite.I'm probably going to try the Distortion neck in parallel, if that doesn't get me close enough to what I like, I'll try a different pickup .

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I like the Air Norton. But I tend to prefer it with a 500K or 1Meg volume pot and no tone knob. And if there's one thing I'd change about it, is I'd make it a bit less dull clean. Distorted, it's killer, though.

 

[StvnMikel]

I'm thinking about swapping the the screws for hex heads. Has anybody tried this ?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm thinking about swapping the the screws for hex heads. Has anybody tried this ?

I did that too. It's not night and day, and it doesn't completely transform the Distortion Neck. At least not in the way parallel vs. series does.

 

[Masta' C]

A3 magnet for the win. It's a perfect pairing for the Distortion Neck wind and will retain clarity in the neck position while lowering the output an appreciable amount.

 

[NotDemanic]

Polished A4.
Thank me later.

 

[Masta' C]

A3 will yield the lowest output while retaining excellent clarity and character. A wind like the Distortion neck is actually where I see A3 excelling based upon my experience with it. We don't talk about A3 enough on this forum, especially with humbuckers.

A4 is a solid choice, too, especially if he doesn't want to drop the output quite as much as the A3 will.

 

[Mincer]

How much of an output drop do you get from, say, switching an A5 to an A3?

 

[Masta' C]

A3 is noticeably weaker, moreso than A2/A4. But in a hotter wind and in the neck position where you get more string energy? Awesome combo

 

[Aceman]

I'm with the A3/A4 crowd on this...but will it change the tone too much?

Parallel might be the better approach first.