duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

SAVAGE DISTORTION

SAVAGE DISTORTION

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I am buying a 78 to try out for my jackson soloist(alder,neck thru floyd) which has a 59 trembucker in it now.
I really like the 59 but want a bit more fullness in the mids and maybe a touch more output?
78 a good canidate for this? was goin to buy a blues patb-3 but cant get along with the look of it
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

Assuming Ed's Boogie-body Frankies were Alder.....

I hardly notice the Parallel Axis' cosmetics anymore, or the Invader's, for that matter. Guess I'm too busy looking at the fretboard to make sure I don't screw up :lol:
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

Dunno. I've got the 1 and 2. Had a 3 for a minute some years ago (Saraceno model, right?) but don't recall that much about it.
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

I really like the 78 but I would have tried a PG before I dropped the coin on a 78....
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

I've found that the '78 is perfect in Alder.

The '78 does fill in the mids around a '59 and has much more output... the '78 is HOT don't let the DC resistance fool you. It seems hotter than a PG.

Pinch harmonics are around 85% of what the JB has... the pickup rarely (if ever) comes up short on power, harmonics, sustain and juice.

It's really the most amazing bridge pickup I've ever tried... sort of the happy medium for achieving as many tonal objectives at once.

I'm almost to the point that if I had the money, I would replace every bridge humbucker I have with '78s (regardless of the guitar/wood etc).
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

LatsMcGee said:
I really like the 78 but I would have tried a PG before I dropped the coin on a 78....
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I do understand what you are saying but this one time the extra coin is not really any issue, as long as it works out and i walk away very happy with the tone it gets. actually the 59 is not a dog or anything, i just want some things from it that it just doesnt seem to offer regardless of height,pole settings.
the mids as a who are not quite boosted as much as i want without any eq pedals and i already tried just turning up my amps mids but that makes my neck pu sound wrong. so i think i pu swap is a logical next step since i definitely am staying away from hotter pu's like the JB's,tone zones and all the others out.
yes they are great but everytime i tried to find a keeper high output model i would eventually really start to notice the missing dynamics,openess,chime, great clean tones and other benefits i think only under 12K models seem to maintain even through high gain amps
for future reference tell me how the pearly sounds in comparison to the 59 i have now and the 78 i want to try?
 
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Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

zenmindbeginner said:
I've found that the '78 is perfect in Alder.

The '78 does fill in the mids around a '59 and has much more output... the '78 is HOT don't let the DC resistance fool you. It seems hotter than a PG.

Pinch harmonics are around 85% of what the JB has... the pickup rarely (if ever) comes up short on power, harmonics, sustain and juice.

It's really the most amazing bridge pickup I've ever tried... sort of the happy medium for achieving as many tonal objectives at once.

I'm almost to the point that if I had the money, I would replace every bridge humbucker I have with '78s (regardless of the guitar/wood etc).
Click to expand...
thanks for the info and I read your blog and watched the clip a few times and was very impressed with the tone of the 78 in your guitar.
you had a good deal of heat comin out of that for a 9K so i see what you mean about the numbers being decieving and it had the mids i am after my 59 lacks.
plus i heard a good deal of overtones/harmonics my 59 does not either have so thats a plus.
My main concern is the common statement "lower output pickups just wont sound right in a shred guitar with a floyd?"
that they need to be in a gibson les paul or that type for them to really shine and sound proper?
these are some of the comments i have seen on the net from guys that said they tried using the 59,pg,78 types in shred type guitars and also in their gibsons or prs'? are they refering more to the floyd and 24 fret bolt on necks common among the more modern shred type guitars like my soloist and the RG's ibanez makes?
 
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duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A great match together. I've played others' guitars with the '78 Model and it just fits perfectly in a guitar configured like yours.
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

DrNewcenstein said:
I hardly notice the Parallel Axis' cosmetics anymore, or the Invader's, for that matter. Guess I'm too busy looking at the fretboard to make sure I don't screw up :lol:
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yeah thats my problem too but see every once in a while i get lucky and hit a few right notes and then thats when i look at my pu's and not the neck and if it were a parallel axis there the look would bother me so much i would really start hitting bad notes:laugh2:
i admit i am anal and that the look should not be a issue at all and if i were 100% convinced the blues patb-3 fit the bill in tone and performance,i would not let the poles be a deal breaker but honestly i seen many say the blues is very similar to my 59 but has a little less top end and a touch more output. that would be great if the mids were boosted on the blues as well
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

ErikH said:
It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A great match together. I've played others' guitars with the '78 Model and it just fits perfectly in a guitar configured like yours.
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great to hear! thanks to everyone for the help and info about the 78, now i can spend my cash with confidence.
I definitely trust the opinions here about these issues!

UPDATE: someone on ebay just accepted my best offer of $115, all the others are brand new and are going for $160-$186!:crazy:
does anyone know why one store is pricing these at $196 new when right from the CS they are $160?
i am confused is there a really long wait time for one from the CS or something and some of these dealers try to take advantage of anyone that does not want to wait? and some of these i am seeing are new old stock from early 2011? i wonder why?:D
 
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Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

Congrats on the '78 man! Post a tone report when you get it installed and let us know what you think!

As for $196 for a '78??? No idea! What I do know is that unless it has Zephyr components or something it is overpriced!! Wait time on a CS 'bucker is very reasonable: the last one I ordered in December arrived in under a month and I live in Canada.
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

I actually like the 42AWG wind with a Floyd... it gets rid of that single note "thinness" I got from the 44AWG pickups that I traditionally used with Floyds. A very bold and present sound with more clarity than you'd expect.

The $196 '78 shouldn't be from a dealer but is probably just a deranged seller dislocated from reality.
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

zenmindbeginner said:
I actually like the 42AWG wind with a Floyd... it gets rid of that single note "thinness" I got from the 44AWG pickups that I traditionally used with Floyds. A very bold and present sound with more clarity than you'd expect.

The $196 '78 shouldn't be from a dealer but is probably just a deranged seller dislocated from reality.
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glad to hear the alder and floyd/lower output combo is not a issue with a 78 or any other paf type, i knew from using the 59 it should sound at least decent since the 59 in this jackson is not bad, real close actually but just not exactly what i wanted.
does anyone know for sure if the 42 AWG is plain enamel or poly on the 78?
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

I've got the 78 in two Strat style guitars , alder body with maple neck vintage trem and ash body with rosewood neck hardtail trem. Probably my favorite pickup along with BK VH2. The 78 gets pigeonholed as the pickup for the classic VH tone for obvious reasons but its does much more than that , great hot PAF for classic and hard rock. I play Schenker, G Moore, Lynch, Jake E, Ratt type riffs with the 78 and it does not dissapoint, playing thru my Splawn SS help out a lot
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

People selling on ebay are trying to make some bux and are selling them to folks that prolly dont know you can get em direct for less.
I too, look foward to your review once you get it in! Ive been pondering trying one for a looooong time.
The only Patb Ive tried is the Saraceno. It gave the guitar a very full tone. Not a hot wind, but felt like a big sounding pup. Great for a thin sounding guitar. I had mine in a Carvin SC90 with a floyd.
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

didn't want to start another thread on the 78, so I thought I'd add on here.....


last year at the Dallas guitar show, MJ really kept pushing me toward the 78 model. but she said it was low output, which scared me off, as I've always gravitated toward the high output pickups. also, the A2 magnet was something that I'd not had very good experience with in the past... of course, I picked up a RTM last year (which has led to a total of five RTMs! lol!). I'd also happened across a CC which I'd put in a Kramer Stagemaster with arch-top maple neck-thru, alder wings and ebony board with an OFR and I was liking that in there.

so this year, there was another 78 and it was f-spaced and it was zebra and it was 4-con. darn, if MJ didn't have me in a headlock with specs like that. then after buying some other CS pickups, she lowers the boom with a deal on the 78, so I was all out of excuses and ended up getting it. lemme tell you, she drives a hard bargain. lol!

now, I'm not a huge VH fan. sure, I like Ed's stuff and he's always an inspiration, but VH is not something I'm always playing when I jam. but closer to the same sort of stuff as 51501984 (above) - 80s high-gain cock-rock. I pulled that CC from that Kramer Stagey and put the 78 in there. man, I really dig it. Boomer was also there and telling me how much more open sounding it is, and he is right. for a comparison, it's in there with Hot Rails in the middle and neck and it's not overpowered by them. I'm sure someone can come along and get all technical and all that sort of thing, but the perception is that it's pretty even across all those pickups. it's tighter on the bottom end than I expected and the harmonics and squeals and the pinches all jump right out in a way that's a little more sweet than shrill, while still cutting through. the same applies for the highs... they will come through without taking the top of your head off with a shimmering sweet quality that I also like about the RTM.

so is it better than the CC? or from a CS perspective, is it better than the RTM? well, those comparisons are just silly. what is 'better' anyway? however... does it sound good? yep! would I suggest it to someone? yep! am I glad I got it? yep? should I have just gotten it last year? oh, heck yeah! lol! should you ever doubt whatever MJ suggests? er... nope.

now, I'm still a huge JB fan and am not going to start filling every guitar with a 78 (although I think I said the same thing a year ago about the RTM! lol!). but I'm liking it and it's a very nice addition to the stable and I really don't see a need or a desire to move it from where it is unless I get something else another guitar that might be a good match... but then I just might end up getting another 78 before I move this one. haha! alright, let's not get carried away....again! lol!
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

Love the 78 a LOT better than the CC in an alder superstrat. I had a CC in this guitar, WAY too loose and muddy in the lows. Put in a 78 and love it for VH and overdriven classic rock sounds. Clean yet crunchy and lots of harmonics.

It has a OFR with FU brass block is awesome.



DSC03667.jpg
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

Oh man....all this talk about the 78 is really gettin me Jonesin for one!
 
Re: duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

darthphineas said:
didn't want to start another thread on the 78, so I thought I'd add on here.....


last year at the Dallas guitar show, MJ really kept pushing me toward the 78 model. but she said it was low output, which scared me off, as I've always gravitated toward the high output pickups. also, the A2 magnet was something that I'd not had very good experience with in the past... of course, I picked up a RTM last year (which has led to a total of five RTMs! lol!). I'd also happened across a CC which I'd put in a Kramer Stagemaster with arch-top maple neck-thru, alder wings and ebony board with an OFR and I was liking that in there.

so this year, there was another 78 and it was f-spaced and it was zebra and it was 4-con. darn, if MJ didn't have me in a headlock with specs like that. then after buying some other CS pickups, she lowers the boom with a deal on the 78, so I was all out of excuses and ended up getting it. lemme tell you, she drives a hard bargain. lol!

now, I'm not a huge VH fan. sure, I like Ed's stuff and he's always an inspiration, but VH is not something I'm always playing when I jam. but closer to the same sort of stuff as 51501984 (above) - 80s high-gain cock-rock. I pulled that CC from that Kramer Stagey and put the 78 in there. man, I really dig it. Boomer was also there and telling me how much more open sounding it is, and he is right. for a comparison, it's in there with Hot Rails in the middle and neck and it's not overpowered by them. I'm sure someone can come along and get all technical and all that sort of thing, but the perception is that it's pretty even across all those pickups. it's tighter on the bottom end than I expected and the harmonics and squeals and the pinches all jump right out in a way that's a little more sweet than shrill, while still cutting through. the same applies for the highs... they will come through without taking the top of your head off with a shimmering sweet quality that I also like about the RTM.

so is it better than the CC? or from a CS perspective, is it better than the RTM? well, those comparisons are just silly. what is 'better' anyway? however... does it sound good? yep! would I suggest it to someone? yep! am I glad I got it? yep? should I have just gotten it last year? oh, heck yeah! lol! should you ever doubt whatever MJ suggests? er... nope.

now, I'm still a huge JB fan and am not going to start filling every guitar with a 78 (although I think I said the same thing a year ago about the RTM! lol!). but I'm liking it and it's a very nice addition to the stable and I really don't see a need or a desire to move it from where it is unless I get something else another guitar that might be a good match... but then I just might end up getting another 78 before I move this one. haha! alright, let's not get carried away....again! lol!
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I'm stoked that you are digging the '78 model man... on one hand it is sooo versatile and on the other can cop brown sounds very easily with the right set-up. I love it's single coil sonic qualities and it's nice and moderately high output probably the most... I finally dragged out my tube amps and a bunch of borrowed pedals and was greeted by heaps of beautiful tone. MJ does great work doesn't she? It must have been really cool to meet her... she's a rock star in her own right.

MUguy said:
Love the 78 a LOT better than the CC in an alder superstrat. I had a CC in this guitar, WAY too loose and muddy in the lows. Put in a 78 and love it for VH and overdriven classic rock sounds. Clean yet crunchy and lots of harmonics.

It has a OFR with FU brass block is awesome.

View attachment 41463
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I totally agree... not a Pearly Gates and kicks a Custom Custom's ass all the way down the street. I don't have a big brass block but sprang for a brass claw recently and I can hear a slight change in the harmonic content... maybe a little fundamental with a tick less harmonics? I think it helped focus the sound a bit.

J E C said:
Oh man....all this talk about the 78 is really gettin me Jonesin for one!
Click to expand...

Hopefully I will take that jonesin' to another level...

I just did another recording with the '78 Model. I did it with high quality tube amplifiers and a microphone instead of the digital modeling set-up that I had for the video review I did a few of months ago.

I'll update the review thread ASAP.
 
duncan 78 in alder with a OFR?

Played through the 78 a little more today (and had to give a little time to the RTM I put in the MIJ Charvel San Dimas Pro Mod). It's really settling in pretty well. I played along with some tracks and it fit in well while still being able to jump out when you want it to.

Had to try a few VH riffs, but since my rig isn't set up for that vibe I obviously don't get the same results. lol! But I can see where it would lend itself to that style even better than the CC




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