Fat & Bright pickup

[nitraus]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a pickup to fit in my Fender Jag Baritone HH.
It has alder body, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.
I already tried a Biltoft ceramic P90, a SD JB, a SD Custom and a Dimarzio Super Distortion. Let's say I liked the Dimarzio but I'm looking for more bass response, and less mids. The Biltoft P90 was superb on clean sounds but was lacking of low frequencies. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

I would try a GFS Bigmouth. It sounds like a humbucker version of the SD Quarter Pounder. It is clean, bright, fat and loud with a tight punchy bass response. I think it would do well in a baritone because it has some serious balls.

 

[nitraus]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

Thanks, I didn't know of these new GFS pickups!
I was also thinking about the Duncan Custom 5..

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

You could put an alnico 5 magnet in your SD and that would do what you want. Do the same thing to your Custom and that would be a Custom5.

 

[Despair]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

A5 doesn't really have more bass response than ceramic, though. If anything, it has less, but the mid cut can fool you. Also depends on how the magnet's frequency emphasis lines up with the pickup's coil and polepiece response.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

Custom 5.
But maybe you should look for a mahogany or korina body for that guitar. You can't emphasize something that's not there in the first place.

 

[nitraus]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

maybe you should look for a mahogany or korina body for that guitar

The main problem with mahogany is that it has too much mids but lacks of low frequencies. I also have a pre lawsuit Ibanez 2350 (LP custom copy) but with my rig ('76 Ampeg V4 with 6550s) it doesn't have bite and bottom and it's almost impossible to get a nice clean tone out of it. So I prefer alder, I find it more balanced.

 

[metalmachine]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

alt 8

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

i'm somewhat partial to the pearly gates bridge, but i don't think it would have enough high end for what you're looking for since it's an a2 pickup. don't get me wrong, it's definitely a bright and fat pickup, but maybe not bright enough?

 

[mrturtle_91]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

I would try a GFS Bigmouth. It sounds like a humbucker version of the SD Quarter Pounder. It is clean, bright, fat and loud with a tight punchy bass response. I think it would do well in a baritone because it has some serious balls.

The one problem I have with the bigmouth is that they sound a little sterile and muddy at times. They have ceramic magnets, so that could very well be why, I'm not a huge ceramic fan. If you're going for a lot of bass response, the bigmouth is a good choice though. I wouldn't say it has "less" mids though.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

I always thought the the Screamin Demon or full shred had fatness but bite

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

Seriously, try an A5 in that SD.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

If all else fails, try the Dime. It has a slight mid scoop and has a big bottom and chainsaw highs in a standard axe. A baritone should tame the highs a bit and make the pickup friendlier.

 

[nitraus]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

Thanks everyone for the answers!

@Metalmachine: does A8 sound in between A5 and ceramic?
@Super Rad Stuff: I tried a A2 PAF once, it sounded super bright but on the thin side.. really little mid/bass response
@AlexR: thanks but I'm not into shred & metal stuff
@King Izzo: I'll try it if other solutions fail. I'm not underconsidering your idea but my SD is from 1976 so I'd really like to preserve it from any change that could lower its value!
@Benjy_26: thanks but I think a Dime is too much for me. And having 1Meg pots + 0.01uF caps, my guitar is quite bright for being a baritone

 

[metalmachine]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

to me alinco 8 is more like a cross of alinco 2 and ceramic

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

to me alinco 8 is more like a cross of alinco 2 and ceramic

Its near a ceramic in terms of mids and lows, but does not have the screaching highs and the sterile attack.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

I would try a Custom 5 or a Custom 8 and the Fullshred. The Dimebucker sounds weird clean.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

I would try a Custom 5 or a Custom 8 and the Fullshred. The Dimebucker sounds weird clean.

When I had it in my Hamer, it sounded like a loud, pissed off tele. Kind of a cool tone, IMHO.

Angry twang.:nana:

 

[nitraus]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

Tried today a trembucker Custom Custom. It sounds a bit out of focus, highs are a bit boxy, lows are not tight and in general it has the same sterile feeling the Custom has. Maybe it's an issue connected with the high DC resistance?
Do you guys think a Custom 5 would be more suitable? And what about Dimarzio Norton?

 

[Despair]

Re: Fat & Bright pickup

A Custom Custom is an A2 magnet. Fat lower mids, rolled off highs. Not surprised at all you find it boxy. Some people just don't get along with some magnets, though sometimes it's just a mismatch between magnet & guitar or pickup.

Custom 5 is pretty different, much tighter, much less mids, but also much brighter. Also higher output, though given the reduced mids it may seem less so.