GuitarDreamer131
New member
Hey guys,
I hate to be asking this, because I know people ask it all the time. But I've looked around and done a bunch of research already, and I just need some help on what would be best for me, as I know there are a lot of very knowledgeable posters here.
I'm looking to replace the NECK pickup of my Ibanez Blazer (H-S-H), an ALDER bodied guitar, which currently holds an Air Norton in that spot.
I orginally got the Air Norton, because Dream Theater a lot, and I love John's tone when he uses that pickup. Unfortunately, after having it for about a year and a half, I've realized that I've never really been all that satisfied with it. I say this win no disrespect to the pickup or anyone who uses it, but it's just not vesatile enough for ME. I think it's fantastic pickup, it just doesn't work for me with the current setup I have:
Carvin Legacy Half Stack...for those who are not familiar, it's already an inherently MIDRANGEY amp to begin with, (which is understandable when you think about it, as it is Steve Vai's amp and he needs to be out in front, so he needs more midrange).
Well the problem I have with the Air Norton as you can imagine, is that combined with the Legacy, and in my guitar it's too thick. It's not muddy, it's just too thick in the middle for my tastes. I use my neck pickup primarily for cleans, and a solo here or there. In any event, I want a pickup that's more OPEN, that has some space in the middle. I'm not saying I want something really scooped, but I want something that's more balanced and has a little sparkle. I want the Bass notes to be clean, and the top notes to be warm.
For cleans, I want a more OPEN, WIDER, BIGGER, and BRIGHTER w/ a little Sparkle (not to the point where it's harsh and too much though) sound-Think Eric Johnson's or Joe's Satriani's cleans. The Air Norton to me sounds more focused, and while it's great for jazz cleans because it is very dark, no matter how I EQ the Legacy I can't seem to get rid of that really "fat" midrange and open and brighten it up a bit.
For leads, I again want something more open sounding, yet balanced. The one thing I did love about the Air Norton was how the notes on the higher frets were very articulate, and WARM and SMOOTH. If there's a pickup that's like the Air Norton in this respect, only more open, that's what I want.
Here's some things to remember and help further narrow it down:
-I play A LOT of different styles. I play Jazz, Fusion, solo stuff like Satriani, Vai, etc, Dream Theater, Blues, etc. So I need something that is VERSATILE.
-It's going in an ALDER body
-The amp I play is already inherently VERY MIDRANGEY
-It would be going along side a Blue Velvet in the middle and a Custom 5 in the bridge.
-CLEANS are more important than lead sounds. I want to use it for both, but cleans are more important.
So, I've looked at a bunch of possible choices (in no particular order):
1.) Virtual PAF
2.) PAF Joe
3.) PAF Pro
4.) Humbucker from Hell (although I think it might be a tad too bright for my tastes, and too one dimensional. What do you guys think?)
I'm leaning more towards the first 2, the Virtual PAF and the PAF Joe.
What would the pros and cons be of each?
Also, feel free to recommend anything else that you think would better fit my tastes!
Thanks in advance guys!
Mike
I hate to be asking this, because I know people ask it all the time. But I've looked around and done a bunch of research already, and I just need some help on what would be best for me, as I know there are a lot of very knowledgeable posters here.
I'm looking to replace the NECK pickup of my Ibanez Blazer (H-S-H), an ALDER bodied guitar, which currently holds an Air Norton in that spot.
I orginally got the Air Norton, because Dream Theater a lot, and I love John's tone when he uses that pickup. Unfortunately, after having it for about a year and a half, I've realized that I've never really been all that satisfied with it. I say this win no disrespect to the pickup or anyone who uses it, but it's just not vesatile enough for ME. I think it's fantastic pickup, it just doesn't work for me with the current setup I have:
Carvin Legacy Half Stack...for those who are not familiar, it's already an inherently MIDRANGEY amp to begin with, (which is understandable when you think about it, as it is Steve Vai's amp and he needs to be out in front, so he needs more midrange).
Well the problem I have with the Air Norton as you can imagine, is that combined with the Legacy, and in my guitar it's too thick. It's not muddy, it's just too thick in the middle for my tastes. I use my neck pickup primarily for cleans, and a solo here or there. In any event, I want a pickup that's more OPEN, that has some space in the middle. I'm not saying I want something really scooped, but I want something that's more balanced and has a little sparkle. I want the Bass notes to be clean, and the top notes to be warm.
For cleans, I want a more OPEN, WIDER, BIGGER, and BRIGHTER w/ a little Sparkle (not to the point where it's harsh and too much though) sound-Think Eric Johnson's or Joe's Satriani's cleans. The Air Norton to me sounds more focused, and while it's great for jazz cleans because it is very dark, no matter how I EQ the Legacy I can't seem to get rid of that really "fat" midrange and open and brighten it up a bit.
For leads, I again want something more open sounding, yet balanced. The one thing I did love about the Air Norton was how the notes on the higher frets were very articulate, and WARM and SMOOTH. If there's a pickup that's like the Air Norton in this respect, only more open, that's what I want.
Here's some things to remember and help further narrow it down:
-I play A LOT of different styles. I play Jazz, Fusion, solo stuff like Satriani, Vai, etc, Dream Theater, Blues, etc. So I need something that is VERSATILE.
-It's going in an ALDER body
-The amp I play is already inherently VERY MIDRANGEY
-It would be going along side a Blue Velvet in the middle and a Custom 5 in the bridge.
-CLEANS are more important than lead sounds. I want to use it for both, but cleans are more important.
So, I've looked at a bunch of possible choices (in no particular order):
1.) Virtual PAF
2.) PAF Joe
3.) PAF Pro
4.) Humbucker from Hell (although I think it might be a tad too bright for my tastes, and too one dimensional. What do you guys think?)
I'm leaning more towards the first 2, the Virtual PAF and the PAF Joe.
What would the pros and cons be of each?
Also, feel free to recommend anything else that you think would better fit my tastes!
Thanks in advance guys!
Mike
