Help me decide please.. :)

M

marvelous_seven

New member
Okay,here's the thing. I'm saving up my money to build my custom guitar at a famous local luthier next year or so, and still wondering what pickups should I put in it (and still deciding of some spec that well-suited to me).

Spec-wise:
-Classic flying V model (think Gibby)
-26" scale
-Chambered mahogany body (w/ mahogany tone block), maple top
-Bolt-in long tenon maple neck with ebony/maple (still deciding what best) fretboard
-Original Floyd Rose trem (recessed)
-HH pickup configuration (with Fernandes Sustainer FSK-401 at outer neck coil position)
-Controls : 2 volume, I'm still thinking the others (3-way or 5-way switch?, push-pulls? etc)

I play from classic rock (Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen) to metal nowadays and always downtuned my guitar to standard D, drop C and drop B (mainly because my vocalist can't reach up higher notes :lmao:).
For bridge position I want to have that heavy tight crunchy "chuggy" sound that articulate and harmonics are easily jump out and also when split I could pull up some nice single coil sound (doesn't have to be stratty-like dead on), for neck think about nice, clear, smooth, fluid but with some "scream" lead tone. For clean I usually use both pickup or "in-between" position, and wanted some "bell-like" sound in treble strings and "piano-like" sound in bass side. Picky,huh? :D

What I can think of to put in my bridge position is:
Seymour Duncan - Full Shred, Distortion, Custom, Alternative 8 or Blackout neck (one trick pony?)
Dimarzio - Crunchfire (love JP's tone) or D Activator
EMG - 81TW or 89 (simply because they're splittable :naughty:)

And for neck position (single because I use Sustainer) :
Seymour Duncan - YJM Fury, Hot Rails, Cool Rails, Lil 59, LiveWires Classic II single (in case I have to pair it with Blackout Neck)
Dimarzio - never thought any of them except YJM's
EMG - SA (I really like those KSE's clean tone)

I have old Korg AX1500G multi fx, but recently have a little use of it because I really like to use gain from amp. I want to try Tech21 Sansamp California pedal someday and I love to keep my rig simple. I don't think I have any decent amp right now, so please feel free to suggest me ANY kind of pickup for me. I'm so confused to decide :scratchch


Any suggestions will be appreciated :thanks:


Hint:
Maybe some of you know from my previous thread that when I played live there's always either Marshall JCM 800, 900, 2000 DSL, Fender Twin reverb or Roland JC120 amp mic'd or direct to mixer.
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

marvelous_seven said:
I play from classic rock (Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen) to metal nowadays and always downtuned my guitar to standard D, drop C and drop B (mainly because my vocalist can't reach up higher notes :lmao:).
For bridge position I want to have that heavy tight crunchy "chuggy" sound that articulate and harmonics are easily jump out and also when split I could pull up some nice single coil sound (doesn't have to be stratty-like dead on), for neck think about nice, clear, smooth, fluid but with some "scream" lead tone. For clean I usually use both pickup or "in-between" position, and wanted some "bell-like" sound in treble strings and "piano-like" sound in bass side. Picky,huh? :D

Hint:
Maybe some of you know from my previous thread that when I played live there's always either Marshall JCM 800, 900, 2000 DSL, Fender Twin reverb or Roland JC120 amp mic'd or direct to mixer.
Click to expand...

if you were to go all duncan, i'd say go for a lynch set. it's wound to around 10k(meaning it'd have 5k when split which would be decent sounding), is tight enough for downtuning, and harmonically rich with cleans that some(b2d specifically IIRC) would describe as "piano like". another option is the full shred in the bridge. i personally don't have much experience with that sorta thing, but if i were doin' that it's what i'd go for.
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

My vote goes for Alt 8 bridge and Hot Rails neck.
But I'm wondering if something like an Invader or Dimebucker might work as well given the scale and downtuning.

Triple Shot rings for both. I'm wondering if you can fit the Hot Rails and Sustainer in the neck ring. That gives you series/split/parallel without adding more knobs/switches.
Stacked pots for individual volume/tone on each pickup.
Looks like you'll need room for the Sustainer Intensity pot and the 2 switches on the circuit board.
Only other thing would be if you can make the Intensity pot a standard push/pull and then that switch could be something like a "lead" volume-tone-bypass or a kill switch.

Sound like it'll be an interesting axe.

MM
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

MojoMonster said:
But I'm wondering if something like an Invader or Dimebucker might work as well given the scale and downtuning.
MM
Click to expand...

Isn't Invader with heavy downtuned strings in chambered mahogany = mud land?
Because the Invader's EQ is all bass IIRC, so I might want to know your reason though.
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

With downtuning like that, I think you'd be right with the Distortion in the bridge. I think that would be the best balance for what you're talking about. I think it will nail the thick, crunchy, chuggy thing you're talking about, and it'll scream for the leads. If it doesn't do exactly what you want, you can swap in different mags for fine tuning. But I think the wind is spot on. (For what it's worth, I don't downtune, but with an A8, it does almost exactly what you're talking about in my Les Paul.)
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

misterwhizzy, you put an A8 in a duncan distortion? Interesting. I was thinking about changing out my dd in favor of a custom five but that is expensive, especially since I can't solder. Maybe I should try the A8 as well? What tonal difference in the eq did you notice with the magnet swap? I heard an A5 would turn a dd into a jb, not really what I'm going for. I just want to add a little bass and pull back some mids. Also, do you think a no-soldering skills fool like myself can change a magnet or do I need to completely remove the pickup?
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

CMIIW but Distortion with A8 could be too boomy?
I think so because AFAIK Distortion is wound very hot and has ceramic magnet, and I suspect A8 gives power equally as ceramic but with less spiky highs.

Anyone might help me clear this things up?
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

I'll just call it a JB8. Three characters is easier to type anyway. (I'm not 100% sure it's accurate, but we'll just deal with it.)

FNF: I had a problem with the DD in my Les Paul. I found it too harsh in the high end. I found the pick attack too immediate. It was too tight for my tastes. I tried quite a few things, including EQing the amp differently, lowering the pickup, raising the pickup, etc.

Eventually, I decided to swap in a different magnet. I started with the neck pickup (also a DD) and went to A2. Not a good idea in the Les Paul in the neck. Then went to A5. Perfect. Then I went to working on the bridge, since I use that more often and didn't want to screw it up. I went to A8 and have not changed it.

I found the high end to be much smoother and less accentuated. I found a blooming to the notes that were not there before. I found the upper mids to be shifted downwards a little bit, and I found the bass a tad looser. I want to make sure you know that the bass is NOT loose. It is still tight, but with a tiny shift toward vintage, rather than the Distortion's modern sound. I am MUCH happier with it. It's among the best $10 I ever spent on gear. (The SD-1 GT mod is the best $25 I ever spent, but that's definitely another post.)

m7: I think you've got the basic idea. But the JB8 is certainly not boomy.

P.S. If and when you decide to do it, know that the magnet in the DD is huge. I've heard you can turn the shims sideways when you swap the magnet to take care of the height difference, but I bought a couple of these.
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

marvelous_seven said:
Isn't Invader with heavy downtuned strings in chambered mahogany = mud land?
Because the Invader's EQ is all bass IIRC, so I might want to know your reason though.
Click to expand...
No idea, never tried it, which is why I was wondering.

One thing I've learned about pre-planning a guitar's sound is that it's a crap-shoot, at best.

I mentioned the Invader because it's a high output, ceramic pup.
In the vein of the Alt8 an Dimebucker, which I also mentioned.

In the end, I think you'll probably have to try out several pups before you find one to your liking.

Good luck.
MM
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

WCR Ironman for your bridge... does EXACT what you just mentioned... mine's for sale... maybe lol... kinda wanna keep it!
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

Sounds like a fun project (putting A8 in DD) I'll have to start reading up on magnet swaps and I should probably start doing my own soldering at some point as well, thanks for all the advise mrwhizzy
 
Re: Help me decide please.. :)

Franknfilms, for what it's worth, replacing a magnet requires a screwdriver (or two) and a magnet. That's it.
 
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