Help required regarding bridge pickup

[gwenboulet]

Hi there,

I require some assistance in choosing a bridge pickup. I think I made up my mind about the neck and middle ones, respectively a Di Marzio Air Norton and a Seymour Hot Rail, and I was going to go for the Di Marzio Steve's Special for the bridge.
The thing is I already own a guitar with Di Marzio Evolution pickups for both the neck and the bridge, and for my new guitar I though I wanted a bit more bluesy / rocky sound for the bridge pickup; something softer and hotter that would actually change from my first guitar on which the evolution bridge pickup is very aggressive.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[gwenboulet]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Come on ladies & gents a little piece of advice for a poor guitarist in search of a bridge pickup, pleaze :newangel:

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Welcome to the SD User Group Gwen.

I could use a little more information. What kind of guitar is it and what is its construction. The amp you are playing on would also be useful.

Finally, if you could offer a more detailed description of the tone you are after or better yet an artist whos tone is in the ballpark of what you are looking for I'm sure we can find the right bridge pickup for that guitar.

 

[Artie]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

I think everyone's still on their first cup of coffee. :laugh2:

They'll be in soon.

 

[gwenboulet]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Thanks for your welcoming message Robert S. and for your reply Artie Too.

The guitar would be an Ibanez RG model, I said would be because this is actually still a project, and I am gathering information before starting to buy. I am usually using a Boss GX-700 multi effect, directly plugged into my PC for home use. However I am planning to buy a POD2. I also own a Marshall Valvestate for practice sessions but does not really use the overdrive channel anymore as I use the GX-700's.

Speaking about the tone, I unfortunately don't have an artist's name to direct your advice, rather than that, I am looking for a bridge pickup that matches the Hot Rail and the Air Norton without being agressive like a Di Marzio Evolution can be for example. I think a Steve's special pickup might be too aggressive too.

To summarize I am really open to suggestions and descriptions of a bridge pickup that would be suitable for an Ibanez RG guitar + Air Norton + Hot Rail.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Both the Evolution (13.84k) and Steves Special (17.89k) are ceramic magnet pickups and both will be fairly to quite hot and agressive pickups.

For starters either a CC or a Screamin Demon will be lower in output and neither will be as hot or agressive as the Dmz pickups mentioned above. Assuming that you are using a neck model Hot Rails in the middle (suggested) either of those or any of the vintage spec'ed SD bridge pickups will work. It's hard to get it any closer without a more specific description of your desired tone.

 

[gwenboulet]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Ok I have listened to the samples available on this website and (even though it is difficult to make your mind just listening to samples) I definitely liked the APH-1, the SH-11 (CC) and maybe the SH-5 (C5); I liked the PAT-B3 a bit less and definitely did not like the SH-12 (screamin' deamon).
I like when the clean sound is bright such as the APH-1, SH-5 and SH-11.
In dirty sound I am looking for a non screaming sound, this is basically where the SH-12 was discarded.
In the specific dirty sound used to record the samples, the SH-5 seems to have "too much body", but I wonder if I would like it with another distortion.
Could you give me more advice on the APH-1, the SH-11 (CC) and the SH-5 (C5), comparing them and giving your pros and cons?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

The SH-5 is the Custom, not the C-5. The Custom has simular specs to the Evolution so I hesitate to suggest it, especially if you are looking for a change.

The C-5 is one of my favorite pickups but it appears you have an ear for alnico II magnets and the C-5 is alnico v. It is a great pickup but it won't be as warm and smooth as the CC or the APH-II.

The APH-II is a vintage style HB and will be killer for blues and classic rock stuff. If you want a warm but somewhat tamer guitar the APH-II is a good way to go.

The CC is only somewhat less hot than the Evo but it wont be nearly as agressive as the Evolution and it will be quite a bit warmer and smoother. It's cleans are very nice and under gain it has a very nice singing quality to its voice. It will do the blues and classic rock thing very well and it will have the extra output to do even more if you dial up the gain. The other guitarist in one of the bands I play in has a CC in a Melody Maker and he gets a wide range of very useable tones from it.

I'd probably suggest the CC, but the APH-II or the C-5 would also be fine choices.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Robert's on the money. Good advice...as always.

I'll add that the CC has very pronounced mids, like many alnico 2 pickups do. This gives it a very vowel like tone when overdriven and helps make the treble sound very smooth.

The C5 is the same pickup with an alnico 5 magnet and a5 pickups seem to have more treble and more bass which makes the mids sound less pronounced.

The Custom is the same pickup with a ceramic magnet and has the most sizzle to the highs of the three.

I've had the CC and C5 in the same guitar.

My feeling was that both sounded superb through a cranked up Marshall or similar amp. But that at lower, cleaner volumes, the CC sounded fuller and better to me. At lower volumes (4 or less) the C5 sounded alot thinner than the CC and had a sharper tone...less pleasing to my ears than the CC.

I'd second Robert's recommendation of the CC...especially for the tones you seem to be after.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Great stuff from both Robert and Lew, I always hate the recommendation game becuse it's so subjective ... but have you given any consideration to the Norton (not Air, just regular) for the bridge, it's rich in mids, still has some harmonics and bite that can be dialed back, and a good warm but soild low end, not to overly hot. Just one more for the list to consider. Very good in split and parallel modes, then again though most pups that are a bit hotter tend to be a bit better in that dept. Tonally it has some nice personalities between the modes.

 

[gwenboulet]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Thanks very much to you all for your useful advice, I am very impressed by your knowledge!
My choice is now narrowed: the CC... or the Norton? Any comparison between these two would be welcome.

Thanks again.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Thanks very much to you all for your useful advice, I am very impressed by your knowledge!
My choice is now narrowed: the CC... or the Norton? Any comparison between these two would be welcome.

Thanks again.

Not a direct comparison, but the Norton is a great pup, the CC has been a fav of mine for quite a long time ... I think that the Norton will give you the ability to get a little more biting and growly when you need it. The CC seems to work great in almost anything you put it into,it will be a bit smoother overall. It doesn't quite have the harmonics like the norton does, I feel the norton has a bit more to offer over the overall spectrum; However, the Norton seems to be a bit *pickier* about what guitar it goes into, than does the CC. I only used a CC in series, never tried the split or parallel modes so I couldn't comment on those (I think most pups sound just fine in parallel if you like their series sound, the single coil sounds seem to me to be a bit more hit or miss). Best thing to do is run out and find some IBZs with a Norton in them, play 'em, ask about the woods, note the scale length, trem/no trem, etc. in relation to yours. If your left with a feeling of *yeah, *maybe* it could work for me, and the woods, and what not are the same, then don't get it. In that case go for the CC, if you have a real dark axe, with not much snap, or bite, then the CC might not be the way to go. I think the Norton has a bit more bass then the CC, but it's a tighter to me also ... so I guess it balances out. Talk about subjective, and one person's experience being varied from anothers ...sheeesh! Hope this helps.

 

[gwenboulet]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Yes it helps Kent S. ! I will try that, e.g. go, play ibanez guitars with the Air Norton in them. Another question comes to me, which guitars have a CC fitted in them so I could try them in a shop?

Thanks.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Yes it helps Kent S. ! I will try that, e.g. go, play ibanez guitars with the Air Norton in them. Another question comes to me, which guitars have a CC fitted in them so I could try them in a shop?

Thanks.

Robert S. could probably answer that one for you, I don't know off hand, but I d believe they do show up in a few production models. you could also out in a serch for custom custom, and view the threads that come up, since that pup works well in a WIDE variety of different guitars.

 

[Curly]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

A few of the Hamer Monacos have the Custom/ CC combo stock.

 

[gwenboulet]

Re: Help required regarding bridge pickup

Thanks I'll try that.