Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clarity?

[Kokopelli]

A humbucker-size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clarity!!! Is this possible???

The A2P bridge in my les paul type guitar is pretty amazing. But I'm looking for something with the same thick and sweet singing voice of the A2P, but with more clarity.

The pup must be in a humbucker size (phat cat and similar pups are ok), and it doesn't have to be a Duncan pup. Please provide your recommendation.

EDIT: I don't care for the PG bridge, it sounds thin to my ears.

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Sounds like you might want a Duncan Jazz bridge, a DMZ EJ Custom, or maybe even the bridge pup out of PRS SE Custom/Singlecut.

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Just to add more information regarding my quest for the perfect bridge for this particular les paul type guitar. These are the pups that I had tried:

7.3 Patent Number (short A5 magnet)
7.5 Patent Number (short A5 magnet)
7.8 orig PAF (short A5 magnet)
8.4 orig PAF (long magnet - not sure if A2 or A5, most likely an A5)
Timbucker (A5)
Duncan PG (A2)
Dr. Vintage (A2)
GFS Hot PAF (A5, I think)
GFS retrotron (A5)
JV Jones Classic Filtertron (A5)

All are good to amazing pickups, but not for this guitar.

Believe it or not, the Duncan A2P bridge sounds the best in this guitar.

I think the AlNiCo-2 magnet is the culprit for the sound I'm after due to its rounded trebles, strong mids and reduced bass.

So if I can get an A2P with the same thickness and sweet singing voice, but with MORE clarity, then I'm done.

Any advice???

 

[austin]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

If you haven't tried a Seth Lover yet, it wouldn't hurt to.

-Austin

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

I have not tried the Seth bridge on this guitar, but I have played with the Seths and Antiquity on my friend's R8.

For what ever reason, the AP2 just seem to have that single-coil clarity to it that the Seths and Antiqs don't.

I forgot the mentioned on my other post that I also have tried the Gibson A2 Bustbuckers 2 and 3. Didn't care for both of them.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

I don't find the A2P to lack clarity at all but if you want more clarity going to a slightly brighter pickup is the ticket however if the PG, which is not overly bright at all, sounded thin to you Im not sure what to point you towards...

Also, if you want the A2 sound that comes with a slightly dulled high end (more dulled than an alnico 5 pickup) so again Im not sure what to say...

It might be something like the pots, cap and/or wire but Im not sure...what are you using in it??

Truth is if you've gone through all those pickups and are still unhappy I'd strat leaning towards it being the guitar....

 

[uOpt]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

The Screamin' Demon also fits that description (much more than it's name ).

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Response to "the guy who invented fire"

I never wrote that the A2P is lacking in clarity. Quite the opposite, according to my ears, it's the humbucker with the MOST clarity that I had tried (it has this thick AND clear characteristic). I'm just looking for MORE clarity (if possible).

Other pickups (especially the A5s) that I tried are brighter, thinner sounding, or just as thick or even thicker sounding, but none has that almost single-coil-like clarity of the A2P.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Maybe a Dimarzio Virtual PAF type pickup? The neck version can be used in the bridge, and it has that single-coil like clarity and attack. The aired A5 has some qualities of A5 and A2. I use one in the neck of my LP, and it definitely has a singing solo voice. The VPAF Hot and VPAF bridge models are more woody, and lack some of the articulate attack that the neck VPAF has.

I think a VPAF neck in your bridge spot could really fit the bill.

 

[lemonman]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Try a A2P neck model in the bridge. It'll have the same basic tonal characteristics, but be brighter.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Truth is if you've gone through all those pickups and are still unhappy I'd strat leaning towards it being the guitar....

Yeah, I think if you've already tried a million different pickups and don't like ANY of them much, maybe you just have a bad piece of wood.
Either sell the guitar for another one, or try a set of Blackouts. My RR3 didn't seem to work with any pickups I tried, and eventually I gave up and tried actives. Apparently actives don't need to work so much with the wood of the guitar or something like that - don't ask me, I'm no expert.
But whatever it was, the Blackouts sound so much better than anything else I tried in that guitar. And they're not just for high gain either, there's a guy on Youtube using them in a Telecaster playing pretty clean and he totally rocks with them.

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq-vB_Z7QWU

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Thanks to everyone for your inputs. This particular guitar is very special to me so it's not going anywhere. The A2P in its neck is absolutely out of this world. It sounds different from my '01 Gibson Custom Authentic with real PAFs, but I love it just as much. Some might say that I love it more because of the $$$ and time that I had spent on it. I think I'm going to try the Phat Cat next.

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Yeah, I think if you've already tried a million different pickups and don't like ANY of them much, maybe you just have a bad piece of wood.
Either sell the guitar for another one, or try a set of Blackouts. My RR3 didn't seem to work with any pickups I tried, and eventually I gave up and tried actives. Apparently actives don't need to work so much with the wood of the guitar or something like that - don't ask me, I'm no expert.
But whatever it was, the Blackouts sound so much better than anything else I tried in that guitar. And they're not just for high gain either, there's a guy on Youtube using them in a Telecaster playing pretty clean and he totally rocks with them.

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq-vB_Z7QWU

Nice playing! I love telecaster. I have 2 part-casters. One with a Timbucker neck and an OC Duff Bridge. The other with an Duncan A2P neck and a Don Mare's Buchanan Bridge.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

I dont like Telecasters, but I like what that guy does with his.

 

[The Usual]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

I went through a very very similar situation with my LP. In the end, alnico 2 was what that guitar wanted, and only alnico 2 sounds like alnico 2. In fact the regular old 498T with an A2 mag and some height/screw adjustments was really great. As was the AP2.

That being said, you should try an alnico 4 magnet in the AP2 and a 498T. Don't bother messing around with Seths, and 59s because they are the same pickup as the AP2. The 59 is alnico 5, which you don't want, and the Seth is simply an unpotted AP2, which does not change the voice of the pup at all. Believe me.

Another pickup that sounded great was a CC/498T hybrid. Yeah, that's right, you can do it. As well as a CC/AP2 hybrid if you want a little more output and the same alnico 2 feel.

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

I went through a very very similar situation with my LP. In the end, alnico 2 was what that guitar wanted, and only alnico 2 sounds like alnico 2. In fact the regular old 498T with an A2 mag and some height/screw adjustments was really great. As was the AP2.

That being said, you should try an alnico 4 magnet in the AP2 and a 498T. Don't bother messing around with Seths, and 59s because they are the same pickup as the AP2. The 59 is alnico 5, which you don't want, and the Seth is simply an unpotted AP2, which does not change the voice of the pup at all. Believe me.

Another pickup that sounded great was a CC/498T hybrid. Yeah, that's right, you can do it. As well as a CC/AP2 hybrid if you want a little more output and the same alnico 2 feel.

Thanks for sharing your experience. You know what, I'm beginning to believe that the A2 is the magnet for this guitar. Thus I'm considering other low-output, vintage-type A2 pups such as the Phat Cat.

 

[jimijames]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

Response to "the guy who invented fire"

I never wrote that the A2P is lacking in clarity. Quite the opposite, according to my ears, it's the humbucker with the MOST clarity that I had tried (it has this thick AND clear characteristic). I'm just looking for MORE clarity (if possible).

Other pickups (especially the A5s) that I tried are brighter, thinner sounding, or just as thick or even thicker sounding, but none has that almost single-coil-like clarity of the A2P.

Change out your pots with 500k if you haven't already. If you have, you might have to go with 1meg pots - it shouldn't change the sound of the pickup, but it should bring in some high end/clarity that you want.

Also, do the same for the tone controls, but changing the volume pots will make the most difference. If that doesn't work I would suggest:

A2/jazz hybrid (w/ A2)
A2/59 hybrid (again, w/ A2)

If that doesn't get you there, I don't know what to say. Oh, wait, yes I do

Call the custom shop

If that fails,






you're screwed.:banghead:

edit: Ok, I just read that you're going to try the phat cat, and I want to hit myself for not thinking of it. I've heard nothing but good things about it, I think you'll like it.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

If it is a Gibson Les Paul and you have the stock 300k volume pots, try using 500k volume pots.

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

The Pots are CTS 500K, and the caps are .04uf

I'm also going to test out the Harmonic Design Z90 along with the Phat Cat. Does anyone have any experience with the Z90 Bridge?

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: Humbucker size bridge with same thickness and sweetness as A2P but with more clar

...
That being said, you should try an alnico 4 magnet in the AP2 and a 498T. Don't bother messing around with Seths, and 59s because they are the same pickup as the AP2. The 59 is alnico 5, which you don't want, and the Seth is simply an unpotted AP2, which does not change the voice of the pup at all. Believe me.
...

The wire gauges in the Seth and A2P aren't even the same (42awg vs 43awg).