Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

M

MrFlexx

New member
Today I'm using the Saturday Night Special set on my Gibson Les Paul but want more attack and string definition. I like the eq-curve of the bridge pickup but think it lacks attack and string definition (for my taste)
The neck pickup is way to boomy and dark sounding. For my taste the low frequency eq-curve makes the pickup useless. I normally love using the neck position but with this pickup I never use it due to the above description.

I need your suggestions about what pickups to use. I love low-medium output and would love to have one with great attack, clarity and string definition. I want every tone to be felt in the chest. The amps I use are a Hot-Rodded Marshall, Bogner Helios and a modified Engl Powerball II. I have other guitars with SD Distortion and JB. But for the Gibson I want something different.

Could the - 78 maybe be something for me? Maybe with a Jazz in the neck? Or maybe the Custom floor are the way to go?

All tips and input are more than welcome.
 
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Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

low to medium with definition and clarity sounds like a demon to me.
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

chadd said:
low to medium with definition and clarity sounds like a demon to me.
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So you mean I need a high output?
When listening to Doug Rappaport playing I hear both great attacks and definition using the-78. And if I'm not wrong they're low output!?

But I checked the Pickup selector and of its suggestions I think maybe the Duncan Custom with a Jazz neck could be a great combination!?
 
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Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

Darker? Not in my experience and I had them for a while in one of my Les Paul. Have you checked the pots value? Are you sure they are 500k?
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

MrFlexx said:
So you mean I need a high output?
When listening to Doug Rappaport playing I hear both great attacks and definition using the-78. And if I'm not wrong they're low output!?

But I checked the Pickup selector and of its suggestions I think maybe the Duncan Custom with a Jazz neck could be a great combination!?
Click to expand...

No, the screaming demon has the best definition and clarity of the low to medium output pickups, in my opinion.
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

the demon has a lot of clarity i just dont like the way it sounds. always thin to my ears
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

I'm a fan of the Screamin' Demon and the '78. Both have great attack and articulation with very controllable output.
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

chadd said:
No, the screaming demon has the best definition and clarity of the low to medium output pickups, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I second this!!! The Demon with its A5, has the attack. 78 has an A2, for me there is nothing like the attack of an A5. Problem you will have, like me, is finding a neck pup to keep up.

Also Too bright is relative to which guitar it's in. I am taking it that the OP has a rather dark LP. So in a dark LP the Demon will have a more rounded warmer top end. Still with plenty of harmonics and attack. I will not recommend the Jazz in a dark LP, it will be mud city. It didn't work for me. I wound up with a Demon in both positions Neck & Bridge. There is also the .047 Cap inline with pickup trick, which acts like a high pass filter. I had to use this in my LP with a Jazz neck, better but still not great. I'm living with it for a while. your better choice, if you don't want 2 Demons, is a FullShred neck (so I have been told).

Also a nice set of 59's is sweet too. Just listen to Vivian Campbel's Last In Line Band's debut album.
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

audiocheck said:
I second this!!! The Demon with its A5, has the attack. 78 has an A2, for me there is nothing like the attack of an A5. Problem you will have, like me, is finding a neck pup to keep up.

Also Too bright is relative to which guitar it's in. I am taking it that the OP has a rather dark LP. So in a dark LP the Demon will have a more rounded warmer top end. Still with plenty of harmonics and attack. I will not recommend the Jazz in a dark LP, it will be mud city. It didn't work for me. I wound up with a Demon in both positions Neck & Bridge. There is also the .047 Cap inline with pickup trick, which acts like a high pass filter. I had to use this in my LP with a Jazz neck, better but still not great. I'm living with it for a while. your better choice, if you don't want 2 Demons, is a FullShred neck (so I have been told).

Also a nice set of 59's is sweet too. Just listen to Vivian Campbel's Last In Line Band's debut album.
Click to expand...

Putting an A8 in the bridge demon will help balance the outputs and give a nice tone when split. I don't care for the tone of A8 mags in any of the pickups I've tried, so I'm wondering what an A3 or A4 would do in the neck. Demon in the neck also balances well with an original El Diablo in the bridge. Off the shelf though, I think the full shred neck is the best option.

250k volume on the Demon also helps thicken it up if you have independent volumes.
 
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Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

MrFlexx said:
When listening to Doug Rappaport playing I hear both great attacks and definition using the-78.
Click to expand...

Doug Rappaport also gets amazing tones using the Saturday Night set, on the videos that I've seen.
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

Jazz is awesome, clear and liquid with gain

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

chadd said:
No, the screaming demon has the best definition and clarity of the low to medium output pickups, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Tried to Screaming Demon when it was released on a guitar with Alder body and maple neck with ebony fretboard. Was way to harsh, but maybe the tone wood combo wasn't that great with the pickup? Maybe it's better in a mahogany body?
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

audiocheck said:
I second this!!! The Demon with its A5, has the attack. 78 has an A2, for me there is nothing like the attack of an A5. Problem you will have, like me, is finding a neck pup to keep up.

Also Too bright is relative to which guitar it's in. I am taking it that the OP has a rather dark LP. So in a dark LP the Demon will have a more rounded warmer top end. Still with plenty of harmonics and attack. I will not recommend the Jazz in a dark LP, it will be mud city. It didn't work for me. I wound up with a Demon in both positions Neck & Bridge. There is also the .047 Cap inline with pickup trick, which acts like a high pass filter. I had to use this in my LP with a Jazz neck, better but still not great. I'm living with it for a while. your better choice, if you don't want 2 Demons, is a FullShred neck (so I have been told).

Also a nice set of 59's is sweet too. Just listen to Vivian Campbel's Last In Line Band's debut album.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion, but the 59's ain't for me. Too dark and lifeless for me.
 
Re: Instead of Saturday Night Specials?

Mincer said:
I'd go for a Jazz and Custom 5. You will feel the lows. Lots of articulation, too.
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Will have a Custom 5 delivered on Monday and will post my thoughts about it. If I don't like it I'll give the Screaming Demon another go and if that don't cut it ill try the -78.

As for the neck pickup I'll give the jazz a go first after finding the right bridge pickup.
 
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