Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

The Gravity Storm Neck is ceramic I believe. Has kind of a single coil vibe to it. Kinda cool

 

[Mononoaware]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

The Gravity Storm Neck is ceramic I believe. Has kind of a single coil vibe to it. Kinda cool

Yeah, I've been eyeing that one. Sounds like it's pretty unique. Any first-hand experience with it?

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

Yeah, I've been eyeing that one. Sounds like it's pretty unique. Any first-hand experience with it?

Yes actually, I have a set of the gravity storm in an Ibanez S body and I like the tone. Kind of like a high performance blues/rock set of pickups from Steve Vai's camp.

 

[Downrazor11]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

The D-Activator neck is hands down my favorite ceramic, but I also like the Bluesbucker neck as well.. Both of those were mentioned above already though..

My fav neck humbuckers are mostly not passive ceramics though (but I'd put the D-Activator neck at number 3 on my list): 1) the Gibson Burstbucker Pro neck, 2) the EMG 89R, 4) the Bareknuckles Abraxas neck, 5) the Gibson Burstbucker 1, and 6) Seymour Duncan's AHB-1n blackout..

Good luck!

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

The Dimarzio EVO is a decent a neck pickup. It's pretty bright for neck position though, so if you pair it with a dark bridge humbucker, both options can start sounding kinda similar.

 

[Mononoaware]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

The Dimarzio EVO is a decent a neck pickup. It's pretty bright for neck position though, so if you pair it with a dark bridge humbucker, both options can start sounding kinda similar.

I've got it paired with a FRED right now, which is very middy/bright. The output matches pretty well (surprisingly -- despite DiMarzio's ratings, the EVO is punchy), and there's a strong contrast. Middle position sounds are good, too. But yeah, I wouldn't pair it with a Super 3 or Tone Zone.

 

[Downrazor11]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

I've got it paired with a FRED right now, which is very middy/bright. The output matches pretty well (surprisingly -- despite DiMarzio's ratings, the EVO is punchy), and there's a strong contrast. Middle position sounds are good, too. But yeah, I wouldn't pair it with a Super 3 or Tone Zone.

What guitar is this for? I had a JS100 (basswood body) for a decade that had a FRED bridge and a Paf Pro neck, that guitar was my only guitar for much of that time and covered a ton of ground (the only thing it couldn't pull off was djent), blues was its forte..

 

[Mononoaware]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

What guitar is this for? I had a JS100 (basswood body) for a decade that had a FRED bridge and a Paf Pro neck, that guitar was my only guitar for much of that time and covered a ton of ground (the only thing it couldn't pull off was djent), blues was its forte..

It's a JS1000. I've got a JS1600 with a Satchu8 and a Pro in it, so I wanted something a little different for the neck in this one. I've had a lot of different neck pickups in it -- Bluesbucker and EVO are probably the two best, so maybe it needs a tighter neck. It's pretty fuzzy/vocal/warm.

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

It's a JS1000. I've got a JS1600 with a Satchu8 and a Pro in it, so I wanted something a little different for the neck in this one. I've had a lot of different neck pickups in it -- Bluesbucker and EVO are probably the two best, so maybe it needs a tighter neck. It's pretty fuzzy/vocal/warm.

Might want to check out the Transition Neck or the Sonic Ecstasy, they are ceramic as well I believe

 

[Downrazor11]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

...so maybe it needs a tighter neck. It's pretty fuzzy/vocal/warm.

I had the D-Activator set in the JS100 towards the end, and, while I found definition I didn't have before, I did miss the plasmatic, liquid, quality of the PAF Pro in mine (with a '95 manufacture date).. The D-activator will tighten things up, but it is also a bit brighter and deeper than the Pro..

 

[Mononoaware]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

I had the D-Activator set in the JS100 towards the end, and, while I found definition I didn't have before, I did miss the plasmatic, liquid, quality of the PAF Pro in mine (with a '95 manufacture date).. The D-activator will tighten things up, but it is also a bit brighter and deeper than the Pro..

Thanks, that's a really useful description. I have yet to put the Pro in the neck of a guitar and not like it, exactly for the reason you mention ("plasmic" is a great word, btw). It's organic. Sometimes I just want something more even-toned, even if it's less organic and pliable.

Also, the Pro has a healthy output for the neck, and it always seemed to take over with the middle position selected, no matter how I set the heights. I want some two-humbucker cluck in the middle. There are some sets that do this well, and others where it's really elusive. The PAF Joe was a better balance but... well, you know. Always chasin' different tones, looking for the Muse Tone.

 

[Downrazor11]

Re: Introduce Me to Your Favorite Ceramic Neck Bucker(s)

From the years of tones and learning that separate then and now, if I were to pick one all-around passive set to put in the JS I had, it would be either the Burstbucker set ($$), the Abraxas set ($$$), or the D-activator set ($)..