Leads easier with a hot pickup?

[papersoul]

Hey guys,

I have found over his past year that I find leads more fluid and rich, and just easier to play when using a hot pickup or at least something medium output. The lower output pickups get more articulate and less gainy so leads can be more of a struggle. Is this the common finding?

ps

 

[fusion101]

Re: Leads easier with a hot pickup?

Well if I'm playing lead in the neck i like low output because it sounds smoother, as far as in the bridge I love my 14k CC

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Leads easier with a hot pickup?

Hot pickups do tend to compress everything a bit more, so if you're playin legato stuff a hot pickup wont hurt. Some peeps just like the tone of low or med output pickups...I usually tend to agree. I sometimes break out the hot PUs though.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Leads easier with a hot pickup?

This is the same reason most players, especially younger players, tend to overdo it on the gain. It erases your mistakes from hitting too hard or soft and evens things out -- but then you sound like a beehive and you can't hear the fundamental pitch, only the upper mid overtones.

This is why I like that ad for Gibson with the acoustic guitar sitting on a stand on the stage. The caption: "No distortion to cover your ass."

 

[Curly]

Re: Leads easier with a hot pickup?

if you're talking about a singing lead tone, then it has to come from either the pickups, the amp, or a pedal ... I think everyone wants a decent rhythm tone as well, so that figures in to the equation