Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
- Thread starter jrbowen81
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iamthesuck
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
So tightness and cut help if you're doing technical work, or at in a band with another guitar player/other mid range instruments. You would want he tightness for shredding. If you're by yourself the smoother option will fit better
Edit: also if you're drop tuning tightness will play a part. This makes me double recommend the lifer (or drop and gain because they're supposed to be similar) neck pickup
So tightness and cut help if you're doing technical work, or at in a band with another guitar player/other mid range instruments. You would want he tightness for shredding. If you're by yourself the smoother option will fit better
Edit: also if you're drop tuning tightness will play a part. This makes me double recommend the lifer (or drop and gain because they're supposed to be similar) neck pickup
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jrbowen81
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Makes sense. Although I can dream, I'm definitely not a shredder by any stretch of the imagination. Haha... I've mostly been a big riff guy, but getting into blues-based soloing (like Slash & Joe Perry, I guess... At least that's what I'd aspire to do).
I'm not in a band currently, but I do need to fit into a "band context" since I'm writing and recording all my own songs by myself. I listen to a wide variety of stuff and like to try expanding into different genres. However, whether I set out to write riffs or I'm just noodling, what comes naturally tends to run the spectrum from bluesy hard rock to southern metal stuff (like Down, COC, Crowbar) to Euro metal stuff like In Flames, Carcass, Iron Maiden, etc. etc.
Since my Les Paul is the main attraction out of my 2 electric guitars, I've had it set up to work best with that kind of stuff, but with some versatility. I know I can't get one guitar to do EVERYTHING, but I don't want a one trick pony either. This guitar is definitely not that at all. I think getting the right neck pickup (now that I actually USE it) would just get me one step closer to where I want to be with that guitar.
I'm trying to resist the urge to just slap the typical set of EMGs in there, because while it would definitely do the job for a lot of what I like, I always get the feeling that passives are more likely to run the gamut of what I want out of them.
Makes sense. Although I can dream, I'm definitely not a shredder by any stretch of the imagination. Haha... I've mostly been a big riff guy, but getting into blues-based soloing (like Slash & Joe Perry, I guess... At least that's what I'd aspire to do).
I'm not in a band currently, but I do need to fit into a "band context" since I'm writing and recording all my own songs by myself. I listen to a wide variety of stuff and like to try expanding into different genres. However, whether I set out to write riffs or I'm just noodling, what comes naturally tends to run the spectrum from bluesy hard rock to southern metal stuff (like Down, COC, Crowbar) to Euro metal stuff like In Flames, Carcass, Iron Maiden, etc. etc.
Since my Les Paul is the main attraction out of my 2 electric guitars, I've had it set up to work best with that kind of stuff, but with some versatility. I know I can't get one guitar to do EVERYTHING, but I don't want a one trick pony either. This guitar is definitely not that at all. I think getting the right neck pickup (now that I actually USE it) would just get me one step closer to where I want to be with that guitar.
I'm trying to resist the urge to just slap the typical set of EMGs in there, because while it would definitely do the job for a lot of what I like, I always get the feeling that passives are more likely to run the gamut of what I want out of them.
jrbowen81
New member
gregory
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
...but will it remain tight with chord work (or even single notes, for that matter) under high gain?
Regarding creamy vs. fluid, I fear we're dealing with subjective terms, that can be re-defined on a whim, once again ("organic" and "warm," anyone?). I personally don't feel that they are necessarily opposites since I believe they are both smooth (another subjective term, see what I just did? :jester
.
...but will it remain tight with chord work (or even single notes, for that matter) under high gain?
Regarding creamy vs. fluid, I fear we're dealing with subjective terms, that can be re-defined on a whim, once again ("organic" and "warm," anyone?). I personally don't feel that they are necessarily opposites since I believe they are both smooth (another subjective term, see what I just did? :jester
.
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jrbowen81
New member
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Right, right. Warm/dark/fat/muddy/boomy; bright/brittle/harsh; clear/punchy/nasal; creamy/smooth/round; fluid/liquid...
Oh, and... "congested/boxy"... I've never been able to picture what that one really means, but I hear it a lot.
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
...but will it remain tight with chord work (or even single notes, for that matter) under high gain?
Regarding creamy vs. fluid, I fear we're dealing with subjective terms, that can be re-defined on a whim, once again ("organic" and "warm," anyone?). I personally don't feel that they are necessarily opposites since I believe they are both smooth (another subjective term, see what I just did? :jester
Right, right. Warm/dark/fat/muddy/boomy; bright/brittle/harsh; clear/punchy/nasal; creamy/smooth/round; fluid/liquid...
Oh, and... "congested/boxy"... I've never been able to picture what that one really means, but I hear it a lot.
jrbowen81
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Glad you brought this up, because it is also a concern of mine. I don't necessarily need it to be SUPER tight since that's mainly what I use my bridge pickup for, but some fat, chunky rhythms would be nice to have on the neck position too. More like heavy blues/ stoner-rock stuff, I suppose.
Glad you brought this up, because it is also a concern of mine. I don't necessarily need it to be SUPER tight since that's mainly what I use my bridge pickup for, but some fat, chunky rhythms would be nice to have on the neck position too. More like heavy blues/ stoner-rock stuff, I suppose.
jrbowen81
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Right. I'm just saying I don't need my neck pickup to be anywhere near as tight sounding as the bridge pickup. As long as it's not totally like "flub-flub-flub" on palm mutes and such, it's fine. I have had neck pickups before that made palm muting pretty much irrelevant. Lol... However, I would probably be playing mostly big power chords and stuff if I was doing anything heavy on the neck pickup. I hope I'm making sense at this point. Haha
Right. I'm just saying I don't need my neck pickup to be anywhere near as tight sounding as the bridge pickup. As long as it's not totally like "flub-flub-flub" on palm mutes and such, it's fine. I have had neck pickups before that made palm muting pretty much irrelevant. Lol... However, I would probably be playing mostly big power chords and stuff if I was doing anything heavy on the neck pickup. I hope I'm making sense at this point. Haha
jrbowen81
New member
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Haha, point taken. I'm thinking the Illuminator or LiquiFire is sounding like my best bet.
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Haha, point taken. I'm thinking the Illuminator or LiquiFire is sounding like my best bet.
gregory
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
I can't speak to the relative level between the Illuminator and the Custom 8, but I'm thinking it should be OK; though you might have to drop the neck pickup a little bit.
Again, I almost went this very route (Illuminator and Custom 8), so my recommendation here is absolutely vicarious.
I can't speak to the relative level between the Illuminator and the Custom 8, but I'm thinking it should be OK; though you might have to drop the neck pickup a little bit.
Again, I almost went this very route (Illuminator and Custom 8), so my recommendation here is absolutely vicarious.
jrbowen81
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
The more I read about the Illuminator and the more clips I hear of it, the more I think it could be the best choice. Thanks for everyone's input! This forum has helped me make so many well-informed trades and purchases.
The more I read about the Illuminator and the more clips I hear of it, the more I think it could be the best choice. Thanks for everyone's input! This forum has helped me make so many well-informed trades and purchases.
jrbowen81
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Hmmm... Not a bad idea. I have .022 Vitamin Q Paper in Oil caps right now and the '50s wiring.
Hmmm... Not a bad idea. I have .022 Vitamin Q Paper in Oil caps right now and the '50s wiring.
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Heard good things about teh JB @ the nk pos...
.02
Heard good things about teh JB @ the nk pos...
.02
Liko
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
I was wondering how long it would take before someone recommended Slash's own signature pickup to emulate Slash's tone.
I was wondering how long it would take before someone recommended Slash's own signature pickup to emulate Slash's tone.
jrbowen81
New member
Re: Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
I would have gone straight for that if not for the fact that he doesn't play heavy gauge strings in drop tunings through a 6505+. I knew it wouldn't be that simple.
I would have gone straight for that if not for the fact that he doesn't play heavy gauge strings in drop tunings through a 6505+. I knew it wouldn't be that simple.
jrbowen81
New member
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Kinda random, but would anybody happen to know what neck pickup John Petrucci might have been using around the time that he released his "Rock Discipline" video? I'm pretty sure he used the Tone Zone & Humbucker From Hell on Images and Words. Whatever this one is, he has it with the screw coil toward the bridge.
Les Paul neck pickup for "fluid" tone?
Kinda random, but would anybody happen to know what neck pickup John Petrucci might have been using around the time that he released his "Rock Discipline" video? I'm pretty sure he used the Tone Zone & Humbucker From Hell on Images and Words. Whatever this one is, he has it with the screw coil toward the bridge.
