lively humbuckers?

R

royd

New member
I'm trading for my first humbucker equiped guitar... trouble is, I've never liked humbuckers. To my ears, they have always sounded like somebody put a blanket over the amp :smack: (flame retardant suit)
What would you suggest for the most lively sounding buckers... not necessarily bright, but with some air in there.
The guitar is a mahogany back, flamed maple carved top, with mahogany neck, 25" scale.
 
Re: lively humbuckers?

royd said:
I'm trading for my first humbucker equiped guitar... trouble is, I've never liked humbuckers. To my ears, they have always sounded like somebody put a blanket over the amp :smack: (flame retardant suit)
What would you suggest for the most lively sounding buckers... not necessarily bright, but with some air in there.
The guitar is a mahogany back, flamed maple carved top, with mahogany neck, 25" scale.
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Sounds like a PRS or a Carvin. The Dimarzio Vitage Hot has gotten rave reviews here for it's hotter output and open well balanced sound, for Duncans I would say the lower output models like the Seth Lover/Antiquities would be best but I have never used them.
 
Re: lively humbuckers?

59 pickups are have good open paf type sound, not muffled at all in the bridge of a guitar.
 
Re: lively humbuckers?

Snowdog on the GFS Bigmouth:
The Bigmouth is cool because it is fat, loud, punchy, clear and bright. Kind of a strange combo of qualities. It sounds like an incredibly fat single coil. Except without the hum and harsh treble or clank. The high end has snap and a lot of twang but yet is fat and clear and the bass is fat and punchy. The attack of a single coil with humbucker smoothness. It also has a good amount of sensitity without overloading when pushed hard. The midrange is slightly attenuated.

When you first hear it you think it is rather bright but you realize that the bass is much clearer and has a wider frequency spread than with most other pickups. Also you start to realize that the treble isn't thin and sharp just fat, clear and warm. I think its a great pickup for old fashioned high volume rock. Because it has a much wider frequency range than most pickups and because it pushes a big fat signal without much distortion.

Snowdog
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Also look into the Harmonic Design Z-90, which is humbucker slot fitting single coil with huge fatness and punch.
 
Re: lively humbuckers?

Anything wound to "vintage" specs. Alnico 2 humbuckers will have more mids and alnico 5 humbuckers will be brighter with more bass but less mids.

alnico 5: Jazz, 59's

alnico 2: Seth Lovers, Alnico 2 Pro, Pearly Gates

I'd bet you'd like a set of the Pearly Gates...never heard anyone describe those as being muffled.

The Jazz set is also very clear and not muffled...and don't let the "Jazz" handle scare you: the JAZZ HUMBUCKERS rock and can overdrive an amp beautifully!
 
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