Low output awakening

Metalman_666

Metalman_666

New member
Had the chance to track 3 songs in a proper studio with a beautiful sounding room, and for the first time in a long time got to open up my Mark IV at deadly volumes, through quality mics. Not using a ton of gain, I would call it rock levels but not "hard rock" levels

I already knew the amp could sing, but plugging in my recently acquired PRS with a pair of Duncan 59s and the Heritage with Lollar P90s, I was feeling and hearing things in a way I've been missing, where modeling just hasn't cut it. The responsiveness of the amp to guitar control changes, the transparency, the honesty of what my hands were doing, it's all just incredible!

Having been a high output pickup guy forever, I'm really coming around these last couple years. Maybe I'm getting older? Having a space to crank probably also helps.

Has anyone else gone this direction as time goes by? Do you miss the fluid compression of higher output juicing the amp?

Sent from my SM-F926W using Tapatalk
 
I find in the studio that is where I get to experiment and grow sonically. Most of the time in the 80s you would use the amps provided by the studio so that would get you out of your comfort zone. I remember one session the engineer had me double the track with his strat. Being a humbucker guy I went kicking and screaming but at the end of the day he was right, it sounded awesome.

Glad you are having a great session and hearing new things.
 
Metalman_666 said:
Had the chance to track 3 songs in a proper studio with a beautiful sounding room, and for the first time in a long time got to open up my Mark IV at deadly volumes, through quality mics. Not using a ton of gain, I would call it rock levels but not "hard rock" levels

I already knew the amp could sing, but plugging in my recently acquired PRS with a pair of Duncan 59s and the Heritage with Lollar P90s, I was feeling and hearing things in a way I've been missing, where modeling just hasn't cut it. The responsiveness of the amp to guitar control changes, the transparency, the honesty of what my hands were doing, it's all just incredible!

Having been a high output pickup guy forever, I'm really coming around these last couple years. Maybe I'm getting older? Having a space to crank probably also helps.

Has anyone else gone this direction as time goes by? Do you miss the fluid compression of higher output juicing the amp?

Sent from my SM-F926W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I use all.

High output humbuckers, low output humbuckers, strat singles.

Missing two:

Tele pickups and P90s.
 
I don't think it's related to age so much as just changing up your settings periodically and trying something either new or revisiting something you haven't tried in a while, like just reducing the distortion/saturation. There's an initial excitement when it's new or fresh and you'll think of a bunch of new possibilities for playing, whereas doing the same thing with the same sound for a long time starts to feel like stagnation and becomes boring or disappointing.

There's something to be said for having your amp somewhere on that line between clean and full break up, such that just by manipulating your pick or finger pressure on the strings you can go from soft clean notes to making it howl like the afterburner of a jet, all for the price of laying into the strings a little bit or just rolling the volume one or two notches. It opens up a whole range of expression where the guitar can take on a human vocal quality.
 
Metalman_666 said:
Had the chance to track 3 songs in a proper studio with a beautiful sounding room, and for the first time in a long time got to open up my Mark IV at deadly volumes, through quality mics. Not using a ton of gain, I would call it rock levels but not "hard rock" levels

I already knew the amp could sing, but plugging in my recently acquired PRS with a pair of Duncan 59s and the Heritage with Lollar P90s, I was feeling and hearing things in a way I've been missing, where modeling just hasn't cut it. The responsiveness of the amp to guitar control changes, the transparency, the honesty of what my hands were doing, it's all just incredible!

Having been a high output pickup guy forever, I'm really coming around these last couple years. Maybe I'm getting older? Having a space to crank probably also helps.

Has anyone else gone this direction as time goes by? Do you miss the fluid compression of higher output juicing the amp?

Sent from my SM-F926W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Totally.

I am gravitating towards my lower output pickups/guitars lately.

Dimarzio 36th level of heat through way less gain is sounding better to my ears and feeling better under my fingers every day
 
There is a certain openness and clarity to moderate output humbuckers, that high output just doesn't doesn't have.

Always nice to let the amp run!
 
It's just been a natural journey of discovery for me to realize that lower output pickups get me what I'm after (as a general rule at least).
 
Metalman_666 said:
Had the chance to track 3 songs in a proper studio with a beautiful sounding room, and for the first time in a long time got to open up my Mark IV at deadly volumes, through quality mics. Not using a ton of gain, I would call it rock levels but not "hard rock" levels

I already knew the amp could sing, but plugging in my recently acquired PRS with a pair of Duncan 59s and the Heritage with Lollar P90s, I was feeling and hearing things in a way I've been missing, where modeling just hasn't cut it. The responsiveness of the amp to guitar control changes, the transparency, the honesty of what my hands were doing, it's all just incredible!

Having been a high output pickup guy forever, I'm really coming around these last couple years. Maybe I'm getting older? Having a space to crank probably also helps.

Has anyone else gone this direction as time goes by? Do you miss the fluid compression of higher output juicing the amp?

Sent from my SM-F926W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Low output pickups always sound better by themselves. They are much more open, airy, and detailed. The question is, do they still work when the playing gets fast and intricate?

In the old days, hot pickups were required to overdrive the amp, but these days amps have lots of gain, and of course you can use boost pedals. Pickups should be selected on tonality and playing characteristics.

Hot humbuckers are tight and have less of the open/air/detail to them, which means they do exactly what you ask them. But if you expect to hang a note and make an orgasm face with hot pickups, you will be sorely disappointed.

BTW, I haven't heard "Loller" in a long time, lol. I usually associated those with the blues lawyers who are so prevalent in guitar gear forums.
 
Glad I'm not alone, it really is about moving some air and mixing things up for a change.

I started seriously exploring lower gain and more dynamic playing in starting 2012 or so, and for about 6 years I was gigging a lot with that in the back of my mind. This weekend was a refreshing journey back to that organic feeling of control in the hands!

After putting the 59 through its paces, I'm feeling a 59/Custom hybrid for my next guitar... Give me dynamic rock punch and harmonics for days. Will I be in tonal Nirvana or what?

Sent from my SM-F926W using Tapatalk
 
The Hybrid does the 'best of both worlds' better than any other pickup I've tried, while still giving the scoopy PAF tone.
 
beaubrummels said:
There's something to be said for having your amp somewhere on that line between clean and full break up, such that just by manipulating your pick or finger pressure on the strings you can go from soft clean notes to making it howl like the afterburner of a jet, all for the price of laying into the strings a little bit or just rolling the volume one or two notches. It opens up a whole range of expression where the guitar can take on a human vocal quality.
Click to expand...

Exactly what makes a tube amp so glorious at volume.
And IMO where modelers still fall a bit short. For now.
 
Each to his own. I had a phase where I was using PAF types for metal as well. I really dug the snap and open-ness I was getting out of the '59B (my favorite vintange-output bridge humbucker), but then I tried the Black Winter. All of my guitars with PAF-types sounded so weak and puny by comparison, LOL.

That's just my experience, but I always judge my pickups (and any gear, for that matter) based on how they record.
 
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If you're playing with less gain, it makes sense that lower output pickups sound better. Higher output pickups tend to be a lot more mid focused, which works better for high gain and otherwise sounds harsh. IMO that's the biggest difference, not compression or output.

Also, if you're not used to playing at high volume, literally anything will be a revelation. The way the guitar reacts acoustically to that volume is an experience that can't be replicated any other way.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk
 
Well… I don’t think it’s the low output pickups that is the key to your experience. I think it’s the pure unadulterated joy of volume. Just sayin… *wink*


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Last edited:
Dahla said:
Well… I don’t think it’s the low output pickups that is the key to your experience. I think it’s the pure unadulterated joy of volume. Just sayin… *wink*


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
^^yes, it’s not like high output pickups don’t sound better with a driving amp, too
 
So many fun ways to mix it up!!! My main amp is a classic 50. I can crank it pretty good for most practice/gigging scenarios.
les Paul or PRS w/ super distortion bridge = great.
59 in the neck=great.
epiphone dot with Mojotone 59 clones=great!
 
Mincer said:
When you get less compression, you get more touch sensitivity; really more dynamic range. I started experimenting with dynamics as I got to be a more experienced player.
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly. The less I suck at playing, the more comfortable I become using less gain/moderate output pups.
 
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