med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

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hi all, i'm hoping to get some opinions on this and enjoy the benefits of your collective wisdom.

i've been having some issues getting the right p/up combo in my LP, i don't know if it's 'chambered' or just 'lightened' but it's quite bright and honky for an LP (this may have something to do with my Chromyte Reduction Program) and i'm learning so far that pickups i expected to sound good/bad in it don't. it's a studio lite MIII that usually goes into a JCM900 or a mesa V-twin/SSfender, i'm basically looking for a versatile low-to-med output bridge humbucker for blues, jazz, rock and metal.

unsurprisingly, an A2P works for me pretty well in the neck; i've also tried a 59n and found it too bassy in this gui. am interested in a neck phat cat or will otherwise either try an A5P or 59/A2P hybrid, either way i'm comfortable with the neck options but the bridge slot's starting to give me a headache...

i had a JB in the bridge of this thing for years (no longer with us) and it wasn't perfect but was reasonably well-balanced in this guitar - the highs and upper mid spike complemented the low mid honk of this gui nicely, but the low end wasn't exactly crisp and cleans just weren't happening.
as far as customs go - i've tried a CC which i really liked in this LP, i'd try an A3 mag for a little more high though; i have a C5 in the bridge at the moment and i'm not done tweaking it but it's not quite there either, possibly a bit dark for me and not well-suited to this particular gui EQ-wise.
i've tried an airzone and liked the definition but it was way too mid-heavy and rounded-sounding, not the best match in this instance but turned me onto airbuckers. considering putting an A2 mag in it but don't expect it to work out.

i'm not using the middle single slot at all at right now as i'm saving myself the wiring work while trying different bridge p/ups, the NSX single that came stock's fairly uninspiring so i'm considering a vintage flat or lipstick for the middle once the neck and bridge slots are sorted out. 1 vol, 1 tone, 5way and mini-toggle if anyone's wondering.

current bridge options are:
> try a screamin demon (and possibly some mods) in the bridge :scratchch
> swap an A2 mag into an airzone :banghead:
> try out a mutant custom i've put an over-sized ceramic and 2 ceramic 'spacer' mags from a 500T in, and dust off my metal chops :smash:
> attempt to locate an A8 magnet in this country :disappoin and try it in a custom, AZ or demon...

i don't want to buy anything else until i've exhausted the options.

what say you?

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

have you still got that '59? i'd suggest turning your C5 into a hybrid if it's too dark, either with the '59 or a2p coil as the bridge-ward screw coil and the custom's slug coil. btw what pots/caps are you using?

 

[dr. ad]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

have you still got that '59? i'd suggest turning your C5 into a hybrid if it's too dark, either with the '59 or a2p coil as the bridge-ward screw coil and the custom's slug coil. btw what pots/caps are you using?

500K vol and tone, i think it's a .47 that came with but it's at home and i'm at work... i took the choke off altogether. they're original anyway

i'm reluctant to mix a custom coil with a 59n coil, i'd definitely stick to over-wound bridge coils for a bridge p/up... and i really like em both as neck p/ups and don't want to split em ; ]

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

i see. well either way, i think a hybrid would be the way to go for this one, you get the punch and output of the custom slug coil while getting a little sparkle from the lower output coil.

 

[blueman335]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

One of your options: I really like Phat Cats in the neck (with mag swaps to an A5/A2 or A5/A4). You can really tweak your tone with magnets, and a single coil has an open sound no neck HB can duplicate.

Try Wymore Guitars.com, I think he ships internationally. Get an assortment of magnets to make it worth your while.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

have you still got that '59? i'd suggest turning your C5 into a hybrid if it's too dark, either with the '59 or a2p coil as the bridge-ward screw coil and the custom's slug coil. btw what pots/caps are you using?

Just out of playful curiosity, do ever recommend anything that WON`T void the warranty? :laugh2::beerchug:

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

Just out of playful curiosity, do ever recommend anything that WON`T void the warranty? :laugh2::beerchug:

now what's the fun in that

 

[dr. ad]

Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

now what's the fun in that

it's all used gear so no warranties are applicable, suggest away ; ]

trying another hybrid in the bridge with a PC in the neck certainly appeals as well... cheers guys

 

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Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

have the demon in the bridge at present.
after trying it in the neck i knew i liked it's lower-mid and bottom end, but in the bridge of this particular guitar it's fantastic; i've only played it through the 900 so far and i've got a good twang from it clean, when overdriving the clean channel it crunches beautifully and i've got some satisfying rrrock and metal sounds out of it as well...

i'll be tweaking it for a while, i think; want to see what i can do by playing with the allen vs fillister pole heights. it could be something else but i'm finding so far that i'm liking the fillisters low and allens relatively high (mounted stock)

i'm off to hunt down a nickel phat cat... :smokin:

 

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Re: med-output bridge humbucker for LP with EQ issues

update:

RE SCREAMIN DEMON
when i first mounted the screamin demon in the bridge, i had the bridge p/up ring backwards so that the coil closest the neck (allens in this case, usually slug) sat much higher than the coil closest the bridge as the pickup was sitting on an angle; this actually sounded really good with the allen side very close (ie 'wolf-tone' close) to the strings and the fillister side far away, ie if the whole pickup was that far away the volume pot wouldn't really be necessary.

i've since fited it properly and experimented with the demon's coils' height and screw heights, and found that:
>raising the allens slightly while keeping the fillisters level (so only the dome and none of the sides of the screw-head are above the top of the coil) sounds best with the screws fitted as per stock
>putting all the allens under the wound strings added some crunch and definition, and all the fillisters under the plated strings seemed to add some depth and make them less 'tinny', this was preferable although i did like the plated strings with both allens and fillisters as well
>as much as i love the demon's crunch, i believe it may lack a little bass in this particular guitar. still definitely one of the better options, and if i were tuning down a lot and/or trying to cut through a dense mix and/or always using a marshall i'd probably stick with it.

RE AIRZONE W/A2 MAG
i've tried a regular AZ before (A5 mag) in this guitar and it was very mid-range heavy, it was great clean and was well defined under gain while not having the tightest low end, but had that 'vowel-sound' neck-tone-in-bridge thing happening that wasn't easily dialled out. the weaker mag takes care of that but also seemed to make it drop some of it's harmonic content so it still isn't quite what i'm after; another decent option for a versatile LP bridge humbucker tho.

RE HYBRID JB/CUSTOM W/CERAMIC MAG
this is what's currently fitted, i was able to resurrect the slug coil of a JB that was previously butchered and put it together with a custom screw coil; thankfully there was just enough lead wire on the coils for me to splice a new cable on, i've also soldered a new ground wire on to the base-plate so it's all proper and stuff. it's surprisingly friendly clean, even with the ceramic mag in although these 2 coils certainly don't have the same number of turns on - there is a bit of hum under gain. haven't played much with this one yet but first impressions are the extra frequencies around the lower and upper midrange bumps gives it an expressive voice for lead lines, good pick harmonics and some nice dirt in general; not the hot-rodded ceramic metalfest i kinda expected, more a bright and hot PAF.