neck pickup for EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail: Jazz, Fred or HFH?

[appar111]

Looking for a replacement neck pickup for an EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail. Unfortunately the Wolfy pickups are too high output, mid-rangey and just a little too much of everything. Sounds killer with a 5150 III amp, but I don't have one of those so....

I slapped a pre-36th Anniversary Dimarzio PAF in the bridge that sounds great, so I'm looking for something that will play nice with it. A couple things about the EVH to keep in mind:

1. basswood body (no maple cap)
2. pickups are hardmounted (i.e. no pickup rings)

Since the pickups are hardmounted, I have to be conscious of output and EQ of the pickups I choose. The stock Wolfgang pickup is louder and bassier than the PAF I put in the bridge. It's not that bad tho-- it gives me 3 distinct tones (much like a tele with a neck humbucker). I'd like to get the volume balance a little closer, though.

So my choices are a Jazz neck (a Duncan classic for clarity in the neck), a Fred (which I've used before in the neck of other guitars, and is supposed to sound real nice with basswood) or the Humbucker from Hell. The HFH might be a really cool choice that would get me super clean sounds on the clean channel and some nice bright neck tones w/ distortion.

My goal is something that sounds clearer, less congested/middy/bassy than the stock neck pickup, and something lower output to balance better w/ the bridge pickup.

What say ye, SDUGF? let's vote!

 

[chadd]

Re: neck pickup for EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail: Jazz, Fred or HFH?

I've used a Fred in the bridge with Basswood, never in the neck, and it sounded good. My preference would be for the jazz, as I use a pretty thick tone on the bridge and the jazz stays articulate better than most other pickups.

 

[tonaholic]

Re: neck pickup for EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail: Jazz, Fred or HFH?

You might also do well with an air classic neck or EJ custom neck. The fred is probably higher output than the paf bridge in terms of MV output, so shelf that for now.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: neck pickup for EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail: Jazz, Fred or HFH?

Have you tried the Dimarzio Liquifire (John Petrucci's neck pickup) in the neck? It is a medium output pickup that is warm sounding but very articulate! I have it in a basswood Iceman and it blends extremely well with the Seymour Duncan Screamin'Demon.

 

[jtougas]

Re: neck pickup for EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail: Jazz, Fred or HFH?

If the output of the pre-Anniversary PAF is anything like the Anniversary 36th, then the HFH is most likely to balance well.

I just put one into a basswood guitar with a Fred in the bridge and, while I like how it sounded (basswood body), it didn't balance well output-wise. So, it's getting pulled in favor of either a MoJo or a PAF Jo...

 

[appar111]

Re: neck pickup for EVH Wolfgang Special hardtail: Jazz, Fred or HFH?

I think the pre-36th PAF is actually a little lower output (225mV, if I remember correctly) than the current non-bridge version of the 36th PAF, so the HFH should work really well. I think the HFH output is 226mV, but has a narrower frequency range, so it probably won't seem as loud as it's rating would indicate, which again is good because it's going in the neck position, where stuff sounds louder anyway. All this should lead to a balanced sounding setup, output-wise.

I was originally leaning towards the Jazz, but I've really really wanted to try the HFH out for a long time, so I think that time is now!