Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

[jmcorey]

Hi All,

I've posted on this guitar before.

Yamaha RGX820z. 250k controls. Plays like buttah.

Came with JB and 59n. Didn't like. Replaced with MoJoe and PAF Joe that sounded OK in it, but I didn't like the "fake" harmonics that came with those pickups. I sent them back for an Air Norton in the bridge and an Air Classic Neck. AN bridge worked well, but Air Classic sounded too soft with gain, not enough attack and bite. I have a Norton that I bought some years ago from someone on the forum, and would like to put it in bridge eventually.

Spoke with Dimarzio tech support. When I complained about the Air Classic, he stated that it sort of "tracks slow," taking a while to bloom. He recommended the PAF Master neck to solve the problems with the Air Classic and also as a good companion to the Norton.

However, I decided that while I am swapping pickups in this guitar, I would try some magnet swaps that are always recommended on this site. Lying around, I have an A2, A3, A4, RCUOA5, and A8. So I took a 59 set and put it in that guitar. Neck wooly and bridge thin. After magnet swaps, I now have a A4 59N and an A8 59B. The A4 59N is good, a vast improvement. Still a bit too dark in that guitar. The A8 59B is great, just not enough output. So I totally agree with the A4n/A8b approach.

Where do I go now? While every bridge pickup in that guitar sounded good (except for the JB), every neck pickup has sounded either boomy/wooly, weak, slow, etc. Even the with mag swap, the 59N sounds a tad mushy. So far, whenever I have found something in the neck that is bright enough, it sounds weak under gain.

So, I'd love your opinions to help me solve my problem, given what I have already described about this guitar.


Should I try A3 or A2 59N, or will those be too mushy due to the properties inherent to the 59 wind in this guitar? Other potential Duncan models might be the Jazz or Demon in the neck (to go along with something from the Custom line in the bridge).

If Dimarzio, I'm thinking PAF Master Neck or 36th Neck to go along with the Norton. Not sure how the PAF Pro would sound in that position (I have no experience with it.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

Screamin Demon is the "quickest" humbucker I know of; the Jazz has less attack by comparison but still more than a lot of humbuckers.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

If it were me, I'd try an SH-10n Full Shred in the neck with an SH-12b Screamin' Demon in the bridge

Bright and snappy in both positions with plenty of output, but not over-the-top at all

I'd also recommend a pot change to 500K if you want to clear up some muddiness, regardless of the pickups used

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

This is worth a watch...a Pacifica with the JB swapped for a Screamin' Demon (he talks about the pickup, then starts playing about half-way through)

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

No one else?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

Masta C is right. You need to up your pots. I'm attracted to neck humbuckers with BITE like the Ant or Seth, but you mentioned that pups like that sound thin to you. So you need to choose a neck hb that is round but that has the right amount of bass for you. Luckily, the 59 is probably the most boomy vintage output neck pickup. All you have to do is choose a vintage output pup with the character you want and round eq. So what are you going for? Do you want clean and precise like the Jazz? Bluesy like the Pearly Gates? Tight and dry like the Full Shred? You'll be good to go if you a) up your pots and b) choose a vintage output pup that is round (not gritty like the stag mag) and has the right amount of bass for your application.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

This Clint agrees with that Clint :biglaugh:

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

Haha!

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

Masta C is right. You need to up your pots. I'm attracted to neck humbuckers with BITE like the Ant or Seth, but you mentioned that pups like that sound thin to you. So you need to choose a neck hb that is round but that has the right amount of bass for you. Luckily, the 59 is probably the most boomy vintage output neck pickup. All you have to do is choose a vintage output pup with the character you want and round eq. So what are you going for? Do you want clean and precise like the Jazz? Bluesy like the Pearly Gates? Tight and dry like the Full Shred? You'll be good to go if you a) up your pots and b) choose a vintage output pup that is round (not gritty like the stag mag) and has the right amount of bass for your application.

Actually, some grit in the high end with drive is what I think I'm looking for. But not soft with drive, because then its too wooly.

Do all of these models above in your post have less bass than the 59?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

The 59 is the bassiest of the vintage output neck humbuckers. There are a lot of nice vintage output neck humbuckers with grit. Here's the grittiest of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__bSH1zToQ Epic right? I don't know what vibe you're going for though. The Seth is like the antiquity but rounder. Stag Mag is stratty. Whole Lotta Humbucker is Pagey. Pearly Gates is bluesey. Full Shred and Parallel Axis are metal etc.

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

To get a less mushy and more defined sound, I would move the Air Norton to the neck position and use 500k tone and 500k Volume control. Maybe even a tiny/small treble bleed capacitor if it is still not bright enough, but try without first.

Probably keep the Duncan 59 magnet swaps for the bridge position only.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

If the 59 doesn't work, then it doesn't work. I'd recommend the Jazz or Sentient. . You get a sound with a much stronger attack, with a high amount of percussive 'click' in front of the note. As a bonus, they both sound great with all levels of gain, from dead clean to stupid-distorted.

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: Neck pickup issues on Yamaha Super Strat guitar

I have a PAF Pro in the neck position of a custom mahogany Strat, it's been good to me in that guitar, the high mids help it from being too warm for this guitar, but I also have it paired with a Super Distortion in the bridge that balances well with it.


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