Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

[Archer250]

I'm really impressed with my new guitar. So impressed that I'm selling my Jackson to buy a HH guitar of theirs. I'm in no hurry, however.

You see, I've really fallen in love with the AT-1 bridge I have in my strat right now. It's articulate, ballsy, and harmonically interesting. I use it with 250k pots (with a no-load tone) and find that it's pretty much perfect... maybe a bit too bright for 500k unless I run it really close to the strings. I've used the JB and 59 with 250k pots with success, so I know that there are neck pickups that can handle the lower value pot as well. I'd very much like a recommendation for a neck humbucker as follows these specifications:

1)Clear, sweet, and mellow
2)Not too dark
3)Not too hot (the AT-1 isn't that hot at all)
4)Can do chimey cleans
5)Can do some fusion with the tone rolled off
6)Is not compressed. Has good dynamics
7)Optional: comes with 4 conductors

I welcome pickups of any make, but SD and DiMarzio are preferred since I can easily acquire them and for relatively reasonable amounts of money.

 

[koshikas]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

jazz (SH-2N)

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Are both the volume pot and tone pots 250k?

Really sounds like you are describing a Fender Fat 50 neck pickup but those are single coils...lol

The Liquifire is moderate output and should get that sweet mellow tone. The Screamin Demon (moderate output) makes for an awesome neck pickup but I'm afraid it might be too dark with the 250k...

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Are both the volume pot and tone pots 250k?

Really sounds like you are describing a Fender Fat 50 neck pickup but those are single coils...lol

The Liquifire is moderate output and should get that sweet mellow tone. The Screamin Demon (moderate output) makes for an awesome neck pickup but I'm afraid it might be too dark with the 250k...

That's what some people also said with the AT-1

Personally, I'm looking at either the Duncan A2P or the DiMarzio Air Classic, as I prefer lower output pickups in the neck position. I wonder if those are what I'm looking for, though.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

That's what some people also said with the AT-1

Personally, I'm looking at either the Duncan A2P or the DiMarzio Air Classic, as I prefer lower output pickups in the neck position. I wonder if those are what I'm looking for, though.

I personally never cared for the Jazz Neck...but I'm probably in the very small minority on that one.

I have not tried the Air Classic–its funny, I prefer Seymour Duncans in the bridge and DiMarzios in the neck. lol

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Didn't like the two Jazzes I've had either :dunno:
Too flat

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

PAF Pro, perhaps? Sounds like it fits all your criteria.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Didn't like the two Jazzes I've had either :dunno:
Too flat

Ha! Glad I'm not the only one! lol

Personally, the best neck pickup sound to me is a Fender Fat 50. For Humbuckers I felt like the Gibson 496R was an amazing neck pickup BUT that is a hot/high output pickup...so not what you are looking for.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

PAF Pro, perhaps? Sounds like it fits all your criteria.

Hmm I'll give it a listen. I know it does distortion well, but what about cleans?

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[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Hmm I'll give it a listen. I know it does distortion well, but what about cleans?

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A taste thing, but I think it does cleans and mildly dirty stuff better than what I'd want a neck pickup to do under high-gain, ha!

The pickup itself has tons of presence and airiness towards the higher end of the spectrum. 250K pots mellow it out a little. I run it through a single 500K volume control, but I'm seriously considering going down to 250K myself. It sounds great through 250K pots on my friend's G&L. But anyways, clean, the pickup is very pristine and open-sounding with tons of chime. Under mild overdrive, it's very clear and snappy, open-sounding like a PAF, but slightly more hi-fi.

I guess it depends on what you're looking for under high-gain. Personally, I want smooth, mid-focused, and mildly compressed, and the PAF Pro is not that. It can have a hint of the AWW sound that traditional PAF's don't like the DiMarzio site mentions, but it's nowhere near mid-focused, like that statement might suggest. Under high-gain, it's very attacky with a wide, airy frequency response, and very open and uncompressed.

 

[LazNovak]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

What about the PAF Master?

http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/paf-master-neck

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

What about the PAF Master?

http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/paf-master-neck

Looks very promising.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

The Jazz sounds good with 250k pots, and I have used bridge Screamin Demons in the neck with 250k pots. Both sound great.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

So impressed that I'm selling my Jackson to buy a HS guitar of theirs

Fix'd that right there for ya.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Fix'd that right there for ya.

They don't have an HS


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[unique name]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Have you looked into the seth lover neck pickup? Not sure how it would sound with a 250k pot but it seems to meet most of your requirements.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Have you looked into the seth lover neck pickup? Not sure how it would sound with a 250k pot but it seems to meet most of your requirements.

I sometimes play with quite a lot of gain, so unpotted HBs are a no, sadly.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

If the Jazz won't do, check out the Full Shred neck. It is really bright, and sounds good if you use the tone control. It is a notch higher than the Jazz on the chimey clean thing.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

If the Jazz won't do, check out the Full Shred neck. It is really bright, and sounds good if you use the tone control. It is a notch higher than the Jazz on the chimey clean thing.

Hmm... My main gripe with the Jazzes I've had is that they're too bland. Too uncharacteristic. Like nothing interesting's happening here. What's the Full Shred neck's character like?

Also... damn, I keep forgetting this, haha. I mainly play alternative rock and pop/pop rock. The pop scene where I live takes a few cues from jazz and fusion, so there are some solo spots that requires my guitar to sound like a woody hollowbody. That's where the "some fusion" part comes from.

If I were to elaborate further on the tone I'm looking for out of a neck pickup, it'd be strat-like cleans and creamy, sweet overdriven tones in one PU.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need neck humbucker recommendations for 250k

Hmm... My main gripe with the Jazzes I've had is that they're too bland. Too uncharacteristic.

That basically sums up my experiences with them as well.

If I were to elaborate further on the tone I'm looking for out of a neck pickup, it'd be strat-like cleans and creamy, sweet overdriven tones in one PU.

Maybe a Humbucker sized P-90? or maybye a Bill Lawrence 500-R?