Re: New Satriani Pickup...the "Satchur8"!
So, it took me a while longer than expected to finally get this installed. Work, family, school, pets going to the emergency room, car trouble...you know the deal.
Plus, the guitar I had planned it for ran into a setup issue with the Floyd Rose bridge that will require a small neck shim to correct. By the way, have you seen these?
LINK <--awesome! Definitely the way to go if you find yourself in a similar situation
ANYWAYS...
Since the other guitar is taking some time off, I went ahead and put the Magnetar (aka: Satchur8 or whatever they're calling it this week) in my Jackson Rhoads V instead, which I am intimately familiar with, so I can offer some thoughts.
Initial impression?
This is everything I wanted the "EVO 2" to be!
Wonderfully articulate (not that the EVO 2 wasn't...it was). Great midrange presence with a gradual slope toward the upper-mids. A little bit of that "high output pickup" compression, but still pleasantly 'open' sounding.
It has a very balanced bottom end that's wonderfully thumpy and tight without being painfully modern like some of the newer designs. The highs have just enough edge on them to sting a bit when you dig in, but are in no way harsh and yield a nice body to single note leads. And, of course, the harmonic response is nothing short of amazing! Just as you'd expect from a "Joe Satriani" pickup.
My only problem with DiMarzio's EVO 2, which I also tried in this guitar at one point, is that, while the cut and overall tone was great and the output was improved from the original Evo, it lacked a degree of expressiveness. By that, I mean the ability to control the pickup's output and voice by changing playing technique and pick attack. I like to be able to go from a softer to a stronger response without touching the volume knob, whenever possible, but I also prefer medium-high output pickups, which often complicates things.
This is less a problem with lower output winds, of course, but I had hoped the EVO 2, being a "Steve Vai" pickup, would have had a bit more tonal range and complexity than it did. The EVO 2 was very clear, just as this Magnetar/Satchur8 is, but it always felt a little too in-your-face. Even when picked lightly, the EVO 2's response never softened up much. This pickup is
much more controllable! Not to the degree of a PAF type, but very good for a hotter design.
Output-wise, my first thought was that the Magnetar/Satchur8
feels nearly identical to the EVO 2, which I later confirmed by looking back at the mV specs...both are 375, which makes total sense to me. However, it doesn't
sound as aggressive as the EVO 2. Another point for the Satchur8!
What's also nice is that the Alnico 8 magnet doesn't smooth this pickup out too much or go the opposite way and make it too harsh. The 13K wind is really a perfect mid-way point. It really lets the magnet breathe and the top end response feels more like a JB than anything else! DiMarzio put some thought into this one.
I need to spend some more time with this pickup, but I have been increasingly impressed every time I play it. Usually, it goes the other way around!
I'll keep this thread updated with my thoughts.
Anyone else got their hands on one yet?
