Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

MattPete

MattPete

New member
I'm looking for a neck pickup for my SG. It currently has a Seth neck, and while an improvement over the stock 490r, it's still too dark compared too the 490t bridge (which I like and don't want to switch out). I've already replaced the 300k volume pot with a 500k pot, and althought it helped, it's still too dark for me.

Instead of plopping in my old standby (APH2), I was thinking about a Phat Cat. Basically, I want a neck pickup with more cut. I want to be able to switch from the bridge pickup to the neck while keeping the overall tonal balance and only changing the timbre.

So does anyone have any experience with the Phat Cat neck? More importantly, does anyone have any experience with the Phat Cat and the Seth and can compare and contrast the two?
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

The phat cat neck is more glassy than the Seth Lover neck. I have used both. The phat cat is not as fat or warm as the SL, but it has a comparable output and certainly does not fart out in the low end.
The only reason that I pulled the PC out of my Les Paul is that I want to use it in a tele, and the fatter/darker tone seemed more appropriate for the LP.
The phat cat neck is an absolutely cool pickup. I plan on putting it in my next tele project.
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

I really like p90s at the neck for riffing - think Muse or Rage Against The Machine (or Audioslave, for that matter). Bluesy, mildly-overdriven stuff will fare well, too.
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

Hmmm...I'm still waffling a bit, but I may pull the trigger and order one tomorrow. This guitar (SG Special) is used more for mildly overdriven stuff.
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

Instead of plopping in my old standby (APH2), I was thinking about a Phat Cat. Basically, I want a neck pickup with more cut. I want to be able to switch from the bridge pickup to the neck while keeping the overall tonal balance and only changing the timbre.
Click to expand...
I don't know the sound of your 490T in the bridge, but this might be difficult if it's a rather bright pickup, because P-90s (and clones) are not per se bright or biting sounding just because they are single coils. Furthermore I can't comment on the Phat Cats, because I have a Gibson P-94 at the neck of a Les Paul copy.

By the way, nice Strat in your avatar, reminds me of my own. Did you also build it yourself?
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

I was in the same situation..didn't like the stock Gibson 400-series pups in an SG Standard I had bought on EBay 2 months ago so I swiped em for a Phat Cat in the neck and a Custom Custom in the bridge. It sounds AMAZING. The Phat Cat is very versatile, getting great blues, jazz and rock tones. Very articulate. And the Custom Custom rocks in the bridge. In the middle position the guitar really comes to life. It sounds verydynamic and alive. I firmly believe that p90-style pickups are MADE for the SG. Get one!
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

Matt, the Phat Cat is a great pickup! I would pull the trigger on one! I think you will like it alot!
 
Re: Phat Cat neck vs. humbuckers

I have a Phat Cat neck in the neck position on my LP Standard. It now sounds great but I had to do a special mod to it. As was (7.98k officially) it was overwound to my ear. I had MJ rewind it to 7.5k with a tap at 7.0k.

I have it wired up with the 7.0k tap and it sounds like water from a mountain stream. I think they ought to make a third model of the Phat Cat at that spec can call it the Jazz Cat.
 
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