Pickup for mahogany

shredhed

shredhed

New member
I have a Deluxe mahogany Strat with the 2-point trem.

It came with a Diamondback HB that didnt sound all that good, so I put a TB-4 in it.

Thought it sounds a ton better, it's bit toppy sounding in the mahogany. So I
want to change it. What is a good pickup that will sound good in mahogany? I was thinkin a Screamin Demon.
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

Go with the Custom family : Custom or Custom 5.
If you want more edge, pick the Duncan Distortion.

I'd leave the JB (as you found out) and Screamin Demon out of Mahogany...
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

^ +1 even though it is not a gibson style guitar, lots have had good luck with the custom ( tb-5 ceramic), or custom 5 (tb-14 alnico 5)
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

Mahogany can vary a lot from lightweight to heavyweight, resonant to dead, etc, all in the same tree. That said, in my (very heavy) Mahogany Strat with a trem and all-maple neck, it likes warm pickups with some full midrange. If you swap out the magnet in that TB-4 to an Alnico 2, 3, or 4, it should warm it up and smooth out that peaky treble.
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

shredhed said:
I have a Deluxe mahogany Strat with the 2-point trem.

It came with a Diamondback HB that didnt sound all that good, so I put a TB-4 in it.

Thought it sounds a ton better, it's bit toppy sounding in the mahogany. So I
want to change it. What is a good pickup that will sound good in mahogany? I was thinkin a Screamin Demon.
Click to expand...

ok, you obviously want a good shred tone that's warmer. however, there are a ton of pickups that are warmer than a JB/tb-4. we need a bit more info than it being a mahogany strat;)

what kinda music do you listen to? what kinda amp are you playing through? what things about the JB specifically do you not like other than it being kinda toppy? what do you want to accomplish with a different pickup?

y'know, there are things you can do to warm it up before you change the pickup completely, like adjusting the screws or maybe even magnet swapping if your into tinkering/brave enough to take your pickup apart. the plus side of this sort of tinkering is that it won't cost you $70 for a pickup, but rather around $10-20 for a couple magnets.
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

Hold the phone. How about a mag swap here? You want to get out of the habit of constantly buying & selling PU's; the shotgun approach gets expensive and frustrating. You can easily go thru half a dozen PU's and still not get the sound you want (and some guys here have).

I'm not a fan of the stock JB myself in mahogany, but some of us put in A8 or A2 magnets, and you get a much fuller-sounding PU with a better balanced EQ. Treble is under control & the mids come out. Takes 10 minutes & several dollars to swap a magnet (and most of that time is loosening strings & retuning); you literally create a new PU.

You can usually get you guitars sounding much better and save a lot of money at the same time. What's not to like?
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

Magnet swapping rocks. A2's are the reason why I still have my 59's.
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

i recently put an A8 magnet in my JB(les paul bridge) and it is perfect. it spreads the mids out over the entire "mid spectrum" instead of having a hump. the A8 made the biggest difference out of all the magnet swapping i have done.
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

I have a JB in my alder F1000 and it's perfect, and a JB is my fav pickup. The mahogany that mine is made from is on the heavier side, and it has added treble from a roller nut. Everything about it is bright and trebly.

I have 2 rigs I play through.
1)Peavey Prowler 112 with a 112 cab, and a GT8

2) Blackstar HT-5 stack

I can get pretty much any tone I want out of my other guitars through just the eq of the Blackstar alone - except this guitar.

I want JB type distortion with less highs because the guitar is so bright sounding

I've messed with the pup height some, but I can't do a lot with that b/c of the stock singles. They aren't near as strong as the JB.

I can always use the JB in another project I have that is alder, so buying another pickup isn't a problem.

It ain't bad sounding, but I'm just not in love with it

Thanks for the feedback guys

Keep it coming
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

Could go Custom 8. If you stick to the Custom, Custom 5, or Custom 8 you will be satisfied most likely. The Custom 5 is really scooped out where as the Custom is fuller sounding and the Custom 8 sounds like the Custom Custom but with more balls and presence. It isn't as buttery and muddy as the Custom Custom while retaining the same general vibe. This is all in my opinion though.

The Custom Custom would be the way to go except that its mahogany and the Custom Custom has the buttery highs to tame the odd treble you seem to have but the darkness of mahogany might mudd up the Custom Custom as it is a dark pickup with lots of mids and lows with not a ton of highs. However it might work for you since your guitar is so oddly bright. Definitely look at the Custom Custom or the Custom 8. Wymore guitars sells the Custom 8.

The great thing about the Custom series is that you're only one magnet swap away from using a different Custom model. They all have the same winds just different magnets and very different tones.
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

ACH91332 said:
Could go Custom 8. If you stick to the Custom, Custom 5, or Custom 8 you will be satisfied most likely. The Custom 5 is really scooped out where as the Custom is fuller sounding and the Custom 8 sounds like the Custom Custom but with more balls and presence. It isn't as buttery and muddy as the Custom Custom while retaining the same general vibe...The great thing about the Custom series is that you're only one magnet swap away from using a different Custom model. They all have the same winds just different magnets and very different tones.
Click to expand...

+1. If you want to get anothr PU, the 'Custom family' is very versatile and you can make any of the popular 4 models with a simple mag swap (Custom, CC, C5, and C8).
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

Sounds like the Custom family is the way to go then. I'll check out the SD site to narrow it down some more

Thanks
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

do you guys have any duncan custom metal clips for me?
i love the custom custom, and hate the custo five(not enough middles) but never heard a good custom clip
Q: (
 
Re: Pickup for mahogany

ey shredhed,

I'm not a fan of much, if anyting in the electronics of the GC american HSS edition. THe problem is a) the pickups are meh, at best, b) the electronics are a NIGHTMARE to wire up with the 4PDT setup the S-1 switch + super-switch provide. Fender may have provided more wiring, but at the cost of user upgrading ability.

I'm partial to an SSL-1 / Brobucker combo with new pots and everything. A 250k pot is NOT really the best for a HB (except maybe the JB), although I have heard good things about the custom 8 as well. Be advised though that the electronics are only ONE part of improving your strat... there are structural improvements as well that will improve the acoustic properties and resonance of your strat. Honestly though, it happens to be a really well-kept "secret" fender, and it's one I'm a little upset Fender won't bring into regular production for those who want an HSS strat with a bit more "beef" in the body.

Jason
 
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