ToneFiddler
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
mint as in the the colour spearmint and NOT in mint condition!
mint as in the the colour spearmint and NOT in mint condition!
Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
- Thread starter Dahla
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Dahla
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Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Haha, exactly! [emoji1]
I’ll try to fix it later though. Make it a little prettier. [emoji4]
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mint as in the the colour spearmint and NOT in mint condition!
Haha, exactly! [emoji1]
I’ll try to fix it later though. Make it a little prettier. [emoji4]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dahla
New member
Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Allright.
So I've had a few days to play around with the strat with the Red Devils installed. What do I think?
It sounds awesome. Of course it does! It got that humbucker feel, no doubt about it. When I plug it in and play, it is a lot of fun. Blues? Of course it does the blues. It is rev. Gibbons pickups after all.
I tried the pickup with two different amps. Or, one amp and one profiler, to be precise. I mainly use the Kemper but I also have the PRS MT15. Through the Kemper the guitar sounded *very* different based on what amp I used, so it definitely a little picky (its subjective though, I know). What I did not expect though, was that the clean tones left me a little underwhelmed. Or perhaps it is no surprise at all, given the fact that the RD replaced a set of ant surfers. It is perhaps a little unfair to compare clean sounds? 
I felt that the pickups really opened with gain. Like it is meant to be played with gain, and not that clean. It makes sense...
Everything from crunch and upwards are awesome. The bridge sounds full, and it feels good too play. Depending on the level of gain (and amp) the switch from bridge to middle and neck are somewhat meh. When playing full out hard rock tones (i.e. with a lot of gain) I figured it works best like any two humbucker guitar: It is bridge and neck that works best for my use. With semi-clean and crunch, the middle and 2- and 4-positions also give some cool sounds. But it is the bridge and neck that shines, IMO. The 2 and 4 sounds "stratty, in a way that only strat can produce those kind of tones. But I wouldn't buy this set for the in-between tones...
I said it before, and I will say it again: I don't miss the noise from the surfers! It made my strat "high gain capable", which were the goal. It didn't turn it into a firebreather, but it can hang with all my other guitars playing hard rock/metal. I was kind of amazed when I tried to record a few riffs through the PRS. One track with an Gibson explorer with EMG het set in it, and one track with the RD. Yeah, there is a difference in chunk and level of distortion. The het set are meaner. There is a more authority, if that means anything. But the RD sounded really good! It was a little cleaner, with a rounder low end. The mids are a little more «relaxed». None of my non-guitar playing friends would care about the difference, but to tell the difference in an easy way: Het set are, well, Metallica. RD would thrive in a Volbeat cover band. The tones is very dynamic too, so there is not the same compression like the high output humbuckers. Hit a string a little harder during 16th notes, and that note jumps out a little bit.
So what does that mean? Well... That is were I got somewhat conflicted. The strat and RD works from crunch to high gain, spanning anything from AC/DC to Volbeat level of riffing. My other guitar do that well also, especially my LP with WLH. So what I got was another guitar doing exactly that. What I lost though, was a guitar doing everything clean up to AC/DC levels of gain. I have no guitar for those "little wing" or "under the bridge" moments anymore... So I don't know. I am starting to think that what seemed like a good idea, suddenly is not so great after all. And that has nothing to do with the greatness of RDs. More like I am missing the surfers.
Am I gettin´old? Lol
Allright.
So I've had a few days to play around with the strat with the Red Devils installed. What do I think?
It sounds awesome. Of course it does! It got that humbucker feel, no doubt about it. When I plug it in and play, it is a lot of fun. Blues? Of course it does the blues. It is rev. Gibbons pickups after all.
I tried the pickup with two different amps. Or, one amp and one profiler, to be precise. I mainly use the Kemper but I also have the PRS MT15. Through the Kemper the guitar sounded *very* different based on what amp I used, so it definitely a little picky (its subjective though, I know). What I did not expect though, was that the clean tones left me a little underwhelmed. Or perhaps it is no surprise at all, given the fact that the RD replaced a set of ant surfers. It is perhaps a little unfair to compare clean sounds? I felt that the pickups really opened with gain. Like it is meant to be played with gain, and not that clean. It makes sense...Everything from crunch and upwards are awesome. The bridge sounds full, and it feels good too play. Depending on the level of gain (and amp) the switch from bridge to middle and neck are somewhat meh. When playing full out hard rock tones (i.e. with a lot of gain) I figured it works best like any two humbucker guitar: It is bridge and neck that works best for my use. With semi-clean and crunch, the middle and 2- and 4-positions also give some cool sounds. But it is the bridge and neck that shines, IMO. The 2 and 4 sounds "stratty, in a way that only strat can produce those kind of tones. But I wouldn't buy this set for the in-between tones...
I said it before, and I will say it again: I don't miss the noise from the surfers! It made my strat "high gain capable", which were the goal. It didn't turn it into a firebreather, but it can hang with all my other guitars playing hard rock/metal. I was kind of amazed when I tried to record a few riffs through the PRS. One track with an Gibson explorer with EMG het set in it, and one track with the RD. Yeah, there is a difference in chunk and level of distortion. The het set are meaner. There is a more authority, if that means anything. But the RD sounded really good! It was a little cleaner, with a rounder low end. The mids are a little more «relaxed». None of my non-guitar playing friends would care about the difference, but to tell the difference in an easy way: Het set are, well, Metallica. RD would thrive in a Volbeat cover band. The tones is very dynamic too, so there is not the same compression like the high output humbuckers. Hit a string a little harder during 16th notes, and that note jumps out a little bit.
So what does that mean? Well... That is were I got somewhat conflicted. The strat and RD works from crunch to high gain, spanning anything from AC/DC to Volbeat level of riffing. My other guitar do that well also, especially my LP with WLH. So what I got was another guitar doing exactly that. What I lost though, was a guitar doing everything clean up to AC/DC levels of gain. I have no guitar for those "little wing" or "under the bridge" moments anymore... So I don't know. I am starting to think that what seemed like a good idea, suddenly is not so great after all. And that has nothing to do with the greatness of RDs. More like I am missing the surfers.
Am I gettin´old? Lol
Last edited:
ToneFiddler
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
no!
you just need more guitars
review sounds good!
can you compare the red devils to an actual pearly gates humbucker?
actually i take it back with the black pickguard since you ordered the red devils in white...
no!
you just need more guitars
review sounds good!
can you compare the red devils to an actual pearly gates humbucker?
actually i take it back with the black pickguard since you ordered the red devils in white...
Dahla
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Unfortunately, no. But the red devils have made me real curious about the Pearly Gates.
One thing though, I’ve never played a guitar with p-90s. I really like Green Day, with that p-90 and Marshall sound (working class hero cover, or the «american idiot» album) . I don’t think red devils are exactly like that, but it makes me wanna play that kind of music. It can work for that sound/those tones. Here in my rig, in my guitar and through my hands at least. [emoji4]
And I think you’re right. I need one more strat. :lmao: Because the red devils are real fun to play. The surfers just have that strat sound. The red devils makes the guitar not sound like a strat, but strat-ish... Hard to explain.
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no!
you just need more guitars
review sounds good!
can you compare the red devils to an actual pearly gates humbucker?
actually i take it back with the black pickguard since you ordered the red devils in white...
Unfortunately, no. But the red devils have made me real curious about the Pearly Gates.
One thing though, I’ve never played a guitar with p-90s. I really like Green Day, with that p-90 and Marshall sound (working class hero cover, or the «american idiot» album) . I don’t think red devils are exactly like that, but it makes me wanna play that kind of music. It can work for that sound/those tones. Here in my rig, in my guitar and through my hands at least. [emoji4]
And I think you’re right. I need one more strat. :lmao: Because the red devils are real fun to play. The surfers just have that strat sound. The red devils makes the guitar not sound like a strat, but strat-ish... Hard to explain.
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Last edited:
O
OLDERBUDWISER
Guest
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Well, not that my opinion matters at all, put those other pups back in this one. Buy yourself a cheaper good playing mexi and upgrade that 1 for the heavier stuff. But you know what they say about opinions LOL
Now, I figured clips are in order. Because this is a little fun. (and blues-rock and slow blues demos have been done already...
I recorded a riff of the Red Devil and the strat. Unplugged it and plugged in the explorer with active EMGs. No change to anything, nada. No eq, no editing or post FX stuff. Now, this probably is not a big surprise to anyone who is familiar with different guitars through the same rig, but it goes to show that a strat with singel coil sized humbuckers and EMGs are not that far apart sometimes. And the amp was setup for the explorer, in a band setting! Keep that in mind.
Clip starts with Red Devils. Two last passes are the explorer.
View attachment 99818
Well, not that my opinion matters at all, put those other pups back in this one. Buy yourself a cheaper good playing mexi and upgrade that 1 for the heavier stuff. But you know what they say about opinions LOL
Last edited:
Dahla
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Actually, I think your opinion is dead on correct on this one.
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Actually, I think your opinion is dead on correct on this one.
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Gtrjunior
New member
skyydogg01
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
What about mixing the Surfers with the Red Devil? Surfer neck and middle, Red Devil bridge?
What about mixing the Surfers with the Red Devil? Surfer neck and middle, Red Devil bridge?
Dahla
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Yeah, and it was those tones I missed. Especially those slightly pushed, «clean plus» tones. Mixing the red devil bridge with the surfers would work if you never use the 2-position. [emoji6] I wouldn’t want to loose that option, though. I did loose some of that «strat uniqueness» with the complete red devil set. The red devils weren’t made for the in-between tones, I guess.
When I put in the red devils in my strat, it could have replaced my LP with WLH. They suddenly filled the same sonic territory. Different flavour, but same sonic territory. [emoji4]
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Yeah, and it was those tones I missed. Especially those slightly pushed, «clean plus» tones. Mixing the red devil bridge with the surfers would work if you never use the 2-position. [emoji6] I wouldn’t want to loose that option, though. I did loose some of that «strat uniqueness» with the complete red devil set. The red devils weren’t made for the in-between tones, I guess.
When I put in the red devils in my strat, it could have replaced my LP with WLH. They suddenly filled the same sonic territory. Different flavour, but same sonic territory. [emoji4]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
skyydogg01
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
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You know you can wire the Red Devil for auto split. That would give you the #2 position you're talking about.
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cliffenstein
New member
Re: Pickups for a strat (hard rock/high gain)
Exactly right. There are plenty of people who love the feel and stability of a strat, while preferring the sonic capability of a les paul. This is the perfect solution for those us in that particular camp.
Exactly right. There are plenty of people who love the feel and stability of a strat, while preferring the sonic capability of a les paul. This is the perfect solution for those us in that particular camp.
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