Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

[Phyrexo]

Hey there,

First of all: I'm German and I apologize for my English, hope you understand everything...



I got a Music Man Silhouette with a tremolo(locked) and i'm searchin' for some new humbuckers.
The Silo has a alder body with a maple neck/fretboard.

The stocked pickups of the Silo are PAF Pro's but the pre-owner changed them into SUB1 Pickups... Don't know if there are from Dimarzio, as well.


Anyway, I want a modern sound which has lots of harmonics and is not too scooped. Another important thing is that the clean sounds have to be good as well, so they shouldn't be too hot, i guess.

Neck pickups tend to be kind of muffled, so I don't want it to have too much bass, but enough mids for solos. Am I right?



Sounds/Bands I like are the Foo Fighters, Tool, Dream Theater oder Lenny Kravtiz. Eventhough I know that these sounds are all kind of different.
In general: Enough power and lots of (low)mids, but not too hot.
I play hard-rock/alternative.

So, what would you suggest?




Thanks so much,

Jerry

 

[jeremy]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

welcome to the forum!!

i would say something like the patb3 would be good for the bridge. a fatter modern tone that still sounds good clean. a jazz in the neck is very clear and sounds good clean or dirty and would match the patb3 well. if you wanted a little fatter tone in the neck you could put a jazz bridge model in the neck. its a little darker and warmer with a touch more output than the neck version.

you didnt mention the rest of your gear but that can have a big impact on what would work best

 

[Phyrexo]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

thanks, Jeremy!


That sounds plausible, so far...


Yeah, sorry... but I'm about to change my amp soon (currently a ENGL Sovereign), so I don't really know what my gear is gonna look like...

I was tinking about getting a Mesa again or any great combo with a nice character like a Vox AC30 and just boost it with a sweet pedal...

As I just mentioned, I'm reaaaaally into Diezel, but eventhough I'm from Germany, it's just too expensive for me



All the best,
Jerry

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Jeremy made some good recommendations. I'd like to throw out there that IMO you would be best with a bridge PAF in the neck, like Jeremy recommended with the Jazz, so you'll have the extra mids. I have a PRS CU24 and the jazz was too chimey in the neck for a smooth neck tone. The 59 works better IMO, I'd really like to go to the 59 (B) with A2, or preferably a PG (b) but it's not high on my priority list.

The Blues Saraceno, is going to look different, but is going to sound killer....just where you'll know.

Welcome to the forum!

Luke

 

[Phyrexo]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Hey Luke, thanks for helping, too...

I have to admit that I'm kinda confused about all these crazy names, but I hope I understood everything

The pat3b is a Trembucker, but what does this mean? How does this one sound like?

A friend of mine recommended a SH-5 for the bridge. How 'bout that?


all the best,
Jerry


PS: Jazz means Sh-2, right? Please excuse my ignorance

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Hey Luke, thanks for helping, too...

I have to admit that I'm kinda confused about all these crazy names, but I hope I understood everything

The pat3b is a Trembucker, but what does this mean? How does this one sound like?

A trembucker is a humbucker with tremolo spacing. Parallel Axis is a unique polepiece configuration where the string is surrounded by the magnetic field

A friend of mine recommended a SH-5 for the bridge. How 'bout that?


all the best,
Jerry

Some guys really like the Custom (SH-5) but it's not one of my favorites. It is moderately hot, but has good thump. The high end and cleans are what I didn't like.

PS: Jazz means Sh-2, right? Please excuse my ignorance

Yes, that is the Jazz. You'll eventually figure out that most of us only know the pups by their names not number designations.

You never know if you don't ask!
Luke

 

[Phyrexo]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

oh, i see, thanks!



So, I should go for a Sarasceno for the bridge and what pickup for the neck?
What are the big differences between pearly gates, jazz or 59?

What about the Screamin demon? The description sounds interessting, as well!



all the best,
jerry

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

oh, i see, thanks!

No problem!

So, I should go for a Sarasceno for the bridge and what pickup for the neck?
What are the big differences between pearly gates, jazz or 59?

Don't let us twist your arm take a look at the specs, clips, and look around on the internet for other reviews besides ours. The Blues Saraceno is going to give you what I would call a transition sound. Not 100% PAF but not modern high output either.

The jazz has a lot of clarity so it will clean up even the muddiest neck slot, it also has the bell like top end.

The Pearly Gates has more mids than most other PAFs and has an aggressive tendency. It will also push an amp a little harder. Think Billy Gibbons

The 59 has a big low end and big top end and a neutral-scooped midrange. Some guys consider it the quintessential PAF.

What about the Screamin demon? The description sounds interessting, as well!



all the best,
jerry

The Screamin Demon is a bright, aggressive pup with a good bit of thump to it, additionally it has a very percussive nature.

Luke

 

[Phyrexo]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Wow, Luke... you seem to study all this stuff for ours an ours a day Awesome, man. that's how I like it

alright... than I tend to the PG or the Jazz... probably more to the PG. But I guess the Jazz cleans up a little nicer...
****, why is it so involved to test pickups...


Uhm, what do you mean with transition?



all the best,
Jerry

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Wow, Luke... you seem to study all this stuff for ours an ours a day Awesome, man. that's how I like it

Nahhh, actually I just listen to clips, read descriptions, and try to play every Duncan I can get a hold of. Personal experience is the best indicator as always.

alright... than I tend to the PG or the Jazz... probably more to the PG. But I guess the Jazz cleans up a little nicer...
****, why is it so involved to test pickups...

They both clean up really well actually, the tone is just a different. It depends if you want a more raw sound, because that's what you are going to get with the PG.

Uhm, what do you mean with transition?

all the best,
Jerry

As in it's not exactly vintage, but it isn't modern sounding either. I would say it leans toward a hot vintage type of flavor though.

Luke

 

[Phyrexo]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Well, I think I just give the PG a shot... Sounds kinda interessting to me, since a find mids kinda important for those santana-like real smooth sounds.

For the bridge I'm not so sure, yet. The sarasceno sounds kinda weird to me, somehow. But I don't know any good alternatives, either... Is this one really the way to go?



Thanks so much,
Jerry

 

[oilpit]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

If you get a pair of Duncans or Dimarzios, you can exchange them for a set of equal value for like a month...
Try them ALL!

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Hahaha ,Wilkommen!
Jeremy weiss schon was er sagt. Nimm einfach den PATB-3 für steg ,und den Jazz für hals pos.

Du kannst auch mit die potis vieles erreichen. Bestell dir 300 und 500kohm potis und probiere sie aus. Je niedriger wiederstand ,desto weniger höchen.

Der Screaming Demon ist ziemlich agressiv und perkussiv. Custom ist sogar schlimmer.

PATB-3 sag ich...
Obertöne, sehr musikalisches Freq. und Ausreichend Power.
Aaah und nicht vergessen. Kein andere Tonabnehmer hat so viel sustain wie der PATB-3. Einfach genial!

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickups for my Music Man Silhouette?

Well, I think I just give the PG a shot... Sounds kinda interessting to me, since a find mids kinda important for those santana-like real smooth sounds.

I think you'll be happy with that choice.

For the bridge I'm not so sure, yet. The sarasceno sounds kinda weird to me, somehow. But I don't know any good alternatives, either... Is this one really the way to go?

Thanks so much,
Jerry

You mean the soundclips or our descriptions?

I know that Petrucci is using a D Sonic, and there isn't really anything like that in the SD camp. The Custom and Distortion sound WAAAY different to my ears.

Grohl uses whatever he's in the mood for that day I think.

Kravitz is more of a vintage sort of guy, so a pair of PAFs would be the way to go there.

Jones is a big fan of the JB.

Like you said, a pretty varied list of players and pickups. The question really comes down to a matter of which side of the fence do you want to be "more" on. High Output, or Vintage Output.

If you want high output go with a JB in the bridge. You'll get the characteristic high mid spike that makes the JB what it is.

If you want vintage output/moderate output go with a Pearly Gates (b) in both positions.

The Saraceno comes down more on the vintage side than high output or modern, but it does push the amp well.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Luke