Pickups really do choose their guitar

[misterwhizzy]

I've been battling my Player Strat's bridge pickup situation basically since I got the guitar. I was trying to convince myself the Demon that i had swapped into that position would be the answer and that I just hadn't tweaked it properly to my liking, but even though I like the tone and the dynamics, it just didn't have the push I want with the volume wide open. When I got the guitar, I figured it would be for when I wanted to get 80s hair-metal type tones.

I thought I had an old JB hanging out in my parts bin somewhere, but when I had trouble finding it, I called an audible and pulled out my PATB-1 instead. I had forgotten about it and decided it was worth a shot. I liked it in my Les Paul when I had it in there for a few months, but the looks of it bugged me a little bit since I wanted to have two covered pickups in that guitar to keep it looking classy. It worked there, but I'm an unabashed Custom fan in the LP. I don't think it will ever come back out.

After I went through the hassle of replacing the pickup and tuning up, I knew they had met their match. It cleans up extremely well with the volume knob and just goes from power to full-out roar turning up. I was surprised to hear such clear top-end detail with the 250k pots. And there's unmistakable clarity under gain. Maybe it's the maple neck, but who really cares why? Mids are crunchy and full, and the low end is surprisingly tight. (But only as tight as my technique will allow, unfortunately.)

I think I just found a reason besides guilt to take this guitar off the wall.

 

[Masta' C]

The Demon doesn't have a lot of "push" on its own. It's an underwound Custom 5 essentially, which makes it bright, clear, and percussive, but it really relies on the rest of the chain for the perceived "power". Without a gritty amp and/or drive pedals, it's just a slightly hotter PAF in many ways. But that also allows it to really sing and maintain great harmonics and dynamics.

An A8 mag swap probably would've had you liking it more, but it's great that your PATB-1 found a home!

 

[Mincer]

You are not alone...I know lots of people that won't even try the PATB-1 because of how it looks. Guitar is as much a fashion statement as anything else, I guess.

 

[ICTGoober]

You are not alone...I know lots of people that won't even try the PATB-1 because of how it looks. Guitar is as much a fashion statement as anything else, I guess.

Which is weird, ain't it? A Telecaster is so ugly it shouldn't even play in tune - but it DO.

I have a client who doesn't like maple fingerboards, but searches for a bright attack from his Les Pauls. Another one doesn't like locking tuners, because he thinks at least 3 wraps of a string around a post is where sustain comes from. And a third one is convinced that Grover tuners work better than Schallers because the buttons are rounder.

So, yeah - guitar players are FLAKY for all kinds of reasons.

 

[zionstrat]

Which is weird, ain't it? A Telecaster is so ugly it shouldn't even play in tune - but it DO.

I have a client who doesn't like maple fingerboards, but searches for a bright attack from his Les Pauls. Another one doesn't like locking tuners, because he thinks at least 3 wraps of a string around a post is where sustain comes from. And a third one is convinced that Grover tuners work better than Schallers because the buttons are rounder.

So, yeah - guitar players are FLAKY for all kinds of reasons.

Absolute Truth.. ironically, I would imagine blind guitarist do much better job ignoring all the visual noise...

 

[Securb]

You are not alone...I know lots of people that won't even try the PATB-1 because of how it looks. Guitar is as much a fashion statement as anything else, I guess.

Not the ugliest pickup I have ever seen. Those staple P90s are pretty fugly looking.

 

[jeremy]

Which is weird, ain't it? A Telecaster is so ugly it shouldn't even play in tune - but it DO.

I have a client who doesn't like maple fingerboards, but searches for a bright attack from his Les Pauls. Another one doesn't like locking tuners, because he thinks at least 3 wraps of a string around a post is where sustain comes from. And a third one is convinced that Grover tuners work better than Schallers because the buttons are rounder.

So, yeah - guitar players are FLAKY for all kinds of reasons.

none of that surprises me.

ive grown to really like the look of the patb stuff, and i always thought the staples looked so damn cool!

 

[Ascension]

You are not alone...I know lots of people that won't even try the PATB-1 because of how it looks. Guitar is as much a fashion statement as anything else, I guess.

Have had several like them ok. To my ear they sound a lot like the old Carvin 22 pole pickups like the M22SD and the C22B. They kinda have their own thing going, and frankly I like many of the old Carvins better than the PA Duncan's I have had. Solid concept though.

 

[Ascension]

On Pickups, choosing the guitar have seen that several times. Example, have had a number of different bridge pickups in my Orange Swamp Ash Body 95 Washburn MG 102. I always come back to a JB in that particular guitar, and it's the absolute best sounding Super Strat I have ever played for classic hard rock and metal stuff. A JB in that guitar through a really good high gain tube amp is just pure magic. I am normally not a huge JB fan, but that pickup in that guitar just works. It's all about the combination and when you get it right it's amazing!
Same with my Red Kiesel DC 600. Been through several different pickup combos in that guitar. Dimarzios, Duncans ect then dropped the Kiesel Beryllium bridge and Frank Gambali neck set in that particular guitar, and it sounds amazing. My old tung oil KOA 93 Carvin DC 127 has a Duncan Alt 8 and Sentient combo, and I can't imagine that guitar having any other set of pickups in it ever. Have gotten some amazing country clean tones out of that guitar with both split and then in the same set melted faces, it's just an amazing sounding combo. Would have never dreamed that combo could be so versatile, but in that guitar it is.
Absolutely, sometimes unlikely guitar and pickup combos just WORK!

 

[Mincer]

Which is weird, ain't it? A Telecaster is so ugly it shouldn't even play in tune - but it DO.

I have a client who doesn't like maple fingerboards, but searches for a bright attack from his Les Pauls. Another one doesn't like locking tuners, because he thinks at least 3 wraps of a string around a post is where sustain comes from. And a third one is convinced that Grover tuners work better than Schallers because the buttons are rounder.

So, yeah - guitar players are FLAKY for all kinds of reasons.

And superstitious. And brand loyal. And they believe all sorts of weird things. I don't doubt what you've seen, because I have seen it, too. I don't know where they get half that stuff.

 

[misterwhizzy]

I think it looks fantastic in the Strat. I have a black pickguard, and the black-on-black thing really works in this guitar, especially since it's not pretending to be classy anymore. I don't think SuperStrats ever are.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

Patb is no slouch.

 

[Aceman]

I really think I need to get a PATB one of these day. Every time people talk about it, it just seems like a pickup I'd really like.

 

[Mincer]

I think it looks fantastic in the Strat. I have a black pickguard, and the black-on-black thing really works in this guitar, especially since it's not pretending to be classy anymore. I don't think SuperStrats ever are.

I think it looks cool, too. But for years, pickups have had a very specific look to them. I'd love to see some completely bonkers pickup designs come out that create new sounds.

 

[soulforger]

I was always turned off by the PA look, but for some reason once that Brandon Ellis Dyad was released I really want one haha! It sounds like something that will be right up my alley so much that the look is no longer an issue...maybe it's the double logo lol!

 

[ICTGoober]

And they believe all sorts of weird things. I don't doubt what you've seen, because I have seen it, too. I don't know where they get half that stuff.

I recall touring pros who came in the shop and had never heard of a string winder. Or string clippers.