Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

[BloodRose]

Need a hard rocking pickup for a really bright axe. Maple body, set maple neck, ebony board and brass nut with a Kahler trem. Guitar is used for heavy styles and classic rock.. This thing is so bright, it makes a Tone Zone sound mild. Would a Blues trembucker fit this bill?
Thanks!

 

[rspst14]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

The Blues Trembucker might work, but I would opt for something even darker. An alnico II magnet pickup might be your best bet, as it would help warm up the sound. The Custom Custom would probably work well, especially if you put an alnico 3 magnet in it. If you want to stick with alnico 5 pickups, try a Rio Grande BBQ. It has a good amount of bass and midrange, with softer highs, and is a medium output pickup.

Ryan

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

Yeah...I like Ryan's idea of the Custom Custom. Might be perfect. But I'd leave the alnico 2 magnet in it if you want to warm up a bright guitar...alnico 3 would make that pickup brighter, which you may not want.

Lew

 

[rspst14]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

Yeah...I like Ryan's idea of the Custom Custom. Might be perfect. But I'd leave the alnico 2 magnet in it if you want to warm up a bright guitar...alnico 3 would make that pickup brighter, which you may not want.

Lew

Yeah, I should've mentioned that trying it stock would be a good start. I've found that the alnico 3 magnet gives you a better bass response, without sacrificing any noticeable warmth, which is why I prefer it over the stock Custom Custom.

Ryan

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

Yeah, I should've mentioned that trying it stock would be a good start. I've found that the alnico 3 magnet gives you a better bass response, without sacrificing any noticeable warmth, which is why I prefer it over the stock Custom Custom.

Ryan

I've never tried an a3 magnet in a humbucker. I like it in my Nocaster Tele pickups tho. You're right: more output and bass...but perhaps more treble too. I need to try one in a humbucker so I know just what it does in a humbucker. I did not care for the a3 Strat pickups I've owned...but do like the a3 Nocaster pickups. Lew

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

Thanks guys!! Looks like Im gonna have to buy another axe to true the Blues Saraceno in... haha.. Itching to try that pup, but im happy with all my guitars except this maple one.

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

I just got a PATB3 (Blues). Vey mid oriented lots of body , crunch. Best pup for solos I have tried. Not the lows and highs of the C5 MAY CUT THROUGH THE MIX BETTER, nice pup. I will be putting some comparison clips up within the next couple of weeks between the PATB3, PATB2, C-5, SH-6, DEMON, JB.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

KlinkDetroit,
How are youliking that Blues pup???

This guitar has almost a boingy tone when you first pick a note. I think its the brass nut

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

you just described my axe (except for the khaler and breass nut) I have a CC and Alnico II Pro and love it. It gets plenty heavy.

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

I like it better in my Mohagony schecter than the Ibanez RG560. But The schecter is better in some ways to begin with. It is my friends favorite pup but its a toss up between the C5/PATB3 as my favorite so far. I tried the custom custom and it was good and you may like it. I wanted a less compressed tone though. I now use my custom custom in the neck of my Ibanez and it kinda sounds like a hot rail neck pup that I have in another Ibanez neck . I am curious about trying the PATB1? I tried the JB and didnt like the lack of lows, compressed sound and spikey highs. I guess the PATB1 is a version of the JB? I have a PATB2 and its alot like the SH-6 but less compressed and thin.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

If a Tone Zone sounds mild then I don't know what to tell you...that's the best pickup for a really bright guitar IMO. Only other thing I might suggest is the Super3 or SuperDistortion.

 

[Chi3f]

Re: Recommend a crunch pup for a bright guitar

Klink I'm just wondering when you ran the jb did you change the volume pot down to a 250k. I Hated the lack of lows and the extreme highs of the jb too intill i swapped the 500k to a 250k. That took away the screaming highs and and brought me some more low end. Not an insaine amount but enough to where i can dial it in with my amp