Recommendation Please
- Thread starter BrunoD
- Start date
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I'll be honest man, every time I read sound descriptions I understand them less and less. I've never heard lows described as muddy before and I still can't find someone to tell me what "open" means.
Maybe a Custom?
Maybe a Custom?
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I guess man
Artie
Peaveyologist
I get what you're saying, but I would describe a 59n as a bit muddy, and I'd use "open" to describe the PATB-1 series. Hi-fi, wide balanced frequency response. IMHO.
A Perpetual Burn might fit this bill too.
Sounds like a JB that's sitting too close to the strings, have you tried to back it off a bit? None of my 3 JBs with various magnets and in various guitars sounded like that ever.
I think the JB is very fussy about in which guitar it is used. I got a guitar in which it was installed, it was my 1st JB, didn't liked it at all, compressed, undefined, really bland no matter what I did to make it work.
By curiousity I tried it in another one that I was more or less happy with its bridge PU, that JB was a perfect match, wow, that guitar came alive, and it's now my number one.
So for the OP, if you tried to lower it or tried anything else to make it work (even different eq settings on your amp) and still not happy may be a 59 or Custom5 ?
By curiousity I tried it in another one that I was more or less happy with its bridge PU, that JB was a perfect match, wow, that guitar came alive, and it's now my number one.
So for the OP, if you tried to lower it or tried anything else to make it work (even different eq settings on your amp) and still not happy may be a 59 or Custom5 ?
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
FWIW, I found the Tone Zone sounded great in my Charvel Pro Mod. It won't have any issue with ice pick highs . . . although some people don't like the lows on it. Seemed to work well for rock to heavy stuff for me.
That said, I bet you could make the JB work with a combination of amp tweaking and messing with pickup height/pole pieces on the pickup itself. It's a pretty versatile pickup.
That said, I bet you could make the JB work with a combination of amp tweaking and messing with pickup height/pole pieces on the pickup itself. It's a pretty versatile pickup.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I suppose the Custom or Custom 5 could get you what you want. It's normally the pickup I think of for people who don't like the JB.
That being said "open sounding, bell like, and clear" could describe a lot of different pickups.
That being said "open sounding, bell like, and clear" could describe a lot of different pickups.
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
It's tough to beat a JB. There are many pickups you could consider, but what kind of amp are you using, what kind of cab do you have, and what options does your amp have for shaping the tone?
As other have stated, making sure your pickup height is in a good place is the first place to start. You can mess with the poles, but in most cases I don't have to personally.
Then it becomes a question of where your AMP settings are at. If your treble is too high, you will get ice pick. If your tone knob on your guitar is all the way up, ice pick tone is more likely. If you have a presence and/or resonance knob on your amp like my H&K, they will help you shape your tone with less ice pick.
Then, it is a question of technique. When I play something I'm learning, sometimes I press the strings too hard or I use a heavy handed pick attack. A heavy handed pick attack gives me ice pick every time until I ease into the confident comfort zone after learning or mastering what I'm trying to write.
I've gone through this battle with the WLH set. I didn't change the pickups, I changed my technique (work in progress) and my amp settings.
As far as muddy bass goes, I play through a 2x12 and a stack of 2 1x12s, all loaded with bass-heavy Cannabis Rex speakers. I keep my bass EQ on the amps around 9 to 10 o'clock and it booms. Many guitarist have their bass and mids set too high for the speaker cabs they are using. If guitarists want more bass, they should start with 2x12 or 4x12 cabs, not cranking the mids or the bass EQ on their amp.
Only bassplayers should be cranking their low-mids and bass eq. Source: I'm a bassplayer. I had to go through the same EQ quest on bass to minimize fret clicking and frethand finger noise using active basses 20+ years ago.
Shaping tone doesn't begin and end with swapping pickups.
As other have stated, making sure your pickup height is in a good place is the first place to start. You can mess with the poles, but in most cases I don't have to personally.
Then it becomes a question of where your AMP settings are at. If your treble is too high, you will get ice pick. If your tone knob on your guitar is all the way up, ice pick tone is more likely. If you have a presence and/or resonance knob on your amp like my H&K, they will help you shape your tone with less ice pick.
Then, it is a question of technique. When I play something I'm learning, sometimes I press the strings too hard or I use a heavy handed pick attack. A heavy handed pick attack gives me ice pick every time until I ease into the confident comfort zone after learning or mastering what I'm trying to write.
I've gone through this battle with the WLH set. I didn't change the pickups, I changed my technique (work in progress) and my amp settings.
As far as muddy bass goes, I play through a 2x12 and a stack of 2 1x12s, all loaded with bass-heavy Cannabis Rex speakers. I keep my bass EQ on the amps around 9 to 10 o'clock and it booms. Many guitarist have their bass and mids set too high for the speaker cabs they are using. If guitarists want more bass, they should start with 2x12 or 4x12 cabs, not cranking the mids or the bass EQ on their amp.
Only bassplayers should be cranking their low-mids and bass eq. Source: I'm a bassplayer. I had to go through the same EQ quest on bass to minimize fret clicking and frethand finger noise using active basses 20+ years ago.
Shaping tone doesn't begin and end with swapping pickups.
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