Saturday Night Specials/Slash 2.0/Haydes Gates

[Jermo3178]

I've been looking into these 3 specific sets.
Unfortunately, about the only info you can find is produced studio types videos, fan boys or vids with sh*t audio.
And verbally the only info anybody seems to want to tell you is verbatim read from the promo notes.

So I figured I'd ask real folks who have used them...
What are your opinions, pros and cons?
What do you have them in?
Play through?
Sounds similar to?
Give me, and anybody else curious, the details... any and all.
And if you don't like them, please let it be known why.

Potential guitars I'd be putting them in.
Les Paul
Telecaster
Strat
I'm currently thinking about picking up a SG and a PRS SE CE 24


I have basically used the JB/Jazz set in a Strat of some kind, 18 of the 22 yrs I've been in the band.
I play through a Blackstar HT100 Venue.
I use the amp channel 2 for distortion.
channel 3 is the same settings just louder for what few solos I do.
I use a Bad Monkey for a little grit on the clean channel.
I'm not looking to change my sound, I actually love what I use...
I'm just looking for options and something "different", but not bland.
I want to add to what we do... I know the Jb is not perfect for everything even though I make it happen.
That's what I'm hoping to do with some of these.
Also keep in mind, I've used the WLH set... was not impressed. They were good, just didn't live up to the hype to me.

 

[Masta' C]

What are you hoping to achieve? What didn't you like about the WLH set?

Have you thought about just mag-swapping some of your JB's for a different sound and feel? Quick, easy, and low cost mod. JB takes mag-swaps quite well.

You could also explore options like the partial (PRS-style) coil split, which works great with the JB/Jazz.

Lastly, Hades Gates are very new and not a lot of people have tried them yet. There's only a single review floating around on the recent pages here. Even then, I suspect they are not completely dissimilar to the original Slash set, at least the bridge model. The Slash 2.0 set is an even hotter, warmer, more compressed configuration of the originals. SNS are quite different.

 

[Jermo3178]

What are you hoping to achieve? What didn't you like about the WLH set?

Have you thought about just mag-swapping some of your JB's for a different sound and feel? Quick, easy, and low cost mod. JB takes mag-swaps quite well.

You could also explore options like the partial (PRS-style) coil split, which works great with the JB/Jazz.

Lastly, Hades Gates are very new and not a lot of people have tried them yet. There's only a single review floating around on the recent pages here. Even then, I suspect they are not completely dissimilar to the original Slash set, at least the bridge model. The Slash 2.0 set is an even hotter, warmer, more compressed configuration of the originals. SNS are quite different.

The WLH set was pretty bland to me. Thin and uninspiring.

I'm honestly not hoping to achieve anything.
I was just hoping for some kind of insight on these from people that have actually used them, namely the SNS.

 

[jeremy]

i really liked the wlh neck in the two guitars i tried it in, the bridge was fine, but not amazing. i like the wlh neck better than the sns neck, but i like both. the sns is cleaner sounding? i havent tried the hades or slash 2, but both are on my radar

 

[Jermo3178]

i really liked the wlh neck in the two guitars i tried it in, the bridge was fine, but not amazing. i like the wlh neck better than the sns neck, but i like both. the sns is cleaner sounding? i havent tried the hades or slash 2, but both are on my radar

Ya know, the WLH neck was actually decent. I enjoy the Jazz way more though...
The bridge is what really turned me off...
I was hoping that one of these sets were better.. and in line with the tried and true.

 

[Mincer]

I've actually playd the Slash 2.0 with a Bad Monkey, and I liked it. Keep in mind, I play nothing like Slash, and it didn't sound like Slash. I tend to like darker pickups, so, to me , the Alnico II Pro was a better set, but I could be fine with the Slash set.

 

[STLMTLHD79]

I have a set of Slash 2.0 in a 2000 Les Paul Classic. I like them-great for classic/hard rock, but not for metal. They are pretty mid range heavy but not honky with some slight treble roll-off. I have a set of SNS that im waiting to put into a 1978 LP Custom to replace the dreadful T-tops.

 

[Jermo3178]

I've actually playd the Slash 2.0 with a Bad Monkey, and I liked it. Keep in mind, I play nothing like Slash, and it didn't sound like Slash. I tend to like darker pickups, so, to me , the Alnico II Pro was a better set, but I could be fine with the Slash set.

Not playing or sounding like Slash, is not a bad thing. But neither is playing and sounding like him...
So they're darker but easily likable and doable for someone of your caliber. Makes them worth looking into.
Les Paul & GNR licks aside... where do you think they would excel at?

I have a set of Slash 2.0 in a 2000 Les Paul Classic. I like them-great for classic/hard rock, but not for metal. They are pretty mid range heavy but not honky with some slight treble roll-off. I have a set of SNS that im waiting to put into a 1978 LP Custom to replace the dreadful T-tops.

See this is some of that info that I'm looking for.
What are the short comings for stretching into the metal realm?
Looking forward to hearing about the SNS!

 

[jeremy]

I've actually playd the Slash 2.0 with a Bad Monkey, and I liked it. Keep in mind, I play nothing like Slash, and it didn't sound like Slash. I tend to like darker pickups, so, to me , the Alnico II Pro was a better set, but I could be fine with the Slash set.

so you find the slash 2.0 brighter than the normal aph? i knew the original slash models were, but i thought the 2.0 might be less so

 

[Mincer]

Not playing or sounding like Slash, is not a bad thing. But neither is playing and sounding like him...
So they're darker but easily likable and doable for someone of your caliber. Makes them worth looking into.
Les Paul & GNR licks aside... where do you think they would excel at?


See this is some of that info that I'm looking for.
What are the short comings for stretching into the metal realm?
Looking forward to hearing about the SNS!

If you are in a 1 guitar band, they take up a bigger swath of frequencies. I wouldn't choose them for metal, as the low end isn't as chuggy tight as some dedicated metal pickups. But if you are a dynamic player who uses just short of metal levels of gain, they would be fantastic. They are also great in semi-hollows and hollowbodies- they make excellent jazz and blues pickups.