Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

[zanshin777]

I have 2013 Les Paul Traditional. I got installed Slash Set on it. The guitar has default pots and all knobs are cranked while I play.

1) There is a lot of brightness difference between neck and bridge pickups. I adjust the amp EQ for one of them and the other pickup doesn't sound good because it sounds too bright and harsh or too dark. Is there a problem with installment of pickups? What do you think? Will I upload sound samples?

2) I have not experience with LP's. I noticed the guitar pickups (especially neck) get clean very well when roll off the knob. (Unlike my other guitar Ibanez RG470) You can get clean tones from the neck pickup and distortion like overdrive tones from the bridge pickup when you switched between pickups. Is it because of the pots used?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

The pots affect the overall brightness of the pickup, but the taper controls the speed of cleanup. Typically with 2 tone knobs you EQ the amp for the neck pickup, then roll the bridge tone back to where it sounds pleasing.

As to the stock pots, you will have the same for both pickups. The 2013 I think has 500K for vol, 300k for tone. If you were good with your wiring and skills, you might be able to swap a neck tone (300k) with the bridge vol (500k). This would darken the bridge pickup a bit while opening the neck a fraction.

But it also has to do with the pickups. The Slash is known for a bit of what you are experiencing.

 

[zanshin777]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

Typically with 2 tone knobs you EQ the amp for the neck pickup, then roll the bridge tone back to where it sounds pleasing.

1) The neck pickup can't be tamed. Treble at 3, Mid at 3 and it still sounds dark. ??

2) Don't Ibanez RG have 300k pot? It can't get clean as Les Paul on the neck pickup. (Although it has Alnico 2 pro bridge on the neck position.)

 

[Archer250]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

1)

2) Don't Ibanez RG have 300k pot? It can't get clean as Les Paul on the neck pickup. (Although it has Alnico 2 pro bridge on the neck position.)

์No. 500k.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

Someone at Duncan suggested to me the Slash set is brighter than the A2P hums. Imagine my surprise when I tried the neck Slash and found it pretty thick.

Turns out that he wanted a pickup that was thicker to account for how his newer Gibsons were thinner sounding than his older ones. If I ever go that route again, it'd be by tracking down some old A2P hums from the 80s.

 

[zanshin777]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

Is it normal that adjusting EQ according to neck pickup to the brightest tone possible then using bridge pickup decreasing bridge the tone knob to 5 because it's too harsh?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

^Yes

You can remove treble. You cannot add it back.

One easy mod for the neck pickup is to remove the tone circuit. Whatever part connects the vol pot to the tone.....desolder it. This will add back some bite.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

It's the pickups. The neck is bassy and on the high side on output for if you want cut. Then the bridge is about the same output so it sounds thin. For a bridge pup to sound fat you need at least 50% more output than that. The pickups are poorly calibrated. In addition to working out solutions with the pots as others suggested, you could split and/or parallel the neck pickup. Either with a triple shot or a push pull pot. That makes the neck cut more and it sounds great!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

Is it normal that adjusting EQ according to neck pickup to the brightest tone possible then using bridge pickup decreasing bridge the tone knob to 5 because it's too harsh?

It's common for LP type guys to do that. Depends on your goals and how you want to reach them.

 

[zanshin777]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

I'm surprised because on my other guitar; Ibanez RG470 (Basswood body, a brighter wood than mahogany) when I switch from the neck pickup (Alnico 2 Pro Bridge) to the bridge pickup (TB-6 which shpuld be brighter than Slash) and it isn't harsh at all.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

Could try putting a small capacitor in series with the neck pickup to throttle the bass. Try different values, between 0.01 to .0022 for extreme bass cut.
Also lower the pickup and raise the poles


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[Archer250]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

(TB-6 which shpuld be brighter than Slash) .

Not really. PAF-ish pickups usually have a nebulous brightness that higher-output pickups don't.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

I don't get this thread.

A bridge pickup is supposed to sound brighter than a neck pickup.

It has to do with the location of the pickup.

Two identical pickups (all three pickups in a 50's or 60's Strat would be wound identically and both humbuckers in a 59 Les Paul would be identical as well) will still sound very different depending on whether they're mounted as a neck pickup or bridge pickup.

I have a set of the Slash humbuckers. I like them. They're not mounted in a guitar at the moment though, because I like my 59 sets with Roughcast A5 magnets even better.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

1) The neck pickup can't be tamed. Treble at 3, Mid at 3 and it still sounds dark. ??

I'm not even sure what the heck you are saying here or what you are trying to change. Of course it will sound dark if you turn the treble and mid down to 3!

But in any case, have you noticed that the LP has a separate tone control for each pup? You might want to try turning those to get the tonal balance that you're looking for.

 

[zanshin777]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

I'm not even sure what the heck you are saying here or what you are trying to change. Of course it will sound dark if you turn the treble and mid down to 3!

But in any case, have you noticed that the LP has a separate tone control for each pup? You might want to try turning those to get the tonal balance that you're looking for.

not at 9. at 3 o'clock. Going clockwise treble frequencies increase so it gets brighter.

I haven't been using the tone control on Ibanez RG at all. I had '57 Classic pickups before Slash Set they haven't this issue.

I don't get this thread.

A bridge pickup is supposed to sound brighter than a neck pickup.

I mean bridge pickup is too much bright according to the neck pickup so that I have to decrease the tone control of the bridge pickup as half way.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

I mean bridge pickup is too much bright according to the neck pickup so that I have to decrease the tone control of the bridge pickup as half way.

So do I. So do a lot of players.

Long as you like what you're hearing: so what?

My favorite guitars have only a master volume and master tone. I disconnected the tone control from the neck pickup so that it's connected directly to the bridge pickup only.

I never needed to reduce the treble on the neck pickup anyway...only on the bridge pickup.

That way, I can dial in the neck pickup tone I want by setting the tone controls on my amp.

And I can keep the tone control on the guitar itself set at 50% down when I switch to the bridge pickup and leave it there, without it affecting the sound of the neck pickup at all.

 

[metale]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

What the OP is feeling is probably what I felt with a set of EMG 81b/85n on a Les Paul, BKP Black Dog bridge / Mississippi Queen neck on the same Les Paul or 490r/498t on a SG.

If one dials for the neck, when switching for the bridge it sounds bright and even thin. Dialing down the respective tone pot only makes it honkier, not fatter. Dial for the bridge and when you switch for the neck you get this boomy tone.

I think this may happen on certain guitars that need particulary 'tonaly spaced' pickups, or even a very weaker neck pickup.

One can try diferent caps (.015 neck .022 bridge), pots (putting the higher value ones on the neck) and setup (pickup heights) and still never really get there without changing at least one of the pickups.

Still... it may sound nonsense, but check if the pickups are installed on the right positions (neck on neck and bridge on bridge).

 

[AlexR]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

I've found the contrast is based on guitar as much as pickup. Some guitars just have that issue and you cannot rid yourself of it. After many PAF clones rotated through the burst clones I've made there is certainly truth to saying 'the right pickup for the right guitar'.

 

[vinnie1971]

Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

First thing I would try is balancing pickups and adjusting the poles. That has sorted out similar issues for me in the past like neck too dull or bridge too bright. But that sweet middle position sound works best when the pickups are very different, I.e bright bridge and warm neck.

Some people say the 498T and 490R don't work because they are mismatched being A5and A2, but for me it's a perfect pairing - bright bridge warm but bright neck with soft bass and the middle position is great. I love the A5 paired with A2 even though I prefer A2 in the bridge.


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[SJ318]

Re: Seymour Duncan Slash Set Brightness Difference Between Pickups

Hello all,
zanshin777 -
I feel obligated to tell you I fix that in every HH set I've ever had (my SG 61, L.Paul Custom right now for instance) by turning the whole neck pickup 180 degrees. NOT the magnet, it is fine when turned, no Greeny biz to fool with.
This puts the poles closer to the bridge. A little. But it all counts. I then lower the neck p'up a little more and raise the neck poles. This works every time for me. Also, personally, I keep the cover on the neck p'up and take off the bridge p'up cover.
This way I can get the bridge slugs a little closer to the strings (easy does it) and that makes it easy to lower the bridge poles so the whole uncovered p'up is closer to the strings without messing up a sweet spot, like I said, careful as you go.
I always make sure that the readings I get show the bridge hotter than the neck, just to be sure.
Try it. I bet you as a gentleman this will help. To make it easy for a quick trial, just leave the p'up in the ring, although it looks off, if you like it you can always re-set the p'up in the ring for permanent use. Takes 5 minutes, loosen strings, not much, undo 4 outer ring screws, turn it, screw in the ring, tighten the strings, and off you go for a quick try out.
Steve Buffington