Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
- Thread starter Nagisa
- Start date
gregory
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
...and now the cheesy-looking Sonic Ecstasy:
It's gotten to the point of self-parody™.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
That sucks.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
I found a vid for the mayhem set, though not in an LP, there is quite shortage of good vids for these.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LCbRuGD8z4M
Its 30+min long, so probably have something worthwhile somewhere.
Edit: the good stuff is at 10 or 11min onwards, then 15min & finally 30min onwards.
I found a vid for the mayhem set, though not in an LP, there is quite shortage of good vids for these.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LCbRuGD8z4M
Its 30+min long, so probably have something worthwhile somewhere.
Edit: the good stuff is at 10 or 11min onwards, then 15min & finally 30min onwards.
Last edited:
gregory
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
To be fair, Petrucci wanted EBMM to do a basswood body with a Floyd, which is what the Sonic Ecstasy was designed for. The sig Mesa amp is really just a dual-IIC+ with extra bells and whistles like a mode to to work better with a 7-string and a respectable clean channel.
Anyway, I hope he's able to get some financial benefit from the situation. Life as a non-pop star professional musician who has to constantly tour can be pretty tough.
To be fair, Petrucci wanted EBMM to do a basswood body with a Floyd, which is what the Sonic Ecstasy was designed for. The sig Mesa amp is really just a dual-IIC+ with extra bells and whistles like a mode to to work better with a 7-string and a respectable clean channel.
Anyway, I hope he's able to get some financial benefit from the situation. Life as a non-pop star professional musician who has to constantly tour can be pretty tough.
Last edited:
IMENATOR
Well-known member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
That is a neck hb I would really have the chance to try.
That is a neck hb I would really have the chance to try.
Nagisa
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
I called SD and they first recommended the distortion neck (as expected) and then said the screamin demon would be a good choice for variety, as some of you said. They said the sentient is only a little hotter than the pgn so it probably wouldn't be such a difference. He said I could put my pgb in the neck to test if the sentient level of output would work, I will consider it, but I think I can sell the pg as a set better so it may work out to just get the optimum neck anyway.
I called SD and they first recommended the distortion neck (as expected) and then said the screamin demon would be a good choice for variety, as some of you said. They said the sentient is only a little hotter than the pgn so it probably wouldn't be such a difference. He said I could put my pgb in the neck to test if the sentient level of output would work, I will consider it, but I think I can sell the pg as a set better so it may work out to just get the optimum neck anyway.
Last edited:
Nagisa
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
looks like we posted at the same time. I thought the fs looked good at first but in this video it kinda sounds a bit thin compared to what the distortion does. Maybe it's just his amp though?
looks like we posted at the same time. I thought the fs looked good at first but in this video it kinda sounds a bit thin compared to what the distortion does. Maybe it's just his amp though?
gregory
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
No, that's what you get when you pair a vintage-output neck pickup with not a lot of bass response with a Distortion in the bridge spot.
Full Shred Neck is great with a Screamin' Demon in the bridge.
There's a lot of hype on this forum about the Screamin' Demon in the neck. From what I've heard, it's highly overrated, ruining the beautiful fat full sound the neck position has to offer.
No, that's what you get when you pair a vintage-output neck pickup with not a lot of bass response with a Distortion in the bridge spot.
Full Shred Neck is great with a Screamin' Demon in the bridge.
There's a lot of hype on this forum about the Screamin' Demon in the neck. From what I've heard, it's highly overrated, ruining the beautiful fat full sound the neck position has to offer.
IMENATOR
Well-known member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Well, that may be true if that is what you heard, but it is fine for my taste and needs, I want versatility and the FS pickup has been versatile enough for me without coil splitting even for soloing, it reminds me the character of single coils in neck which I love. Or you can always put a punchier pickup and add coil splitting so you can switch from nice clean to great high gain tone.
Well, that may be true if that is what you heard, but it is fine for my taste and needs, I want versatility and the FS pickup has been versatile enough for me without coil splitting even for soloing, it reminds me the character of single coils in neck which I love. Or you can always put a punchier pickup and add coil splitting so you can switch from nice clean to great high gain tone.
gregory
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Even hot humbuckers don't sound that great when split, YMMV.
Another option worth considering is the Stag Mag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHbY2oN7MS4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwJRZ5-_ymM
Even hot humbuckers don't sound that great when split, YMMV.
Another option worth considering is the Stag Mag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHbY2oN7MS4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwJRZ5-_ymM
Last edited:
gregory
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Regarding cleans with an HH, here's my deal:
If the bridge is significantly more powerful than the neck (as is the case with a Distortion and a Full Shred), the bridge tone will dominate when the two are combined, which IMO, does not do justice to what is possible with a neck and bridge HH combination (e.g.: classic Les Paul). With the basic 3-way switch, what you get instead is:
OTOH, a hotter neck pickup can give you a great balanced middle position and a still very usable, even if less-than-ideal neck-only position (though DiMarzio's designs can still give extremely good results). Luckily the neck position with a hotter pickup can still sound good when run either split or in parallel, but usually best when run partially split. Hotter-than-vintage neck pickups can also benefit from other things such as high-pass shelving or a treble bleed, depending on what you like.
What's the point of all of this? I read far too many posts dismissing hotter-than-vintage neck pickups out of hand.
Regarding cleans with an HH, here's my deal:
If the bridge is significantly more powerful than the neck (as is the case with a Distortion and a Full Shred), the bridge tone will dominate when the two are combined, which IMO, does not do justice to what is possible with a neck and bridge HH combination (e.g.: classic Les Paul). With the basic 3-way switch, what you get instead is:
- bridge only: an overabundance of power with no extended highs and relatively thin bottom end (mainly due to the position, rather than the pickup, per-se), though some people do like it
- bridge+middle: thinned-out bridge tone with added extended highs and a tiny amount of richness, though the slight addition of richness coming from the neck pickup doesn't really sound like an integral part of the overall tone
- neck: great vintage neck tone.
OTOH, a hotter neck pickup can give you a great balanced middle position and a still very usable, even if less-than-ideal neck-only position (though DiMarzio's designs can still give extremely good results). Luckily the neck position with a hotter pickup can still sound good when run either split or in parallel, but usually best when run partially split. Hotter-than-vintage neck pickups can also benefit from other things such as high-pass shelving or a treble bleed, depending on what you like.
What's the point of all of this? I read far too many posts dismissing hotter-than-vintage neck pickups out of hand.
Last edited:
Nagisa
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Wild thought, but if I were to get the DDn and thought it was too much, would putting an a5 or a8 be a good back-up option? I've never swapped mags but if there were some kind of backup like that it would make it simpler.
Also, gregory - thank you for your posts. I guess since you mentioned quite a few pickups but refer to Dimarzios as having the best neck-only sounds, I am wondering what Dimarzio you would personally choose in this situation.
Thank you
Wild thought, but if I were to get the DDn and thought it was too much, would putting an a5 or a8 be a good back-up option? I've never swapped mags but if there were some kind of backup like that it would make it simpler.
Also, gregory - thank you for your posts. I guess since you mentioned quite a few pickups but refer to Dimarzios as having the best neck-only sounds, I am wondering what Dimarzio you would personally choose in this situation.
Thank you
Nagisa
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Thanks! I'm leaning toward getting the DDn...
Thanks! I'm leaning toward getting the DDn...
gregory
New member
Re: Shredable neck pup for LP to match Distortion b. - with some versatility
Hmm. DDn in a Les Paul as a versatile shred pickup...I don't think it's a good idea. If it's too bassy (and I'm reasonably certain it will be) then we put an A4 in it. I'd love to hear something that sounds better than what my experience with A4 has taught me. Will it improve cleans? Not insofar as the clean tone that I have in my head (with the stock ceramic is actually pretty decent). Will an A4 make it more shred-worthy? It'll tighten up the bass, sure, but what will it do to the cut, pick attack and all-important focus/saturation in the upper mids? I've yet to hear an A4 improve the shredability of any pickup. The best I could do to tame a DDn that didn't diminish what shred characteristics the coils have was to put an A3 in it, which, if you know anything about an A3, doesn't exactly tighten bass. The next step was to reach for a 39-nan capacitor. A lot of effort to salvage an impulsive purchase. Luckily I like the qualities it can lend to the bridge position.
DiMarzio Titan and PAF Pro are far better choices. The Titan was specifically designed to do all the things requested in the thread title. The PAF Pro has an extremely strong track record in the neck position. The DDn was actually designed to be a bridge pickup which was the closest thing Duncan had to put in the neck against a Distortion at the time that demand was emerging for such a thing.
How the video in Hank's post didn't send you running is a mystery to me. There must be some reputable artist who uses a DDn in the neck for shred + some additional versatility; some worthwhile recording or demonstration?
Hmm. DDn in a Les Paul as a versatile shred pickup...I don't think it's a good idea. If it's too bassy (and I'm reasonably certain it will be) then we put an A4 in it. I'd love to hear something that sounds better than what my experience with A4 has taught me. Will it improve cleans? Not insofar as the clean tone that I have in my head (with the stock ceramic is actually pretty decent). Will an A4 make it more shred-worthy? It'll tighten up the bass, sure, but what will it do to the cut, pick attack and all-important focus/saturation in the upper mids? I've yet to hear an A4 improve the shredability of any pickup. The best I could do to tame a DDn that didn't diminish what shred characteristics the coils have was to put an A3 in it, which, if you know anything about an A3, doesn't exactly tighten bass. The next step was to reach for a 39-nan capacitor. A lot of effort to salvage an impulsive purchase. Luckily I like the qualities it can lend to the bridge position.
DiMarzio Titan and PAF Pro are far better choices. The Titan was specifically designed to do all the things requested in the thread title. The PAF Pro has an extremely strong track record in the neck position. The DDn was actually designed to be a bridge pickup which was the closest thing Duncan had to put in the neck against a Distortion at the time that demand was emerging for such a thing.
How the video in Hank's post didn't send you running is a mystery to me. There must be some reputable artist who uses a DDn in the neck for shred + some additional versatility; some worthwhile recording or demonstration?
Last edited:
