something beefier than a PG to match with JB?
- Thread starter Supernautilus
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Supernautilus
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I’ve tried raising and lowering it. Doesn’t seem to change it. And like I said, I’ve tried 3 different pickups now. It was worst on the Jazz. Maybe slightly better on the PG. Definitely better with the WLH. It seems like the hotter the pup, the less noticeable it is.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
WLH bridge version might be worth a try. Similar character, one step stronger.
PG bridge is a good idea too. It punches above its weight.
And its strong upper mid snarl might help balance out a low-mid hump, if that's what's going on in this guitar.
Hollow sound is a funny thing - could be a particular midrange peak, but could also be a mid notch. Or a combination of the two.
One of the preamp modes in my Triaxis has a distinct hollow-log vibe to it. Not scooped, more like resonant.
The Demon sprang immediately to mind here for me too, but perhaps something even stronger is warranted.
Maybe the Perpetual Burn? I think of it as being kinda halfway to JB territory, only tighter and more controllable.
PG bridge is a good idea too. It punches above its weight.
And its strong upper mid snarl might help balance out a low-mid hump, if that's what's going on in this guitar.
Hollow sound is a funny thing - could be a particular midrange peak, but could also be a mid notch. Or a combination of the two.
One of the preamp modes in my Triaxis has a distinct hollow-log vibe to it. Not scooped, more like resonant.
The Demon sprang immediately to mind here for me too, but perhaps something even stronger is warranted.
Maybe the Perpetual Burn? I think of it as being kinda halfway to JB territory, only tighter and more controllable.
Supernautilus
Active member
Yeah, that’s a better way to describe it, thanks. It’s like a weird resonance peak. It’s my understanding that hotter pickups have a different resonance peak so maybe that’s why it’s better with the WLH.
Another thing I considered is fitting a cover on the neck pup. The stock pups were covered and they sounded normal. Perhaps the cover attenuated whatever this mid notch is. Hmm…
Supernautilus
Active member
This pickup is uncovered but I’ll check the height again, thanks.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Sorry, I thought that the WLH came stock covered.
You may indeed consider installing one. They do affect pickup tone.
Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
A pickup's natural resonance peak is in the treble, even for a humbucker.
IMO that's unlikely to be responsible for a hollow type of sound.
I think it sounds as if the tonal issue here - be it a notch or a peak - is in the hard bass/lower midrange.
Most likely an odd resonance in the wood of this particular guitar.
To me, covered or not seems unlikely to affect it since that also is in the treble.
Also it's a subtle change in even the best of cases.
Still, it's also cheap and easy, so worth trying.
But I wouldn't expect a lot of difference.
IMO that's unlikely to be responsible for a hollow type of sound.
I think it sounds as if the tonal issue here - be it a notch or a peak - is in the hard bass/lower midrange.
Most likely an odd resonance in the wood of this particular guitar.
To me, covered or not seems unlikely to affect it since that also is in the treble.
Also it's a subtle change in even the best of cases.
Still, it's also cheap and easy, so worth trying.
But I wouldn't expect a lot of difference.
Supernautilus
Active member
No, I would say the notch is in the upper midrange or higher. If my description suggested otherwise, I blame myself for failing to explain it property. This resonance peak is far closer to the high end than the low.
Imagine the kind open, airy, wiry sort of sound you would get with very low output, unpotted, uncovered humbucker. Or imagine the kind of weak trebly sound you would get from a vintage humbucker in split or parallel mode. It’s not exactly like that, but that’s what it sort of reminds me of. It’s like that tone blended in with a normal humbucker tone.
I’d rather not modify this brand new WLH just yet, in case I decide to return it. So I have an idea to put a cover on my old Jazz pup as an experiment. Hopefully this will tell me if a cover makes any difference. I’ll report back.
Ascension
Well-known member
Might try the Jazz again with a mag swap to an A2 to make it a Custom Custom. Absolutely hated the Jazz I had in my Carvin DC 127 with a Perpetual Burn in the bridge for the very type tonal thing you describe. Was about to pull it and swap in a floor Custon Zebra Sentient but did the mag swap first. Was really surprised how well that combo worked together. The tones with both on together are killers in particular.
My other suggestion would be a Sentient as they are one of my all time favorite Duncan neck Pickups and match very well with a JB.
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Supernautilus
Active member
Isn’t an A2 Jazz an APH? In any case, I have tried that before and it does sound good but not in this guitar. I might try a different mag though.
Ascension
Well-known member
Oh really?? How do they match up, tone and output wise? Please share if you can, thanks. I'm just curious.
I'm running a Sentient with a Alt 8 in the bridge of one guitar now and have run them with both a Hybrid and a Perpetual Burn. This is my absolute favorite Duncan neck pickup to run with a hot bridge humbucker.
Here is the Alt 8 Sentient combo in my old solid KOA Carvin DC 127 live.
Ascension
Well-known member
It is and for whatever reason the A2 in the Jazz wind feels MUCH hotter smoother and fuller than the A5. I almost didn't try it because I felt it would make things worse and be weaker. It wasn't and was the opposite the difference was very dramatic.
Supernautilus
Active member
I can’t really hear you over the rest of the music unfortunately haha. But that looked like a fun gig!
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I see your other guitar there is an SG. What about your other guitars?
Because an SG has the neck pickup in a different position than a Les Paul. An SG neck pickup is almost in the same position a neck pickup would be in a 24-fret guitar. Neck pickups in SG's sound pretty different than in Les Pauls.
But then again, so do bridge pickups in SG's since they're closer to the bridge itself.
I also see your Harley Benton has a toggle. Is that a coil split? Are you sure the neck pickup is not wired in parallel? That could explain the hollow, weak, and anemic sound as well.
Because an SG has the neck pickup in a different position than a Les Paul. An SG neck pickup is almost in the same position a neck pickup would be in a 24-fret guitar. Neck pickups in SG's sound pretty different than in Les Pauls.
But then again, so do bridge pickups in SG's since they're closer to the bridge itself.
I also see your Harley Benton has a toggle. Is that a coil split? Are you sure the neck pickup is not wired in parallel? That could explain the hollow, weak, and anemic sound as well.
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Supernautilus
Active member
The switch is for the bridge JB. It's series/split/parallel switch. I wired all the electronics myself. Thanks for noticing though, I'm quite proud of the custom work I did on this guitar.
But no, I'm not having this issue on any of my other guitars. It's just this one. It's my first LP style guitar though so perhaps that's part of my unfamiliarity with these characteristics.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
No, no, what I meant is if the rest of your other guitars are also SG's, maybe you're just used to the sound of neck pickups in SG's. Neck pickups in Les Pauls do sound different.The switch is for the bridge JB. It's series/split/parallel switch. I wired all the electronics myself. Thanks for noticing though, I'm quite proud of the custom work I did on this guitar.
But no, I'm not having this issue on any of my other guitars. It's just this one. It's my first LP style guitar though so perhaps that's part of my unfamiliarity with these characteristics.
But if the rest of your other guitars are not all SG's, then that makes my observation moot, haha.
Supernautilus
Active member
No, I only have one SG. My other guitars are Telecasters. But like I said, I've never owned a LP style guitar before. It's possible all LP neck pups sound this way and I just don't know it lol.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Neck pickups on Les Pauls do sound fatter, fuller, more gutural, and more growly, IMO. Hence why so many people don't like overly bassy pickups in there. It's just bass on top of bass.
But I don't think they sound hollow in mine. Or bad in like an unnatural kind of way. If anything, I find neck pickups in Les Pauls sound more like what I idealize neck pickups should sound like in general.
So now that I know you don't have all SG's, I don't think that's the issue here.
But I don't think they sound hollow in mine. Or bad in like an unnatural kind of way. If anything, I find neck pickups in Les Pauls sound more like what I idealize neck pickups should sound like in general.
So now that I know you don't have all SG's, I don't think that's the issue here.
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RanchManSandy
Active member
black winter neck. It blends with more bridges than u think, trust me, and isn't super bright and is way more versatile than you'd expect. yeah its hot, but baby that's why they make gloves
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