Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I

Inge Malmstein

New member
I'm looking since a longer time for the right pickup for the bridge position of my Gibson Explorer.
I changed the pots to 500k, my amp is a marshall VS-100. I play metal, hardrock.
I'm looking for a wide-open warm tone, but also with attack and crunch, mostly for metal, but still versatile and clear.

I already used a SH-6 Distortion, then a Live Wire metal, then a SH-1!!!
And was never satiesfied. I already tried a couple of different humbuckers:

These are my impressions:

SH-6: + output, crunchy
- not warm, the frequency range is limited

Live Wire Metal: + very great chrunch, but in other guitars
- more muddy than crunchy, too much mids,
not versatile
(the live wire classic in the neck sounds perfect)



SH-1 + warm, fat, tight bass, nice crunch, bites, well balanced
- the tone itself is good, also when distorted,
but less output, need more attack, more power

The SH-1 has a lot of the sound which i want, but is a bit too vintage (still has a great classic rock tone) and should be "meatier"

SH-4 + crunchy,
- a bit too shrill

SH-8 -too muddy, too dark, very limited frequencies
SH-10 - sounds too compressed, a bit too fat, also limited
SH-12 + nice leads, nice "screamin" crunch, wide
-less bite than the SH-1, a bit too bright, still not
enought output. I prefer the SH-1 over the SH-12 in
tone!


PATB-2 (Distortion trembucker) + output, wider than the SH-6
- still more muddy than crunchy


SH-11 + comes closer to the tone i'm after
- a bit too midy and already used in another guitar.

I tried an A-5 and Ceramic in the SH-11, but wasn't satisfied. If the Ceramic should sound like the SH-5, than it was a bit dark and not bright enough for my taste. Can't remember how the A-5 sounded, maybe it has had not enough bite or attack!
From the descriptions the SH-5 or SH-14 should be, what i'm looking for.
Maybe the sound wasn't exactly the same, cause the SH-11 has a bit more output?

I wonder if i should try a real SH-5 or SH-14, maybe with a big ceramic magnet (from the SH-6)?
I'm also thinkg about trying the EMG 81.

What are your impressions? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!! :yell: :yell: :yell: :yell: :yell:
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I'd give the Custom a shot. It's got a lot of the qualities you stated about the 59b, but of course a bigger output a lot more balls! It's got a very tight bottom end, for your (and my) style, and super nice crunch. It is a ceramic mag, but it is still pretty damn versatile and clean it sounds good and great when split. Give it a shot, I think you'll dig it.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

Di Marzio X2N lots of power, but still clear and bright.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

He basically already tried the Custom being that he used an A5 magent = C5 and the ceramic = Custom. Inge I don't know what to tell ya, it seems you tried almost everything Seymour Duncan has to offer. SOme mahogany guitars are picky when it comes to being too dark or too middy.

I had a problem getting a bridge pickup for my SG that wasnt muddy. Still wasn't satisfied, but I did tighten up the highs with the hex head pole pieces.

Sounds like you might have a winner with the Custom with a larger ceramic magnet. Possibly try slapping an "extra" ceramic magnet on the outside of the basplate (not inside the pickup). Someone in here tried it for some pickup and noticed increased power so maybe thats all you need to try or try that with a double A5 magnet in the SH-1.

Hope some of this might help ya.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I was going to say Custom, but you said the Custom Custom with the ceramic magnet was a bit dark. That sounds odd. Is that in comparison to the CC? It should be brighter than the CC. If you think it was dark in comparison to the CC, maybe you had a strange ceramic magnet.

As a last option, if you could get ahold of an A3 magnet, than should add a bit of bass and highend to the CC. It will sound a lot like the CC, but the mids aren't as prominent.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I'll throw out a ringer: since you like the 59 (and CC) so much, how about the Blues trembucker? I found that it had more mids than the 59 (ironically, I also thought it was easier to squeeze of harmonics).
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

Inge, sounds like you need a new tube amp dude. might I suggest a Marshall reissue 1987X, 1959SLP, or a used JCM 800 50 watter. Just a thought. MrHM.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I'd go with an Invader, if you're looking to play metal. It oughta wake that Explorer right up.....
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

Have you consider the the live wire series?
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I like the Custom, but like you, find it too dark. I find it darker than my Rio Grande BBQ! :smack:
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

mongrollo said:
Have you consider the the live wire series?
Click to expand...

Yes, i alraedy used the live wire metal (whish means the live wire classic in the neck)
The neck pickup sounds perfect! That's what i was looking for.
But the live wire metal, which already has tons of mids, sounds too midy in the explorer. Has a lot of output, attack, also crunch, but on this guitar the mids make the sound more muddy than crunchy!
Maybe i should try a live wire classic? i don't know if it's louder than a '59, or if the neck version is the same as the bridge version? Then i could test the live wire neck on the bridge position.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

Again, i'll spend the evening with trying some options.

I don't find the C darker than the CC. Sorry, that was bad explained! I meant, the C is not as bright as the '59.

I will try the '59 with a second A-5 magnet (under the plate), should this bring more "balls" or output? Does this weaken the magnets?

I also tried a couples of DiMarzios (X2N, Paf, MegaDrive, DoubleWhammy), but they sounded so unnatural to me. The DoubleWhammy was closer to the sound.
Then i tested a Demon/Distortion Hybrid (SH12/SH6), that was too bright and "mushy"

Maybe i need a new amp? My Marshall got damaged last year, i needed a new speaker (i got a used "Gold series SPK 100"), also a bit of the eletcric inside. I was not satisfied with the results, i got the feeling that the amp doesn't "push" or overdrive so much as it has done before, but i can't compare it, it took weeks! till i got my amp back!
But my search for the right pickup started few time BEFORE...
I'm also not common with this type of guitars. Except of my new Brian May Model (which i will never never! modify and keep it original (i only changed one slide switch to achieve a parrallel mode) ) i'm only common with strats and heavy strats, which all sound natural brighter than a Gobson-style guitar.

Maybe i should give the Custom a chance, i still have an A-5 magnet for changing into a C-5, or a C/big ceramic. I also could make an '59/C-hybrid,
(i would have options for 2 different hybrids)

Seems that there might be something like a "missing link" in the Duncan-line.
Something between the '59 and C, around 10-12k :22: (The SH-12 ain't it!)




...and the journey continues...
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

papersoul said:
I like the Custom, but like you, find it too dark. I find it darker than my Rio Grande BBQ! :smack:
Click to expand...
really? i finally got to play one and found it extremly balanced?
i guess to each his own
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

how about trying the gibson dirty finger pickup. Very punchy
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

I tried again the Custom (CC with Ceramic) and have to say that itself it sounds good.
But still not what i look for, cause it doesn't have that "PAF-Vibe". Too overpowered compared with the '59, is miss a bit of the clarity.
Then i tried the '59 with double A-5's and it has a bit more power and output, more balls, but less round, less balanced, and clean it has an ice pickin sound. The highs seem a bit booested. When too close to the strings, the (clean) sound gets a bit distorted!
I will try again tommorow, sometimes you have to "sleep" about it (so we say it in Germany, if you still not shure how to decide! )
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

Maybe you should try the 59 with a ceramic mag from the Custom. It should give you a bit more power.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

Benjy_26 said:
Maybe you should try the 59 with a ceramic mag from the Custom. It should give you a bit more power.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that is the same thing, which did thought at the moment! Can you read my mind?
I already tried the big ceramic from the SH-6, but got an ice-pickin bright sound.
The small or regular? ceramic which i have, is from the Distortion Trembucker.
Maybe i'm a bit wiser tomorrow.
I won't hope that it will sacrifice the clarity and the balanced tone, which i prefer on the '59.

PS Swapping the magnet on the '59 is so much more work than on the others... I can leave the CC (which is a trembucker) in the guitar while swapping the magnet at the same time. But i have to loosen strings, took out the 59' for the same thing, because of i's long legs :blackeye:
 
Last edited:
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

you have dual volume controls, right? If the ceramic in a 59 gives you most of what you need (except for the treble) I'd put a 250k pot as the volume for the bridge pickup. This should tame some of the highs.
 
Re: Still desperate with the bridge position of Gibson Explorer!

Benjy_26 said:
you have dual volume controls, right? If the ceramic in a 59 gives you most of what you need (except for the treble) I'd put a 250k pot as the volume for the bridge pickup. This should tame some of the highs.
Click to expand...

Yes, i have two volume pots.
Originally there have been 300k pots, which i had to replace. So i put in 500k (before i used the '59.) The sound is more "free".
In the neck position i use a Jazz-neck SH2 which i'm satisfied. Brighter than the '59, but with a good definition.
 
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