Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Does anyone really play metal rhythm on the neck pickup? Almost every metal band I've heard uses the bridge pickup for rhythms and switches to the neck pickup for lead work.

I'd think that it'd be really hard to find a neck pickup that would work well for tight metal rhythms.

Did they use neck pickups for the rhythm parts on Master?
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

well I have the Invader in my bridge, and I combined it with the new Blackouts Modular Preamp, the tone is heavenly it balances out quite well in my guitar, and its a solid mahogany PRS Singlecut.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

dr. ad said:
they're isn't, to my knowledge
i consider that the 'ADA pre-amp' album; no-one can tell for sure if it's the custom double-screw JB wound for james by MJ, or if they'd switched to EMGs by then

those pre-amps go for like 200 bucks in pawn shops here; for that very reason i suspect
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I read that the main rhythm sound was the Invader through Mesa-Boogie Mark C+ amp on Masters.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

I used to be confused by the rhythm/lead convention too. I found out that for rock it is reversed, but cleaner styles like surf, jazz, and country it works. Those conventions were set in the days of old, before distortion took off.

But if I was going to try to tame the bass in the neck of a guitar, I'd take a jazz model (SH-2n) and hex the bass (a row of half allen, half fillister screws, as previously mentioned.) the jazz is already a tight and articulate pickup. If the highs aren't round sounding enough, you might try invader pole pieces under the tiny strings. Those might be hard to find unless you have an invader or a detonator laying around though.

An sh-2n should be easy enough to find for a good price on the used market. When a Jazz is in the neck, it reminds me of a dimebucker if a dimebucker went to rehab and anger management. Basically it is just about as tight and articulate as the dime, but with less output and compression. I think that hexing the wound strings (maybe even the whole row) may tame the natural overtones that are present at the neck position.

Maybe not though. Personally, I stick to neck for leads and bridge for rhythm as a rule of thumb these days.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

a dimebucker in the neck dailed down low into the guitar sounds a lot like a bridge humbucker.
but i am like everyone else neck for metal leads and bridge for metal rythym. or get a pup in the bridge for both. ex distortion custom alt 8
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Blckouts preamp on an invader?

For some reason I picture a tone that hits your whole body like Mack truck pushing a cinder block wall at freeway speeds.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Originally posted by idsnowdog

The length of poles:
The length of poles or their mass does play a part in the tone of the pickup. Longer poles do give a fuller and darker sound. With longer poles there is also the possibility of introducing what is known as “eddy currents”. These eddy currents are magnetic fields that project from the bottom of the pickup rather than from the top. These secondary magnetic fields can have a negative impact on clarity, but they can also thicken the sound of a pickup. My experience has been that poles that are flush with the base of the pickup yield better definition and clarity.

The composition of poles:
The materials the poles are made of have an influence on the sound of a pickup such as nickel-plated steel, stainless steel and black oxide. Stainless steel is a poor conductor and the tone of a pickup changes with stainless steel. This is a deciding factor when replacing poles with hardware store screws. The majority of hardware store screws are stainless steel, so the change in materials is often more important than the style of screw head.

Screw heads:
Hex head screws have a tighter and brighter sound than nickel-plated fillister screws. Hex heads have sharp treble, tight bass and reduced midrange presence. Nickel-plated fillister screws will round and darken the sound of a pickup and bass/midrange will be more accentuated and highs will be less present.

Height of the poles:
People often overlook the height of the screws in relation to the strings. They adjust the mounting screws, but not the individual poles. Raising or radiusing the poles to mimic the curvature of the bridge and neck profile can have positive results. If the pickup has two rows of adjustable poles raise the bridge coil poles to get more treble and lower the neck side screws to reduce bass. This mimics tilting a pickup like in Telecaster.

Orientation of the poles:
The orientation of the pickup makes a difference whether the poles are near the bridge or near the neck. Turning a pickup 180 degrees does affect the tone of the pickup and can either brighten and tighten the sound or darken and loosen the sound.

So what to do?

First adjust the mounting screws to position the pickup at 3/32 on the bass side and 2/32 on the treble side.
Second measure the radius of the bridge/neck and adjust the poles either up or down to mimic that radius. Turning a pole ½ a turn can have positive results.
Third if you still don’t get the clarity you want use a dremel tool or a jewelers saw to cut the poles flush with the bottom of the pickup.
Fourth try a different style screw such as hex head or visa/versa.
Fifth if you like the tone of a different style screw, but you still don’t have the clarity you want, try cutting the screws off flush with the bottom of the pickup.
Sixth try rotating the pickup 180 degrees.
Seventh try a magnet swap.
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Quoted for truth ....

I'm sure someone reading this thread will benefit from this at some point in their tone quest. I know I did ....
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

I gotta go with it's gonna be a lot easier to do this with the bridge pickup whatever it is....

Or a Distortion neck - still not my best choice.

Metal? I don't even need a neck pickup. Every once and again....
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Edgecrusher said:
And ive read it was EMG's... They started using them during the Ride the Lightning tour. Noone seems to know for sure.
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Kirk started using them first but i'm not sure when James started, like you said nobody knows for sure.
 
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