Unless you talk me out of it.....

M

Meg

New member
I have a Hagstrom Viking Deluxe (semi-hollow 335 similar) with HB's.

The problem is the hi to low balance between the strings and the p/u. On the neck p/u it sounds like the E-A-D strings are muffled and muddy almost as if you have a blanket over the pole-piece and the G-B-E strings are thin and treble-y sounding. On the bridge p/u the highs become even more predominate.

I will be adjusting the pole-pieces to try to help out with the mud issue in the near term but will also be replacing the p/u's.

I have read other threads here on the forum and elsewhere and it seems a good combo for this application is a Pearly Gates neck and a Custom Custom bridge. I believe that's what I want to try. Anybody have any good reason to talk me out of that combo?

Thanks for the help!
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Hey and welcome (back?) to the forum. :beerchug:

You've chosen two very nice pickups there. I imagine the Pearly Gates could sound outstanding in that guitar. The CC could go either way, really.

In order to give you the best advice we can, we'll need a little more information, though. Most importantly, what kind of music do you play and what kind of tones are you trying to find? Bluesy overdrive, classic rock crunch, jazzy clean, saturated hard rock roar, that kind of thing. It can also be helpful to know what kind of rig you're plugging this into; what style of amp you're using, etc.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

If your low end is lacking definition, those are probably pickups you would want to avoid. Look for something that has clarity in the lows/low mids. The PG is incredible in the neck but has a loose low end that might not suit your needs. The CC is a mid heavy pickup that won't tighten up your bass either.

As Kam stated, your playing styles and rig will help us guide you in the right direction. In the mean time tweak those pole pieces and see if you can dial the stockers in.
 
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Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Hiya Meg! Welcome! Yeah, you picked a good combo! And the biggest plus is the mod ablilty of the CC. I agree with Kam that more info would help us help you... style of music? amp? and what are you looking for?

That combo would cover alot of ground. If for some reason the CC is too woofy in the hollow body, you can change the magnet in the CC. An alnico 8 magnet would sound like the angels singing.. A ceramic would give you more crunch.. and so on..
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Hey Everybody - Thanks for the input so far. Sorry, should have been smart enough to give you enough info to begin with.

I'm looking for a gritty blues to overdriven classic rock tone. I am currently plugged into a Rivera 55-12 and have a Hughes and Kettner Edition Tube 20th anniversery for the low level home practice stuff.

I'm not looking for a lot of gain and I understand the high volume limitations with a semi-hollow.

I listened to several sound samples on the SD site and the pearly gates seemed to be a little more alive than the A2 and the Seth Lover and to my ears, sounded like it would be the best choice of those for the neck position.
I am concerned that the "blanket effect" of the existing pickups may have slanted my perception of what this guitar needs in the neck. Certainly low end string definition is an important factor.

At this point the bridge pickup is way too much treble for my taste so my thinking was that the CC would keep that from being a problem on the replacement.

I also should mention this guitar already has CTS 500K Pots and a Switchcraft input jack.

Thanks again for the input so far and I look forward to anything else you may want to add.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

I agree.the PG and custom custom are warm, mid heavy and may be too warm. I would go with the Seth lover set. That set is just awesomeness in all respects. Very much skive.

If you want a bit more power, I would go with the blues Saraceno model in the bridge and the George lynch I'm the neck. That set retains the vintage vibe you seem to be looking for, with a tight lite, clarity and a very character. You can always swap out the alnico 5 for an alnico 2 if you want more sag.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Start with a pair of 59s. Clarity across the spectrum, and plenty of defined low end.
If you want to change their character a little after using them for a while, they sound great with all kinds of magnet swaps (i have a pair of 59's with a2 magnets in my 335).
You can't go wrong really.
I dont reckon a high output pickup (such as a custom) is a great match in a semi, so if you definitely want a PG in the neck, then go for a PG bridge to match.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

A lot of good suggestions so far. The Pearly in the neck is one of my favorites, but I like the George Lynch Screamin Demon even more...it has a more even EQ.

For the bridge the CC may be a very good suggestion because it gives you a very good platform to make tweaks via mag swaps to dial in your tone. I personally don't care much for the CC, it's too lifeless. The C5 is too mid-scooped. And the Custom (ceramic) is too harsh and brittle sounding. The C8 is just about perfect.

The Seth may also be a good suggestion for the bridge.

Might even consider a Demon set.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

a Duncan SH-2n Jazz Model™ for the neck, and Duncan SH6 for the bridge. make sure you have coil splitting on the bridge at least. I tried this combo on a schecter CSH1 (like a 335 with a strat shaped body, no longer in production) and it was positively mind boggling. Only thing is, the SH6 is so very very hot that you will have a very very tiny high frequency background sizzle when playing clean. it's really not a problem just goes with the territory. This sounds awesome distorted as well as clean, in all positions. It'll do what you want. This isn't bandwagon bull****. This combo provides the balls with distortion, and the definition when clean. Would I lie to you?

The tailpiece on your axe is tricky to work with tone wise, compared to a schecter's string through body type config. The simple answer to that will be trying different capacitors, and if you can manage split coil switches or pots for both pups, you'll be able to dial in exactly what you're looking for.
 
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Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Thanks everyone for the further input. I will have to go back and listen to the examples of the new suggestions.

Here is a sample of the tone I'm looking for. Fast forward to 5:30 for the good stuff. Of course it's Warren and only he can sound like him but it sure is fat and gritty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tfG7KfAf2w

Thanks again for your input.
 
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Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Push to Shuv said:
If your low end is lacking definition, those are probably pickups you would want to avoid. Look for something that has clarity in the lows/low mids. The PG is incredible in the neck but has a loose low end that might not suit your needs. The CC is a mid heavy pickup that won't tighten up your bass either.
Click to expand...

+1. Not the best PU's for your needs. Both have A2 magnets and those are mid heavy with a loose low end, & have little treble. CC's are more popular in Strats and bright woods like that where the flabby low end isn't so prominent. CC's aren't used much in LP's and semi-hollows for that reason.

Keep in mind that only newbies here use the sound clips. The rest of us have found out through experience that PU's will vary depending on which guitar and wood they're in, not to mention differences in amps, tubes, speakers, and effects. DO NOT expect to be able to duplicate the tones you hear in any of the clips. You have no idea of what guitar or amp is being used. There is a huge difference between the way a PU sounds in an LP vs a Strat. Or even in the same model of guitar, because of individual differences in wood (grain, density, water content, mineral content, etc). Memebers here have put the same PU in several of their guitars, and it'll sound different in each one, even in the same model of guitar.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

the clips are a good starting point and not without value. best example is if you hear a pup clip that sounds good distorted, but has no treble when played clean. Even if I loved the distortion sound of that pup, I would rule it out if I were to use that guitar for clean playing, even if i only played clean just 20-30% of the time. can you afford to sound toneless, or will you change guitars? each pickup type has an inherent frequency "range". Granted there will be some variances in Duncan pups as well as from guitar to guitar. This is why I recommended the Duncan SH-2n Jazz Model™ for the neck, and Duncan SH6 for the bridge. I listened to the clip, the pup recommendation will get that sound, with the coil splitting options. you'll probably want the same gauge strings (guessing .011) find out what he generally uses, and you'll probably be looking at 500k CTS pots, with .022 or .033 capacitors. Here is your Duncan wiring diagram:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_2v_2t_3w_2pp
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

After listening to that Warren Haynes clip I'd say that the CC that you were originally considering is the way to go. The Distortion (SH-6) is a great pup and I love it in one of my guitars (with an A2 mag), but you're not going to get that clean of a sound that Warren has, and it's way brighter than that clip as well. Definitely not an SH-6 for your 335 type.
 
Re: Unless you talk me out of it.....

Meg said:
According to Warren's guitar tech http://vimeo.com/29185101 the guitar used in the video I linked to is a Custom Shop 59 re-issue with Burstbuckers in it. Anybody have any idea what SD product gets in the ballpark of Burstbuckers?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

There's different BB models: 1, 2, and 3 depending on how hot they're wound. They come unpotted or potted, and with A2's or A5's (BBP's). Saying "BB's" doesn't mean one PU. Some guys pair up 1 and 2, or 2 and 3, or 1 and 3.

BB's are PAF's, and you should be looking at Duncan's PAF's. The CC you mentioned is wound hotter than any BB. '59's have a lot of treble & bass and are midscooped (from the A5 magnets). Nice and clear, but may be brighter than you want and could be a little bassy in the neck slot. PG's, A2P's, Seth's, and Ant's have A2 magnets, which are warmer with a lot of mids.

I have all of the Duncan PAF's and think Seths are the best of them. They're like Gibson BB's, only better.
 
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