Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

My three faves are the Seth Lover, the Pearly Gates and the Antiquity.

Of those three, an uncovered Seth Lover or uncovered Pearly Gates would probably make the OP happy...especially if he’s a rocker.

Or covered if the OP likes covers.

I prefer those two without covers tho.

I’m going to suggest the PG.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

I'd never thought Pearly Gates to be brighter than A2P considering the respective artists gear they're designed after. Slash' classic tones are painfully bright...

 

[gregory]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

due to the extra articulation provided due to a sharper pick attack inherent to this particular wire type, I'd choose an A3-modded APH1n.

FTFW.

I see your A3 APH-1N and raise you an A3 SH-10N; and I also have an Ace up my sleeve (EJ Custom Neck).

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

To my ears Alnico 5 pickups like the 59 are brighter than Alnico 2 pickups like the PG.

But Alnico 2 pickups like the PG are not as boomy or bassy as Alnico 5 pickups like the 59.

Overall, I prefer Alnico 2 pickups like the PG, Seth and Antiquity...as well as the APH1 and the new Slash set.

But what I actually use are the Antiquity, Seth and PGs.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

Thanks for all the replies, dudes!

I don't really want a super bright neck pickup. What I actually want is a non-bassy (big emphasis on that!) neck pickup within the PAF realm that's warm for the most part, but not overly dark either, and just bright enough to at least loosely balance with an A5 bridge pickup. Basically, I want a Jazz or a '59 with less boom ('59), less chirp (Jazz), and less scooped (both).

I'm not sure I'd dig the Full Shred neck because I think both the Jazz and the PAF Pro are too chirpy in the neck (and perhaps too scooped as well), and I'd suspect the FSN may be even more attacky. Perhaps an A2-modded FSN would be nice, but if I'm going to get a new pickup, I think I'd rather get something I like from the start (and then, maybe consider modding it just to fine-tune it).

So you think I should rather be looking in the A3 realm? That kinda leaves Duncan out except if going CS, no? Are there any companies that have a standard production A3 neck PAF?

 

[gregory]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

"Scooped" due to the magnet is an illusion, pure and simple.

You want less bass but bright, lower your pickup or buy a more powerful pickup to put in the bridge. Now you want less of everything and a lower resonant peak? Fine, go with an A2. Maybe the topic title can be changed.

This isn't rocket science, or magic for that matter.

You still have a Jazz? Stick an A2 in it. Guess what that becomes. Cheap and extremely easy.

Bonus points: what kind of response do you get with your guitar amp when the tone controls are all set at noon?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

Thanks for all the replies, dudes!

I don't really want a super bright neck pickup. What I actually want is a non-bassy (big emphasis on that!) neck pickup within the PAF realm that's warm for the most part, but not overly dark either, and just bright enough to at least loosely balance with an A5 bridge pickup. Basically, I want a Jazz or a '59 with less boom ('59), less chirp (Jazz), and less scooped (both).

I'm not sure I'd dig the Full Shred neck because I think both the Jazz and the PAF Pro are too chirpy in the neck (and perhaps too scooped as well), and I'd suspect the FSN may be even more attacky. Perhaps an A2-modded FSN would be nice, but if I'm going to get a new pickup, I think I'd rather get something I like from the start (and then, maybe consider modding it just to fine-tune it).

So you think I should rather be looking in the A3 realm? That kinda leaves Duncan out except if going CS, no? Are there any companies that have a standard production A3 neck PAF?

Try a PGn.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

You still have a Jazz? Stick an A2 in it. Guess what that becomes. Cheap and extremely easy.

Nope, I sold the Jazz. Didn't like it at all. Didn't think it was worth modding at the time. Don't really regret it much since I thought it was way too weak even with the stock A5, so A2, 3, or 4 would make it even weaker. That Jazz measured only 7 or 7.1K, though, so I'm not sure if that had something to do with it?

Maybe I'm expecting too much from a neck pickup. I like the DiMarzio 36th Anni PAF Neck in another guitar I have, which is A5, but it has the Airbucker and Virtual Vintage stuff, which does a lot to tame the boom and the chirp. I want to try something new, though, and if I were to change anything about that DiMarzio, I'd rather have a touch more output (not much more, though), and a touch less smoothness without going scratchy like the Jazz or PAF Pro.

Oh, and I did try adjusting the height and the poles on both the PAF Pro and the Jazz... and I just didn't gel with those pickups, no matter what I did.

...so what will this "bright" non-"boomy" A2 neck pickup be paired with?

Whole Lotta Humbucker.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

Try a PGn.

That seems like the best choice so far.

 

[gregory]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

An A2 in your Jazz would have lowered the resonant peak. If it were actually underwound, which I doubt, then the A2 could have made it perfect for you.

As far as DiMarzio neck pickups go, unless you're going with a high output bridge stick with Duncan. There are only two models that I'm familiar with that I like from their current vintage output lineup: the Bluesbucker and The Humbucker From Hell. Neither are traditional sounding, but maybe you don't want traditional sounding.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

Is the Bluesbucker the one's that's supposed to be P90-ish? That doesn't sound too bad as long as it's a bit less chirpy and less noisy than the Phat Cat without having more low-end.

 

[gregory]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

I don't know the relative output between the Bluesbucker and the Phat Cat. With location and height being held constant, output is the single most important factor that determines how much "bass" a pickup has.

But, yes, the Bluesbucker is a humbucker that bears some resemblance to a P90. Split or run in parallel it bears some resemblance to a single coil.

Again, what is in the bridge? Also, what is the guitar (wood, construction, bridge, scale length, etc.)? What is the amp and the rest of the signal chain that seems to be so unforgiving when it comes to the neck pickup? What is your string gauge and tuning?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

Again, what is in the bridge? Also, what is the guitar (wood, construction, bridge, scale length, etc.)? What is the amp and the rest of the signal chain that seems to be so unforgiving when it comes to the neck pickup? What is your string gauge and tuning?

Whole Lotta Humbucker in the bridge. The guitar is a PRS SE Nick Catanese (thick mahogany body, mahogany set neck, ebony board, tonepros wraparound bridge, 25" scale lenght, 22 frets) which I want to taylor to have a traditional-ish LP kinda sound with some added edge under high-gain. The amp is either a Randall RD1 through an Orange PPC112, or a Krank Rev Jr. through a Marshall 1960 with Vintage 30's/Creamback H-75's in an X-pattern, both boosted by a Duncan 805. The tuning is Drop C with 11-56 D'Addarios.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

Thing about my search for neck pickups is I used to REALLY like the EMG 81 in the neck. Ever since I went to passives, I'm liking the tone that I get from vintage-output bridge pickups, but that's led me further and further away from the EMG 81. Obviously, though, an EMG 81 in the neck is probably not a good match for a WLH in the bridge.

I do like some low-output neck pickups, though. The PAF 36th Anni and the Phat Cat have been nice. I just want to try and see if I can find something that I like better.

 

[gregory]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

If you thought the Jazz was weak as in low output, you probably won't be happy with the the PGN, or the APH-1N, or the Seth, or the Antiquity.

At this point, I'd say go with an APH-2N Slash.

If you want EMG 81 in the neck then put one in there. Pair it with an 85 in the bridge.

...or go with dozens of other higher output pickups and quit tying your arm behind your back with a vintage output bridge pickup.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

I'll suggest trying something with an A4 in the neck. How about the Saturday Night Special neck pickup?

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[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

I'll suggest trying something with an A4 in the neck. How about the Saturday Night Special neck pickup?

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

I hadn't considered it. Have you any experience with it? How is it?

If you want EMG 81 in the neck then put one in there. Pair it with an 85 in the bridge.

...or go with dozens of other higher output pickups and quit tying your arm behind your back with a vintage output bridge pickup.

Haha. As much as I like the 81 in the neck, I don't like it enough to make me want to swap out the bridge pickup that I like.

The Slash sounds like a good idea. I used to have the Slash Bridge some time ago and it was cool.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

No experience but the sound clips, but I do have an A4 59n. It's got a very even response. Given that the SNS is designed for an A4, I would think that it would be the same.

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[Teleplayer]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

I would have thought the 36th anniversary neck was ideal for your guitar. The APH-1 will be similar but is likely to have less prominent mids, clearer highs, and a warmer low-mids.
From what you explained I don't understand why you haven't keep the 36th Anniversary in this guitar. On the other hand, I think the APH-1 would compliment the WLH very nicely as well.

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Re: Which is the brightest and/or least bassy Duncan A2 neck humbucker?

I would have thought the 36th anniversary neck was ideal for your guitar. The APH-1 will be similar but is likely to have less prominent mids, clearer highs, and a warmer low-mids.
From what you explained I don't understand why you haven't keep the 36th Anniversary in this guitar. On the other hand, I think the APH-1 would compliment the WLH very nicely as well.

I wondered this too, why did you not go with the DiMarzio? Also, did you try the WLH neck and not like it?