Pickup Lesson. Feel free to ask questions

[DirtySteve]

Well I stayed home from work today to try a couple of things. I was supposed to go in for 2 or 3 hrs and I'd get paid for the whole day, but this was more important to me I guess, lol.

I swapped all the pickups I tried before I did the speaker swap again. They are the stock Burstbucker2, SD Custom Custom and the Straightjacket. (the SF was in there when I swapped the speaker so I already knew with that one)

They all sounded great compared to before, but the SJ sounds best out of all of them! So, to prove my theory I had to try the speaker again. I did the SJ last so it was still in the guitar when I swapped the GB back in and it sounded the same as when I didn't like it before. So now I know! It's been driving me crazy...


Now that I've done all this I wonder why it wasn't so much of an issue until I got my les paul. It's there, but not as noticeable with my Godins. maple cap?

So I guess I'm on a speaker quest. I'm going to put the RW&Bs back in it for now, but I don't think I want to keep that one in there. Sorry Billy, I know you love that speaker, but I don't think it's for me. It's no different than swapping pups right?

 

[DirtySteve]

...forgot something. I made a beam blocker and that helped but not enough. I wish I could describe the thing that's bugging me, but I have no idea how. It's more than just being piercing and bright, but I have no clue how to explain it.

It was another thread where I mentioned this but I'm sure Billy remembers...This is the reason I could never turn it up before, with the RW&Bs I can crank it much louder, but with the GB it all goes to shit for me.

 

[Billyblades]

Hmmm... interesting. I just ordered s grip of the gbs. I never liked the patriots. Crazy. Have fun dude..
the les paul is very snappy with the maple cap. Its hard zoning in.on the right pkup. Go find the Steve Tone!

Post a clip using same settings as your last recording. Want to hear

 

[Billyblades]

Mine with.the burstbucker (probucker3) sounds like a classic LP. Very bright n sustaining. I love the neck pkup but want more ballz in.the bridge. Another has the 498t and just mahogany (co cap /top) and just no comparison. The paf makes it sound like a twangy country guitar. Real bright n plucky. (If thats a term to use?)

The hotter pkups should dull the high end some. More meatiness in ther tone.
You might actually like somethin with an a5

 

[wakjob]

Steve, your gonna drive yourself nuts trying to make a 'swiss army knife', 'do it all' rig.

Some guitars/pickups are just not going to work with certain amp/speaker combinations. That's just the plain sucky truth on the matter.

And for godsakes, man up and get a 4x12!!!

Love ya,
Wak.

 

[DirtySteve]

Steve, your gonna drive yourself nuts trying to make a 'swiss army knife', 'do it all' rig.

Some guitars/pickups are just not going to work with certain amp/speaker combinations. That's just the plain sucky truth on the matter.

And for godsakes, man up and get a 4x12!!!

Love ya,
Wak.

But that's just it..I only do ONE thing!!

Guys I hope you realize I'm really nit picking here. I play alone and usually I don't play along with anything so I'm really picking this apart. If I was in a band and in a mix I don't think any of this would matter! This chase is all I've got right now, it keeps my mind occupied and I need it to keep my sanity...plus I'm having a lot of fun and learning a lot along the way!

 

[Billyblades]

Steve.. join zoosk or pof lol. Thatll cure that OCD bro haha. The 4x12 would sound epic! .

One speaker is cool, but just the sonic SPL from 4 speakers would kick ass! You can get an unloaded cab n load with whatever...

I got some pretty good chunk n grind with the lil 1x12 "and " the 4x12.

You might be just on a wild goose chase as well from.boredome. i wish i was ur neighbor. Id be over there hearing what youre hearing.
Might need that chunky bucker in there that fits. That asylum set should do it.

That circuit has been most popular with greenbacks and celestion 75/80 watters. The gb might be a tad "oldschool " where the 75watters were from the generation you are targetting your main tone teferences:.. might see if you can take it into guitar center to try a few cabs. Just for speaker reference.

 

[DirtySteve]

I've never played a 412, I had a 212 once, but never a 412. I imagine it would sound great. I think your right about taking the head to a store and trying different speakers. That's probably what I'll do.

It's funny about the Asylums...I had planned to buy a set so it would give me an excuse to buy a les paul, turned out to be the other way around, lol!

 

[captcoolaid]

Steve if you are gonna stay with the single 12 then for gods sake buy a Mesa 1x12. I do not know what they did but it has a very very full tone, so much so that my brother live mics this cab in his studio instead of 1 of the many 4x12.

 

[captcoolaid]

Steve another thing. Celestion G12 75Ts. I love them or some WGS. Get a 4x12 but when you do make sure it is plied not press board or partical board.

 

[DirtySteve]

I need to keep it small right now so I'm going to stick with the 112...for now.

 

[captcoolaid]

Get the Mesa. Seriously with out a doubt the best single 12 i have ever heard.

 

[minerman]

Get the Mesa. Seriously with out a doubt the best single 12 i have ever heard.

Makes me wish I'd gotten the Mesa 1x12 instead of the Orange back in the winter......


Ok guys, I've talked to Dirty Steve, & I'm working on a VH "type" tone for a couple songs, I don't want the exact tone, but something pretty similar. So, Steve's gonna send me his Seymour Duncan Custom Custom to try in my strat...

Thanks Steve!!!!!

Whaddya guys think, the gear/signal chain will be:

Strat w/ Custom Custom > DSL-1 H > Greenback cab > '57

I'll probably add the time based fx in the daw (like delay/phase/'verb), but for the base tone, do you guys think it'll be in the ballpark????

Here's a short clip of how it sounds so far, and again, I don't wanna sound exactly like VH, just similar.....and, I know he used a plexi, but I don't have one, probably won't have one, so I have to make use of what gear I have & make it sound as good as I can....

SoundClick artist: Minerman's Mix Check Page - page with MP3 music downloads

 

[captcoolaid]

For me it is a simple chain. Asylum + with an A2 or a SJ with an A2 into my Marshall 3203 boost channel with the Boost at 7 and the master at 4 or 5. No pedals. I like the root tone not the phase and all the other crap tone. Then take half a zanix and slam a warm beer wait for the semi buzzed feel and start playing like you are in an arena. And blamo there ya go.

 

[minerman]

OK, just out of curiosity, how much for just a single Asylum + HB p'up????
You quoted me on a set a while back for my Ibanez, but I never got around to following up, so how much just for the Asylum + for the bridge of a MIM Strat (stock bridge, no Floyd Rose btw...)???

BTW, I've never used any aftermarket p'ups, both guitars I have now are totally stock, so this is a whole new thing for me, that's why I'm gonna try the Custom Custom from Steve, to see how much difference it'll actually make.....

 

[wakjob]

I need to keep it small right now so I'm going to stick with the 112...for now.

Do you still have the DSL combo Steve?

If you do, I'd suggest bi-amping/running stereo with either and stereo chorus, delay ect. or get an ABY pedal. Spread the two amps apart as much as you can.

Set both amps up sounding a little different, covering different frequencies.

Playing alone is a different animal. I like a big thick wide (stereo) sound, with just a whisker of either reverb or delay and some unmodulated chorus ( no warbling ) to make it sound huge, wide and 3D.

Do it right, and you can pull off Zakk Wylde with a hot single coil in the bridge.

Again, this is just for playing alone to make it full sounding and fun to play with.

 

[DirtySteve]

I sold my DSL to buy my LP. I have my Firebolt and an MG 15.

 

[DirtySteve]

Wow, those Mesa cabs ain't cheap! I think I'll just look for a speaker for now and maybe keep my eyes peeled for a used Mesa cab...

 

[Billyblades]

NO THIN TONE HERE MAN? 498T
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw4F2k41VrQ]BLADES FIREBOLT 20 - YouTube[/ame]



HERE WITH THE 4X12 5150 CAB
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ-OmjuE1ng]BLADES FIREBOLT 20 "STEVES 20 WATTER " - YouTube[/ame]

 

[DirtySteve]

I know man, your clips sound great. It's the same reason I swap pups and mags and everything else I do, it's fine tuning. Seriously though, it's a frequency thing, my ears ring constantly and certain frequencies really f'k with it. It's just the speaker man, not any different than a pup or a pedal.

I actually sold an amp for the same reason because no speaker I tried made any difference, it was the amp...in this case, it's not the amp, it's only the speaker, no biggie. (btw, the amp was an Egnater Rebel 20)

I did not know that second clip wasn't with my cab, I don't think you said that before, awesome!

...oh and, I see what you did there.