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The Pickup Place / Re: The feel and response of air pickups

« on: April 20, 2021, 05:21:38 AM »

No concerns. 

Air tech doesn't really make them sound like A2.  It does lower the output, and for a given pickup, take the extreme humps out of the response.  Mushy attack?  No sir. 

For instance, if you put A2 in a pickup that has the same specs as the 36th bridge, it would be dull sounding with slow attack.  The 36th bridge is neither.  It has very fast tracking of pick attack and it's tight, but it has a lot more midrange than if you stuck A5 in a pickup like that and didn't have the Air tech involved.  See for instance, Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker, which is bright AF and lacks the vocal mids. 

I've used a lot of the air buckers and really like that, and I'm a fast picker so I'm very sensitive to fast attack from a pickup, and generally prefer A5 for that, or at least A4, and really only like A2 in very low winds, 8k or less.  Air Classic, 36th, Air Norton (in bridge), Air Zone, all track quickly and do not have mushy A2 low end.  Like I said, if you compare a regular Norton or Tone Zone to the air version, the air version lowers output and rounds off the big bumps in frequency, and actually makes the lows tighter IMO because there isn't such a massive hump there like there is on the unaired versions.

Thanks for that reply. Its really helpful. I was considering the 36th Anniversary for the neck, but I think I'll just go ahead and order the Air Classic for the neck and Air Zone for the bridge, both with nickel covers. I'll report back once I get them installed.

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The Pickup Place / The feel and response of air pickups

« on: April 19, 2021, 07:11:09 AM »

I’m about ready to buy an Air Classic neck and an Air Zone bridge for my alder HH Tele with maple rosewood neck.

I’ve chosen these pickups for a clean and clear neck sound which is lower gain, with a stronger more muscular bridge pickup which is EQ’d to deal with the brightness and thinness of the bridge position in bolt on guitars.

First any concerns with my choices?

Second, what difference does the “air-ing” that Dimarzio does to a pickup make to the feel and response of the pickup? I know they use A5 in the neck but the air process gives it slightly less attack and lower string pull similar to A2 magnets.

Does it also give it the real compressed attack and softness that A2 has? I don’t want that. I want a fairly direct translation of what my pick does to what the pickup outputs. I don’t want it to be too squishy or soft and too low output.

The same applies to the Air Zone bridge. Does it give it a mushy attack or is it still fairly uncompressed like A5s are?

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The Pickup Place / Re: Can the Tone Zone do low gain?

« on: April 13, 2021, 12:00:38 AM »

Have you considered the Air Zone ?

I definitely have. My only concern is having read a couple of replies where the poster thought that the Air Zone took all the great things about the Tone Zone and threw them away. That it was like a neutered Tone Zone. That may be OK though if it makes it a bit lower gain and bit more open sounding.

Air Zone or AT-1.  Norton has plenty of highs, might not be what you want.

So these clean up better by rolling down the volume, or do the low gain sound better?

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The Pickup Place / Can the Tone Zone do low gain?

« on: April 12, 2021, 07:48:47 PM »

I've got an alder HH Tele which the Dimarzio pickup selector recommends a Tone Zone, Air Zone, Super Distortion or AT-1 in the bridge depending on some of the variables you input.

This is a bright guitar and I need a pickup that emphasises the bass and mids over the treble. I play more rhythm than lead, so I like a pickup that still has reasonable string separation.

I play into a clean amp using pedals for various levels of gain.

Is the Tone Zone too hot a pick up for this application, even though it has the EQ that I probably need to counter the bright nature of the guitar? Am I better to go for a lower output like the AT-1, or even a Norton? Or can I just roll back the volume on the Tone Zone to help clean up the signal going into my pedals and amp? I've tried PAFs in this guitar but they are too bright for my tastes, so I don't think the low output route will work as those kind of pickups always seem to have an EQ lacking in the bass and particularly the low mids.

I play mainly 60 - early 90s pop and classic rock. Only the occasional metal tune like Metallica Enter Sandman, Judas Priest Turbo Lover, or Motörhead's Killed by Death etc. 95% of the time I'd be in the gain range of edge of break up, low gain 70s classic rock and higher gain 80s classic rock.

Which bridge pickup will work in this situation? I don't mind going for a more high output pickup like the Tone Zone as long as it will do lower gain through my pedals, or by turning it down it still retain its EQ and dynamics but not punch the pedals so hard. If it needs to be at 100% to really be its best, then what lower output pickup in the Dimarzio range would you recommend?

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The Pickup Place / Re: PAF Joe neck and Mo Joe bridge in alder

« on: April 02, 2021, 10:02:39 PM »

"Alder bolt-on guitar" can cover a wide spectrum of guitars, so its kinda hard to say. A Fender Strat with 250K pots and vintage trem will sound really different than a Jackson Superstrat with a Floyd Rose Trem and 500k pots. So its kinda hard to make specific recommendations.

I like the Fred, but found the Mo Joe to sound very sterile and boring. They are both kinda thin sounding for some Alder/maple neck guitars. I would try the Paf Joe neck with an Air Zone or Breed bridge.

Its an alder body maple/rosewood neck bolt on with two humbuckers and 500k pots.

I want a clear neck humbucker that's not too bass/woofy. I don't like the PAF Pro in the neck for this reason as I don't like that really strong low end it has. Might try the PAF Joe or the Air Classic or 36th Anniversary.

For the bridge I'll either do the Mo Joe or the Air Zone for the extra low mids to fill out the thinner sound of an alder bolt on guitar.

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The Pickup Place / PAF Joe neck and Mo Joe bridge in alder

« on: March 31, 2021, 03:19:43 AM »

What do people think of this set in an alder bolt on guitar with maple neck? Guitar is inherently bright acoustically so looking for a set to balance that up and provide 60s - 80s pop, classic rock and hard rock tones. Typically use pedals for gain rather than an amp.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups for bright guitar

« on: March 25, 2021, 08:43:35 PM »

I need to update this old thread as I did change the pickups from the Alnico II low output humbuckers that were in my HH Tele to Thornbuckers. I got the Thornbucker neck which is A5 magnets ~ 8kOhm and the Thornbucker + bridge which is A4 magnet and ~ 9kOhm.

I like the neck sound which is fairly clear and clean, although the A5 still has a bit too much low end on the wound strings for my liking. I think I would like a A2 (as long as its not muddy) or an A5 with air gap, or one that has not much low end.

I don't like the A4 bridge at all. My guitar is bright and the A4 attack and thinness just doesn't suit this position. So I'm wondering whether to go for an A5 magnet in this position where the extra bass from this magnet will be welcomed in this position. I was wondering whether to go hotter though than 9kOhm and go for something like the Air Zone, Norton, Gravity Storm or Mo Joe?

The Dimarzio pickup selector says for my wood and what I'm looking for to try the Air Classic neck and the Air Zone or AT-1 bridge.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Air Zone...Anyone?

« on: March 20, 2021, 02:03:24 AM »

I was thinking of using this pickup in the bridge of my alder HH Tele which is inherently bright. I was thinking of the Tone Zone, but want a pickup that is a little more vintage sounding and a little less hot.

Is this the right choice?

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The Pickup Place / Re: Anyone uses or has played the Satch Track neck and Mo Joe bridge in one guitar?

« on: January 05, 2018, 02:16:39 AM »

I'm thinking of putting this combination into my 7/8 size alder Strat style guitar. Anyone played these two in the one guitar, or use them in one guitar?

My only concern about the two of them is that Joe seems to have quickly abandoned the Satch Track neck in favour of a sustainer, and the Mo Joe seems fairly bright, so I'm not sure it would be the best choice for an alder body 25.5" guitar.

I'm just looking for a single coil size neck pickup to match with a good mid focused bridge humbucker that is not too bright for an alder guitar. Does anyone that's played Joe's combination of pickups think they'll work for what I want?

What pups are you using in that guitar and what do you want more/less of from them?

I've got Dimarzio Area 61s in the neck and middle, and a custom wound humbucker in the bridge which was wound by the maker of the guitar, so I don't know its strength. I think its a hot PAF.

For the neck I want less treble, more mids and more power, like a P90 strength. Bridge I want to de-emphasize the treble (cause its 25.5" scale + bright woods) more mids and hot PAF or greater strength.

I guess I've always admired Satriani's tone where goes for a Strat tone but bigger and bolder, whereas someone like Vai I've never wanted his tone. However I am concerned that maybe Joe's latest pickups could be too bright and he uses basswood bodies as opposed to alder.

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The Pickup Place / Anyone uses or has played the Satch Track neck and Mo Joe bridge in one guitar?

« on: December 30, 2017, 06:18:57 AM »

I'm thinking of putting this combination into my 7/8 size alder Strat style guitar. Anyone played these two in the one guitar, or use them in one guitar?

My only concern about the two of them is that Joe seems to have quickly abandoned the Satch Track neck in favour of a sustainer, and the Mo Joe seems fairly bright, so I'm not sure it would be the best choice for an alder body 25.5" guitar.

I'm just looking for a single coil size neck pickup to match with a good mid focused bridge humbucker that is not too bright for an alder guitar. Does anyone that's played Joe's combination of pickups think they'll work for what I want?

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The Pickup Place / Anyone use the VV Heavy Blues 2 in their Strat?

« on: November 14, 2017, 05:14:26 AM »

I've got an alder Strat that is a bit bright and I want more mid range from the guitar rather than the mid scoop that single coils often have. The B/M/T readings for the Heavy Blues 2 suggest they have a heavily emphasised mid range. There doesn't seem to be many users or reviews of them. Is there something better for a Strat to get more mid range? Any users experiences?

I'm thinking of using them in the neck and middle with a Virtual Solo in the bridge.

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The Pickup Place / Pickups for my Strat

« on: October 02, 2017, 04:18:54 AM »

Hi all

I have a alder body maple neck rosewood fingerboard Strat which is reasonably bright. I am looking for a more powerful mid forward set of pickups. I have been using Seymour Duncan SSL 2s (no stagger) in the neck and middle and an SSL 6 (SSL 5 with no stagger) in the bridge. I like the SSL 6 for soloing, but I'm still looking to de-emphasize the treble and get more mid range and more oomph. The SSL2s are fairly vintage sounding and emphasize the treble.

I was thinking either Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 in the neck and middle with an Injector bridge or Virtual Solo bridge.

Does anyone with experience in these have any feedback to share?

Thanks!

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups for bright guitar

« on: December 24, 2016, 01:39:15 AM »

I'd be vary of the Tone Zone if the problem is weird overtones due to its sizzle in the high frequencies.

An alternative to the AT-1 I mentioned earlier would be the Breed bridge - similar in the lower and mid ranges to the Tone Zone but smoother in the highs. However, I cannot give a direct comparison between those two as I did not try them in the same guitar.

Cheers Stephan

Maybe the Tone Zone might be what you want

Thanks guys. I'll do some research.

When I use the pickup picker using

Gain - Vintage or Modern
Style - Classic Rock
Wood - Alder
Bridge - Stop tail
Construction - Solid
Problem - Warmer /fatter

I get for neck
1. Gravity Storm
2. PAF 36 Ann Bridge
3. Liquifire

For bridge I get
1. Super Distortion
2. The Tone Zone
3. AT-1

What do you guys think of these combinations? Any stand out as tried and tested pairs?

I was also wondering about the Transitions pickups, but am a bit wary of the ceramic magnets in them. Apparently there are quite powerful and dynamic with very little compression in the pick up compared to alnico.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Pickups for bright guitar

« on: December 22, 2016, 05:55:57 PM »

First of all, what are those pickups you have installed?

They came in the guitar and are not an aftermarket brand. All I can find out is they have Alnico II magnets, 42AWG wire and are described as Vintage PAF style with bass/middle/treble output of 7/6/6 and a relative output of 6 out of 10.

I guess one way of describing what I'm looking for is when I play a full G major barre chord on the 3rd fret, I want to hear less treble content from the top three strings and have more emphasis from the bass and mids.

Trying to shift the guitar towards a Les Paul style tone, which is more mellow and has more bass and mids content due to the scale length and woods. I know I can't do the impossible and make a maple alder 25.5" scale guitar sound like a LP, but just to shift it in that direction.

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The Pickup Place / Pickups for bright guitar

« on: December 04, 2016, 06:44:39 PM »

I have a Tele with HH in it. It is an alder body (a bit on the heavy side), maple neck and pau ferro fingerboard. It has a stop tail through bridge with 6 individual saddles. The pickups in there at present are PAF style.

I find when playing distorted chords, the top 3 or 4 strings sound a bit sharp or dissonant to me in their overtones. I've tried EQing out the problem, or rolling down the tone control to 2 which helps. So I'm looking for a pickup which de-emphasises these frequencies. To make the guitar sound closer to a Les Paul the way the chords sound a bit more mellow than the longer scale guitars do.

What can everyone recommend?