[jcknowles89]

Hello all, Skip all caps for condensed version if you dont Need the full story and/or dont like reading.

Looking for recomendations for a bridge pickup! Finally switched from being a long time seymour duncan user converted to Dimarzio!

Currently have an Airzone with an alnico 4 in the bridge of my warmoth Mahogany/Maple top warmoth Strat. For the most part I am some what satisfied with the tone that I get. Although it seems like theres a High Mid bump with the Airzone that Im not a fan of.  I think that may be due to the Dual resonance tech. Also not a fan of the harmonics and compression as my amp compresses enough.

I had a Pearly Gates with an Alnico 4 for a while in the bridge and liked that and was drawn to the Air zone hearing it was like a super powered PAF. While I like it for the warmth, it now is muddy and not so clear.  The tricky part is this guitar is hard to figure out. its bright and warm at the same time hard to say. But basically anything thats already High mid prominent will sound not so awesome in this guitar.

Im wondering if theres a better alternative for a PAF eq/vibe while having hard hitting palm mutes through my EVH 5153 but with a softer high end like a vintage Pickup. plays softer as well for Blues and Worship.

Needless to say I love Alnico 4's as you can see. So I will probably be swapping out whatever magnet for an A4.

NEED BRIDGE PICKUP FOR MAHOGANY/MAPLE TOP STRAT - PAF SOUNDING/VIBE WITH WARM HIGHS AND TIGHT LOWS FOR PALM MUTES THROUGH HIGH GAIN, WILL SWITCH MAGNET TO A4 FOR PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

Thinking of...

PAF 36th worried about low end not being tight enough
PAF Pro worried about being too bright and not being quite loud enough
PAF master for the A4 but worried about it being to stringy or thin and bright
Titan - Current favorite as it seems balanced and seems to be close ish to the Balanced tone looking for but cant really tell as all the tone samples Ive heard are super DJenty and hard to tell what it actually sounds like.
Super 3 - worried about it being too loud
Super D - same as super 3.

Thoughts? Thanks Guys!

[greenlion]

I can't tell you what any of those would sound like with an A4 magnet in them.

[jcknowles89]

Sure, I just mentioned that for reference. I’m my experience magnets only slightly change the sound so I’m just asking which has character on its own without a magnet swap.

[DarthPhineas]

What’s your amp, cab and speakers?

[jcknowles89]

I play through an EVH 5150 III 50W head and 2x12 EVH cab, Stock Celestion speakers. Use Line 6 Helix for effects and minor modeling if that plays into it at all.

[DarthPhineas]

I play through an EVH 5150 III 50W head and 2x12 EVH cab, Stock Celestion speakers. Use Line 6 Helix for effects and minor modeling if that plays into it at all.

Open your cab and see if, and how, it’s sealed around the edges. One option, and this is something Dave Friedman does, is to run silicone along the inside edges of the cab. That should tighten things up a little.

Another options are those EVH Celestions. I like them. But, since you have a 2x12, trying putting a V30 in there. So, one of each.

[jcknowles89]

SO as isn’t the usual case with online forums is I have a sound in mind but done know how to describe what I am looking for.

I got an Illuminator bridge based off of reviews. And they are very balanced and have a lot of presence just like the DiMarzio website. It is a lot clearer than the air zone but not nearly as thick. So I tweaked everything until I got a sound that I liked. What I ended up with was bass and treble on the amp at midnight mids all the way up, a diamond comp at 70%compression going into a tube screamer boosting the amp and my tone knob at half. So just ungodly amounts of compression and mids. So now I’m thinking super 3 for the mids and compression to give me that sound in my head. Kept thinking it’s a tighter low end when it’s compression and mids that I was looking for. I just was worried about the nasal peak I got with a SD JB. Hoping Super 3 will have the compression and mids that’s I haven in mind while less bass to give more clarity and thump than airzone. Thoughts?

[gtrjunior]

I have a Super D and I can’t say enough good about it. I love it.

[DarthPhineas]

So now I’m thinking super 3 for the mids and compression to give me that sound in my head. Kept thinking it’s a tighter low end when it’s compression and mids that I was looking for. I just was worried about the nasal peak I got with a SD JB. Hoping Super 3 will have the compression and mids that’s I haven in mind while less bass to give more clarity and thump than airzone. Thoughts?

from what you are suggestion, I think the Super 3 might be a step in the right direction.

[jcknowles89]

So in case yall were wonderin,  the sound in my head probably wasn't a PAF but instead was definitely a Super 3. At least in this guitar sounds amazing. I feel like everytime someone thinks they need a Duncan JB in their guitar they're actually hearing a Super 3 or Super D in their head. Only Pickup that I have that I didnt feel the need to Mod with a magnet swap or polepieces or anything like that. Only trick now is to find a neck pickup that can keep up with the volume. Any suggestions for that? currently have an Airzone in the neck that Im thinking of converting to a tone zone and popping in an alnico 8.

[devastone]

The Super 3 is a great pickup, I actually wasn't sure I would like it based on the description, but I tried one anyway.  Very fun pickup to play, tons of compression and even though it's called a "dark" pickup, harmonics still come through.