[satch_jr]

hey there


time for a new neck pickup for my '95 ibanez rg 550 ltd (basswood body and 1 piece maple neck), the neck pup is a paf pro for the moment but I'd like a more agressive sound (more bite) and a bit fatter.
The bridge is the EVO2.
I already tried an Air norton (not for me) and a paf joe: too bright (but great overtones)
My initial research drove me to the EVO neck (ceramic in the neck is a good option, plus all the reviews and sounds gave me a good confidence in my choice but I've been advised that the gravity storm neck might fit my needs. It's a different animal, but I pretty much like the sounds I've heard. Not many reviews on internet, which make me ask the question here, considering my wish, which of the EVO neck or the GS neck would you advise me?
I'm not really willing to have the SV sound, but I'd like more personality than with the paf pro (which is good but still not enough)


thanks for your help!

[satch_jr]

no one to help me? 

[Amplifuzz]

Neither of them is fatter than the PAF Pro. Breed neck maybe? GS neck sounds great from what I've heard.

[bap_la_so_1]

i use the evo bridge and it's fatttt, but a bit dark and ice picking

[satch_jr]

i use the evo bridge and it's fatttt, but a bit dark and ice picking

you're talking about the bridge version, but I'm searching for a new neck pup.

Neither of them is fatter than the PAF Pro. Breed neck maybe? GS neck sounds great from what I've heard.

In fact the PP is great one, but I'm searching for some more agressivity / attack so my thinking drives me towards the evo neck.

[bap_la_so_1]

i use the evo bridge and it's fatttt, but a bit dark and ice picking

you're talking about the bridge version, but I'm searching for a new neck pup.

Neither of them is fatter than the PAF Pro. Breed neck maybe? GS neck sounds great from what I've heard.

In fact the PP is great one, but I'm searching for some more agressivity / attack so my thinking drives me towards the evo neck.

well, you surely can use a bridge pickup in the neck position.
Since the bridge pickups generally darker than neck ones, they tend to sound really dark and fat in the nexk position with lots of pick attack

[DarthPhineas]

Can you be more specific about what's going on with the PAF Pro, the AN and the PAF Joe?  What about them do you like and don't like?  What are you looking for more and/or less of?

What type of music are you playing?  What sort of pedals and amp?  Is there an example of a song that has the ideal neck tone you are wanting?

[satch_jr]

What type of music are you playing?  What sort of pedals and amp?  Is there an example of a song that has the ideal neck tone you are wanting?

I'm playing in a band general hard rock and instrumental progressive rock/metal. I use my ibanez mostly for the instrumental progressive rock/metal, my other guitar makes it for 70's to 90's hard rock for now (maybe a SD in the bridge one day...)
My amp is a flextone III and I use often a modded crybaby wah and nothing else.
There is not really a "perfect neck pup tone" I'm wanting, I'm more following my ears than rather trying to imitate a tone I like, but I like Vai's sound, the petrucci sound too (on Black clouds) but this is liquifire and highly processed.

Can you be more specific about what's going on with the PAF Pro, the AN and the PAF Joe?  What about them do you like and don't like?  What are you looking for more and/or less of?

Paf pro: very good overall, but I'd like to have more punch, more bite and more personality. It lacks of agressivity but I'm not sure I put the right words on my feeling. Really like the open wah sound

AN: way too much damped, doesn't go out of the mix in a band situation with my amp settings (I go out of the mix with either the Paf Pro or Paf Joe).

Paf Joe: Really liked the harmonics and the open wha sound, but in the end it's too bright and too dull/soft attack for progressive metal / progressive rock leads. Much better on a 22-fret guitar for hard rock style.

I used to have a double whammy (DP150) in the neck slot for several years, the higher output, the particular EQ and the ceramic magnet gave a higher punch / agressivity. I liked that punch/agressivity. Obviously my sound was very unique and I liked that but became bored of the overwhelming mids after ca. 5 years.

So the PP is quite good but I'd like something as I tried to describe above. The EVO neck description on the DImarzio website states: "fat, punchy and loud".

The guys at DiMarzio said that neither the GS nor the EVO neck would make it, and proposed the Illuminator neck and the transition neck, I must say that I'm surprised and upset...
The pickup picker never stops to propose the GS, illuminator or liquifire (I had a chance to test a liquifire on a JP6 and was disappointed).

I'd like a tight sound with a great pick attack response and harmonics.

[satch_jr]

no one?

[jazzfromhell]

I haven't tried the ones you're  asking about, although the PP is one of my all-time favorite neck pickups.

I'm gonna throw two ideas out there:

- Super 2: think early Paul Gilbert. Very aggressive neck tone; plenty of bite and clarity. Perfect for shreddy legato/tap, sweeping and alternate picking. Not necessarily fatter than a PP though.

- Tone Zone: yes, it can  actually be used in the neck with great results. Michael Romeo uses one and Gilbert had two in his blue HAM guitar and that guitar has the fattest, chunkiest tone I've ever heard from him. Very fat but still with plenty of attack, bite and punch. Nothing like the AN (which I hate).

[satch_jr]

I haven't tried the ones you're  asking about, although the PP is one of my all-time favorite neck pickups.

I'm gonna throw two ideas out there:

- Super 2: think early Paul Gilbert. Very aggressive neck tone; plenty of bite and clarity. Perfect for shreddy legato/tap, sweeping and alternate picking. Not necessarily fatter than a PP though.

- Tone Zone: yes, it can  actually be used in the neck with great results. Michael Romeo uses one and Gilbert had two in his blue HAM guitar and that guitar has the fattest, chunkiest tone I've ever heard from him. Very fat but still with plenty of attack, bite and punch. Nothing like the AN (which I hate).

thanks for the ideas.
I don't know the super 2, it seems quite bright on the paper. If it isn't fatter than the PP, then I guess it's not for me.
I used to put a TZ in a neck position once, well I kinda liked the double whammy in neck bu the TZ: the attack was ok but the EQ was so that it had too much bass

[DarthPhineas]

I wrote a review of the Super 2 back in February, seen here ( https://www.facebook.com/darthphineas/posts/742150002547651 ).  It definitely has punch and power. When I read that some guys also use it in the bridge, I can see that too.

If you like the PAF Pro but want a little more, the Illuminator that has been mention is a good option as well. I like it better than the LiquiFire.  It's more open and has a little more bite.

[satch_jr]

I wrote a review of the Super 2 back in February, seen here ( https://www.facebook.com/darthphineas/posts/742150002547651 ).  It definitely has punch and power. When I read that some guys also use it in the bridge, I can see that too.

If you like the PAF Pro but want a little more, the Illuminator that has been mention is a good option as well. I like it better than the LiquiFire.  It's more open and has a little more bite.

Yep, thanks for the super 2 review: i guess this one's not for me. The Dimarzio Tech advised me an Illuminator, but I like neither of the AN of liquifire...

I think I'll give it a try to the EVO neck and return it back to the retailer if I don't like it

[DarthPhineas]

Have you tried the Illuminator?  It's good.  Better than the LiquiFire, in my opinion. A little more open than the LF....almost like a touch of PAF in there to make it a little less prog Rock.  I've been using one in the neck for several weeks.

[buddroyce]

The Gravity Storm neck works quite well with the Evo2 IMO. The Evo neck is great but I like the fatter tons I get from the GS neck myself.

The illuminator is also good option. Have you also considered just the regular Norton in the neck? It's nothing like the Air Norton.