Hello Stephan!
Thank you for replying to this post.
You and I share the same taste on the bridge > neck situation on our guitars. The guitar's bridge sound is so important to the overall sound. It could be described as the main sound for the guitar. I use mine for distorted leads and rhythm playing. I may also use it for cleans at times, but I do use the neck position more for cleans/break-up and more sound. You could say a little ''cooler'' than the bridge, but that it balances well and keeps up with the bridge without the need of moving the tone knob to counteract like it happens with the APH-2.
When I started pickup changing, my third pickup was the notorious Pearly Gates neck pickup, because ''it's the best bla, bla, bla''. It couldn't keep up with the SH-5 Duncan Custom in the bridge and some people said: ''the combination sounds amazing, don't change anything, bla, bla''. The thing is that the pickup couldn't keep up with the bridge position bass. It seems like a super treble, no bass version of the APH-2. While I sometimes think it could have solved my actual situation, that may only be my mind playing tricks. I could nail Santana's sound with it, but it didn't work out for the whole picture. A 59' neck with the boomy comments, excess bass, and all that... fixed the issue. Everything in that guitar runs smoothly now and it's my #1 guitar. While it's my #1 guitar and many would say to repeat the pickup config, I don't plan to do it. While I love the guitar sound and perfection, it's too heavy/beefy dark sounding and it's perfect for that hard rock to metal vibe. Very, very strong guitar; and while I love that, I want to experiment going on other direction.
I played the Super Distortion on an Ibanez guitar from a family member (the same person I sold my Pearly Gates neck and where the pickup is now) and it was such an amazing fun experience. I couldn't stop playing that guitar and said I while someday buy one. That someday may be now. That KISS, Boston, Def Leppard and many others used it before me wasn't a factor, but I knew I had a professional, CD Quality pickup in my hands. Cleans may be ''generic'', but they're there. It didn't result to be the overdrive beast most people seem afraid to have. All the experience was good.
Getting back to the main issue here, I don't think the APH-2 neck in my guitar is moody. Both pickups are very bright sounding but they could use more output in both positions, and definitely more cut and be more aggressive in the bridge position.
So at the moment, it would be the classic Super D + PAF 36th DP103?
I tried the PAF Pro (in the neck) once in a mahogany guitar. It seemed like an improved Seymour Duncan 59' to my ears.
I wrote about the Transitions since Dimarzio's tech recommended one in the neck position, and many people say they're an improved (ceramic) take on the PAF36th set. The thing is Lukather uses a longer scale, different wood, and even an active preamp on his guitar. There's not much information about them in mahogany guitars.
I'm not afraid to use bridge pickups as neck since I have bridge single coils on the neck and middle position on my Strat. I really want to be satisfied, but Dimarzio's marketing department makes it harder for everyone. Everythings seems ''high output'' and made for long scale, Ibanez and basswood guitars.
They should provide at least a hint on which guitars the pickups would be good. They don't seem to be close-minded as other pickup makers/users and want buyers to experience with all their products, but not getting it right is why many buyers want to exchange the pickup. It would be good if their marketing department works on that.
I appreciate your help Stephan. I appreciate if you or other forum member could keep brainstorming with here. About the Super 2, it seems like a cool idea but it's ''the same pickup'' just EQ'd different. Really would like something different there.
