Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Yamhammer on November 18, 2007, 09:53:13 PM
-
I was thinking about putting a MQ neck pickup in my fairly new Les Paul Standard Faded.
-
MQ would be good but i would also consider the manhattan - its another HB sized P-90 but underwound to around 6k. Sounds crystal clear and works great with a mule on the guitar i have them in - not quite as raw as a normal P-90 though
-
I can't find any info about the Manhattan...... :roll:
-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project
:roll:
ok, so that was unrelated. But I think the manhatten is a Jazz P90, just with low output.
If you feel like trawling through Wez's guitar build thread, it has some info somehwhere in it I think.
-
I've searched for info about the Manhattan P90
-
I don't have an MQ (yet) but I've heard all the clips, from soft, clean picking + strumming to overdriven to lead...
The MQ is very clear, and very capable of just about any distortion you toss at it (perhaps not metal though). But to MY ears, the MQ (being a P90) has that characteristic "bite" to it that very much sets it apart from a tele-sound.
Basically, it's great on cleans, but it has an aggressive edge (which I imagine could be reigned in with the volume pot).
I BELIEVE Tim spoke of making a humbucker-sized BKP92. That might be something to consider since it isn't quite as aggressive as the MQ.
And finally, forgive me if I'm waaaaay off base here :) I'm very tired and helped myself to a few beers recently.
-
I personally dont have the MQ but the P90's i have used turned to musch when opening the gain above a dirty blues tone. Best overdriven neck sound ive gotten are from the '57 Gibson Classic (alnico 2) pickup, the Stormy Mondays sound very stable also with alot of gain. The classics i have now in my '73 SG also give that singing tube sound in the overdiven highs.
I dont know if you have this, but in the 2007 marshall catalogue there is a DVD with demos of the new product line, in the new Kerry King amp demo there is this guy playing with a gibson custom with our own BKP Nailbombs, he also plays a few chords on the neck PU and they really sound supertight and chunky, no mush whatsoever. If you do have the chance to pick this catalogue up, it would be nice to check it out.
I dont want to discourage you, but in one of the chambered LP's it will be even harder to get a neck pickup that really stands out, LP's allready have a disadvantage at a clear neck tone IMO and the chambered ones sound beautyfull but tightness (woodwise) is not their strongest point IMVHO.
Maybe a bridge splitable pickup would be an option.
Good luck, i am very interested what you will find out since i also would like to get more use out of my neck position.
Greetings, Henk
-
I've searched the whole site for more info about the Manhattan P90 and probably it's far too 'warm and jazzy' for my tastes.
whilst it is very capable of jazz stuff i dont think of it as 'jazzy' - just nice and clear/defined and great mixed in with the bridge humbucker... i think calling it a jazz voiced pickup puts some people off which is a shame... you would like it, but its probably not quite what you are after in this case
-
Probably I'm going for a calibrated set of Mississippi Queens.
-
With a calibrated set you will at least be sure the two pickups work well together.
Still i have the impression you havent used P90's much and if this is true i would definately advise you to try a guitar with P90's prior to buying a set, that will give you a general idea of how it would sound. Taking your engl screamer with you wont be that hard :wink:
To me P90's in a LP breath a countryrock kind of vibe, pretty vintage sounding really. I think that people who find the P90's very bright mostly would think that also about the burstbuckers.
-
With a calibrated set you will at least be sure the two pickups work well together.
Still i have the impression you havent used P90's much and if this is true i would definately advise you to try a guitar with P90's prior to buying a set, that will give you a general idea of how it would sound. Taking your engl screamer with you wont be that hard :wink:
To me P90's in a LP breath a countryrock kind of vibe, pretty vintage sounding really. I think that people who find the P90's very bright mostly would think that also about the burstbuckers.
Thanks for your extensive story about the P90's!
-
The specials have that specific sound, its only part the P90's.
A LP with P90's wil sound more like this, take a bit of extra prightness from your amp into account, but tha kind of sticky feel to the attack you should expect at least.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr5HBaMRTXk&feature=related
-
I like that sound a lot, but the recording is a bit quiet.
-
nice
-
Ah youve made up your mind allready :lol:
Anyway, a good set of pickups is never a waste, just dont sell the burstbuckers right away since you might want to consider putting the MQ's in a LP special kind of guitar, or even in a semi. The only p90 i still have is in a semi and i would not ever consider to have it otherwise.
-
Ah youve made up your mind allready :lol:
Anyway, a good set of pickups is never a waste, just dont sell the burstbuckers right away since you might want to consider putting the MQ's in a LP special kind of guitar, or even in a semi. The only p90 i still have is in a semi and i would not ever consider to have it otherwise.
Very interesting.
-
I would try stuff too, a P90 rocks but its use is limited when compared to a humbucker IMO. For that matter, the most versatile setup will allways be two splittable humbuckers for a les paul.
I dont thich the chambered LP's sound more like an accoustic guitar really, for what i can remember is that they sound a bit warmer and have a bit more depth to the sound acoustically. Basically youll have a bit more wood in the sound when plugged in.
The sound of a semi is a different ballgame, the basic difference between a solid and semi is more about resonance then sound. The solid center in a semi can make is sound like a solid, just as clear or dry, but then with the resounding effect of the chambers. Probably the chambers in your LP will add a bit resonance, but not much.
-
True.
-
MQ's?
-
Ah great, ill bet that will be alot different then the BB's.
The BB, HD and MM are all pretty tight sounding pickups, i find the BB even so tight i wouldnt be able to use it for anything.
Plugged 'open' sound is really a pickup kind of thing, it describes a certain balance in the sound where so-to-say lows, mids and highs seem to blend in on eachother, another word often used is HUGE sounding.
The chambers do however add a bit of resonance which could be what you mean, but in a roomy reverb kind of way.
Im probably wining about this :lol: , but anyway, your HD would probably be the most open sounding of your three pickups IMO.
-
I don't know about that yet...
-
With cranked gain at stage volume? No i dont think a P90 will make you smile. For beatles and such, perfect.
-
A P90 in the neck of Les Paul will sound sweet as... but I'd think you'd be better off (for what you want) with just a not-so-hot humbucker instead, something more vintage in the bridge position. Maybe both?
-
A P90 in the neck of Les Paul will sound sweet as... but I'd think you'd be better off (for what you want) with just a not-so-hot humbucker instead, something more vintage in the bridge position. Maybe both?
yes
-
A P90 in the neck of Les Paul will sound sweet as... but I'd think you'd be better off (for what you want) with just a not-so-hot humbucker instead, something more vintage in the bridge position. Maybe both?
I'm only searching for a tight, punchy, attacking, clear and articulate neck pickup for playing clean stuff and light overdrive stuff...I can't understand why a P-90 won't deliver that sound? I always thought a P-90 would have more attack, tighter bass and less (jazzy) smooth sound compared to a humbucker......
By the way: Do I have to change the original Gibson electronics for the Mississippi Queens?
It really depends, in a higher gain situation, IF you set up the pickup quite high so it will take enough string action, you might have a winner, it also might be it wont cut trought the mix, allmost impossible to say really so do try that with the BFG.
It is said that many newer gibsons with the BB's have 300k pots, i have tried the BB's in a CS and those were EXTREMELY trebly IMO. It wont be difficult to determin which pots you have and to change them.
Otherwise if you have the feeling you need even more brightness, there are also 1000k CTS pots......
There are so many options and variables you can even make poop sound terrific.
FWIW, a friend of mine playes some old beatup MIJ strat, sound horrible traight into the amp, very dry/middy and no sustain whatsoever. But when he plugs it into his rack it just sounds like you standing next to friggin hendrix.
EDIT: I personally think the best cutting neck humbucker is still an alnico 2 pickup, it just needs to be fairly tight. And yest that will also give you that vintage bluesy sound, you could try a '61 ressue SG which have those in the neck position, will give you a rough idea. The '57 classic HB's from Gibson are not very tight though.
-
It really depends, in a higher gain situation, IF you set up the pickup quite high so it will take enough string action, you might have a winner, it also might be it wont cut trought the mix, allmost impossible to say really so do try that with the BFG.
It is said that many newer gibsons with the BB's have 300k pots, i have tried the BB's in a CS and those were EXTREMELY trebly IMO. It wont be difficult to determin which pots you have and to change them.
Otherwise if you have the feeling you need even more brightness, there are also 1000k CTS pots......
There are so many options and variables you can even make poop sound terrific
Ok, thanks for your help!
-
Cant say, very subjective really. Some pickups work very well with 300k pots and others just die. Probably Tim knows best about that.
-
Ok, I think it will be fine :wink:
-
Sorry I came in late, I was away a bit and rushed through the threads. I have a chambered Les Paul with a Riff Raff bridge and Stormy Monday neck. This is a great blues/rock combo (though TO uses it for classic metal!). The SM gives really beautiful thick clean tones (think of a fat strat tone), but can get you the Kossoff mellow tone too if you crank it a bit. The Riff Raff is a great bridge pickup for all classic rock tones with a little extra cut if you dig in more.
Another combo that worked really well is an Emerald bridge and AIV Mule neck. I moved this set to my metal front Zemaitis clone but they have a great sound in general. They are a bit more powerful version of the RR/SM set. Also the AV/AIV combo give an almost out of phase tone, very Peter Greenish.
-
Thanks for joining PhilKing!
-
Ok, I think it will be fine :wink:
The BB's are working properly with the standard Gibson electronics and they're bright pickups, so I guess the MQ will work even better in the neck position and since these are single coils they'll more highs coming through (250K or 300K = standard for single coils).
B.t.w: Henk, you have a lovely SG :oops:
In the end theres only one way to find out really, this discussion has come to such subjective level i dont think i can help you any further im afraid.
I didnt like the 300k pots in combination with my set of AIV mules so i put the mules in my custom, i could also have put 500k pots in my SG, but i kind of like having some with 300k and some with 500k, not everything has to be bright IMO.
Thanks for the compliment, the old SG is a real oldskool rocker :twisted:
-
In the end theres only one way to find out really, this discussion has come to such subjective level i dont think i can help you any further im afraid.
I didnt like the 300k pots in combination with my set of AIV mules so i put the mules in my custom, i could also have put 500k pots in my SG, but i kind of like having some with 300k and some with 500k, not everything has to be bright IMO
I know it's all subjective.