Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: dheim on December 05, 2008, 10:28:59 PM
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i'd like to replace the stock pickups of my old Dean Cadillac with something quite vintage and blues-rock sounding... i'm curious about P90s (in humbucker size, of course, so Mississipi Queens), but never actually played them in my life. the only MQ samples i found on this forum didn't help me much. are they similar to classic Strat single coils or not? i was thinking about a MQ in neck position and some vintage humbucker in bridge pos... riffraff, PG blues, black dog or what?
forgive my absolute ignorance... any suggestion?
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They are nothing like strat single coils! They have some bite, but are fat and powerful. If you want some more clips I can knock some up tomorrow using my Epi les paul and MQ set.
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It's a terribly clichéd thing to say, but a P-90/MQ is in effect halfway between a typical Fender single-coil sound and a humbucker.
It is a single-coil of course, but the shallow, wide coil and humbucker-like magnetic structure gives a much fatter sound.
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They are nothing like strat single coils! They have some bite, but are fat and powerful. If you want some more clips I can knock some up tomorrow using my Epi les paul and MQ set.
it would be veeeeery useful, and of course a veeery nice thing! :)
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It's a terribly clichéd thing to say, but a P-90/MQ is in effect halfway between a typical Fender single-coil sound and a humbucker.
It is a single-coil of course, but the shallow, wide coil and humbucker-like magnetic structure gives a much fatter sound.
fatter but still percussive? how they react to high gain levels? are they fuzzy?
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Clean they respond like a fat single-coil, much nicer than a clean humbucker sound. With really high gain they get too mushy (IMO), unless you're going for a stoner/doom metal kind of sound.
I think they work best for clean tones up to gritty blues-rock tones. I've said loads of times that I don't think they have the tight crunch of a humbucker with distortion (but others, much better players than me, will probably disagree).
I think your MQ neck plus bridge humbucker combo is a good idea, and loads of people on the forum have done that - with all sorts of different bridge HBs, from the Riff Raff right up to the Warpig.
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Can do, let me know what kind of amps you like and sounds, i can get some very 'realistic' sounds from my toneport.
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Clean they respond like a fat single-coil, much nicer than a clean humbucker sound. With really high gain they get too mushy (IMO), unless you're going for a stoner/doom metal kind of sound.
I think they work best for clean tones up to gritty blues-rock tones. I've said loads of times that I don't think they have the tight crunch of a humbucker with distortion (but others, much better players than me, will probably disagree).
I think your MQ neck plus bridge humbucker combo is a good idea, and loads of people on the forum have done that - with all sorts of different bridge HBs, from the Riff Raff right up to the Warpig.
got it! :D i'm looking for something good at blues rock AND classic doom (black sabbath over all, of course!)... anyway i'm a bit coward and i think i'll go for a MQ + humbucker set, after all... :lol:
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Can do, let me know what kind of amps you like and sounds, i can get some very 'realistic' sounds from my toneport.
if you can i'd like some clean, dirty and heavy lead sound... nothing too modern, something black sabbath oriented... thank you!
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They are nothing like strat single coils! They have some bite, but are fat and powerful.
+1, they sound so much better than any strat I've ever played or heard.
I have a Pig 90 and its really versatile, with the volume all the way up its almost humbuckery, but softer and less "sterile" sounding if that makes sense. Got a clip here - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=870027&songID=6858331
The neck MQ is really good as well, used it for the little lead bit in that clip.
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I have a Pig 90 and its really versatile, with the volume all the way up its almost humbuckery, but softer and less "sterile" sounding if that makes sense. Got a clip here - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=870027&songID=6858331
very nice clip! i love in particular the sound you've got in the solo part... the neck P90 is taken. i'm still dubious about the bridge... i think i'll go for a mixed set with an humbucker in bridge position.
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Warpig with matched MQ is the way forward. Still my favorite BKP pairing (just ahead of the BKP-91 set). Although I went for a ceramic pig to give it more bite.
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Remember that an MQ neck is AIV...it sounds huge and big. I wouldn't pair it with a Riff Raff or other vintage/hot bridge humbucker.
Just go with an MQ/MQ set or MQ/Ceramic Warpig...
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I think a Riff Raff and MQ combo would work very well.
If you're new to P90's, you're in for a surprise. P90's have been used for jazz, rockabilly, blues, punk ánd heavy metal.
It's a single coil pickup that sounds fat and clear. With the right settings you can get some nice twang and growl out of them too.
Do some searching on youtube about the p90 to get an idea of what it sounds like.
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I'm off to buy a bass guitar, but will have some clips done when i gets back. the bridge is a great pickup, fat yet balanced, it's my favorite bkp so far.
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MQ neck and Nailbomb bridge work well.
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I'm off to buy a bass guitar, but will have some clips done when i gets back. the bridge is a great pickup, fat yet balanced, it's my favorite bkp so far.
if you don't want to spend too much money on your bass i can suggest you a cort artisan... active bartolini electronics, very nice craftsmanship and wood and low price. i love my A5!
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uhuh! i found this video of a MQ set, and maybe i should look no further... no idea of what they sound like with a decent distorsion (the one in the video isn't for sure...), but clean and overdriven tone are exactly as i imagined (and hoped) it was... ah, what a vivid imagination can do... :)
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=JfVzIPqtes0
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Ha! that's my video! got a squier p bass, not bad for the money.
I'll do some high gain stuff if you give me half an hour.
UPDATE! c--ks, my lp isn't working. no sound from the bridge pickup but neck works fine. I'll get a new pot in there tomorrow i hope. dammit!
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Ha! that's my video!
:P
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MQ neck and Nailbomb bridge work well.
So you reckon that's a good mix?
Was thinking about a MQ pair with one RPRW for my SG Supreme but now you got me thinking!
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Hi, :)
Just to add that the Mississipi Queens are my favourite pickup so far for Blues / Jazz ; especially 'clean' playing. I use mine like a more assertive Stormy Monday, but with much more clarity and articulation in the bass strings. For my purposes, I am getting some sweet Larry Carlton like tones - but can hear where they would bite harder if I dug in. The whole concept of a P90 type pickup was alien to me ( except for dave Gilmour's ace solo in 'Another Brick In The Wall PtII ). As such, my ordering of a matched M.Q set was something of a calculated risk. I am so glad I did take the plunge though, for as much as I love my AIV Stormy Mondays and AIV Mules, the M.Qs have a unique and ( for me ) irreplacable character. As mentioned before, the clear but fat and sweet top end is perfectly balanced by the ultra clear bass end. Unfortunately I do not have recording facilities, but think highly enough of mine to sign in and comment. I've had then in a 1976 S.G. Standard and a semi-acoustic 335 copy. They sound different in each one, but beautiful all the same. The semi obviously imparts more 'air' - but the solid mahogany is a great foundation from which they can project.
happy hunting ! :D
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MQ neck and Nailbomb bridge work well.
So you reckon that's a good mix?
Was thinking about a MQ pair with one RPRW for my SG Supreme but now you got me thinking!
MY wife (Sue) bought a Mansons set that consists of a MQ neck and NB bridge, (BK make the Manson pups), and they are supposed to be 'custom' but how different to the regular ones they are I don't know. The set does work well together though. The P90 is every bit as powerful as the bomb so no balance issues, it rocks up well, not sure how it does at 'metal' levels as I don't remember trying it with the gain that high. It is a beautiful fat sound, very powerful when played clean, and complemented the bomb nicely when played together.
She put the set in her Gibson SG when she first got it, and then swapped to a Cold Sweat set. (nothing wrong with the Manson set, she just wanted to use Cold Sweats)
I've never played the MQ bridge so I can't compare to that.
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Thanks for the info, may consider that.
I will be using it with a Carvin Legacy, I tend to favour the neck pickup for clean playing and the bridge for the Legacy Lead Channel which I think the Warpig may suit well. Also fitting the 2 different Pickup types would certainly make the Guitar a lot more versatile!
With Gold covers and screw poles reckon it would look great too!?
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1518.0
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We have a CPig bridge, and that is a lovely pickup, not sure how it would sound played with an MQ, might not work. But if you play them seperately anyway then no problem.
It's always a hard choice, I've said it before, you can drive yourself mad trying to decide which is best, and you really won't know for sure until it's in the guitar.
My 2 pence though, I'd have a 'bucker in the bridge of an SG. Nothing against single coil, but I think SG's work well with a bucker sound. Just my opinion though, and there are far better informed ones around here :)
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Oh yeah heres my clip of the Pig 90 doing some stoner metal through a Keeley Rat and Laney GH50L :)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=493678&songID=6737692
Was also used here when I borrowed my mates DSL50 and A/B'd the two amps (DSL first)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=493678&songID=6986813
I think the Laneys preamp tubes (or something else) are nackered though so it sounds a bit dull and mushy on that amp.
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thanks, tom! your "dragonaut" clip sounds very sabbath, and in a certain way it's the final answer to my doubts... i'm quite sure i'll go for a set of MQ! i've got many humbucker'loaded guitars, and a couple of metal beasts... i'm looking exactly for that kind of raw doom-stoner sound with exceptionally mellow blues tones. got it!
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thanks, tom! your "dragonaut" clip sounds very sabbath, and in a certain way it's the final answer to my doubts... i'm quite sure i'll go for a set of MQ! i've got many humbucker'loaded guitars, and a couple of metal beasts... i'm looking exactly for that kind of raw doom-stoner sound with exceptionally mellow blues tones. got it!
+1 to that.
Decision made....MQ matched set for my SG!!
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if i was to put a queen in the neck of my SG it would totally overpower the SD Alnico2 in the bridge??
any opinions on a Nailbomb bridge and queen neck??
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if i was to put a queen in the neck of my SG it would totally overpower the SD Alnico2 in the bridge??
any opinions on a Nailbomb bridge and queen neck??
I don't think that the AIV M.Q. neck would have to overpower the SD A2 bridge, as I use mine in the same role as my Stormy Mondays ( now AIV, but not any louder than AII ). I guess it's all down to pickup heights and the way you play really. The AIV M.Q neck would need treating with a little more respect though, perhaps lowering it bit a further down in the pickup ring e.t.c - and of course as always, ask Tim for that vital confirmation if buying . It's character remains 'vintage' though - and The bonus of using one over the AII option is a clearer bass string response, always a plus for the neck position.
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thanks, tom! your "dragonaut" clip sounds very sabbath, and in a certain way it's the final answer to my doubts... i'm quite sure i'll go for a set of MQ! i've got many humbucker'loaded guitars, and a couple of metal beasts... i'm looking exactly for that kind of raw doom-stoner sound with exceptionally mellow blues tones. got it!
Typical case of pre-purchase, post-decision, GAS justification :O)
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Typical case of pre-purchase, post-decision, GAS justification :O)
:lol: