Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Zaned on January 10, 2009, 07:51:32 AM
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Hi!
There was another superstrat-thread some days ago but I didn't want to hijack that. However, this might be useful information to him too and to anybody else with a same kind of guitar. And since I got 2 suggestions, this is a good place to gather further information from people :)
Well anyway, I'm having a strat with HSS configuration built (started already), with an alder body, 4 millimeters thick flame maple top, bolt on maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. A hipshot US contour tremolo (a modernized vintage solution).
What I asked for:
Pickups, bridge:
-A cross between Doug Aldrich's tone from DIO live DVD 'Evil or devine', and
old Van Halen tone. Aggressive and tight attack but singing tone.
-Good midrange, not very nasal though
-The pickup should sound nice clean too
Pickups, mid&neck:
-Singing and clear, with tight attack. Can be vintage vibe but it's not required.
Can be aggressive. Will be used for leads too (middle pretty much only clean, neck for both
distortion and clean).
-Nice cleans too.
-Should balance with the bridge pickup well enough. Of course, the output
differences in a HSS set is a compromise that I've accepted.
Well, I got two suggestions: Holydiver-Trilogy-Trilogy, or Nailbomb-IT-IT. Tim described that the first option is a hot, punchy combination with excellent clean and driven tone. The latter option has a little less output overall, more old school tone with more of a vintage edge.
I have listened to clips now that the choises have narrowed and I'm leaning towards the Nailbomb-IT-IT. I think it would take me very near that Aldrich ballpark, but also have that 'percussive' thing that Van Halen's old tone had (no disrispect for his new tone though :D). I should have used that word 'percussive' on the mail to Tim, but it didn't occur to me then.
Anyway, comments people? I have not set my mind completely yet and would like some comments from people who own these pickups. I have read about the HD coupled with an alder body and AM tempted by the Trilogy suites. I really like Yngwie's playing and his tone.
-Zaned
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HTT, cause I like Trilogies :D
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Doug Aldrich's tone from DIO live DVD 'Evil or devine'
+1, really like Doug's sound!
Intuitively I think the Nailbomb would hit the VH sound a bit better...? There's no real backing for my comment, just my opinion :lol:
Do tell us what you choose though, since I'd be interested in a similar style guitar in the future, cheers!
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I'm sure either will work out. I have a NB set in a LP replica and love them, we also have a set of IT's in a strat, the IT's are awsome. Truth is that the quality will be there and the pups are usually very versatile so that which ever you go for it will work out.
Just order another strat to match and have both. :)
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I decided on the NB-IT-IT set. I just like the edge that I hear in that set :)
My brother is getting a guitar from the same luthier (probably before the end january) with a calibrated NB set so I'll get a good taste on the sound of the pickup then 8) It' a strat with an alder body and an all-maple neck so it's a little different from mine though.
-Zaned
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Cool. Keep us posted. :)
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I just got a Nailbomb for my HSS alder bodied strat (the single coil sized pu's are Dimarzios). I absolutely love it but wouldn't compare it to old VH style tone at all. That's just my experience. YMMV. I can't comment on Doug Aldrich's tone because I haven't heard it.
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I have an HD/Trilogy/Trilogy set and a NB/IT/CS set in 2 different guitars. The first is in a Swamp Ash strat with a maple/ebony neck and a Wilkinson Trem. The NB set is in an Ibanez body with a Kahler Trem and a Bloodwood/Ebony neck. The HD set will nail a lot of 80's heavy sounds and the Trilogies are amazing single coil pickups, with a lot of push but tons of tone. The NB/IT combination gives me a lot more classic tones, quite capable of most rock sounds, with the added plus of the CS neck pickup.
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Derail,
nice of you to chime in! Yeah, I'm not looking for a replication of the VH tone. I just think I hear that upper midrange percussion (which to my ear, VH tone has) more in the NB than in the HD.
The Aldrich tone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXRfusUGd5I.
I've found that I like to go for quite modern sounds but from equipment that has an old-school vibe, or at least a hint of it :)
Phil, I like what I'm hearing 8) You're not helping my GAS for Trilogies though..
Zaned
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Phil, I like what I'm hearing 8) You're not helping my GAS for Trilogies though..
Zaned
Help? no, no, no! We are not here for it :twisted: :lol:
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Derail,
nice of you to chime in! Yeah, I'm not looking for a replication of the VH tone. I just think I hear that upper midrange percussion (which to my ear, VH tone has) more in the NB than in the HD.
The Aldrich tone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXRfusUGd5I.
Within the constraints of my computer speakers and the Youtube quality, I'd say my Nailbombed strat could do that tone really well.