Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: RustInPeace on March 28, 2012, 08:17:51 PM
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I recently received my semi-custom Agile AL-3200 in the mail and found a couple sets of BKs on the local kijiji ads - a CS bridge/unpotted Mule neck and a MM bridge/HD neck. I tried the CS/Mule first and i didnt like the CS very much, too much treble and not enough thickness. The mule was VERY nice though, although more suited to clean/light overdrive situations.
I switched out to the other set, and the MM bridge is FANTASTIC! A bit less bright than the CS but just enough to feel crunchy with more thickness overall. The HD is a decent neck pickup with very nice clean tones and a smooth lead tone, but a bit too much presence in the mids. It almost sounds muffled in a way...not a good match to the crispy MM bridge.
So i am going to keep the MM/HD set in here for now and sell the other to a friend of mine, but im not 100% on the neck pup. I really liked the balanced tone of the mule for clean and dirty tones but seemed to lack a bit of thickness or growl for hi gain stuff, so something in between might be what im looking for.
Has anyone used a Mississippi Queen or any other hp90 in the neck for hi gain leads before? I've also read that the VHII is a very nice neck pup. I have a CS neck in one of my other guitars thats been OK - not totally sold on those either but seems to be a fan favorite here.
I use a Mesa Mark V so you kinda get an idea of what kind of tone I have.
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Oh and I have an anonymous review here of the Agile:
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/electric_guitars/agile/al-3200_neck-thru/index.html
The first one listed.
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get the mule back
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I do like the mule, but unfortunately its in a different finish and doesnt match this set, plus my friend really wants it. What about the Abraxas for a neck pup? Its listed as having a pretty similar DC resistance, but the description is that of a hotter mule? A bit more compression in the mule would be perfect...
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I love my (potted) Mule-neck. It takes highgain very well too. If you want something more modern/fluid I would look for a CS-neck.
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I have a CS neck paired with a c-bomb in my old LTD DV8R Mustaine that hasnt impressed me. Although I think that the problem with that guitar is its very dark and the c-bomb hasnt worked out well either which left me dissapointed overall. Its weird though because the LTD is a mahogany neck-thru guitar and the Agile is as well, but the Agile is suprisingly bright, maybe because of the ebony fretboard compared to the rosewood on the LTD? Maybe I should try the CS neck in the agile and see how that swings.
It seems that the Abraxes is often overlooked here. If it really is a bit hotter than the neck Mule I might swing for that.
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Check out the Crawler-neck too!
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It seems that the Abraxes is often overlooked here. If it really is a bit hotter than the neck Mule I might swing for that.
I never played a Mule but I doubt the Abraxas neck is hotter.
For a bright guitar I also think Crawler neck would be good.
Cheers Stephan
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It seems that the Abraxes is often overlooked here. If it really is a bit hotter than the neck Mule I might swing for that.
I never played a Mule but I doubt the Abraxas neck is hotter.
For a bright guitar I also think Crawler neck would be good.
The Mule, Abraxas and Crawler neck pickups have very similar specs - all Alnico IV, similar DC resistance, probably the same 42 AWG wire (I am guessing). I think the latter two are ever-so-slightly hotter than the Mule, but there's not much in it.
I've never owned a Mule, but the Abraxas neck was a little brighter than the Crawler - I can't remember enough to describe the differences in more detail.
The difference may be in the amount of "stagger" between the coils (again, I'm guessing!)
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.. but the Abraxas neck was a little brighter than the Crawler - I can't remember enough to describe the differences in more detail.
I don't know exactly how they differ spec wise but in my guitar the Abraxas neck was significantly brighter than the Crawler neck.
Cheers Stephan
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I tried adjusting the neck pickup lower last night and wow! Such a difference. More clarity and bite from the pickup is what just what I was looking for, and a simple 1/16" adjustment is all it took. Its a bit annoying that BKs are SO sensitive to height....
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.. but the Abraxas neck was a little brighter than the Crawler - I can't remember enough to describe the differences in more detail.
I don't know exactly how they differ spec wise but in my guitar the Abraxas neck was significantly brighter than the Crawler neck.
That's interesting, I never tried both in the same guitar, although both were in LP-types.
At one point - going back a few years - it was widely believed on the forum that they were the same pickup, but eventually Tim confirmed they are different. I don't think he went into the detail, though.
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I tried adjusting the neck pickup lower last night and wow! Such a difference. More clarity and bite from the pickup is what just what I was looking for, and a simple 1/16" adjustment is all it took. Its a bit annoying that BKs are SO sensitive to height....
Scatterwound pickups are sensitive, so you need to fiddle a bit to find the sweet spot.