Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: MillsyScores on September 07, 2012, 02:52:02 PM
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Hi guys, I need advice
So having gone from playing in a melodic hardcore band to an emo inspired pop-punk band (but still heavier than your average pop punk band), I needed to get a new set up.
Whilst we are fairly melodic, we play in Drop C in order to allow a few more harmonies, and to have still a bit of a heavier edge to us. Plus, I play a lot of add 9 chords (i.e power chords in drop c with the final note a tone higher, think essentially Everlong by Foo Fighters, lot of chords there) and really wanted those to ring through especially.
I ended up getting a telecaster USA Special and getting Piledrivers fitted and it has definitely given the guitar a bit more crunch. But...if anything, it's possibly sounding a bit TOO heavy - as you can hear in a demo of ours it sounds a bit muddy (I'm the rhythm guitar, we kept it low in the mix as we simply couldn't get it sounding nice. Played through a Marshall JCM 900 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL20izMEsA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL20izMEsA)) ... and I've also had a few problems live where it just sounds muddy. I'm not giving up on it yet, it's a good guitar and sounds lovely clean though, but I just want to play around and look at some options.
Having played with a friends band, who got a phenomenal sound through a pretty cheap Fender amp, I saw he was playing a Gibson Melody Maker and sounded great, the mids and highs shone through so well but still having a bit of crunch that was vital.
Rather than go and spend £300+ on one when I have an old Epiphone Les Paul Studio collecting dust, and a Tele I still intend to keep, I'm wondering if getting Humbucker sized P90s installed into the Epi will give me some options and breathe life into a guitar that whilst doesn't cut the mustard anymore, has a lot of sentimental value and is still easy to play?
Some examples of the overall sound I'm after. Basically, I just want us sounding big I guess, letting the add 9s shine through but still has a bit of depth and thickness at the low end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yA23H9QkWk&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yA23H9QkWk&feature=related)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCJSnT4PuUs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCJSnT4PuUs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URjX4Fye1Pg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URjX4Fye1Pg) (just skip to the chorus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBvhJXb4gto&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBvhJXb4gto&feature=related) (more in the intro, when the chords ring over)
Hope that makes sense! Look forward to your suggestions
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MQ's!
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MQs are great pickups, but I'm a bit unsure how they will handle the low e sting in drop c. Drop d is no problem, but I haven't tried to go lower with my own MQ loaded axe.
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Listening to those clips, it doesn't scream MQs to me - I have them in my Les Paul and I wouldn't recommend them for the stuff you're doing. Stockholms all the way if you want a P90 tone.