Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: GuitarIv on December 03, 2012, 12:20:10 PM
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Hey guys,
so today I went to my local musicstore with my Strat loaded with a Holydiver and Slowhands and finally played a "real" amp again since my Valveking died, only to realise that the HD doesn't fit the bill. Don't get me wrong, love the pickup, it just lacks teh metalz I need.
First of all I tried it through a Tiny Terror with an Orange 4*12 and I didn't like it, there wasn't enough distortion and substance and as I turned the gain all the way up, the amp became muddy. Next amp in line was the 6505+ Combo and I really had to turn the bass and the resonance knobs ridiculously way down and crank the highs, the mids and the gain, however the sound still wasn't satisfying. I then took a Jackson with EMGs and a Reverend Sensei (with their own model pickups) as a reference and those sounded fuller and grittier. To describe what I didn't like: the tone was lacking substance, definition and beef, it was "hollow" sounding if that makes any sense. The guitar has a Poplar Body and an all Maple Neck and I guess it's screaming for a ceramic PU with more body, at least I can't imagine what else could fix the issue concerning tightness and substance.
Next and last Amp was a Diezel Herbert. I firstly realised how amazing the Slowhands are and how well they suit the instrument, nice glassy cleans with enough lows and mids not to sound shrill and I guess the Diezel took a part in that. Now on Channel 3 (Lead Channel) the Diver sounded better but as I applied more gain the sound became unpleasantly sizzling and even though the Amps Mid Cut function helped it still doesn't do the trick.
Now I don't know if the Poplar Body is cr@p (30 year old air dried Hungarian Poplar) which would be annoying as it's an expensive custom instrument, or the pickup height is too low (didn't have a screwdriver to adjust) or something else is messing with the sound of the guitar, however I'd really like to solve that problem.
I had a JB in the guitar before and it sounded fine, the HD is clearer but has really low output compared to it. Any Ideas? Miracle Man, maybe even C-Pig? I'm really desperate and don't know why it ain't sounding right :(
p.s.: the guitar sounds amazing going through my shitety 100€ Zoom effects pedal into my 15 watt Washburn practice amp. WTF.
Hope you can help and cheers
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The 1st thing I'd check would be the height as you suggested.
Failing that, check the wiring as it sounds like you may have a fault somewhere possibly? The HD is meant to be similar-ish to the JB, but without the massive nasal mids of the JB, and certainly shouldn't be much lower in output. I have both HDs and a JB in different (but similar style) guitars and output wise they're pretty much the same to my ears. Although the mid spike of the JB could possibly make it seem louder.
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First of all the good news: if the Slowhands sound great in the guitar, it is most likely not the guitar's fault if you don't like the bridge pickup - it just may not be a good combination with that particular guitar, with your set up or playing style. But I agree with Brow that the HD should not be much lower output than the JB so check whether the wiring and height set up is correct first.
The BKP site lists the Black Dog and the Rebel Yell as humbuckers for HSS set ups with the Slowhands. Rebel Yell would be brighter and more cutting than the Holydiver but would have a bit less output. Based on your description the Painkiller could fit but would probably be much louder than the Slowhands. Miracle Man should be a good choice, too - more bass and treble and a bit more output compared to the Holydiver.
Cheers Stephan
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Thanks for the answers guys -
I'm pretty sure that the wiring can't be faulty as I just completely redid it last month and experienced the problem with the lacking beef before - I dismissed it as a problem my amp has, the Valveking isn't a high gain monster like the Diezel Herbert. However having the same problem with said high end amp again, something must be wrong.
Now I will confess that I didn't mess around with the PU height and maybe I'm overreacting right now, however if that doesn't resolve the problem, I'm pretty sure it's the wrong PU for the guitar. Would the MM couple well with the Slowhands?
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Look - I'm one of those overreacting gearnuts, too.
I have two guitars with HDs. A swamp ash, maple strat and a Les Paul.
It sounds enormous in the Strat. Just awesome.
When I first installed it in the LP, it sounded even better. Then I thought "well, lets tweak the height and polepieces, it can only get better, right?" WRONG!
Sounds thin. Doesn't cut through the mix. Like a buzzsaw.
So, it IS an adjustment thing. I'll end up replacing my electronics with CTS pots and K40Ys, too (pots shorting out), but it's all a matter of finding the sweet spot, more so with BKs than with any other Pickup maker.
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I tried a Holy Diver in a Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas (alder), and it did not sound good at all. I couldn't mess with the pickup height because they are direct mounted, so I put the original JB in which sounded best.
I tried the Holy Diver again in a MIJ Fender Contemporary Strat HSS (basswood), and it sounded great, although still needs a boost. It definitely does not have the same amount of output as a JB. The tone is there, but yeah, definitely less gain than what I was used to. I have a Marshall JVM 410HJS (Joe Satriani version), and I have to run a boost to get it to where I want (tighter metal sound) even on a high gain channel.
BK pickups are REALLY sensitive to the guitars they go in. I've found that their organic nature really lets the guitar wood tone through. (As opposed to say the JB or Dimarzio Super Distortion which blast through the guitar's natural tone with a ton of output and their own stamp).
In this case, I doubt it's the wood, it's just less output than you are used to.
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Well, then I'll mess with the height and report back! :)
And Nkay, I'm aware that BKPs have less output, but such a huge loss compared to the JB isn't normal. So yeah, time to adjust some screws
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Little late night experiment:
Don't know how valid this is as I used my Vox Metal Amplug and Headphones, but hightening the HD worked... actually really well. I played around a bit with the screws and from a certain point on not only did the sound become fully saturated but I tried to go over the top and it even became sizzling. Now I found the sweet spot... for the Amplug and Headphones. Will try the same through my Micro Terror (not sure how legit that little thing as a reference point is but oh well my Valveking's still dead) and see how it turns out.
Really unusual for a pickup to be that sensitive to height, at least I haven't experienced something like this with Duncans before. I'm surprised!
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See? What did we say? :D
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Yeah, I feel a bit supid right now, I like to overreact :P
However I won't be fully convinced until I try it out with a real Amp ^^
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Had a band practice with the new Holy Diver in my MIJ basswood Fender Contemporary Strat, and while it sounded pretty good at home, in the band mix, it actually sounded thin compared to the Dimarzio Super Distortion :( I give up...
I'm starting to think I'm just fighting my wood here. Now that I have a mahogany Les Paul, and an alder Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas, I've really noticed that my basswood Fender is a toneless hunk of wood. The only pickup that really brought it out of its shell was the Dimarzio Super Distortion, and even though that has its faults, I still think overall it has a much fuller sound and better output than the Holy Diver at least for this guitar. No wonder the Super Distortion was used in so many 80's basswood superstrats, it's the only pickup that really jumps all over the poor sound quality of the basswood with a ton of force and output to make it sound better.
I never really noticed the wood issue for so may years as I had recorded direct through a Johnson J-Station (like a POD), and the wood never really came into the equation. Once I got back into tube amps and playing live, I'm realizing the basswood Fender, as awesome as it is to play and such a well constructed instrument, sucks in the tone department. The Holy Diver, while I think a great pickup, is so organic that it lets the natural basswood through and in this case, it's not a good thing. I think I'm going back to the Super D here.
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Sucks to hear that :/
However really try to mess with the PU height and don't be too afraid to go really near the srings. I'm just sitting here in my rehearsal room and must report back that adjusting the screws solved the issue. I really had no idea that this is soo important with BKPs, or at least the Holydiver. Now it has enough gain through my Micro Terror boosted with a Tubescreamer and although I admit that the JB still sounds ballsier, there's no hollow weak and lacking sound anymore. Thanks guys and nkay, do as I did, play with the screws! Maybe it helps. I don't think Basswood is a bad wood, at least not if high quality pieces are used. Misha Mansoor for example loves Basswood Bodys on some of his guitars (his Mayones and his Jackson Custom Shop has one if I remember right and he actually requested it) and he couples it with BKPs. No issue for him...
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I'll give it a shot, but I did try higher and lower height and it was either too muddy, or not hot enough. I think I just have to face the truth it's just not the right pickup for this particular guitar.
I hate to rag on the basswood, as I know there's a ton of expensive custom guitars like Suhrs that use it, but this particular guitar (has a floating trem too) just sounds soft and lifeless. In comparison, the Les Paul has so much depth, richness, and complexity. I run BKP Cold Sweats in that and it sounds fantastic, I used to use a Super Distortion in there too, but the Cold Sweats keep the edge and aggression while removing the harshness of the Super D and letting the wood tone speak through.
In the basswood Fender, the Super D just gave it lots of balls, aggression, and heaviness that it didn't have on its own. I just wanted to try something different with the BKP and find something a bit warmer and less harsh while still in the ballpark tone-wise which is why I tried the Holy Diver. I might try the Cold Sweat here too when I get a chance, but I think in the end I might go back to the Super D.
My superstrats are my "metal" guitars for shredding, while the Les Paul I use for more hard rock/classic rock.
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Try lowering the pickup but raising the polepieces. That might help!
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Really unusual for a pickup to be that sensitive to height
That's a BKP for ya!
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Little late night experiment:
Don't know how valid this is as I used my Vox Metal Amplug and Headphones, but hightening the HD worked... actually really well. I played around a bit with the screws and from a certain point on not only did the sound become fully saturated but I tried to go over the top and it even became sizzling. Now I found the sweet spot... for the Amplug and Headphones. Will try the same through my Micro Terror (not sure how legit that little thing as a reference point is but oh well my Valveking's still dead) and see how it turns out.
Really unusual for a pickup to be that sensitive to height, at least I haven't experienced something like this with Duncans before. I'm surprised!
How many mm's is the pickup from the strings?
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Less then half a centimeter, so pretty close. The magnetic pull doesn't kill any sustain, but then again, I'm playing 10-52s tuned to E-Standard.
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That is still miles away - try getting the gap down to 2mm or less
I often use a couple of picks stacked lying on top of the pickup, hold down the strings at the last fret and raise the pickup till the picks touch the underside of the string.
The I raise the middle 4 polepieces a little to match the fingerboard radius
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Interesting no one mentions stuff like this on a regular basis :P
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Interesting no one mentions stuff like this on a regular basis :P
I mention it a fair bit , and I do it every day on the guitars I set - up
Let me know if it helps
The polepiece raising I feel opens up the sound of the pickup and gives a slightly more crisp edge to the sound
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The polepiece raising I feel opens up the sound of the pickup and gives a slightly more crisp edge to the sound
Cheers for the tip!
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That is still miles away - try getting the gap down to 2mm or less
I often use a couple of picks stacked lying on top of the pickup, hold down the strings at the last fret and raise the pickup till the picks touch the underside of the string.
The I raise the middle 4 polepieces a little to match the fingerboard radius
I like most bridge bkps around that close
the miracle man and nailbomb sounded better a little lower, though
but what if the picks are 3mm big stubbies? 8)
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Yeah well I guess one never stops learning. As said Duncans aren't that picky when it comes to height and I have only played those before I got the Diver. Happy that it works now the way it is supposed too, thanks guys! :)
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I did some more experiments and might have to backtrack, in the practice I used the SD-1 as a boost, and I think that's what was causing the thinness in the overall mix. While I got the output boost I needed, it was cutting the balls.
The Holy Diver is really clear, like, imagine a combination of the Dimarzio Super Distortion with the JB, but with very clear clarity, no extraneous distortion noise, all the strings really stand out in a chord, and there is fluidity that is not created out of sheer output. The drawback to this is that yes, it's less output overall. And on my Marshall JVM 410 HJS, it's not quite enough to get the OD channels into the healthy saturation that I want. Cranking up the amp gain just gets bassy and woofy.
Should I be trying a clean boost instead of an overdrive to get that output back? Will that help tighten things up? I'm thinking of something simple like the EP Booster here. I've only ever used the SD-1 but I want to retire it because the SD-1 through a Marshall is such a staple recognizable 80's sound that I just don't want anymore. And with the new pickups, I want to retain some of that 80's vibe, while getting fresh tones.
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The polepiece raising I feel opens up the sound of the pickup and gives a slightly more crisp edge to the sound
Cheers for the tip!
Yes, thanks Jonathan! :)
Despite being very happy with all my B.K.P. as they are ; your comment dooms me to an obsessive weekend, surrounded by BKP'd guitars and cups of tea. If I'm not out by Monday, please send a Red Cross parcel.
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I did some more experiments and might have to backtrack, in the practice I used the SD-1 as a boost, and I think that's what was causing the thinness in the overall mix. While I got the output boost I needed, it was cutting the balls.
The Holy Diver is really clear, like, imagine a combination of the Dimarzio Super Distortion with the JB, but with very clear clarity, no extraneous distortion noise, all the strings really stand out in a chord, and there is fluidity that is not created out of sheer output. The drawback to this is that yes, it's less output overall. And on my Marshall JVM 410 HJS, it's not quite enough to get the OD channels into the healthy saturation that I want. Cranking up the amp gain just gets bassy and woofy.
Should I be trying a clean boost instead of an overdrive to get that output back? Will that help tighten things up? I'm thinking of something simple like the EP Booster here. I've only ever used the SD-1 but I want to retire it because the SD-1 through a Marshall is such a staple recognizable 80's sound that I just don't want anymore. And with the new pickups, I want to retain some of that 80's vibe, while getting fresh tones.
The Xotic EP Booster is a very nice pedal but its 'very' subtle. It definitely makes a nice difference with cleans and with an overdriven sound makes a slight difference but as a metal player I didnt think it was good enough as a booster live. I've resisted the urge to sell it though because it can make things sound 'nicer'.
An Ibanez tubescreamer might be the obvious suggestion and with good reason. If youre on a budget id suggest a Digitech Bad monkey.
If you want to stick with Xotic who are amazing maybe look at the BB range?
Alteratively a good old eq pedal.
I should add I personally use a Wampler Pinnacle 2 for gigs and recording. Everything I read indicated this shouldnt be what its used for but I think its great as a booster/overdrive unit.
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(http://images5.thomann.de/pics/prod/152419.jpg)
'Nuff said...
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Ok thanks about the EP Booster info, I was thinking that might not be the right tool.
I don't really want another overdrive pedal, they all pretty much do the same thing right? I can't say I've done a lot of experimenting, but any tubescreamer type of pedal will be the same as the SD-1, boost output and some mids with a bass cut? Or do they all color their own way? There's just something about the way the SD-1 focuses the mids that gives that distinctive sound, and I really just want more output to hit the preamp.
I'm lucky that on my Contemporary Strat, it has a TBX tone control that when cranked gives more output. That worked out well on top of the Dimarzio Superdistortion to get enough saturation with my amp without an overdrive pedal, the Holy Diver needs more than that unfortunately.
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For me personally the Ibanez TS-9DX I own works wonders. It just gives the amp the tightness and the balls it misses, so I think that one might work for you. It also has 4 different modes so you can fatten up the sound if you want to.
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well, I have a maxon od9 analogman classic (808 circuit), an oliver sd-10 (roland licensed sd-1 exact clone from late 80's), and had a ts9dx and a couple od808's about a month ago
all of them sound 95% the same in a band context
I could only tell the difference at home
the od808 is certainly more transparent and crunchy instead if compressed, and just a little fatter on leads, but if the sd-1 sounds thin, an od808 won't make it considerably fatter
the ts9dx sounds very punchy on the plus mod and you can get a quite fuzz-like distorted tone with the hot mode on mid gain channel of an all tube marshall
the ts9 mode sounds pretty close to a regular ts9 (it should sound exactly the same, but it doesn't)
I used to love the mxr wylde overdrive with the diver in one of my les paul copies
then dumped it for a vin tagemaxon 6 band graphic eq, which worked better for some crunchy and tight metal tones
the eq added some nice focused mids and output without the compression of an overdrive
I'm having pretty good results with a juansolo baby boobtube as a clean boost on my bands recording sessions
it puts out a lot of output and tends to expand the frequencies instead of narrowing them
but for that juicy boosted tone without the all the screamer-like bass cut, the fulltone OCD does the job really well, and it's the most popular overdrive among stoner/doom bands that need to keep lots of low end
great and quite natural sounding pedal for dirty tones
won't make your tone sound like modern metal or 80's hard rock
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Eric summed it up pretty well. And as said I love my TS9DX, so if you got the money it wont hurt :)
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No wonder the Super Distortion was used in so many 80's basswood superstrats, it's the only pickup that really jumps all over the poor sound quality of the basswood with a ton of force and output to make it sound better.
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The Holy Diver, while I think a great pickup, is so organic that it lets the natural basswood through and in this case, it's not a good thing. I think I'm going back to the Super D here.
That has also been my observation. Lots of output, sizzle and dark mids overriding the acoustical properties of the guitar it hosts to some extent. Can be just the ticket in the right guitar for it. If it works for you in that guitar, that's what counts.
Cheers Stephan
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And by the way I also liked the Holydiver best fairly close to the strings whereas I backed the Miracle Man off a bit.
Cheers Stephan
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Just another addendum to my experiments with the Holy Diver. I recently got a second Fender Contemporary Stratocaster identical to the one I already have (again basswood, except it's HH, not HSS). I put my old Dimarzio Super Distortion in it that was in my other strat, and it's just so much livelier and punchy than the Diver. I've been playing them back and forth, comparing soloing, rhythm, etc... and I'm just liking the Super Distortion much better for these guitars, my style, and the tone in my head.
It sucks because originally I had my HSS strat with the Super D, and a Charvel San Dimas with the JB, and I was looking for a pickup replacement that would give me the best of both worlds. On paper, the Holy Diver seemed like what I wanted. On first listen, I really liked the Diver, it had the tightness and thickness of the Super D for rhythm, while having that singing middy quality of the JB for leads. The clearness and string-to-string separation of the Diver is fantastic when playing chords. It didn't have the harsh mids that the Super D gets with higher gain, nor the signature mid-spike of the JB that many find annoying.
But... while improving on those pickups and their negative characteristics, in the end, I feel the Diver is missing the special charm of those pickups... the forcefulness and punch, that over-the-top 80's feel. When I play my Charvel with the JB, I get a big smile on my face. When I play my HSS strat with the Super D, I get a big smile on my face. The Holy Diver, I just seem to be fighting with it the whole time to get that forcefulness back.
Now don't get me wrong, the Diver has its own thing going, I can see why people would love the pickup for AIC and Tool-like music. I think it has a much more contemporary sound than it is credited for (by calling it an 80's pickup). That clearness and hearing every string in the chord is a fantastic quality, and kills the SD and JB in that department, and I can also tell that the Diver does not fall over with high-gain, and leans more to a progressive sound too. But after trying it in the alder Charvel, and the basswood Strat, I find (as the thread is named) it just doesn't have the "beef". Maybe it's that less output and force that gives it those "clear" characteristics I do like so it's down to a sound trade-off really.
I have a hunch that this pickup is much better suited to a Les Paul, or other huge chunk of mahogany where the full body can shine through the pickup. Per its description, I don't think it's all that great in lighter bolt-on neck guitars myself, but hey, we all have our own sound we are looking for. I really do appreciate the sound it is going for and its qualities, and I really wanted to like it, but it's just not for my guitars I tried it in or my sound. Good thing there's lots of other BKP models to try!
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Just another addendum to my experiments with the Holy Diver. I recently got a second Fender Contemporary Stratocaster identical to the one I already have (again basswood, except it's HH, not HSS). I put my old Dimarzio Super Distortion in it that was in my other strat, and it's just so much livelier and punchy than the Diver. I've been playing them back and forth, comparing soloing, rhythm, etc... and I'm just liking the Super Distortion much better for these guitars, my style, and the tone in my head.
It sucks because originally I had my HSS strat with the Super D, and a Charvel San Dimas with the JB, and I was looking for a pickup replacement that would give me the best of both worlds. On paper, the Holy Diver seemed like what I wanted. On first listen, I really liked the Diver, it had the tightness and thickness of the Super D for rhythm, while having that singing middy quality of the JB for leads. The clearness and string-to-string separation of the Diver is fantastic when playing chords. It didn't have the harsh mids that the Super D gets with higher gain, nor the signature mid-spike of the JB that many find annoying.
But... while improving on those pickups and their negative characteristics, in the end, I feel the Diver is missing the special charm of those pickups... the forcefulness and punch, that over-the-top 80's feel. When I play my Charvel with the JB, I get a big smile on my face. When I play my HSS strat with the Super D, I get a big smile on my face. The Holy Diver, I just seem to be fighting with it the whole time to get that forcefulness back.
Now don't get me wrong, the Diver has its own thing going, I can see why people would love the pickup for AIC and Tool-like music. I think it has a much more contemporary sound than it is credited for (by calling it an 80's pickup). That clearness and hearing every string in the chord is a fantastic quality, and kills the SD and JB in that department, and I can also tell that the Diver does not fall over with high-gain, and leans more to a progressive sound too. But after trying it in the alder Charvel, and the basswood Strat, I find (as the thread is named) it just doesn't have the "beef". Maybe it's that less output and force that gives it those "clear" characteristics I do like so it's down to a sound trade-off really.
I have a hunch that this pickup is much better suited to a Les Paul, or other huge chunk of mahogany where the full body can shine through the pickup. Per its description, I don't think it's all that great in lighter bolt-on neck guitars myself, but hey, we all have our own sound we are looking for. I really do appreciate the sound it is going for and its qualities, and I really wanted to like it, but it's just not for my guitars I tried it in or my sound. Good thing there's lots of other BKP models to try!
That's very interesting and I've had a similar experience, only with P90s.
I've got a Holy Diver in my Les Paul and it sounds amazing. Very beefy and alive. I definitely comes down to the guitars woods and structure really, playing my strat and then Les Paul unplugged I can easily tell that the start wouldn't sound as good with the HD. It's very hollow and light sounding. It'd be much better suited to a crawler or miracle man, IMO.
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Thanks for the summary nkay. I think (at least from reading alot through this forum) that a Miracle Man might resolve the lacking output the Diver seems to have, and although the height adjustment has helped for my Strat, I think I will try to swap it and put it into my Jackson Fusion. Everyone seems to be very impressed by the Diver in Mahogany, so my Jackson will be a good reference. Will report back asap :)
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It definitely has a lot to do with the guitar how a pickup sounds in it. Sometimes you get an instant marriage between a guitar and a pickup, other times it just does not work. The Diver kills in my ash bodied maple necked strat whereas it was not nearly as spectacular in the alder bodied strat.
Cheers Stephan
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It definitely has a lot to do with the guitar how a pickup sounds in it. Sometimes you get an instant marriage between a guitar and a pickup, other times it just does not work. The Diver kills in my ash bodied maple necked strat whereas it was not nearly as spectacular in the alder bodied strat.
Cheers Stephan
This.
My Duncan Invaders sucked ass in my Basswood, all Maple Neck Ibanez and slay in my Mahogany, Maple Neck and Rosewood Fretboard Jackson.
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Btw, just a little question: if the Diver works out in the Jackson, I'll need a new pickup for the Strat. How well would the Miracle Man couple with the Slowhand Singlecoils?
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just as reference, I had some difficulty trying to match a dimarzio k10 (70's super 2) which is only 9k in the neck with an alnico warpig in the bridge of a flying v
even with a huge distance from strings and having the warpig almost touching them, it was still much louder and also had much more magnetic pull
the super distortion is as hot as the super 2 in output and more compressed due to the higher dc and middier voicing
you can't just compare them in such terms as the diver is no near as hot as a super distortion
even the jb or duncan custom put more gain the any bkp I had, and I'm also talking about the aftermath, miracle man, nailbomb, painkiller
also, there's the guitar and height settings that will make a ton of difference
even the strings height from the fretboard will make a big differerence in loudness, therefore in what the pickup picks up and the output it puts out ( :lol:)
the mule in my lp copy sounds gainier than the miracle man in my friends prs
the closest think to the super distortion ceramic really hot and middy type of tone should be the aftermath and painkiller, but they are too tight and articulate in comparison
I also miss something like that in the bkp range
a hot ceramic pickup with heavy midrange without being ultra tight like the pk or bassy like the c-pig
something like a mid heavy version of the miracle man or c-bomb
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I'm determined to make these Holy Divers work because I love the string separation and clearness, also the nice saturation under higher gain. But I miss a bit of the messiness and aggression too from the older pickups. I'm going to mess with my amp settings some more, I'm still finding it hard to dial away from my usual settings.
I guess much like speakers, it's down to nuances for the musician rather than the actual tone most listeners would hear and not even notice...
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I'm determined to make these Holy Divers work because I love the string separation and clearness, also the nice saturation under higher gain. But I miss a bit of the messiness and aggression too from the older pickups. I'm going to mess with my amp settings some more, I'm still finding it hard to dial away from my usual settings.
I guess much like speakers, it's down to nuances for the musician rather than the actual tone most listeners would hear and not even notice...
You should try adjusting the pickup height. It makes a huge difference. Actually, it say put the pickup a bit higher if its not already too high and then raise the D and G pole-pieces a bit, maybe even the A, for a really nice chunky sound.
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So I made an annoying discovery in my Holy Diver tone saga. I put the other Holy Diver bridge pickup I had in the second Fender Contemporary Strat that I bought recently, and now I know why that second guitar sounded better with the Dimarzio Super Distortion... it was the guitar! I can't believe it. I've had my original 1986 Fender Contemporary HSS strat since I was a teenager (dating myself here), and it's always been my go-to guitar, as it plays so well. This new 1985 Fender Contemporary strat is for all intents and purposes identical, but it's HH config, and it's sounds so much fuller and rich. Damn wood! I'm wondering if it's alder instead of basswood, as it's slightly lighter. (Some of the earlier Japanese strats were said to have had alder bodies).
So now I've got both guitars with Holy Divers, and they sound close of course, but the 85 strat is definitely much better and fuller sounding and sounds great with the Diver. I've been fighting the damn guitar the whole time... gah...
The Holy Diver, now that I spent a lot of time with it in both guitars is great! I have a Cold Sweat Neck in the 1985 HH strat and it smokes for neo-classical leads. The 1986 HSS one with the bad tone, I have a Trilogy in the neck and it's very similar.