Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: 08sg on May 14, 2013, 02:19:14 AM
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Hello. I'm new here, looking for advice from anyone who owns any BK pickups who can help me find something LIKE a DP100.
I have an SG Standard with a super distortion in the bridge. I'm into classic rock tones — AC/DC stuff mainly. I really like the DP100, despite it being a fairly high output pickup, it really comes close to getting some of those back in black tones - particularly if lower volume is used, and moderately low gain. It's ironic because on the Solo Dallas site, he explains that Angus never used the DP100 - ever, yet that mid-range snarl that Angus gets on the intro to Shoot To Thrill can be hear in my guitar - just not quite as crisp or snappy - but close.
The DP100 has that thick boosted mid range that I love, and a classic snarl unlike anything I've ever heard. But, I do find it compressed sounding at times, and as much as I love that thick mid-range, I'm often straining to hear more snap or crispness in the mid-range. Not necessarily brighter, but more detail, crispness is the best way I can describe it. A tech in my area heard my guitar, and also another Dean Z with a DP100 in the bridge. Despite them being different guitars, he was convinced that the lack of clarity in my DP100 might be attributed to the pickup being over potted.
What BK bridge pickup has the same type of flavour as the DP100 - but with more snap, and detail, crispness? Much thanks.
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the aftermath has the closest specs and voicing (ceramic, 43 awg wire, twin coils, fat crispy mids)
and definitely more snap and detail
still a quite different pickup, though
a lot less compressed and more sensitive than the super distortion
output is similar, despite of the higher DC and extra magnets
the cold sweat is common substitute, but sounds nothing like a super distortion
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I have 2 guitars with Super Distortions (Firebird Studio and Strat with Kahler trem) aswell as a slew of BKPs in other guitars and can't really think of anything that sounds like a Super Distortion does.
As Eric said an Aftermath is quite close spec wise, but they sound nothing at all like a Super Distortion does. I find them to have a fuzziness in their character, you can hear it in alot of recordings that used Super Ds, whereas BKPs tend to be alot more clear and articulate sounding.
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I have 2 guitars with Super Distortions (Firebird Studio and Strat with Kahler trem) aswell as a slew of BKPs in other guitars and can't really think of anything that sounds like a Super Distortion does.
As Eric said an Aftermath is quite close spec wise, but they sound nothing at all like a Super Distortion does. I find them to have a fuzziness in their character, you can hear it in alot of recordings that used Super Ds, whereas BKPs tend to be alot more clear and articulate sounding.
truth
no bkp has that sort of fuzziness in fact
not even the pigs, but maybe the c-pig might be the closest in that aspect (grinding mids)
may sound bassier and a little less middy, though
still a great pup for an SG, but AC/DC might get weird... but bkps always surprise me on unexpected situations
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For AC/DC the Riff Raff is the obvious choice but it will be very different to a Super Distortion. Mind you, a lot of that difference will be the lack of compression and it sounds like that's something you wouldn't mind losing anyway. For that mid-range grind you mention, how about a Black Dog? It sounds like it might fit the bill in many respects; the only thing that would concern me is that it's often mentioned that you need to go either high or low output in an SG and the Black Dog is right in the middle.
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There really isn't a direct comparison, the closest sounding pickups are the Cold Sweat and Holy Diver. The Cold Sweat with its ceramic magnet has the similar crunchy mids, while the Holy Diver has the similar smooth thick low mids.
If you are looking for more AC/DC tones, I would definitely do the Cold Sweat. It is more open sounding and has more of that Gibson rock vibe than the Diver. The Super Distortion is not open enough and too compressed for AC/DC really, I'm surprised you can get close but I guess it's possible working the volume pot.
The Cold Sweat will give you that really hot Gibson-like rock grind but with a lot of clarity. It's just the right amount of output too, you can do lower gain AC/DC type stuff but also heavier sounds with ease. For pure AC/DC tone, there is the lower output Riff Raff of course. But I prefer more power and thickness.
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As Eric said an Aftermath is quite close spec wise, but they sound nothing at all like a Super Distortion does. I find them to have a fuzziness in their character, you can hear it in alot of recordings that used Super Ds, whereas BKPs tend to be alot more clear and articulate sounding.
That is also my observation on the high powered DM pickups - very loud, dark mids and a lot of sizzle on top. May work well for flat sounding guitars, though. BKPs will indeed be much clearer.
Cheers Stephan
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For AC/DC the Riff Raff is the obvious choice.
Indeed. Now if you really insist on a hi-output 'bucker, the ABomb with the volume rolled down a bit can do these "shoot to thrill" tones, it's darker and fatter / more massive than the RR but has way enough bite and clarity, a much more organic tone than what you'd get from most ceramlcs (and specially DM ceramics) and outstanding detail and dynamic.
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Much thanks for your input guys. This is the hard stuff to understand, because you can't hear it until it's installed. Let me say this...
Brow: I find them to have a fuzziness in their character, you can hear it in alot of recordings that used Super Ds
— Yes, I find that to be true as well. There something underneath the character of the DP100 that I really love, but again, it lacks more clarity and snap in that heavy midrange. I just wish it had more snarl in the midrange, less of that "muted" sound.
nkay: I'm surprised you can get close but I guess it's possible working the volume pot.
— I'm surprised too. And yes we installed a 500K volume and tone pot for the bridge, and I work the volume — all the time. I only bought the DP100 by accident. My brother in law had a DP100 in his Dean Z, we have identical DSL-100's, and one day we set his amp on a VERY low volume - 1-2, Gain at about 1.5-2, pushed the presence, treble, mids, and kept the bass at about half. I'm not BS-ing when I say it sounded close to the intro chords to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQz6-MVV-ns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQz6-MVV-ns) It had that flavour - so I put one in the SG with similar results. However, with the Dean Z, I find his DP100 to be much snappier and spankier sounding - I think it might be the way his guitar responds — with that particular pickup.
darkbluemurder: The Super Distortion is not open enough and too compressed for AC/DC really, I'm surprised you can get close but I guess it's possible working the volume pot.
— I agree completely, way too compressed. But that mid-range "GEEOWWW" shoot to thrill intro tone is there - under the surface. And I think it's only because we set the amp with moderately low volume, and just use the gain very sparingly to keep the jangle there. But it's still too compressed, and not snappy enough.
Slartibartfarst42:
For AC/DC the Riff Raff is the obvious choice but it will be very different to a Super Distortion. Mind you, a lot of that difference will be the lack of compression and it sounds like that's something you wouldn't mind losing anyway. For that mid-range grind you mention, how about a Black Dog? It sounds like it might fit the bill in many respects; the only thing that would concern me is that it's often mentioned that you need to go either high or low output in an SG and the Black Dog is right in the middle.
— I'm really open to anything that has that boosted midrange, but with more detail, again, crispness. I find the DP100, as much as I love it's mids, has this kind of BLOWWMP, or BOWNP kind of thing, almost too thick - not enough POWNK and detail.
It really is odd to set that amp as low as I do, but I like the fact that I can play it with less volume, and still get a very respectable "classic" tone out of it. I've tried guitars with lower output PAF pickups, and they can't drive the amp at the same volume - that's what I like about the output of the DP100. With the vintage output PAFS, I find I have to push everything up, then things get louder - which is the point! But I like how I can control the overall volume with a higher output pickup, by dialing down the volume and gain, and still get a very decent tone.
I'm sorry for the long winded post, but I just can't afford financially to try this pickup, and that pickup. I need to find one that fits the bill the 2nd time around. I basically want something with those boosted mids, and upper mid mid spank, more crisp, more detail, not fuzzy or muted like the DP100. Again, the DP100 has a great feel — underneath, but it always seems like someone is cupping their hand over it, restraining it from breathing, as if it needs some air - if that makes any sense.
For tonal reference, this is the best example I can give: The intro to Shoot To Thrill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gDch1p4c_M (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gDch1p4c_M)
Hear the A chord, immediately after Angus hits it? It has this PEEOWWW kind of thing happpening. I can get close-ish to that with the DP100, but not nearly as crisp, detailed or "pownky" sounding. This is the sound I'm looking for, and to be able to get it at a lower volume with my amp - which means that tone, but in a high output pickup - if that exists. Much thanks for your fantastic input guys.
EDIT: Regarding the BKP Tutorial: Covered VS Uncovered: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D756154qUdo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D756154qUdo) If you listen at 4:20 to 4:32, he's playing an uncovered bridge Riff Raff. That's basically the tone I'd like, but the question is, how easily will this pickup drive the amp at a lower volume? The DC resistance of the Riff Raff is a "vintage" 8.2KΩ. The DP100 is about 13.7KΩ, and outputs about 425mV. In other words, if I was to run the amp with the same low settings as I do with the DP100, it probably wouldn't grind the same way correct?
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I basically want something with those boosted mids, and upper mid mid spank, more crisp, more detail, not fuzzy or muted like the DP100.
Mmmmmm.......
OK, so you seem to prefer contemporary pickups so I'll try to confine myself to those. There are three that I'd be looking at closely that I think might suit you; two seriously and one a bit of a shot in the dark.
Cold Sweat
This is the only one of my suggestions that I've actually tried myself. It is indeed quite an open sounding pickup but with enough drive to give you that classic Gibson sound. It's a fairly bright pickup and will give you the crispness you're after but I don't think it's as bright as the EQ chart makes it look. It does have the upper mids that I think you'll like and in an SG I think it could be perfect for you. It would be my first choice I think from all you've said.
Painkiller
I wouldn't have thought of this as it's rather hotter than I would normally associate with AC/DC but it does seem to fit your description quite well. It has the boosted mids and quite a bit of upper mids so I can imagine you'd really enjoy this one. It's also hotter than a Cold Sweat so you might enjoy that. I haven't used one of these myself so this is speculation to a degree so perhaps someone with experience of a Painkiller could comment on its suitability to your description.
Black Hawk
This is the left field option. There's no way this should work but I mention it because the EQ looks about right and whenever I hear it, I'm always struck by how versatile it seems. Again, someone with direct experience of this pickup should really comment.
So, I think the Cold Sweat is your safe option, the Painkiller is an option that I think may well suit you and the Black Hawk is a complete shot in the dark!
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If you listen at 4:20 to 4:32, he's playing an uncovered bridge Riff Raff. That's basically the tone I'd like, but the question is, how easily will this pickup drive the amp at a lower volume?
IIRC you're rolling the volume off on your guitar to get your tone ? But anyway: the RiffRaff bridge is not shy but yes it's still a vintage pickup. Now if it's only about hitting your amp's front hard enough, all you need is a clean boost (either full range or treble boost depending on your guitar, amp and tastes).
Just my 2 cents...
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BIg B.. No, I don't use the bridge volume to generate tone. I tend to set the amp at a given volume, gain at a given level, and if I find it's too hairy, I'll just roll down my bridge volume from 10 - 9, or 8, to clean it up a little.
I'm really a basement player, I don't know about gear and boosts etc. It does seem odd to run a 100 watt Marshall at such a low volume. I have another guitar with a vintage output pickup, wound on the hotter side, but in order for it to spank and growl with my amp, I have to turn it up, and turn up the pre-amp - then it gets much louder.
I find with this super distortion, that I can compensate even with much lower volume, by turning up the presence, mids, treble, shaving down the bass. it's.... acceptable for a classic rock tone at a lower volume, that's all I meant. I can play louder if I want, I live in a single house, but it's my ears I worry about. When I first got a guitar with a vintage output pickup, I was turning the amp up to half, and every time I'd stop playing, I'd having ringing in my ears for the day.
So I've resigned myself to finding higher output pickups - in the 400mV range, LIKE the DP100, or the Steve Morse DP200, that can drive the amp at a lower volume. I just think that maybe the DP100 is too thick sounding for what I want to hear. There's so much mids going on with that pickup, that the upper mids aren't allowed to snap enough. The EQ of the DP100 pickup may not be quite right, but it is damn classic. It's low end, mid heavy, and there's probably not enough balance between mid, upper mid and treble to give it that spank.???
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I've no idea what else to suggest! If you're looking at the EQ of the Super Distortion, that would suggest a Warpig but that's a long way from AC/DC to my mind. The Super Distortion is a favourite of Iron Maiden but then they may need a pickup with plenty bass as they use Strats which are naturally a lot brighter than yours. Yours should be a lot darker than that, suggesting a slightly brighter pickup. This view would appear to be reinforced by the fact that the Riff Raff is based on the AC/DC tone in an SG and that's a lot brighter than a Super Distortion. If you really want that AC/DC tone but with more power to the pickup, I'd say you want something with an EQ not a billion miles away from a Riff Raff but in the contemporary range and don't worry too much about what the Super Distortion is doing. After all, if the Super Distortion was what you wanted, you wouldn't be on here. You keep going back to the Super Distortion but I think you may need to ask yourself if you want a BKP Super Distortion or do you want an AC/DC tone with a bit more poke to it or do you want a pickup that's somewhere between the two?
Super Distortion sound
Based on the EQ, that would suggest Warpig but that would be very different to AC/DC
The A-Bomb might also be possible but that's far more aggressive and 90s Metal than AC/DC
The Holydiver isn't a million miles away in practice but again, not AC/DC at all
AC/DC tone
The alnico Black Hawk has a similar EQ to the Riff Raff but I doubt it would give you the same vibe.
Rebel Yell possibly as that's hotter, has a similar EQ and retains a kinda PAF vibe.
Cold Sweat is a good choice as already mentioned.
In the middle
Painkiller. Like the Super Distortion it's a hot pickup but it also has the highs and upper mids you'll need for the AC/DC tone while still having a healthy amount of bass.
From everything you've said, I'd give the Painkiller a shot.
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I think you need a smaller amp there! Are you running an old Marshall super lead or something? You'll never get the sweet spot with that in your house! Those are the kind of amps the Super Distortion was made for, to drive the amp better at lower volume, but they still need to be cranked regardless.
I think you will be better off with a lower output pickup and an overdrive pedal. You don't have to spend a ton of money on that, the simplest overdrive pedals (Boss, Digitech, etc...) are like $40-50 and will cost less than your new pickups! That way you can get the gain you want at a much lower volume, while keeping the openness with a lower output vintage pickup when you decide to get one.
I love the Super Distortion, it's my favorite pickup of all time, it can do pretty much everything. But it was made to thicken up the tone of those low-gain bright amps so it's more compressed and less open in the lower mids. Great for almost everything, but not so good for the open and raw AC/DC type of sound.
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BIg B.. No, I don't use the bridge volume to generate tone. I tend to set the amp at a given volume, gain at a given level, and if I find it's too hairy, I'll just roll down my bridge volume from 10 - 9, or 8, to clean it up a little.
Uhu ok.
I'm really a basement player, I don't know about gear and boosts etc. It does seem odd to run a 100 watt Marshall at such a low volume (...) I can play louder if I want, I live in a single house, but it's my ears I worry about. When I first got a guitar with a vintage output pickup, I was turning the amp up to half, and every time I'd stop playing, I'd having ringing in my ears for the day.
Well, may I suggest that going for a 5W amp might be the first thing to do then ? Then you won't have to worry about the pickup output. A 5watters is loud enough to play with a drummer if you don't care about clean tones, and thru a closed-back 2x12 or 4x10 cab it sounds huge. For the record, 100W amps are from a time were there was no decent PA and you had to play 5000+ audiences with just your amp(s).
I find with this super distortion, that I can compensate even with much lower volume, by turning up the presence, mids, treble, shaving down the bass. it's.... acceptable for a classic rock tone at a lower volume, that's all I meant.
You wouldn't have to go thru this with a lower wattage amp - and even with a 5watters you may have a use for a booster. You say you don't know much about gear etc so here's the pitch: there are three components in blues / classic rock / 70s hard-rock crunch: preamp distortion, power amp distortion and loudspeaker distortion. What you get from hi-output pickups is preamp distortion, and a "booster" - just a small clean preamp, really - gives the same result (or more) as a hi-output pickup: more voltage to push the amp. It's a classic trick that everyone used in the mid/late 60s and early 70s (Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Brian May, Jimmy Page, just to name a few). wrt/ power amp distortion - the one used by Angus Young -, well there's no secret you just have to crank the amp up. That's where a low-wattage amp is fine, cause you can have at that power section up and cooking at a lower volume (note that 5W fully cranked up is still really loud, but nothing like a 100W marshall - been here, done that, ruined my hears...). I mentionned loudspeakers distortion but that's not something you'll get with 10'' or 12'' guitar speakers and a 5watters, but you obviously won't have it with your amp runned under half power anyway.
tl;dr : get yourself a RiffRaff set AND a 5 watt tube amps (a Marshall Class5 should JustWork(tm) for you) and a nice booster (I'd suggest the Xotic EP Booster, great little box, I have it always on on low gain amps).
My 2 cents...
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Much thanks for the advice guys. I think the answer is likely a different pickup, with more upper mid detail, less low end, low mids. I know it seems ridiculous to have so much power. I have a Marshall DSL-100, using pretty much only the green, crunch channel. It would make sense to try a lower wattage amp — and I have, several of them.
I tried a Dr Z. Maz 8, Dr Z. Maz 18 Junior, a Marshall Class 5, Vox AC15, a Fender Supersonic 22 watt etc...
Honestly, none of these amps, even with pedals have that same Marshall EL-34 mid-range thing, and that's the only reason I have the Marshall. I've also tried the newer Marshall lower wattage DSL's, like the DSL-15, none of them seemed to have any of that midrange POWNK tone. They all had mushy low end, a sponginess to them in sound and feel. Great clean tones on some of them though.
I don't know why the DSL-100 does what it does. I know they're designed to use mostly pre-amp, but it seems that these amps even at lower volumes, having 4 EL-34's, with the pre-amp — does that Marshall midrange thing very well, and none of the other amps came close, with pedals or not. They seem not as firm in the low end, lack that solid midrange edge.
So, I'm happy with the DSL, I'll keep it. But as far as a pickup goes, I think I might just need something with a bit more snap. Someone said it here (can't remember who) that SG's are darker. I agree, and it might benefit more from a brighter, or upper midrange type of higher output pickup. The same DP100 in a Dean Z sounds spankier, more crisp, not as rounded as it does in my SG.
I know I keep going back to the DP100 - but it's really just more as a tonal reference. To me it's the pickup that's almost there, but not quite - again, it's probably not the ideal pickup for my SG. Despite this, it's still a fantastic sound, and maybe I'm just being too picky. So I'll take a closer look at the pickups you've suggested.
Much thanks.
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sounds like you're a little stuck with rules, settings and setup ideas
whatever pickup you get, you'll still be able to play the same things, as long as you adapt
there's probably only 2 or 3 bkps that have the ouput of a super distortion, and none is AC/DC voiced at all, but as I said, you can adapt
the easy and kinda obvious choices would be the riff raff and the emerald for the classic tones
if you think you'll be missing the output, there are several ways to compensate that: proper pickup height setup, clean boosters, equalizers, treble boosters, mid boosters, overdrive pedals AND new amp settings
but if you insist on wanting a super distortion type of tone, you gotta get something ceramic with a full midrange, hence my first answer regarding the aftermath, despite of its quite different feel
there's nothing wrong with your amp, by the way
a smaller amp with el84's or 6v6's wouldn't deliver the el34 tone
people tend to confuse things when it comes to volume x power rating
a cranked 5w amp in your bedroom will never sound anything like a 100w amp in any situation
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Eric makes some really good points here and I wouldn't disagree at all. There are various pickups that will give you that classic voicing like the Riff Raff and Emerald but you could equally sacrifice that voicing to get the push you have from the SD. Here Eric goes with the Aftermath whereas I suggested the Painkiller but I'm sure both would work well. The Cold Sweat probably sits between the two extremes of classic voicing and modern drive.
However, if you really like the Super Distortion but feel it needs tightening up a bit, just put a boost in front of the amp. The cheapest way i can think of achieving this would be to buy a Digitech Bad Monkey, which only costs about £35-£40. Set the gain on zero and the level on maximum so you'd be using it like a classic Tube Screamer and you'll find that the bass will tighten up and your amp is being driven a lot harder. If you don't like it, you'll be able to sell the Bad Monkey easily enough for pretty much what you paid for it. I use an overdrive virtually all the time for just this sort of effect.
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a smaller amp with el84's or 6v6's wouldn't deliver the el34 tone
True - at least when you push the power amp enough.
people tend to confuse things when it comes to volume x power rating
Yes, they usually think that twice the power is twice the volume when it only makes a 3db difference xD
a cranked 5w amp in your bedroom will never sound anything like a 100w amp in any situation
A 5w tube amp will be single-ended and as such won't have exactly the same power amp distortion characteristics as a push-pull. But played thru the same cab, a cranked 5W amp will sound closer to a cranked 100W (given similar enough preamp and same kind of power amp tube) than a 100W played at very low volume where you only have preamp distortion. I've had a 100W and a 40W (which I still have BTW) and there's no way you can get cranked tones from these amps at a usable volume without an attenuator (and the you loose quite a bit of the tone).
Now I obviously misunderstood the OP when he stated he didn't knew "about gear" - @08sg, my apologies if my post sounded a bit patronizing, you have obviously already tried what I suggested and if it didn't work for you and the DSL do then by all mean stick to it.
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I've been using an old 70s Super Distortion in my Les Paul lately and I'm really liking it - I've always been a fan of Iron Maiden's tones back in the mid-80s.
Going from being an alnico humbucker guy through and through, I like the tight bass and clear top end of the SD with a decent amount of midrange grind.
The closest that springs to mind that I've tried in the BKP range is the Cold Sweat, but the CS is more scooped imo.
Here's a video of me gigging with this one at the weekend... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LJDzbg1l2CE# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LJDzbg1l2CE#)!
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Thanks for you input too. In a nutshell, I really love the SD - yet I'm here looking for something else. I love everything about it, accept it's lack of crispness. It sounds over thickened to me, where it could benefit from a bit more snap in the mids, maybe less lows? But what do I know about pickups.
Based on your knowledge, and since you're an owner of SD's and BKP's, where would the Emerald fit into this mix? I'm not looking for a pickup that's exactly like the SD. I love most things about it, but the things I don't like about it have brought me here to try and find something like it — that's clearer, less woofy, less compress, but still very classic rock sounding. The SD is definitely a classic rock pickup, despite it's poor name and ceramic high output.
So CS, Emerald?
I just found a bookmarked tonal reference I think everyone should hear. It's probably attributed greatly to the amp, and the way it's set, and whatever pickup and guitar this guy is using. But, please give this a listen — note even the entire thing unless you want to. It's all in German, it's long, but it's one of the THE best gear demos I've ever seen/heard. (sorry, can't believe I forgot the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bORy-aqiZ9k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bORy-aqiZ9k)
For reference, let it load, and listen at 8:05 to 8:10 over a few times. It's only 5 seconds of chords, but it's the TONE he's getting. THAT's the tone, spank and POWNK i'm talking about. The SD is too rich for that sound. He's got that midrange, upper mid spank, and everything is crisp.
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Where's the link?
Anyway, the Emerald has a Classic Rock to Metal vibe but is a lot more open and PAF sounding than the Super Distortion. The Cold Sweat has a bit more drive, also does Classic Rock to Metal and is a bit less open, while still not being super compressed. The Holydiver is also a possibility.
I think the problem we're all facing (and you too) is reconciling your appreciation of the Super Distortion with your desire for AC/DC tones. The two just don't naturally fit together so when we go more in the direction of the SD you move back to AC/DC and when we suggest pickups to cover the AC/DC tone you refer back to the Super Distortion. When you're thinking AC/DC and Classic Rock, you're looking at the Riff Raff and Emerald. When you look at the Super Distortion, you're looking more at Holydiver and Painkiller etc. while in the middle is the Cold Sweat.
I play AC/DC using my Holydiver/Emerald combo and while it's hardly a duplicate of the original tone, it's my tone and I like it. When I tried an Emerald bridge, it was a lot closer to AC/DC but I missed the compression and if you love the Super Distortion, I suspect you wouldn't appreciate how open it can sound. Try the Cold Sweat. You've got to something at some point. Email Tim and see what he says.
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I think the problem we're all facing (and you too) is reconciling your appreciation of the Super Distortion with your desire for AC/DC tones. The two just don't naturally fit together so when we go more in the direction of the SD you move back to AC/DC and when we suggest pickups to cover the AC/DC tone you refer back to the Super Distortion.
— You are so correct on that. I think it's because the SD is the first pickup I heard (in a Dean Z Time Capsule through a Marshall DSL-100) that nailed some of the classic rock tones I've heard all these years on records. At first, I had no idea what to expect, and when I played with the amp controls, lowering the volume, lesser gain, etc. The thing just screamed the Back In Black album. His guitar has this SNAP, SPANK, very bright sounding guitar. When played acoustically, it even has that mid/upper mid POWNK, just naturally. You put the SD in it, despite it's thickness, fatness, it sounds like the Back In Black album's recorded tones - I shite you not. More than a few people have come over and played it, and said, OMFG, that's AC/DC in a box! — And you're right, it shouldn't be, but it sounds practically recorded - with no pedals, or effects.
In my SG, it's an approximation, my guitar is a bit darker, maybe my speakers and cab aren't ideal, not sure why, but it doesn't spank like it does in the Dean. Despite Angus using vintage PAF's, (and who knows what he actually used in the studio on those recordings) the SD really does a great job of getting the feel of his tones on that album - depending on amp settings. I'll put it to you this way... I've had many friends with different guitars, amps over the years etc, and they've heard this Dean, with the SD, through the DSL-100, and even they say, "my GOD, that's Shoot To Thrill — that's the sound!". It has that mean, slightly compressed mid range... PEEEOWWW tone - but thicker and beefier - through his guitar. Mine's close, but for some reason, the SD sounds more woofy in my guitar.
The main reason I keep going back to the SD is because it's the closest I've heard for those tones. I've played SG 61 reissues with the classic 57+ in the bridge - and you'd assume this is more the Angus tone. It's there, but it sounds almost too raw, too thin, in comparison to the recorded tones on Powerage, Highway To Hell, Back In Black. That compression that you hear in the SD creates that richness and bite you hear on those recordings, and I didn't find that to be the case with the 57 classic + — it seemed... a little thinner, and spongier sounding. — Listen to some of the chords, intro parts on back and black, for those about to rock etc... Those are crushing classic rock tones.
— Example: Evil Walks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjvxA8n9rio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjvxA8n9rio) I've played this on other SG's with "vintage" pickups through Marshall amps, and they didn't get this sound. But the SD, is right up that alley. Big, thick mids, and mean.
Yet another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-xwS5W4iuM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-xwS5W4iuM) We can literally nail this tone with the DSL-100 and the Dean - minus the eq refinements of course - but that basic KA-KOWWWNG is there.
I think I'm afraid to try something new, because I can't actually hear it first - in person, and they're not cheap. There's nothing worse than getting something, hoping it'll be a certain way, and it turns out it's not what you wanted - and you had to pay for it, and can't return it.
When I tried an Emerald bridge, it was a lot closer to AC/DC but I missed the compression and if you love the Super Distortion, I suspect you wouldn't appreciate how open it can sound. Try the Cold Sweat.
You're correct again. I hear you... it's a double edged sword. I like the thickness, and some of that compression because it's reminiscent of some of those fat sounding recorded tones, and yet I can't dial it out of the amp if it's too much. Then I'm back to square 1 — give me something flavoured like the SD, but with no mush and more crispness! It's harder to do in my SG, because that SD sounds so damn spanky and tighter in the Dean Z. So, it's either a Dean Z, or a different pickup! I suspect the Dean Z would sound good with ANY pickup in it.
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A ceramic Nailbomb bridge pup is worth a listen too , it can do anything an SD can , with appropriate amp and effects settings, and a whole lot more besides and much better all round . Works well in dark sounding mahogany too , and if you want a more "tubular" "fizzy" sound from it , get it fitted with nickel allan bolt poles rather than iron screw poles.
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I experienced what you said about that lack of "spankiness" when I had a holy diver in a SG
it was punchy, fat and aggressive enough in my les pauls, but sounded completely dull on the SG
the cold sweat should work well but it's no near as compressed as the SD and quite scooped in comparison
it has a big bass and strong top, but the low and center mids are tamed, so it sounds VERY focused
logical alternative would be the ceramic nailbomb, which is a souped up cold sweat, with more output and mids
I'd still take a riff raff or emerald or even a mule and a proper boost pedal over any ceramic for that
the black dog has a certain midrangy attack to it that seems quite fitting for this middy bark you're looking for, but I can't recommend it since it has a similar voicing to the holy diver and I don't know if it sounds good in SGs (the diver didn't)
I love it in my '78 greco les paul (maple top, mahogany back, maple neck, brazilian rosewood board), but it's a naurally brighter guitar than a gibson SG
some other forum user loves the dog for ac/dc, but he has dogs in les pauls only, I guess
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don't be afraid of trying pedals
a good equalizer in front of the amp does wonders if properly set
some less bass-eating overdrives might work too
or you order a baby boobtube from user juansolo
it's small tube pedal that sounds absolutely amazing as a clean booster in front of the amp
some might argue that Angus plugged straight into the amps, but that ain't a fact
http://www.woodytone.com/2011/07/26/wireless-boost-angus-secret/ (http://www.woodytone.com/2011/07/26/wireless-boost-angus-secret/)
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The Cold Sweat is a great pickup but I'd agree with Eric that it has a lot more top end than the SD. I think that with the Cold Sweat, you really are as close as you're going to get between the drive of the SD and the openness of the AC/DC tones. Personally, I found the Nailbomb to be far too aggressive but I can see that in a dark sounding SG with all that mahogany it could work really well and it certainly isn't lacking in push. You could do a lot worse than try a Nailbomb in an SG I'd say. Other than that, I'm back to the Painkiller to give you the upper mids you want without sacrificing too much at the bottom end.
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The Cold Sweat is a great pickup but I'd agree with Eric that it has a lot more top end than the SD. I think that with the Cold Sweat, you really are as close as you're going to get between the drive of the SD and the openness of the AC/DC tones.
Yup, this. I stick by my same recommendation too. The Cold Sweat will get you the best of both worlds. It's got the middle ground between the drive and the openness. You can pull off Iron Maiden and AC/DC with it. Mine's in a darker Les Paul though, not sure how it would be in an SG.
I've never tried it yet, but your next best bet might be the Riff Raff and then use an overdrive to get the heavier thicker tones. Might suit the SG better.
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Having read through all this, I'll give you some of my thoughts:
First of all I disagree with Slartibartfast regarding the Painkiller. I own one and that thing, although having alot of upper mids and bite, is the total opposite of what I connect with AC/DC. You don't want a raw and grinding tone for that and trust me, the Painkiller gives you exactly that.
Regarding what others have suggested: get yourself a Boost. To be exact, get a Digitech Bad Monkey. That thing costs 40 bucks and sounds better than my 130 bucks Ibanez Tubescreamer DX. Helps a great deal and lets me even play metal when put in front of my Orange Micro Terror.
And finally here's a great video demonstrating the Riff Raff, giving you exactly the tone I suspect you're talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3_fOE-M9Xo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3_fOE-M9Xo)
Maybe that helps, cheers
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First of all I disagree with Slartibartfast regarding the Painkiller. I own one and that thing, although having alot of upper mids and bite, is the total opposite of what I connect with AC/DC. You don't want a raw and grinding tone for that and trust me, the Painkiller gives you exactly that.
Regarding what others have suggested: get yourself a Boost. To be exact, get a Digitech Bad Monkey. That thing costs 40 bucks and sounds better than my 130 bucks Ibanez Tubescreamer DX. Helps a great deal and lets me even play metal when put in front of my Orange Micro Terror.
In fairness, I never said that it would duplicate those AC/DC tones but it's awfully hard to find a pickup that does AC/DC while also sounding like a Super Distortion AND having an upper mid spike! Of course, who'd have immediately thought of a Super Distortion being perfect for AC/DC? Personally, I think the Cold Sweat is about as close to a compromise as he's going to get and I've used one of those myself so I feel like I'm on solid ground. Conversely, I've never used a Painkiller myself, I was merely trying to come up with something that has enough drive to compare to the SD and had the right EQ to suit his stated demands. The Painkiller was the only one that leapt to mind so while I personally wouldn't use it for AC/DC, it didn't seem any more outlandish than using a SD for that purpose. I'd still stick with the Cold Sweat.
I think you're dead right about the Bad Monkey and I think I mentioned this very thing in an earlier post. For the money it's absolutely unbeatable and even if he did get the Cold Sweat instead of a Riff Raff or Emerald, I'd still buy a Bad Monkey to go with it because a Cold Sweat always responded very well to overdrive when I had one.
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I didn't mean to attack you in any way Slart, I just know the Painkiller from first hand experience and I don't find it well suited for anything AC/DC, should have made that clear, sorry mate!
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Eric, I'd read that at some point on the SoloDallas site, but never in detail — I don't know shite about gear, and how it works. But, just listening to Solo do the Back In Black tune in the video - you can definitely hear that THICK boosted sound. It's definitely not as edgy as the SD, but that Vega system, him playing, his guitar, X pickup, in X amp, with X speakers… that's that sound.
The SD has that kind of compression - probably too much, but it's in the ballpark - especially if you use just a hair of gain. You can keep the SD from being too mushy. You basically have to have the pickup closer to the strings - not touching, but as close as possible without string pull. Then, turn the master volume up to about 3-4, and the gain only on 1-1.5. You get that fat POWNK tone - very close anyway.
I should just invest in a few pickups anyway - if for no other reason than to broaden my tonal palette. And get some kind of organic boost+compression like that bad monkey. I wonder if anyone makes anything like the Vega system now? — Very cool stuff.
Slartibartfarst42: Regarding the Nailbomb, I like this part "older school players will enjoy the range of classic tones and response using the volume pot to clean up." I wish more of the BKP pickups were all demo'd with the "classic rock" - like clean to mild breakup, to meaner, to full on. It would give you a better idea as to how their sweep and breath changes with the amp. Many times I'll watch a demo, someone will demo a "hotter" wound classic PAF, and the entire demo is done clean. Or, they start clean, and go directly to insane over drive CHUG CHUG stuff - they don't gradually easy the pickup's personality from clean, classic, mean, etc.
GuitarIv: I appreciate that - that does help put things into context. I wish I could try a Riff Raff first. No one around here carries them. It definitely has that vibe to it. And since it's brighter, upper mid-range: providing more focus in the upper-mids and brighter highs. The Riff Raff delivers a more aggressive vintage tone and unmistakable rock voice.
— think I might just cave in and give this one a shot. It's only a pickup, not a liver transplant.
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:D Well that is certainly true! The Riff Raff will certainly give you AC/DC tones and a Bad Monkey may give you the extra grunt you may sometimes need. It must be possible as Tim plays Ozzy using Mules. If all else fails, you can always return it and switch to the Cold Sweat.
GuitarIv - I didn't take it as an attack at all as that's never really a feature of this site and I've read enough of your posts to know you're not like that so all is cool 8) This has been a difficult question to sort out so I hope that next time 08sg is looking for a pickup, he gives us an easier one :D It has, however, made me wonder why Tim doesn't do something closer to the Super Distortion. It's a great and iconic pickup and it is a hole in the BKP range.
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It has, however, made me wonder why Tim doesn't do something closer to the Super Distortion. It's a great and iconic pickup and it is a hole in the BKP range.
I couldn't agree more.
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what I miss is a ceramic pup with full midrange without being uber tight like the AM or PK, and not "hi-fi" like the blackhawk
something more like the miracle man and ceramic nailbomb, with a full low end, but middy (more symmetrically wound?)
a less surgical and more hairy aftermath should sound amazing... single ceramic magnet?
or a twin coil c-bomb, which should be somewhat similar
hmmm... a c-pig with thicker poly wire and lower dc!
or even something below 10k, like the blackhawk, but with regular slug and/or screw coils
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Clearly we should lobby BKP about making such a pickup. I like the Miracle Man in my Jackson but if I could change it for something that had similar characteristics of smooth, warm, thick, reasonably aggressive and organic but with more mid-range push and a bit more compression without being insanely tight, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I find that in the contemporary section where I feel my natural home is, too many of the pickups are either too surgically tight or made for guitars like Les Pauls with lots of mahogany. At the moment I use a Miracle Man and a Holydiver and I can honestly say that there is nothing else in the range that suits me, which is a shame as I do love BKP.
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It has, however, made me wonder why Tim doesn't do something closer to the Super Distortion. It's a great and iconic pickup and it is a hole in the BKP range.
I agree and I used to think that way, but at the same time, what's the point of making another Super Distortion? It's still one of the most popular, highest-selling pickups out there, and if you want that sound you go buy that. No real need to redo it. Its closest counterparts are the Holy Diver and the Cold Sweat. Maybe the Diver comes closest, I would like to hear what the original sounded with the ceramic magnet. But again, I think the charm of the Diver in its current form is that it gives that same tight rhythm and thick low-mids as the Super D, while adding more singing fluid leads like a JB. I love the Super D, but it's pretty stiff for leads. It took me awhile to catch on, but I like how BKP has created its own sounds without having to be this version or that version of a Duncan or Dimarzio.
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Nkay, I hear you. What's the point in redoing what's already been done. The best I could think of is the punch, midrange thickness of the SD, but marry it with the brightness and spank of say a Burstbucker Pro - a very bright pickup - in a Les Paul no doubt.
I'm technically uneducated with pickups, and why they sound the way they do, but I'm convinced now, that "output" is sometimes relative. There's another pickup I was considering, the Lindy Fralin High Output bridge humbucker.
It's rated at 13.5K, uses an ALNICO IV magnet, and wound with 43 gauge wire.
The SD 13.68K, ceramic, and I'm not sure what wire is used. Apparently the LF high output is a thick sounding pickup, and has the most mid-range of all the pickups they produce, yet has clarity and bite to it, and probably a tad brighter, or more crisp than a SD. When I looked at this pickup, I immediately thought of the Emerald.
I look at the very basic things, like the magnet type for the Emerald, Alnico V and at 12.7KΩ * It says The moderate output of the Emerald humbucker allows for a more open and clear high-end compared to hotter pickups especially when used with high amounts of preamp gain
— Yet, the LF high output humbuckers are considered "high output", and they both have very similar DC resistances.
But maybe they output differently? I have no idea. Maybe an Alnico IV magnet at 12K or so is the perfect recipe? I'd forsake thickness or some fatness for more crispness in the mid and upper mids. That's the one thing the SD doesn't have, great clarity.
EDIT: Just found an interesting topic on the Metro amp Forum. Some guy was talking about how much better the SD sounded after swapping the ceramic magnet for an Alnico V magnet, and he thinks it's the bomb. http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?t=16453 (http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?t=16453)
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nobody suggested a SD clone, but something in the ballpark (ceramic, crunchy and thick mids, sizzly but not piercing top)
the holy diver is no near as hot as a SD and doesn't have the ceramic sizzle
the old ceramic diver became the cold sweat, which is very focused and sharp, so completely different
the super distortion is just a reference
the dirty fingers was gibson's response to the SD and the duncan custom
(the cold sweat sounds nothing like a DF, btw)
I love all ceramic bkp models over any other brand ceramic model, but I feel there's a missing piece in the available options
we have the cs, c-bomb and mm, all with heavily offset coils and subdued mids, then the painkiller and aftermath with lots of mids, but no warmth, then the c-pig, which is usually overkill for the regular rock player (not even about being too hot, but it can be too big sounding)... the blackhawk is still a mystery to me, but seems to be very surgical, maybe more than the aftermath
and the only alnico model that gets close in output to the ceramic models is the nailbomb, which I also feel it's missing something in the midrange, although it has lots of low mids
it's not about having a super distortion replacement, but offering a tonal flavor that seems to be the only thing missing in bkp range
something ceramic, rough and thick sounding in all frequencies, instead of sharp and focused, but without going as far as a ceramic warpig
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That's a VERY good point you have made here, Eric. I'd love to have something in between the Holydiver and the Painkiller. Owning both pickups I love them for their respective characteristics. The Holydiver having that great organic tone and warmth, sounding full on singlenotes yet being great for riffing with a fat midrange, the Painkiller being amazingly focused and responsive with that grinding metal tone. Something in between would be amazing, retaining the fatter and warmer character of the Holydiver with some of the nice qualities the Painkiller possesses... Dunno how this could be done though.
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I love all ceramic bkp models over any other brand ceramic model, but I feel there's a missing piece in the available options
we have the cs, c-bomb and mm, all with heavily offset coils and subdued mids, then the painkiller and aftermath with lots of mids, but no warmth, then the c-pig, which is usually overkill for the regular rock player (not even about being too hot, but it can be too big sounding)... the blackhawk is still a mystery to me, but seems to be very surgical, maybe more than the aftermath
and the only alnico model that gets close in output to the ceramic models is the nailbomb, which I also feel it's missing something in the midrange, although it has lots of low mids
it's not about having a super distortion replacement, but offering a tonal flavor that seems to be the only thing missing in bkp range
something ceramic, rough and thick sounding in all frequencies, instead of sharp and focused, but without going as far as a ceramic warpig
Hmm. I wonder what a symmetrically wound ceramic Nailbomb would be like? Maybe that would put it in the ballpark. Perhaps a little hotter wind even to bring the mids up even more.
I have an unpotted '78 DiMarzio SD in my closet, it was in an -91 Tokai LP and got replaced with a Black Dog. Hot, fat and with a certain sizzle. Not bad at all, but it was overriding the guitars natural tone somewhat, and the sizzle was not something I always wanted there. I can't really recommend the Black Dog for you, it's not really AC/DC to my ears. The Riff Raff I own, is a whole lot different story.
Have you tried messing with the pickup height? The SD was set quite far from the strings in my guitar, and still it was hot. It'll change the tone though! One other thing: have you checked the pots in your guitar? Gibson often puts 300k pots there, and that I would change to 500k anyway. Actually, that would be the first thing I would check in this case, as that can sometimes be the crucial difference when things are 'almost there'. It'll change the attack too.
-Zaned
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Good point on the pots. I found that even going from 500k pots to BKP 550k ones made a big difference so they should transform a guitar with only 300k pots.
As for the BKP version of a Super Distortion, I realise that BKP are unique pickups but Eric is right that they do provide a tonal reference point. We talk about a Holydiver with reference to a JB and other pickups in relation to EMG so why not a pickup that can use the Super Distortion as a tonal reference. I have no doubt a Bare Knuckle pickup that was in that tonal area would be better than an actual SD in the same way that a Holydiver is vastly superior to a JB. The nearest I can think of to a pickup sitting between the Holydiver and the Painkiller would be the Miracle Man (bear with me, there is some logic here) because I find it smooth, thick and warm like the Holydiver but also has a tighter and more aggressive edge to it for Metal. The trouble is that it's also very scooped in comparison to the other two and I'd prefer it to have a bit more of a push in the mids.
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I'm really eager to go after the Miracle Man next, however the lack of mids concerns me... I guess I'll need to try it to know :P
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I'm really eager to go after the Miracle Man next, however the lack of mids concerns me... I guess I'll need to try it to know :P
As a Miracle Man user, mines in an Alder bodied/maple necked BC Rich Super Strat, I don't find it to be scooped or lack mids at all.
They do have more low mids than high mids, which could give the impression of more bass than mids, but I certainly wouldn't really say scooped. It probably helps me that I use amps and speakers that have alot of midrange emphasis though.
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The scooped nature of the Miracle Man isn't anything like as bad as it looks on the EQ chart but I'd agree with Brow that it's heavy on the low mids. This helps to give the impression that it has a big bottom end but there are mids there. It's not like I had to drastically change my settings when I switched the Holydiver in my Jackson for a Miracle Man. In fact, with a Miracle Man in the Jackson and Holydiver in the PRS I don't change anything at all in my settings. The only difference is that I use DR Tite Fits on the PRS and High Beams on the Jackson.
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I did change the bridge and tone pots in the SG to 500K for both, and changed the wiring from "modern" to a 50's wiring scheme - zero loss of treble when you roll down the volume pot. This all combined definitely gave it more edge, and of course the SD. I like this talk of a BKP interpretation of a SD. The SD is a great sounding pickup. I just think I need a tighter, spankier, and brighter guitar for it to work best.
Today I tried yet another SG 61' reissue with the 57 classic + in the bridge. It's nowhere near the tone of the SD, but, those upper spanky mids are definitely there. 1 thing I realized, I love pushed snarling mids - that vowel sounding PEEE—OWWWNG effect of playing the A chord hard, directly over the bridge pickup.
I brought in my amp head today when I tried out the SG reissue, and my SG standard with the SD. There's this snarl that the SD has, and I'm so addicted to it, that other lesser output pickups just don't seem to feel as satisfying. I noticed that the 57 + kind of got spongy sounding as I applied more pre-amp, it's not nearly as firm, tight and immediate as the SD, but it did have some spank. The mids on the 57 + are softer, not as pushed or in your face as the SD.
I think in my fantasy world, the ideal pickup would be higher output — like the SD, but with a bit more upper mid spank, and maybe a bit less thickness to the low end, more snap and clarity basically. I still don't think it would hurt to try a few different pickups, just for reference, and probably similar in output to the SD, but maybe Alnico 5?
— This should probably be a new topic, but since we're here... I have a 2X12 Mesa Rectifier cab, on indefinite loan. It's 14--1/4in deep . It has 2 V30's in it. Could I tighten up the sound and low end with a more standard depth cab, like a baltic birch 2X12 that's the more standard 12 inches deep? I'm wondering if the WOOF I hear from the speakers can be attributed to the depth of the cab?
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Actually, based on that, I think you'd really like the Holydiver. I think of the Super Distortion in relation to 80s Metal, a bit like the JB and as that is the Holydiver's natural home, you should love it. When my band plays AC/DC I use the Holydiver and while not particularly 'Angus' tone, I still like it because it's thicker, smoother and has a more modern edge to it. I suspect you're much the same.
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the diver gets too spongy and dark sounding in SGs
seems to be only bad match for that pickup
still works for leads, but the rhythms sound dead
you seem to be resistant to try pedals
you're really missing something that's the "big secret" of 90% of the rock guitarists that are actually happy with their tones
a good booster makes a night and day difference for most setups, specially with tube amps
order a riff raff set, which is the safest and vastly proved bet for the ac/dc tone and borrow a couple pedals for some test driving
I won't recommend a tube screamer/sd-1 type overdrive pedal, as they cut lots of bass and compress the mids, but there are several other pedals that will do what you want
I used to have a vintage maxon 6 band equalizer that worked like a champ in front of my marshall
if I wanted old school metal, I just needed to cut some bass and add lots of upper mids
when I wanted a crunchy, but more fenderish tone from my les paul, I added some top end sparkle and cut lots of low mids
with 6 bands and a level control, you can go from a very subtle tweak to any extreme setting you desire (just gotta be careful with the noise level)
an OCD on moderate settings could work as well
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The thing is, we're back to the original problem - we all know that in an SG the Riff Raff will nail those AC/DC tones but he clearly likes a pickup with a more modern voicing and more compression. To me, he IS describing, in many respects, a Holydiver but I will happily bow to your greater experience of it in an SG so what we really want is something that is kinda like a Holydiver but will work in an SG. Based on the EQ, that takes me all the way back to a Painkiller and based on my own experience, that leads me to the Miracle Man with the Cold Sweat still stuck between the two. That said, I think he has three options:
1) A Riff Raff with a good boost pedal to give him the drive of a more modern pickup.
2) A Cold Sweat with a decent EQ pedal to both boost and tailor the frequencies to his taste.
3) A Miracle Man with a decent EQ pedal to boost the upper mids a bit.
I think any of those will work a treat but while the Riff Raff is the logical choice, I can't help thinking he'd prefer either the Cold Sweat or Miracle Man. Remove the reference to AC/DC from the equation and everything else he describes suggests a contemporary pickup. Based on that, the Cold Sweat is the best option because it sits right in the middle.
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I really expected the diver to sound great in the sg, as it was a very acoustically loud, resonant and rich sounding guitar
I had the same pickup in 3 les pauls, one being a brazilian copy with imbuya top
the brazilian one was very bassy and dark sounding and the holy diver sounded AMAZING in it
but in the sg, the low end sounded mushy, the top end was gone... still sounded good for leads, but quite disappointing on rhythms (for a bkp)
I think the frequency ranges were just too narrow for such a midrangy pickup
I even tried to work with the eq pedal to bring something back, but then it got too compressed instead
I remember some other forumite (maybe dmoney?) had the same impressions with the diver in some british made sg copy
probably the rebel yell would be a better match in the ballpark
I still think the cold sweat is a little too focused, even when mid-boosted, but I only tried it in les pauls and prs guitars
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Guys, I really do appreciate all your insight - I feel like I've overdone the SD topic. I can't believe the thread has gone on this long. Without over complicating things, I think I'll very likely do the Riff Raff.
I'm not against pedals, I'm just such a straight ahead player that I'm a bit afraid of them. I know they're basic, especially something with a clean boost, or the Maxon you mentioned. I've used a few different ones, borrowed from friends, I've just found that nothing sounds as transparent and ballsy as the guitar plugged straight into the amp.
With that said though, I really like the BKP video, "covered VS uncovered". The Riff Raff did have nice snappy mid and upper mids, and I'd likely sacrifice some low end for more mid/upper mid clarity, spank and some jangle. I just want a boost pedal that won't introduce hum or noise into the signal, and keep the original tone of the signal, just as if the guitar is plugged into the amp - without a pedal.
So what pedal is the best - old school or new, that can make the pickup output more - like a higher output pickup? Thanks guys.
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most overdrive/boost pedals don't produce noise in reasonable boost settings
but they do amplify the noise from the guitar along with the signal
a simple clean booster will strenghten your signal without changing the voicing, but this is kinda limited
you might feel things might get too bassy
you could try an OCD, maybe a crunch box, or a good equalizer, or some sort of preamp pedal
contact forum member juansolo
he builds all sort of custom pedals and might give you some good tips
I personally love his tube driven baby boobtube pedal
it's technically a vox stage with an unnusual tube in it, but works pretty much as a clean booster in front of the amp
it sounds warmer than a regular solid state clean booster (I also own a catalinbread picoso clone), so you can drive your amp harder without losing the all tube feel
the guitar frequencies seem to expand instead of getting "clipped" the louder you set it, so you don't lose anything and only gets compression from the amp, not from the pedal
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If we're now advising/pushing pedals, I have a lot upfor sale in the the 'Seconds Out' Room if there's anything there that takes your fancy? :lol:
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There are many good pedals out there that can work. I can also say that Juansolo is a gentleman and a scholar, he could deffo help you out. You can get better quality stuff at lower prices than the regular mass market.
If you want an overdrive, he does an amazing Klon(e) (pedal that can be a clean boost but excells when you let is add gain too, it just gives you more of all the good stuff in your tone) and although I have not tried it the Boobtube must also be great as it has made a name for itself in the realm of DIY builders.
Sides the Klon(e) my personal favorite is the Zvex Super Hard On, a rather unique clean boost. Juansolo once made a version of that which fits on the side of a push pull poti and now resides in one of my guitars (yes, in the guitars cavity). That pedal feels like it does not just krank up the dB, but pulls everything out of the PU. Nice little bugger.
Oh and yeah in seconds out things can be found as well of course.
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I'll definitely give some thought to contacting Juansolo for some ideas, I don't mind paying for good stuff.
Here's another bad segue...
Let's say you want to install different bridge pickups to try etc.. Could you simply do the following:
Remove my SD, cut each pickup wire at the same place, leaving about 6 or 7 inches of length
Next, strip all the single wires inside the shielded cable, twist them, pre-tin them with solder, then solder them with the metal clips into this:
(http://www.air.flyingway.com/up/nov/73bd5348dd.jpg)
Then, do the same on the other side of the wires, coming from the tone and volume pot cavity. Basically a male molex on 1 side, and a female molex on the other, then simply disconnect and reconnect any time you want to change a pickup?
Of course you'd have to mod each pickup's wires - but at least the wires coming from the cavity could just stay as they are. I know Gibson is now doing this with some of their pickups, but theirs seems over complicated. They have molex connectors inside the tone/volume control cavity.
I'm talking about this: Wires on the left from the pickup, the wires on the right from the cavity, and both molex connectors meet/join inside the PICKUP CAVITY route - not in the tone/volume pot cavity. This seems so much easier.
(http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/564378/3868956/0/1216687224/wire_to_wire_connector.jpg)
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I would not do that personally. Is a more work then just wiring them up in the regular fassion imho. Since you only got two wires I assume you are not doing anything fancy like splits or such, and when you don´t do that wiring up a HB is so easy.
Red wire goes to either the 3rd lug of a pot or the switch and the black and plain wire are twisted together and go to ground. The white and green wire are left as they come, taped together and dangling about.
And if you would ever want to wire up a split mode or something that ain´t rocket science either.
With that you would not have to butcher the PUs, keeping you from reselling or putting them in another axe shoud you ever want to do that.