Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: darkandrew on October 16, 2013, 12:23:35 AM

Title: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: darkandrew on October 16, 2013, 12:23:35 AM
Hi, now that I've got my ESP Eclipses sorted it's time to look at my other guitars. I'm looking at getting a set of Miracle Man p'ups for Telecaster Custom - mahogany neck and body (with 1/8 inch maple top) and rosewood fingerboard. It's a very resonant but quite a dark sounding, currently it's playing host to a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 and Jazz combination but this is just too bottom heavy and lacking an edge. It's going to spend 90% of it's life being driven hard and I would like to keep the scooped sound (but with a bit more clarity and bite to it) which is why I'm thinking of a Miracle Man. The sound clips on the website pretty much exemplify the sound I'm after but I'm a little worried about 2 things:

1. The coil resistance of the neck pickup seems excessively high - does its volume reflect this?
2. Does it have enough bite to cut through all that warm mahogany?

Cheers

Andy.
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: Dave Sloven on October 16, 2013, 12:32:54 AM
I'm guessing that there is less mahogany in your Tele than in a Les Paul.  It shouldn't be any worse, anyway.

If it is as hot as the Warpig neck you might want to consider the following:

1. '50s wiring of the volume pots (this will help you get a clean sound from rolling the pot back)
2. A series/parallel switch, either a push-push (or push-pull) pot or triple shot pickup ring
3. Maybe a pot bypass switch (push pot again) for 'special occasions'

I'm working on getting the first two installed to my Warpig equipped Explorer and I'm going to experiment with a push-push bypass on the bridge, and if really like that effect might get one later for the neck too


Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: darkbluemurder on October 16, 2013, 08:17:26 AM
I'm looking at getting a set of Miracle Man p'ups for Telecaster Custom - mahogany neck and body (with 1/8 inch maple top) and rosewood fingerboard. It's a very resonant but quite a dark sounding, currently it's playing host to a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 and Jazz combination but this is just too bottom heavy and lacking an edge. It's going to spend 90% of it's life being driven hard and I would like to keep the scooped sound (but with a bit more clarity and bite to it) which is why I'm thinking of a Miracle Man. The sound clips on the website pretty much exemplify the sound I'm after but I'm a little worried about 2 things:

1. The coil resistance of the neck pickup seems excessively high - does its volume reflect this?
2. Does it have enough bite to cut through all that warm mahogany?

If it's a really dark guitar you may be better off with a Cold Sweat bridge and a Holydiver neck or a Cold Sweat set. The CS bridge has a bit less output than the MiM bridge (but not much) but has more cut and will cut through warm mahogany with ease. The CS neck is an alltime favorite here on the board. I personally like the HD neck better as it's a bit brighter but not thin. Never played the MiM neck so I cannot comment on that.

Cheers Stephan
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: BigK on October 16, 2013, 10:56:38 PM
I'm looking at getting a set of Miracle Man p'ups for Telecaster Custom - mahogany neck and body (with 1/8 inch maple top) and rosewood fingerboard. It's a very resonant but quite a dark sounding, currently it's playing host to a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 and Jazz combination but this is just too bottom heavy and lacking an edge. It's going to spend 90% of it's life being driven hard and I would like to keep the scooped sound (but with a bit more clarity and bite to it) which is why I'm thinking of a Miracle Man. The sound clips on the website pretty much exemplify the sound I'm after but I'm a little worried about 2 things:

1. The coil resistance of the neck pickup seems excessively high - does its volume reflect this?
2. Does it have enough bite to cut through all that warm mahogany?

If it's a really dark guitar you may be better off with a Cold Sweat bridge and a Holydiver neck or a Cold Sweat set. The CS bridge has a bit less output than the MiM bridge (but not much) but has more cut and will cut through warm mahogany with ease. The CS neck is an alltime favorite here on the board. I personally like the HD neck better as it's a bit brighter but not thin. Never played the MiM neck so I cannot comment on that.

Cheers Stephan

+1 on that the Cold sweat would be a better choice in a dark guitar. the Miracle Man can get rather bass heavy in dark guitars as the highs are quite controlled and smooth.

I had a miracle man set  in my schecter 006 which is a very dark guitar and whilst it remained tight it didnt cut that well as the highs were so smooth. enter the Cold sweat and it still had the great slighlty scooped sound sound but it was alot more balanced and cut through a lot better too.
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: BigK on October 16, 2013, 11:09:30 PM
Oh and the MM neck is similar to the CS neck but a little smoother and darker
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: darkandrew on October 18, 2013, 01:00:11 AM
And your thoughts on a ceramic Nail Bomb please?
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: darkbluemurder on October 18, 2013, 08:25:13 AM
No experience with the C-Bomb, unfortunately.
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: witeter on October 18, 2013, 12:27:26 PM
The CBomb is great for what you mention, it has hollow mids and good high end bite
Title: Re: Is the Miracle Man neck pickup really as hot as its resistance implies?
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on October 18, 2013, 03:08:41 PM
cold sweat bridge and Painkiller neck
Painkiller is the only BKP with a ceramic neck pickup - stays tight and defined.