Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Alex6534 on June 08, 2015, 10:31:20 AM

Title: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Alex6534 on June 08, 2015, 10:31:20 AM

So I have a DC700 with the mentioned woods on its way to me, it has the d26 passives which I'm not that keen on so I want to change them out. What would you recommend? I play hard rock (shined won) to modern metal through a Kemper. I've never had a guitar made of Koa so I'm not sure where to go with it.

Title: Re: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Dave Sloven on June 08, 2015, 10:57:00 AM

I used to have a bass made from koa, but it was twenty years ago and I'd really be stretching my memory to remember its tone.

Here's what I found at Taylor Guitars website:

"A tropical hardwood, koa's tone blends the midrange of mahogany with the top end of maple. Due to its density, a new koa guitar tends to start out sounding a little bright and tight, somewhat like maple. But the more a koa guitar is played, the more the sound opens up, expanding the midrange and rewarding the player with a richer, sweeter, more resonant tone. A common mistake is when a bright player buys a koa guitar in part for its visual beauty, finds it to be too bright, and doesn't play it enough to allow the wood to warm up."

If this is true, and it does become more middy and less bright over time, a Miracle Man bridge pickup might do the trick for your application as it generally works well with maple and middy guitars.

This might only be the case for acoustics though ...

Title: Re: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Alex6534 on June 15, 2015, 09:17:47 AM

Yeah I'm not quite sure what to go for, although I am considering the NAilbombs and emeralds now after listening to some clips.

Title: Re: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Alex6534 on June 17, 2015, 09:24:07 AM

For reference, this is the guitar

(https://photos-3.dropbox.com/t/2/AACQaoCdoT5um4zWjhKv1WN-Up7cqmy2cfOxtBaK9edqww/12/55866446/jpeg/32x32/1/1434535200/0/2/DC700C3_zps6b19cd94.jpg/CM7o0RogASACIAMgBCAFIAYgBygBKAI/uk89nmy17GhRzD-prre9X0ShwDjK9bLlTFlmmY9Rfkw?size=1600x1200&size_mode=2)

Title: Re: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Alex6534 on June 20, 2015, 06:54:25 PM

Hmm, doesn't seem to be showing.

(http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss152/alex_stewart5/thumb_P1060638_1024_zpsptqybx0r.jpg)

(http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss152/alex_stewart5/thumb_P1060637_1024_zpsvd1ghp5h.jpg)

(http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss152/alex_stewart5/thumb_P1060639_1024_zpsqqn6piov.jpg)

(http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss152/alex_stewart5/thumb_P1060641_1024_zpsyprzmmmd.jpg)

Title: Re: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Dave Sloven on June 21, 2015, 12:07:54 AM

That's a very pretty guitar!

Title: Re: Carvin DC700 - KOA body/neck, maple top/fretboard what pickups?
Post by: Alex6534 on June 22, 2015, 10:02:17 AM

Quote from: Agent Orange on June 21, 2015, 12:07:54 AM

That's a very pretty guitar!

Thank you! :)

I did a little clip of the stock pickups, no bass in it but gives an idea:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55866446/carvin-pickups-mesa-2.mp3