Author Topic: To Tame A Maple Through Neck? (Read 2661 times)

Skybone · « **on:** February 11, 2008, 07:05:36 PM »

Having been really good on the GAS front recently, I had to succumb to an unmissable deal recently, for a maple through neck guitar. Thing is, the stock pickups were OK, but were very bright sounding (ceramics + maple = BRIGHT :? ). Not the kind of thing I was after...

Anyways, I've stuck an old set of Black Dogs into it that were lying around, and they've tamed the maple down a touch, but it's still quite bright sounding. I've tried rolling the tone down, but that looses definition on the high strings, and adds treble to the low strings. Doh.

Does anyone know of any other BKP's that are:
A) Alnico
B) Dark sounding
C) Hot PAF

I'm too used to mahogany bodied guitars, and like the deep, dark growl that they have, but obviously like a bit of treble definition as well.

Any ideas?

PhilKing · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2008, 07:09:39 PM »

Abraxas' sound great on neck through guitars, though they are AIV and not really dark. A set of AII Mules was my choice to tame a bright guitar and it worked out really well.

Skybone · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2008, 09:09:00 AM »

Cheers for that Phil. :)

OK, how would Crawlers sound in a maple through neck guitar? I know they aren't really classed as "Hot PAF" (the bridge is maybe a tad warm for that! :) ), but they do seem to be voiced for any situation...

They sound great in the mahogany bodied guitar I have them in now...

Scotty477 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2008, 09:23:20 AM »

I see you have Emeralds in your sig. They would seem to tick all the right boxes:

A) Alnico
B) Dark sounding
C) Hot PAF

Ok, they only verge on being dark but from experience they do have a natural tendency to want to avoid daylight :D

Skybone · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2008, 10:07:19 AM »

Thing with Emerald's that I've found is that they're quite bright. I've had them in a few guitars and hated them because they were too bright, but I recently put them into my main Tokai Love Rock, replacing the Black Dog's that were in there, and it's made the top end response loads better, but still keeping everything else tight.

My guess is that Emerald's would make it even treblier than a trebly thing. ;)

Scotty477 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2008, 01:43:08 PM »

I should have asked ... What kind of guitar is it?

MDV · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2008, 02:10:44 PM »

My guess is Holy Diver

Edit:

or 250k pots

Or both

Skybone · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2008, 07:22:24 PM »

It's a maple through neck BC Rich.

gwEm · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:26:28 AM »

no advice from me - but just a comment. seems like everyone has a very different idea of bright/dark. since i have a miracle man in a maple bodied guitar and find it to have great tonal balance. no one could call it dark, but its fine to me.

Ratrod · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2008, 12:40:57 PM »

A memer posted a clip of a neck thru Mockingbird a while ago. It was loaded with Cold Sweats. I would have expected that to sound very bright with it's ceramic magnets but it wasn't.

Cold Sweats aren't PAF style pickups but maybe they can be mellowed down a bit with alnico IV magnets.

gwEm · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:16:16 PM »

indeed, tim himself recommended me ceramic.

perhaps maple is not that bright, just lacking in bass response?

MDV · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:47:18 PM »

Quote from: gwEm

indeed, tim himself recommended me ceramic.

perhaps maple is not that bright, just lacking in bass response?

You could flip the pickup round so the slugs are toward the bridge and screws toward the neck. That'll give you more bass.

Skybone · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2008, 02:58:27 PM »

It certainly livened up a bit when I boosted the mids last rehearsal.