Returning Issue

[Slartibartfarst42]

I decided to listen to a load of clips in the Players section to see if that helped to clarify things. I started on the assumption that I was better off leaving the Holydiver in my Jackson and keeping that as my more Metal focused guitar.

Black Dog - Great Rock pickup that can easily do Metal and seems far more powerful than it actually is. Certainly seemed aggressive, thick and articulate but that throaty aggressiveness concerns me as it makes me think of my Nailbomb experience, besides which, do I really want something like that when I have the Holydiver in the Jackson?

Emerald - Sweet tone here. Seemed a bright pickup but with a real Rock edge to it. Most of the clips were of Les Pauls so as my PRS seems a bit brighter than a LP, I concluded that it would be a bit brighter than I was looking for.

Abraxas - The Alnico IV magnet and the description on the website made me think this was a bit more tame than it appears to be. It's certainly smooth and seems quite balanced. A sweet Blues tone should be very achievable but I also found some quite convincing Metal clips. OK, so it didn't have the aggressive edge of the Black Dogs but but if you like your Metal smooth, warm and organic, this can certainly do it. Clearly a very versatile pickup so I can only assume that most people make the assumptions I did as it doesn't seem to be as well represented as it seems to deserve.

Crawler - As most people had either not mentioned the Crawler or said the Abraxas would be better I nearly didn't bother with this one but I found some Rock/Metal clips done on a Les Paul and I'm pleased I took the trouble. This is a really good pickup. In some ways I can see similarities with the Abraxas yet I admit that it is tonally different. It has the versatility, warmth, smoothness etc. of the Abraxas and seems to cover everything from Blues to Metal like the Abraxas. I got the impression that the AV magnet gave it a bit more of an aggressive edge, though I hesitate to use the word 'aggressive' as it seems wrong for something so warm in tone. It was thicker and darker than the Abraxas yet clearly from the same family.

So, have I come to any conclusions? No, not really  :( I'd still appreciate further comments from those with direct experience of these pups, especially in guitars like my PRS but I am now certain that I want either an Abraxas or Crawler set.

[ericsabbath]

the black dog isn't aggressive
the mids are dense like the holy diver, but less aggressive, the highs are even rounder and 'polite' like twinfan says, and the bass is smoother than the diver
it's almost like rolling off the volume and tone pots a bit with the diver, but with a 70's flavour

[ericsabbath]

alnico miracle man sounds great in the bridge
it's even thicker and warmer than the holy diver, but less mid-pokey
pretty fat and creamy

You mean putting a neck alnico V Miracle Man in the bridge position?

yes
technically, they're supposed to be the same pickup with different magnets, not really a neck version like most of the other models
FELINEGUITARS claims it sounds somewhere close to the suhr aldrich, but I can't confirm that, sinced I never played any suhr pickup
to me, it sounded similar to the holy diver, but flatter and fatter, and not hard rockish
sounds quite big, but not grainy and aggressive unlike the alnico warpig

[Slartibartfarst42]

MMmmm, perhaps it just seemed aggressive compared to the other pups I was listening to, though Tim seems to describe it as being aggressive on the website so I imagine there must be a bit of aggression there. Nevertheless, I'm not convinced I really want a pickup that is like my Holydiver with the pots rolled off a bit. If I was going to do that I think I'd just put a Holydiver in there as I LOVE that pickup. The trouble is that as I love it so much, it's tempting to just go with my heart, drop a Holydiver in and let the wood and construction make the difference but with my sensible head on I keep telling myself that I'll regret it on the grounds that if I have two guitars, why make them both so similar? Don't get me wrong, I liked the Black Dog and I love the Holydiver. When the HD is on song, blasting through my amp, there is no better sound but surely the point is that I should use two guitars to achieve a broader palette of sounds rather than a slight variation of the same one. If I listen to clips of the Holydiver, Crawler and Abraxas side by side, I'd go with the Holydiver every time as the sound I most often hear in my head but I want this guitar to give me something new and inspire me in new directions.

I just read that back and I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense but I know what I mean  :)

[ericsabbath]

then you gotta figure out in which direction you wanna go
the diver was my first bridge BKP and my favorite for a long time, but lately I've been preferring vintage hot models, like my custom riff raff, the black dog and the neck cold sweat in the bridge
I have severe GAS for the VHII as well :D

if you wanna keep the thickness and fluidity qualities of the holy diver, but with a different flavour, I'll keep the alnico miracle man advice, unless you had a very dark guitar

[darkbluemurder]

Abraxas - The Alnico IV magnet and the description on the website made me think this was a bit more tame than it appears to be. It's certainly smooth and seems quite balanced. A sweet Blues tone should be very achievable but I also found some quite convincing Metal clips. OK, so it didn't have the aggressive edge of the Black Dogs but but if you like your Metal smooth, warm and organic, this can certainly do it. Clearly a very versatile pickup so I can only assume that most people make the assumptions I did as it doesn't seem to be as well represented as it seems to deserve.

Crawler - As most people had either not mentioned the Crawler or said the Abraxas would be better I nearly didn't bother with this one but I found some Rock/Metal clips done on a Les Paul and I'm pleased I took the trouble. This is a really good pickup. In some ways I can see similarities with the Abraxas yet I admit that it is tonally different. It has the versatility, warmth, smoothness etc. of the Abraxas and seems to cover everything from Blues to Metal like the Abraxas. I got the impression that the AV magnet gave it a bit more of an aggressive edge, though I hesitate to use the word 'aggressive' as it seems wrong for something so warm in tone. It was thicker and darker than the Abraxas yet clearly from the same family.

I agree to those descriptions, and I had both sets in the same guitar. Since that guitar is dark sounding unplugged, the Crawler made it too dark for me. It's now in a bright guitar where it sits better for my taste. If the PRS is brighter unplugged than the Jackson it may work very well. If it is darker sounding unplugged than the Jackson, I stick to my Abraxas recommendation.

Cheers Stephan

[explorer76]

The trouble is that as I love it so much, it's tempting to just go with my heart, drop a Holydiver in and let the wood and construction make the difference but with my sensible head on I keep telling myself that I'll regret it on the grounds that if I have two guitars, why make them both so similar?

Don't think that the guitars would be that similar. What I love about BKPs is that the character of the guitar remains!
Got a Holydiver in my Caparison Dellinger and went for an Emerald Set for my Fame PRS Style guitar. The Emerald bridge is too bright for my taste in that guitar, so I changed for a Holydiver bridge and now it's just great! Don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I agree to those descriptions, and I had both sets in the same guitar. Since that guitar is dark sounding unplugged, the Crawler made it too dark for me. It's now in a bright guitar where it sits better for my taste. If the PRS is brighter unplugged than the Jackson it may work very well. If it is darker sounding unplugged than the Jackson, I stick to my Abraxas recommendation.

The PRS is darker, warmer and rounder in tone acoustically than the Jackson. I wouldn't say it's a particularly dark guitar but certainly darker than the Jackson so I guess that means Abraxas  :D

[Telerocker]

I think the Crawler excels in alder/ash bolt-on guitars. The Abraxas would be a good choiche for the PRS. Related to the Crawlers voicing, but a bit more PAF-ish and chimey in the topend. Can handle classic rock but modern stuff like Satriani too.

[witeter]

Depends which PRS SE Custom 24 it is, the newer ones have the vinatge pups-mine had C&J pups (or something like that) just mass produced in china,etc- swapped them for a Cbomb set and its great.

[Slartibartfarst42]

It's the 25th Anniversary model.