Mule vs Riff Raff vs Black Dog neck humbuckers?

[RobAbrams84]

I wonder if someone can help to compare some lower output neck humbuckers as I have a new 24-fret Superstrat-style build going.  Of neck humbuckers I've tried the Emerald, Holy Diver, VHII, and True Grit in a Mayones Regius.  I'm looking for something a little more vintage sounding, something that would get this Superstrat neck to sound closer to a classic Les Paul neck humbucker sound.

Of the pickups I tried before in the Regius, I felt that the Emerald was overall too warm/lacking in highs and bite.  The Holy Diver was pretty bright and even a bit jangly, but kind of clinical and didn't sound much like a classic Les Paul neck pickup.  It was a good sound, though.  The VHII was a bit too boomy in the lows to me; not muddy, but more warm and boomy than I'd like, not enough bite and probably more output than I want.  Which leads me to think of the Riff Raff, Mule, or possibly Black Dog.  Can anyone help compare/contrast them with the ones I've played?

Edit to add: I'm sure that The Mule would be a safe bet, but I'm looking at the Riff Raff as a vintage-style Alnico 5 neck humbucker, and possibly the Black Dog.   I imagine the Black Dog neck might be the A5 pickup with the second-lowest output?  If it has less output and more brightness than the VH2, with possibly less bass, it's probably perfect for me.  Alternatively the Riff Raff may be fine but I'm most likely pairing it with a hotter bridge humbucker.

[b.gandt]

I’ve used a Mule set in a Korina single cut SE neck, and I’d say it sounds  vintage Lester-like.

How hot will your bridge humbucker be?  I don’t know how much more than a Mule neck a Riff Raff neck will put out, as I haven’t used it.  Specs look relatively close.

[RobAbrams84]

I haven't decided on a bridge humbucker yet, in the past I've had a harder time finding a neck humbucker for my tastes so I wanted to start there and then match the bridge to that.

I generally like Alnico 5 neck humbuckers, but I'm not sure if the Riff Raff will sound as classically like a Les Paul or more like a Seymour Duncan Jazz.  I kind of want an excuse to buy a Black Dog frankly, but I'm worried that it would be too similar to the VHII that I didn't like very much.  More liquidy/smooth or something, it's hard to describe what I didn't like about the VHII, but it seemed too high output and too bassy.  I'm after a Les Paul Standard neck tone, one of the Alnico 5 Burstbucker Pro neck tones, not a '57 Classic or historic Custombucker or 490R (I hate that pickup) tones if that makes sense. 

[RobAbrams84]

I still wish someone could compare these neck pickups, especially the Black Dog.  Is it less output with more highs than a VHII?  Warmer than a Riff Raff?  If so I think it'd be perfect for me, but I'm afraid it might be too close to the VHII which I didn't like much, or like a Holydiver which was not very PAF-like.

[darkbluemurder]

I have used some of them. Here is my impression:

- VHII neck vs. Black Dog neck: Black Dog is lower output and brighter and has none of that smoky character that the VHII neck has.
- Black Dog neck vs. Riff Raff neck: Black Dog is not warmer - it is a bit clearer but not much.

Lower output A5 PAF would be Riff Raff neck. Everything else has different magnets or different wire.

Cheers Stephan

[RobAbrams84]

Thanks, I'm probably going to try the Black Dog neck then, if it's lower output and brighter than the VHII.  I don't think that I need to go all the way down to the Riff Raff, though that might work for me as well.