ok so now, which bridge pickup would you suggest? I'm between the crawler and the abraxas. I know the neck is the same so I was just curious what is the difference in the bridge. Right now I'm leaning toward abraxas but I'm afraid it'll sound too dark in my lp. Is this a legitemate concern? I also don't mind a slightly compressed sound and I'm worried it's a bit too compressed. Anyway, how would you compare the two? In terms of the bridge clean sounds, drive, potential for playing metal and classic rock.
I had
very similar concerns, trying to choose between Abraxas and Crawlers. I play a range of styles from classic-ish rock to doomy-metaly things, and I love Santana lead tones. 8) I ended up taking Tim's advice on the Crawlers, which have a bit more grunt on the bridge, which is A5, and that gives you a little nudge towards metalish tones. The Abraxas is a little sweeter, great for hot classic rock and blues rock applications, but I think the Crawler edges a little further into metaloid territory. And you've still got that smokin' neck pup! :)
But on the issues of fine distinction, definitely get Tim's advice. He's got a well-deserved reputation for listening to what you want and helping you choose what you need to get you there.