Riff Raff/Painkiller

[AlexHookah]

So i sent an email to Tim asking about pickups. This is what i sent

"I have a Musicman John Petrucci. Its the old style with a basswood body, Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard.. Im playing through a mesa boogie Mark IV.

Im looking to change the pickups to get a little further away from the Petrucci sound. Im after a Lamb of God style, tight, chucky bridge tone and a more warm yet focused neck tone for lead work. Im pretty sure a painkiller would do the job in the bridge but im not sure about the neck.  Im worried that a painkiller would be too powerful and might be a bit soulless. (i have a emg 85 in an ibanez and this is my experience) I think a more modern, ballsy Al DiMeola/Steve Morse sound is the closest i can think off. Im contradicting myself but i still I love Petrucci's images and words lead tone. I would like it to sing as much as possible and be articulate without being harsh.I really want to avoid the  guitar sounds of more modern shredders like Alexi Laiho, the trivium guys though!!! "

Anyhow, im sold on the painkiller for the bridge. I was not expecting the riff raff to be suggested, i had not looked into it before. Any thoughts from you guys on the forum??

[MDV]

PK bridge, cold sweat neck would be my guess.

But, forum rule Number 1
- Get what Tim says

[AlexHookah]

Well i am inclined to agree. Its his product after all. The riff raff was just a surprise suggestion. I have emailed Tim a couple of times since, a cold sweat is going to be too modern for my tastes i think, i really wanted something that was Alnico IV. I asked him what might be a halfway house between the Riff raff and Cold sweat and he said an Alnico IV crawler. From a bit of searching i gather this is basically a abraxas neck pickup?? If it is then its description sounds much more like what im after. Sustaining, vocal, warm but can handle lots of fast picked runs etc. Any thoughts on this pickup in a basswood guitar and/or how it might compare to the riff raff??

Thanks
 

[MDV]

Yeah, the crawler (I have an AV, the neck is always AIV) is sustaining (such that a pickup can be, thats a property of the guitar really), vocal and warm, and can handle fast picked runs, but that describes a lot of BKs.

I've never played a riff raff.

Crawler set might be a good fall back option if you dont know what to do - they're incredibly versatile. In an Epi LP mine do everything from Free to Slayer.

[AlexHookah]

Yeh, i wish i could make up my mind. Im sold on the painkiller but there's not much point buying that till im settled on the neck. I have just found out Petrucci used a humbucker from hell in the neck on the images and words album which has lead me to think the riff raff is a good choice but reading the descriptions on the product page the cold sweat does sound most like my needs. Tim himselve says its popular amongst the shredders so.........I just have a feeling its too high output for my tastes and isnt alnico V. (sorry, typo on my earlier msg). Hmmm......i think i will just phone up and see if i can speak to Tim rather than emailing.

thanks for your help

[MDV]

Talking to tim, as in a coversation, is how I always do it. Best way.

Quite welcome.

[Jonny]

Talking to tim, as in a coversation, is how I always do it. Best way.

Quite welcome.

Tim is a REALLY sound guy to talk to. Recommended to call him but since you've already e-mailed him, although call him to get an answer quicker.

[nfe]

I'm surpised at the Painkiller bridge choice, the LOG sound is all hot paff into relatively low gain Mark IVs...isn't it?

[MDV]

True, I think

I guess if you have the MkIV you can go with something gentler and more organic - the nailbomb would be a good bet.

The PK is the best if you want a guitar to sound as much like LoG through any amp (within reason).

[AlexHookah]

Well im playing through a mark IV so we will soon see. Tims reply about the painkiller was this "according to info on the net the LOG boys use Duncan 59 humbuckers which are essentially low output PAF style humbuckers-this would give a very bright and percussive tone-too bright for basswood IMHO and the Painkiller is well proven in the JPs so a much better choice"

Sounds ok to me.

Will be placing my order for a riff raff/Painkiller tomorrow. I had thought about having the painkiller in burnt chrome but im not so sure it will go well with my red JP6 musicman so ill be sticking to the all black. No point in pictures then but i will record some video and post incase anybody would like to hear what it sounds like.