Swapping Emeralds For Riff Raff/Mule In an Edwards LP

[Philly Q]

Thanks again for the info. I guess I want to get a more open tone but still have some bite, hence the riff raff, the emerald neck is really good but I find the bridge lacks something I want in my tone, its hard to describe, maybe its not pick sensitive enough( though I was sure it would be)  or im looking for a bit more brightness?

If you're after "open", have you considered VHIIs?

Again, I can't speak from personal experience here, however...... the Riff Raff and VHII are both vintage-to-vintage-hot pickups, but the Riff Raff has balanced coils whereas the VHII's coils have an offset wind for a bigger/more open tone.

[ericsabbath]

What I mean is that the same wire/magnet/wind as a set usually gives a closer tone match than two different models.

In this case:

Mule = Alnico IV = slightly less winds
Riff Raff = Alnico V = slightly more winds

I think they have similar amount of winding (they have the same wire gauge, insulation and dc resistance), but the riff raff is more symmetrically wound
I'm not sure if the a5 magnet is stronger, but the riff raff has a short magnet, like 60's PAFs and t-tops, while the mule has the long 50's spec a4 magnet

[Rubblebrother]

I was just watching the BkP video Tutorial on Covered / Uncovered Pickups and heard the tone from the Les Paul loaded with A Riff Raff Bridge and Mule neck,, I want that tone!!! ( wonder what amp is being used?). I notice the Mule bridge has a silghtly hotter Dc resistance than the Riff Raff, but will it sound hotter?

[ericsabbath]

that's within the dc variance
I've seen riff raffs from 7.9k to 8.5k, miracle men from 17k to 18k, nailbombs from 15.4k to 16.2k...
also, a 2% "hotter" wound pickup won't necessarily sound hotter than another one of the same model, and we are talking different models with different windings and different magnet types and sizes

if you want that tone, go for it