Warpig owner...need help/suggestions...

[BurgerKingDiamond]

Hello...I've been lurking and searching posts here for a while but am a n00b as far as posting.  I wrote a couple emails but haven't heard anything back.

I currently have BKP Warpigs in my Les Pauls.  I love them but feel they may be a little TOO much...especially in the low-end (which is what I thought I was going for).

Anyway, I play METAL...but kind of a hodge-podge of styles: Classic Metal meets Sludge/Doom with a little thrashy stuff thrown in....here is a link to my bands last album for reference: http://open.spotify.com/album/5lLeNRXqvi6aT6P5QhlYLE

I used Dimarzio Super Distortions for this recording.

So like I said...there is alot about the Warpigs I dig....but the lows seem to be obscuring the mids a bit (which became even more apparent when my bassist upgraded his gear).  Are there any sugestions?  Should I adjust pickup height or get an eq pedal, etc.? Or is there a better pickup choice for what I'm trying to do?  I've kinda been eyeballing the Holy Diver...

And if it helps my gear is a Gibson LP Standard (and a 3 p/u Classic as a backup) usually into a Soldano SLO and/or a VHT Deliverance (usually always the SLO)....and sometimes I use a OCD or Maxon od808 if I need a little zing on top.

So suggestions? New BKP pickup? Or am I just being a picky little bitch? ;)

Thanks and I hope this post wasn't too annoying...

[Fourth Feline]

An Interesting post,  :) and I'm sorry I cannot speak from the Metal perspective;  but whilst you are waiting for the 'Big guys' to weigh in,  I found a lovely compact bass and even sonic spread ( for low wattage Warpig Neck Jazz ) with the pickup set to no higher than 3mm between underside of strings fretted at last fret - and top of polepieces .  That is straight across , measured at both high'e' and low 'E'.   That actually disciplined the bass more than my lower output B.K.P. pickups.  A  time filling experiment for you to try,  and a chance to say '"Hi" and "Welcome to the forum ".  :)

[Toe-Knee]

If you have the depth mod on your SLO try knocking that down a bit.

I too found the warpig a bit overbearing in the lows. I use a miracle man with my SLO and it works amazingly well for thrasy stuff and classic metal but I cant comment on the sludge/droom.

From your username I gather you like King Diamond and I must say the miracle man nails andy laroques tone.

Also for reference I play a SLO clone

And welcome to the forum.

[BurgerKingDiamond]

Thanks!  The "Doom/Sludge" thing I think is taken care of by the low tuning. I think alot of those guys just use stock p/u's or Duncan Distortion/JB's (Mastodon, High on Fire, Neurosis...until recently anyway since Lace is endorsing all these guys now)...

So if it helps the tuning I use is C# standard/drop B usually. I dig alot about the Super Distortions and love alot about the Warpigs....is there a p/u that "splits the difference"?

[Dr.Pain]

I had a similar problem with a c-pig in a 7 string.  Although it's not a Les Paul (it's a neck through V), the bass was overwhelming.  I found an eq did help me somewhat by boosting the mids but I'm not in a band so don't know how it would go in a mix.  I ended up taking the pig out though and got what I wanted from active pups.

I jumped in too soon with the pig as it was recommended that an Aftermath would have worked much better.

[darkbluemurder]

Never played a Warpig but both the SLO and the Deliverance are high gain amps. Hence, a very high output pickup may be too much gain overall. And I had to find out the hard way that too many lows are the last thing I needed in a band context because I tended to clash with the bass guitar. If you cannot solve the problem by setting the pickups lower and/or turning the bass down and the mids up at the amp, then you should consider a pickup with less output and bass.

Cheers, Stephan

[CanadianMetalhead]

I have an A5 Waprig currently in one of my guitars. I also use the pickup in roughly the same way you do lol.

One of the things i usually do to tackle overbearing low end is just mess with pickup height. Lowering the low "E" string end of the pickup and leaving the high "E" end alone. Doing this emphasize the higher strings vs the lower strings which are the ones that create bass. For me though i just have it flat to the strings also being lowered a decently amount then normal and I loves it.

Another thing you can do is install 1 Meg pots for your guitar. This will bring out the mids and highs like pulling off a blanket from an amp. Don't really remember what happened to the lows though lol. I just remember this pickup was a whole new beast in terms of mids/ highs and presence.

I also have the holy diver and to me it has roughly the same vibe as the A5 warpig. It handles the lows differently though but has less of them by a bit. I wouldn't say either pickup is tigher then another but that's just me. Also has thicker mids and  slightly crunchier. Top is roughly the same too. sweet sounding and rolled off.

Anything doom/sludge vibe the A5 warpig is THE pickup in my opinion lol.

my 2 cents! Good luck with your tone dude :)

[witeter]

Yeah i would try:
-Pickup height
-Amp eq
-External eq

Hopefully with some or a combination of these you can keep the frequencies you like and take away those you are not too keen on

If all this fails-maybe chucking them into a bright guitar? if you have one hanging around...

[ericsabbath]

Yeah i would try:
-Pickup height
-Amp eq
-External eq

Hopefully with some or a combination of these you can keep the frequencies you like and take away those you are not too keen on

If all this fails-maybe chucking them into a bright guitar? if you have one hanging around...

exactly this
lowering pickups a bit will reduce the low end response
don't go too low or you'll lose mids too

be careful with bass and depth settings
don't be worried about cutting to much bass
if you have to turn them down to zero, that won't $%&# up your tone, if you have a bass heavy les paul with a warpig

a good graphic eq in front of the amp can do wonders
try a vintage ibanez, maxon or mxr
they sound pretty efficient and organic for bass cut and mid/treble boost in front of the amp

[BurgerKingDiamond]

Thanks for all the input so far!  I think I'm gonna try an MXR eq pedal...

[HTH AMPS]

Thanks for all the input so far!  I think I'm gonna try an MXR eq pedal...

Good decision, I'm lost without my old blue MXR 6-band EQs  PDT_003

Do also try the 1M volume pot on your guitar if lowering the bass-side of the pickup doesn't work out and the EQ doesn't quite sort it (should do though). 

Could also try a fairly large bright cap on the volume pot and run the volume between 6-8.  You will notice a bit more 'cut' to your tone, not quite so compressed too.  It gives you somewhere to go for leads too, otherwise you're always on ten, then where can you go when you want that extra push over the edge eh? - nowhere, exactly! (thats why mine go to eleven).

 :lol:

[mongey]

try disconntecting you tone pot

will add presence right off the bat