versatile HSH and The Mule

[Iced Dragon]

Hi all,

I have an EBMM Silhouette (alder, maple neck, rosewood fretboard) which has an HSH setup, with Dimarzio virtual PAF humbuckers and a custom single coil. I want this to be an allround, versatile guitar (pop-rock-fusion), and I want to use it to study jazz and learn country. I would like nice cleans and convincing SC-like split humbuckers. I've installed a toggle switch to, in combination with the superswitch, give me plenty of splits and combinations, including the outer coils of both humbuckers (middle tele-like).

I've recently been trying different neck pickups which I have laying around (vPAF, SD Jazz, PAF Pro and The Mule).

I liked The Mule best until now, nice warm cleans, nice lead, but, it's too muddy/woolly/booming in the lower range. I would like to have it tighter for comping/jazz. Any suggestions?

The SC should be something close to a Dimarzio TRUE/Blue Velvet, but I find it rather sterile. I don't really intend to use it by itself, so I wouldn't necessarily replace it. I do want to try a '63 veneer I have in my Hamer just to see what happens.

For the bridge, I want a humbucker that's well balanced, not too many mids, which I feel my Crawler has in the Hamer (swamp ash), but the vPAF is a little too thin. It might have some growl for blues/country/southern rock, but preferably splits and cleans up nicely. I've been thinking of a SD Pearly Gates, or a Dimarzio AT-1, but there might be alternatives. 

So, what would be your pick for a versatile HSH?

Thanks!

[blackstrat]

I have the same problem with neck mule in my PRS. The Stormy Monday neck fixed it for me. It also balances really well with mule bridge. The SM neck has much clearer lows, but it's not as warm or mid-forward as the Mule. It's more scooped and glassy sounding with gain.
For jazzy cleans I think it's quite a popular choice. You might also want to look at their HSP90 range (blue note, manhattan or MQ).

[Iced Dragon]

Do you know how/if the SM differs from the SD Jazz? Your description reminds me of that one.
I would prefer a warmer tone, though. Any suggestions for that? (a warmer Stormy Monday)

In addition, what would be a BKP alternative for a SD Pearly Gates?

[blackstrat]

Yeah I do think they are in the same ballpark. I tried duncan jazz neck in the same guitar.
They are both bright and clear neck pickups, but the stormy monday is maybe smoother in the high end/not as immediate in the attack. The SM actually strikes me as kind of “improved’’ duncan 59, without the notoriously boomy low end. The SM’s low end is quite percussive you can almost play rhythm on it. IMHO It’s a really great pickup for brighter PAF sound.
For a warmer stormy monday, perhaps you could order it with cover? It will warm up the sound a bit. I have 2 of them, one is covered/unpotted and the other standard uncovered, and I much prefer the covered one.