Author Topic: cold sweat - first impressions (Read 4860 times)

gwEm · « **on:** January 11, 2008, 01:00:21 AM »

i installed a cold sweat set in my feline V.

the bridge is vintage sounding, hot and raunchy. beautiful cleans. its the most distictive bridge pickup i've ever heard. can't comment on break up tones at this stage. driven in a les paul i could imagine it would sound like sykes. in my V however, it sounds exactly like judas priest's "defenders of the faith" album - exactly like it i tell you! bass response is very controlled, and it remains totally clear and defined - possibly more so than a miracle man - even with obscene gain. class over a gibson 500t was immediately obvious.

the neck was a little dark sounding when clean, and was somewhat more quiet than the bridge - even when adjusted right up. when driven though, as the reports have suggested, its is a real shred machine. with jonathan's crafted neck, and the subtle considered compression of this pickup even a shred novice (such as myself) can get good note definition.

i need to play around some more. its late and i can't crank my amp up. further reports tomorrow.

the neck was kind of as expected. i did not expect the bridge to be such a **classic**. and its not all that much like a dirty fingers either. some of the spirit is there, but the sound is obviously different.

Philly Q · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2008, 10:00:06 AM »

Sounds great! :D I wasn't sure if Cold Sweats would suit a V, although I know your Feline isn't the usual mahogany construction.

Yet another set of BKPs for the wish list. :roll:

I must admit I'm still a bit confused what the differences are between the PK and CS sets (I mean tonally, I know the PK neck is ceramic and the PK bridge has higher DC resistance).

gwEm · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2008, 10:37:42 AM »

ok, I'm 20minutes late to work - and the reason is the Feline/Cold Sweat combination.

I rocked out with my Marshall 2204 cranked right up.

My doubts about the neck were laid to rest - in fact its not too dark at all. The bridge is very sensitive to height adjustment - I turned it half a turn down and then the two pickups balanced perfectly.

The whole guitar (its style and sound) surges with vintage-extra-hot vibe.

My 80s Dirty Fingers, although extremely cool pickups, are pretty compressed and don't really do blues. I must say this is not the case for the Cold Sweat, which can do the breakup thing very well.

These Cold Sweats laugh sarcastically at the 500T/496R set that was in there from the top of a very high building. Not that that set is bad, but the Cold Sweats really fit this guitar exceptionally well. The tone is in another league now.

The pickups do really shine in my V - with its sycamore body. They would probably be a bit less my taste in a mahogany V, but I think they would still be great due to the ceramic magent in the bridge - you'd probably need to boost the mids a bit on your amp.

As for Painkiller vs Cold Sweat, I think they are pretty similar. Though as one could guess the Painkiller is alot more modern sounding with extra mids. Not that the Cold Sweats are short on mids - oh no!

If we talk Priest albums - obviously the Painkiller sounds like the 'Painkiller' album. I think in a mahogany V, the Cold Sweat would be similar to 'Screaming For Vengence', the sycamore of my V probably moves the tone with extra mids firmly in the 'Defenders of the Faith' period.

Hope that explains it well. I can imagine you'd like these Philly. I can also see why Ben loves them so much in a super strat.

Twinfan · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2008, 10:53:46 AM »

Nice. I think I NEED a set in a Les Paul......

Philly Q · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2008, 11:04:13 AM »

Quote from: gwEm

If we talk Priest albums - obviously the Painkiller sounds like the 'Painkiller' album. I think in a mahogany V, the Cold Sweat would be similar to 'Screaming For Vengence', the sycamore of my V probably moves the tone with extra mids firmly in the 'Defenders of the Faith' period.

Damn, wish I could still play vinyl so I could remember what those tones sound like! :lol:

I think I'm still leaning towards the PK set, as it seems (perhaps) to have been designed with a V in mind.

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2008, 01:38:50 PM »

Heh, I've been saying for years that the CS nails the Defenders of the Faith-era Priest tone hands down ... provided you have the amp and the attitude. :twisted:

lulusg · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2008, 01:49:13 PM »

I did enjoy your review, very well done. Cheers!

gwEm · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2008, 02:00:53 PM »

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey

Heh, I've been saying for years that the CS nails the Defenders of the Faith-era Priest tone hands down ... provided you have the amp and the attitude. :twisted:

When the night comes down its certainally a real jawbreaker, with heavy duty tone, in fact it might just eat me alive. At gigs I'd better get the sentinel to watch over my guitar, or someone will escape with it freewheel burning. Love bites for sure when it comes to an instrument like this - if something does happen to it some heads are gonna roll. When I hook up my Marshall its time to rock hard... ride free!

(might just make a clip to demostrate it)

ericsabbath · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2008, 03:32:28 PM »

great review
i was thinking of cold sweat bridge + painkiller neck for a white flying v too (that i don't have yet :lol:)

Philly Q · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2008, 03:36:29 PM »

Quote from: Eric Hellstyle

i was thinking of cold sweat bridge + painkiller neck for a white flying v too (that i don't have yet :lol:)

Just out of interest, why the CS bridge + PK neck, rather than a set of Painkillers?

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2008, 03:43:43 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Quote from: Eric Hellstyle
i was thinking of cold sweat bridge + painkiller neck for a white flying v too (that i don't have yet :lol:)

Just out of interest, why the CS bridge + PK neck, rather than a set of Painkillers?

Because a Cold Sweat sounds nothing like a Pain Killer? :roll:

Philly Q · « **Reply #11 on:** January 11, 2008, 03:59:21 PM »

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey

Because a Cold Sweat sounds nothing like a Pain Killer? :roll:

Thanks ever so much for the sarcasm, Ben, but as you'll see further up this very thread I've already asked the question as to what exactly is the difference between those two medium-output ceramic pickups.

A bit of information might be useful.

ericsabbath · « **Reply #12 on:** January 11, 2008, 04:07:38 PM »

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey

Quote from: Philly Q
Quote from: Eric Hellstyle
i was thinking of cold sweat bridge + painkiller neck for a white flying v too (that i don't have yet :lol:)

Just out of interest, why the CS bridge + PK neck, rather than a set of Painkillers?

Because a Cold Sweat sounds nothing like a Pain Killer? :roll:

lol
yeah
i already have a holy diver bridge + cold sweat neck, had a miracle man in another les paul, and i'll buy it again as soon as i get another guitar, so i wanted another ceramic for bridge with less output than the MM but keeping the crunchy mids
i liked the painkiller bridge i played, but i already had this kind of tone with gibson 500t (with a lot more mud, of course :lol:)

i love how some ceramics sound on the neck too
one of the best neck pickups i had was gibson 496r

so my plans for the future are:
1. keeping my hurricane lawsuit les paul custom with holy diver + cold sweat (my only guitar at this moment... and i'll never sell it! it's a gibson lp studio killer :twisted: :lol:)
2. gibson lp custom (preference for the 80's models, maybe w/ maple neck) w/ miracle man set
3. gibson sg supreme emerald burst w/ warpigs or nailbombs
4. flying v (a japanese copy or gibson faded) w/ cold sweat bridge + painkiller neck

hmm... i think it would be enough! :lol: