Wow, thanks for the great replies. I just want to clarify something, in case I sounded a bit negative earlier (that was not my intent). I am by no means disappointed with these pickups. They are incredible, quite unique in tone. I like them a lot, just having a difficult time finding that happy medium between the bridge and the neck. So with that said........
I sat down last night and devoted myself to finding the correct height for these pickups. I refuse to believe that such an incredible pickup can't make me happy. I adjusted up and down on the neck first because my clean neck tones are most dear to me and very important to achieving the sounds that I like most. Eventually, I found it. The neck had to be adjusted quite low actually. I didn't find it earlier because I don't normally adjust my neck pickup quite that low. It's about a mm down into the pickup ring(I normally have my neck about even with the top of the ring) and the treble side is about a turn higher than the bass side. It sounds brilliant!! The lows are super tight and poppy, the highs are glassy and clear. It's pretty damn close to where I like it.
I then tried to match up my bridge. That is a bit of a challenge for me because I am not one to just match up the outputs and then leave it. That was my problem before. Though the outputs matched up, I wasn't happy with the tone out of the bridge. I would then adjust up or down and that would obviously throw everything off. I would find myself moving the neck again. Anyway, I found the spot on the bridge where I was happy and the outputs matched. So, at about midnight (much to the dismay of everyone living within a half kilometer of me!!) I cranked it up and let it go. Frankly, it blew me away. The neck was warm but super tight. Crystal clear. The cleans were beautiful and dynamic. But, the neck is what really won me over. The tones were airey and super glassy (if that makes any sense). I have lots of air between the strings and the bridge pickup and I think that is the key. Incredible tones.
So, with that said I think I am pretty happy. IMHO the bridge could be a touch hotter. But, I don't know if I am willing to swap it for another pickup because I really like the clean tone. The neck could also be a touch smoother. Then again, I don't know if I am willing to sacrifice the smooth overdriven tones. I thought about a Stormy Monday and a Black Dog, but I think I am just being ridiculous and a bit too much of a perfectionist. Regardless, the Mules sound simply unbelievable, no doubt about it.
With that said, I am getting the slightest bit of ringing out of the pickups on the high strings, both pickups. Any idea what I can do about that?
It's not loud, just noticeable. (told you I was impossible to please!!)
