Comparison between Abraxas & Crawlers

[Gooby]

Hi

I am looking for a calibrated set of pickups for my next guitar. After downloading lots if clips from suitable looking candidates it strikes me that Abraxas and Crawlers have some qualities in common.

Is there anyone who has lived with both sets of these pickups, who give me some more insight into the similarities & differences between the two types in both bridge and neck pickups?

Asking a bit much I know but Bareknuckles are addictive and there are quite a few out there with a few sets of Bareknuckles

Cheers
Martin

[Philly Q]

I've had both neck pickups.  As you've probably seen if you've searched the forum, for a long time we thought they were they same pickup but in fact the Crawler is a little hotter although both are AIV. 

They're very similar - fat, warm and singing.  To my ears the Abraxas neck was just a little sweeter, the Crawler neck sounded slightly tougher/more aggressive.  But that could be down to the guitars, although both were LP types.

Never tried the Abraxas bridge so I can't compare the bridge models.

[Gooby]

Thanks for the reply

Yes I saw your earlier posts re the neck pickups. I have spent way to much time searching the forums for info and clips.

I am thinking the Abraxas bridge has similar properties being slighly lower output and slighly sweeter than the Crawler. Other than that having much in common, unless someone has had first hand experience and can shed some light?

Martin

[badgermark]

The abraxas bridge has an AIV magnet, which should make it sound  a little softer than the higher output AV crawler. Best to speak to Tim and the team, and see what they recommend.

[IntenseJim]

 :lol:

[BigB]

To my ears the Abraxas neck was just a little sweeter, the Crawler neck sounded slightly tougher/more aggressive.  But that could be down to the guitars, although both were LP types.

I have a Crawler set on an all-maple going-thu-neck guitar - so tighter and brighter than a typical LP, and possibly more on the "agressive" side -, and I do find the neck to be still very sweet. FWIW, I even swapped the 0.0022 cap for a 0.0015 to get a bit more high edge on it so it can cut thu the mix (our other guitarist plays a LP, so we have to take care of not stepping on each other's toes). As far as I'm concerned, I do like this extra little 'piqué' on the attack, but rolling off the trebles a bit and playing with a softer pick immediatly takes you in Santana territory.

The abraxas bridge has an AIV magnet, which should make it sound  a little softer than the higher output AV crawler.

From what I can tell from the very different characters of the Crawler's bridge and neck, I can only second this. The Crawler bridge is very sharp and bity - in a very warm and pleasant way, but definitly more, well, rock'n'roll  :twisted:

FWIW, on this one I had best results with a 0.0033 cap  to tame down the beast a little - but remember this is a very bright guitar :lol:

Best to speak to Tim and the team, and see what they recommend.

Indeed - and don't forget to describe as accurately as you can how your guitar sounds (unplugged) and what you're after.

[IntenseJim]

I don't find the Crawler bridge bitey at all. Compared to my Black Dog, RY, and Cold Sweat, it has the sweetest high end in a Les Paul compared to those other three bridge pups.

[BigB]

I don't find the Crawler bridge bitey at all. Compared to my Black Dog, RY, and Cold Sweat, it has the sweetest high end in a Les Paul compared to those other three bridge pups.

I didn't mean the highs were harsh or ear-piercing or shrill in any way - sharp,  cutting (in the good way), yet very warm and singing.  FWIW, the Vox Custom 24 is a going-thru maple neck with maple sides - way brighter and tighter than a typical LP, so no surprise the Crawler bridge doesn't sound quite the same in both guitars.

Also, english is not my first language, so "bity", while the exact translation for the french "mordant", may not carry exactly the same nuances ? If that's the case, thanks for the clarification, I wouldn't like to give a bad description of a pup I really find so damn GOOD  :twisted:

[IntenseJim]

Your English is 10,000 times better than my French.

[HTH AMPS]

I've had a Crawler set and Abraxas set in the same guitar and like both.

BRIDGE
Crawler - PAF vibe, but hotter with a midrange focus, more modern sounding
Abraxas - PAF vibe, but hotter, similar tonal balance to a PAF, great all rounder

NECK
Crawler - PAF vibe, but hotter (not much though), much like a Mule, can be a bit blurred in the bass notes
Abraxas - more like a Patent# PAF or T-top, a little less hot, but clearer (more top end) with no blurred bass, can sound just as fat as Mule or Crawler neck by running the tone on around 5.

Overall I like the Abraxas set the best out of all the BKP sets, they're a very under-rated pickup and the Santana association seems to throw people off - it did with me for ages.  If you like classic rock, but want more drive from your pickups, the Abraxas set are what you want.

The Crawlers are similar, but are slightly more modern in their voicing.  I know they were designed for Geoff Whitehorn and his tone is a perfect example of what they do best.

[Mr. Air]

I've had a Crawler set and Abraxas set in the same guitar and like both.

BRIDGE
Crawler - PAF vibe, but hotter with a midrange focus, more modern sounding
Abraxas - PAF vibe, but hotter, similar tonal balance to a PAF, great all rounder

NECK
Crawler - PAF vibe, but hotter (not much though), much like a Mule, can be a bit blurred in the bass notes
Abraxas - more like a Patent# PAF or T-top, a little less hot, but clearer (more top end) with no blurred bass, can sound just as fat as Mule or Crawler neck by running the tone on around 5.

Overall I like the Abraxas set the best out of all the BKP sets, they're a very under-rated pickup and the Santana association seems to throw people off - it did with me for ages.  If you like classic rock, but want more drive from your pickups, the Abraxas set are what you want.

The Crawlers are similar, but are slightly more modern in their voicing.  I know they were designed for Geoff Whitehorn and his tone is a perfect example of what they do best.

I'm now officially GASing for a set of Abraxas!

[il˙ti]

I have mentioned this many times and probably will again. The Crawler set has a mid position that you may or may not get on with. According to Tim the AV magnet in bridge and AIV in neck gives it a big clunky mid-hump with both pickups on that he personally really likes, but not everyone gets along with. I guess I'm one of the latter. I absolutely love the Crawler bridge and neck individually, but after a while part of me wishes I'd have gone with the Abraxas set for a smoother middle sound. It's not that the mid-hump is bad, I just haven't found a musical use for it myself. It's fantastic for dirty blues or funk, but I don't play much of that.

[IntenseJim]

I find the Crawler bridge and my Soldano can get me into a thick Dough Aldrich White Snake territory from the BORN TO BE BAD disc.

[il˙ti]

I find the Crawler bridge and my Soldano can get me into a thick Dough Aldrich White Snake territory from the GOOD TO BE BAD disc.

Fixed that for ya. ;)

Pretty good album btw, I was surprised. And I agree it's very good for that classic big hair tone.

[IntenseJim]

LOL, I feel like an ass!