How bright and/or bassy are Cold Sweats?

[Twinfan]

I'm thinking of trying a set of Cold Sweats in one of my thicker/darker sounding guitars.  Will they tighten the bass (without increasing it) and add some highs?

Or should I be looking at something else???

[Philly Q]

I don't know myself, but Mr Hellstyle has done a very thorough review of the CS on this thread which I just happened to be reading earlier:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13608.0

And this one today has a comparison with the HD which clarified a few things for me:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14878.0


I definitely like the sound of the CS bridge, and I want to get one for... something.  Quite possibly the Mira.  Not so sure the CS neck will be to my taste though.

[HairyChris]

The calibrated set in my PRS Custom 24 w/rosewood neck really made a difference to it. Bridge has lots of definition (presence, I suppose, rather then treble), tight bass but still a very rounded tone. Neck I don't use much but has much the same characteristics. Good combination of fatness & clarity, blows the PRS HFS/VB set out of the water as the CS set was Tim's replacement recommendation. I'd love to hear them in something like a Les Paul!

I've not tried the Holy Diver. That's interesting me though as I've got a 7 being built and the current front-runner for p/us are the Cold Sweats. If the HDs are fatter without losing too much definition then I may be tempted that way although you can't lose with the CS. Very versatile....

[Catalyst77]

I love my cold sweat; outside of the vh2 and riff raff its my fav pickup.   Although i had to find the right guitar for it.  It didnt do anything for me when i had it in my esp mirage super strat, but when i repaced the RY in my LP custom with the cold sweat it was a vast improvement - just sounds imense!

I'm not quite so keen on the HD, but that may be because its in a wolfgang and i guess i just prefer the tone of a les paul in general.

I would say that the HD is more focused and the CS has a slighly more open feel (even though its ceramic!)

MY LP was quite a dark sounding guitar and for some reason the RY just didnt cut it in there (despite the plentiful supply of upper mids)

Might be worth going ceramic for that extra bit of push and cut - i guess it depends which guitar you had in mind and ultimately what sound your're after!



 

[Twinfan]

I'm thinking about my McCarty Korina #2.  It's up for sale, but what with the credit crunch nightmare bobbins that fills the news  :roll:  no-one is buying.

Thought I might try and enjoy it myself instead with something vintage-y but different.  A bit more cut would be good for this particular guitar, so maybe the CS set is the way to go?

[Philly Q]

I'm thinking about my McCarty Korina #2. 

Thought I might try and enjoy it myself instead with something vintage-y but different.  A bit more cut would be good for this particular guitar, so maybe the CS set is the way to go?

That seems a great idea to me!  Especially since you've got the stock #1 McKorina as a reference point, why not try something different in #2. 

Just a thought Dave, have you tried, or considered trying, your VHIIs in #2?  I'd be very interested to know how that sounded.

[Twinfan]

I've not considered swapping the VHIIs as I'm really happy with them where they are in my Jackson Dinky.  That's also a band guitar, so I can't have it out of action without pickups for a period of time!  I think they'd work pretty well to be honest but I fancy trying something else.

I think the Cold Sweats are the way to go then.  Vintage with attitude sounds like what I'm looking for and the ceramic bridge will be something very different for me.  If a little scary.....

[HairyChris]

SC in a McKorina? That could be epic.  More contempory & hotter then the McCarty pickups with the responsiveness of the wood. Oooh! I'd like to hear about that!!

[Twinfan]

Could well be a nice combo I think....

[roland_rat]

Hi Dave,

I can only talk about the Cold Sweat neck I had.  Nice pickup im not sure  I would call it vintage sounding though.  Its fairly bright.  I sold my neck pickup to help fund buying my patrick eggle berlin. I love the guitar, however  I do miss not having tried the pickup a little more. I think its one of them pickups that you will fit and either love or hate it and chances are not much in between.

[Twinfan]

Cheers matey.  Was it bright because it had loads of treble, or because it didn't have much bass????

[Yamhammer]

I love my cold sweat; outside of the vh2 and riff raff its my fav pickup.   Although i had to find the right guitar for it.  It didnt do anything for me when i had it in my esp mirage super strat, but when i repaced the RY in my LP custom with the cold sweat it was a vast improvement - just sounds imense!

I'm not quite so keen on the HD, but that may be because its in a wolfgang and i guess i just prefer the tone of a les paul in general.

I would say that the HD is more focused and the CS has a slighly more open feel (even though its ceramic!)

MY LP was quite a dark sounding guitar and for some reason the RY just didnt cut it in there (despite the plentiful supply of upper mids)

Might be worth going ceramic for that extra bit of push and cut - i guess it depends which guitar you had in mind and ultimately what sound your're after!

I don't think the Cold Sweats are necessarily 'better' than the Rebel Yells in a dark sounding Les Paul Custom (if you want a cutting sound).

[roland_rat]

If I remember right  the pickup was fine for bass not huge ammounts but enough for me.  I found the pickup very trebly.  In the right guitar I think cold sweats will be absolutly great but for me I never quite found the right guitar for the pickup to shine.  I miss the   cold sweat  pickup I had and do contemplate from time to time buying a calibrated set.  Guess I might at some point.

Hope it helps

[Twinfan]

Cheers matey.  This particular guitar is thick sounding and slightly bassy, so Cold Sweats sound perfect for it....

[Catalyst77]

Just thought i'd mention that i stuck with RY in the neck position; not dissing the RY bridge pickup; just didn't seem to work in that guitar per my tastes (seemed to lack a bit of definition and bite the further up the register i went).

But you cant go wrong with CS, it is a BK after all!