Blackguard Neck pickup

[tomjackson]

This was recorded with my Boss Micro BR onboard Mic next to my Laney VC30 amp.  The clip was just thrown together quickly to give Ian Price an idea of how this pup sounds.  The amp was only on 2 on the clean channel but it gives an  idea of the tone available. 

I really like this pickup and it completely changed my opinion that Tele's are all about the bridge tones!

[Ian Price]

Cheers Tom - will give it a listen tonight, getting a firewall warning on my work PC!

[Ian Price]

Awesome mate, great playing too. I fear my guitar playing 'talent' will be put in the shade at the Manchester meet!

[38thBeatle]

Great tone and terrific playing there my good man. I should do a clip of my Country Boys through my Laney VC30 when I get a moment. Won't be up to your playing but it'll be interesting to see what you think.

[bobthemerciful]

Very very nice sound and playing  PDT_003

[AndyR]

Woo- great playing :D

I can see why people are saying it's a stratty pickup now. I've got two of them, and they haven't really sounded like that to me yet :lol: I shall have to fiddle with my amp settings... (I like the neck pickup, but the bridge blackguard is what made me understand why so many tele players think it's all about the bridge pup...)

What weight strings are you using? I'm using 11s - I'm wondering if you're using 10s ?

[_tom_]

Awesome tone :)

[tomjackson]

Cheers fellas :D


Ian, is that the kind of neck pickup tone you're after?  It does sound fairly 'stratty' but that's always a good thing to me.  I find you can really dig in with it. 

38th, yes would love to hear the CB's, in fact if I build another Tele they might tempt me.

Andy, well spotted, they are 10's.  I was always an 11's player until a year or so ago, now 10's seem just right.  Especially for chord bends like near the end of the clip, with 11's I'd be way off, with 10's I'm only a little off

[Ian Price]

Ian, is that the kind of neck pickup tone you're after?  It does sound fairly 'stratty' but that's always a good thing to me.  I find you can really dig in with it. 

Yeah - sort of. It has a really nice brittle sort of sound to it (nice brittle, not nasty weedy brittle) but smoothed out well on the other parts of the clip. My neck pup does sound a bit muddy by comparison. I'll be bringing my tele along to the Manchester meet so won't be buying a tele bkp until after that!

Cheers,

Ian.

[tomjackson]

Ian, is that the kind of neck pickup tone you're after?  It does sound fairly 'stratty' but that's always a good thing to me.  I find you can really dig in with it. 

Yeah - sort of. It has a really nice brittle sort of sound to it (nice brittle, not nasty weedy brittle) but smoothed out well on the other parts of the clip. My neck pup does sound a bit muddy by comparison. I'll be bringing my tele along to the Manchester meet so won't be buying a tele bkp until after that!

Cheers,

Ian.

Sounds like a plan, looking forward to the event.

I think there's a bit of the acoustic sound from the guitar as well as the amp was so quiet, which adds a bit of the maple necks brittleness t the tone. As ever you can't beat trying things yourself to decide so I'll bring it along on the day. :D

[AndyR]

Andy, well spotted, they are 10's.  I was always an 11's player until a year or so ago, now 10's seem just right.  Especially for chord bends like near the end of the clip, with 11's I'd be way off, with 10's I'm only a little off

:D Yeah it was partly the chord bends that made me suspect it - I keep meaning to work on that area, but I think I need to move to 10s on at least one tele to give myself half a chance!

It was also the tone though - both of my teles have 11s, one is nickel wound, and the other pure nickel at the moment, and my neck pups have a fatter tone to them that I quite like. I reckon that going down to 10s would probably increase the stratty-ness.

I've got my pickups as close to the strings as I can manage as well - that kinda fattens them up.

[tomjackson]

I know what you mean Andy, 10's have a little more spank but with less fulness if that means anything.
But as previously mentioned the lack of volume adds to that also, along with the acoustic noise leaking into the mic.

Hopefully next week I'll get some clips recorded in a Studio through the house amp, a Laney Lionheart 5W.  I plan to go through the 4 positions at volume with the cab miked up properly, and perhaps some slide.
In fact while I'm there I may as well do IT's and Stormy Mondays as well!

[Twinfan]

Very nice!  Quite SRV in places!

[LP_LOVER]

GREAT TONE  8)

[Scotty477]

Great tone and excellent playing.

Very nice indeed  :D