PK too aggressive, not quite warm enough...suggest me?

[fatbagg]

Ok.  I have the PK in my bridge, and...its alittle too aggressive for me, to much edge.   Im wondering if its too powerful or pushing my amp harder than i need cuz its getting hard to get a smoothness in the gain I used to get...

SO...here we go again...

Usa Dean ml, ,mahogany body, set neck, spalt top (1/4") and ebony fretboard.  I play lead guitar for the most part in my band, and REALLY need to stand out clear and warm...I spend most of my time playing fast legatto and alternate picking runs...but I think the PK is alittle too in your face, as it brings more gain and edge out...which gets alittle confusing in the mix (with an el34 amp). 

Maybe I need something alittle less output and a bit warmer?   Maybe holy diver, or VHII?  I dont know...HELP!!!

I would like something NOT bright, with the mids centered alittle lower.  Bridge position.

[MDV]

Holy divers not a bad call, but I havent played one yet, so cant say for sure.

The MM is the smoothest of the high outputters I've used, its still bright, but its a bit less powerfull, more fluid and cuts through beautifully.

[Twinfan]

The Holydiver is what you seek  :)

[pagan7]

I'd say go for something with an alnico magnet for less biting attack........like a Nailbomb !!!

[discofudge]

Crawler?

Might be a bit too warm.

[dheim]

i'd say nailbomb. at least it works for me, and i cover your role in my band. HD could be even too warm...

[MDV]

Crawler?

Might be a bit too warm.

Not a bad idea, actually. Probably the most versatile pickup on the planet. When I had my set, in an Epi LP, one minute i was bluesing out on it, the next it was hanging with my bandmates 81 playing tech death metal.

It may not be the BEST pickup for any occasion, but I cant imagine any where it wouldnt work.

I might get another actually.

[ericsabbath]

the holy diver has the best bridge lead tone I've heard, specially when boosted
but I think I would get a nailbomb instead
win/win situation, anyway

[Antag]

Stick with the PK - my first impressions were quite similar to yours.  I found it very "in yer face" & didn't like the clean sound at all, but I've come to appreciate the PK more & got used to the differences from my favourite Holy Diver.

On the subject of other pickups, Miracle Man is a good call from MDV.  It's similar power-wise, but smoother with much less mid push into the amp.

Holy Diver would probably work - it's warmer than the PK, a little less power (but still enough for most metal), more rounded in the highs, far superior clean tone.  IIRC Tim recommended against it in Explorers or large bodied mahogany guitars (can't find the post), but I have a Holy Diver in my all-mahogany Jackson Kelly & it works pretty well (I even recorded a clip with it) - the one difference is that my Jackson is neck-thru rather than set...

[Dr. Vic]

Why not Cold Sweat ? Isn't this one the closest to the Dimebucker / L-500XL, that will fit the Dean pretty well ??

It's true this pickup is bright and maybe the clearest in the BKP range, but maybe it will sit well on a big mahogany body. And I think you said you don't want a bright pickup because you are afraid of the too much edge you had with the PK, but I suppose it won't be the same with the CS, and it is worth considering it in this guitar... (Tim and the others here, will confirm if the brightness of the CS will be a problem for you).

The CS is still ceramic (so you keep the tight-bass-chug-you-need), and the Eq is very balanced, with very smooth mids, as far as I understand it.  The cleans are great too.
 PDT_003

[fatbagg]

I dont need a bright pickup...The dean USA is brighter than their oversea's, and I personally think the l-500 and dimebuckers are way to piercing and thin/shrill for my tastes.

Im playing on a cornford hellcat...which is very upper midrange heavy, and has TONS of gain...maybe I need a lower output model, with SMOOTH treble side, and good bass and lowmid response...

The poainkillers are awesoime, but they have a similar sound to the hellcat, so its too much upper mid spikyness going on, and they push this amp WAY to hard, it gets sizzly.

[dheim]

I dont need a bright pickup...The dean USA is brighter than their oversea's, and I personally think the l-500 and dimebuckers are way to piercing and thin/shrill for my tastes.

Im playing on a cornford hellcat...which is very upper midrange heavy, and has TONS of gain...maybe I need a lower output model, with SMOOTH treble side, and good bass and lowmid response...

The poainkillers are awesoime, but they have a similar sound to the hellcat, so its too much upper mid spikyness going on, and they push this amp WAY to hard, it gets sizzly.

you described holy divers, then!

[Dr. Vic]

I dont need a bright pickup...The dean USA is brighter than their oversea's, and I personally think the l-500 and dimebuckers are way to piercing and thin/shrill for my tastes.

BUT maybe you have first to choose between Ceramic vs AlnicoV. Even if the MM is the smoothest in the ceramic range it will always be brighter than an Alnico V.

you described holy divers, then!

^+1

But the body of the ML is quite a big slice of mahogany, don't know if the HD wouldn't be too bass-boomy (that's just a question).

[ericsabbath]

you described holy divers, then!

^+1

But the body of the ML is quite a big slice of mahogany, don't know if the HD wouldn't be too bass-boomy (that's just a question).

well.. it doesn't sound boomy in les pauls
his guitar has ebony board and spalted maple top

[MDV]

The top and likely, unless its high grade stuff (very unlikely) the board wont make much difference.

Spalted maple tends to kill vibration anyway, starting with high end, so if theres an appreciable amount on there it will dull the tone of the guitar (its sonic properties are, by all accounts, quite abysmal - its because all the black lines in it are fungal infection and the grain there is destroyed; its just a patchwork of bits of wood)