What's a ballsier alternative to Mules?

[bewithdennis]

a liitle moore Billy f Gibbons

what now, Moore or Gibbons?

:O)

i think i meant more....
damn these fingers
 8)

[HTH AMPS]

your title describes the Abraxas bridge to a tee - ballsier Mule.

the Abraxas neck is full on vintage though - very clear, but roll back the tone and it gets fatter.  ideally I'd like a fatter neck pickup, but you could always use a Mule or Crawler neck to match up with the Axraxas bridge.

[FELINEGUITARS]

The Emerald would also fit the bill nicely for a beefier Mule type response

[Philly Q]

the Abraxas neck is full on vintage though - very clear, but roll back the tone and it gets fatter.  ideally I'd like a fatter neck pickup, but you could always use a Mule or Crawler neck to match up with the Axraxas bridge.

Would you say the Abraxas neck is less fat than the Mule?  That surprises me.

I liked the Abraxas neck better than the Crawler, but I thought the Mule would be a tad brighter and less hot.

[HTH AMPS]

the Abraxas neck is full on vintage though - very clear, but roll back the tone and it gets fatter.  ideally I'd like a fatter neck pickup, but you could always use a Mule or Crawler neck to match up with the Axraxas bridge.

Would you say the Abraxas neck is less fat than the Mule?  That surprises me.

I liked the Abraxas neck better than the Crawler, but I thought the Mule would be a tad brighter and less hot.

The neck pickup is 6.9k which explains why it's quite bright.  My Mule neck pickup is 7.4k which is just right.  I think they're both AIV too, the Mule certainly is.

When I ordered my Mule neck pickup, I told Tim that I can find PAF neck pickups a little weak.  He explained that the Crawler neck pickup was a slightly hotter Mule (like 500ohms hotter) and that I might like that instead - thats what my Mule neck pickup is.

I might get the Abraxas neck humbucker rewound a bit hotter, or just sell it - would match better with a Mule or Stormy Monday bridge pickup. 

The Abraxas bridge otoh is just perfect - everything you'd want out of a pickup with a PAF tone, but with enough weight to make the notes sing.

[Philly Q]

Weird, I'm pretty sure my Abraxas neck was 7.3k.  :?   I didn't really find it bright, but it did have a bit more "presence" than some PAF types, if I remember correctly.  And you're right, they're both AIV.

Maybe it's another of those cases where Tim has refined the specs?

I think I'll probably still go for a calibrated set (if I get them).  They're for a McCarty Korina so it's going to sound pretty sweet and warm anyway.

[Dr. Vic]

The "average" DC value Tim gave me for the neck position (All AIV powered) are :
Mu : 7.3 K
Ab : 7.4 K
Cr : 7.6 K

BK says the pickups are "Wound, made and played the traditional way --- by hand !" 8)...with an indicative DC resistance. But it's true that an Ab (D.C. 6.9K) weaker than a Mu surprises me too...  :?

I liked the Abraxas neck better than the Crawler

The only (important) clue I have to compare the CR and AB neck is what Tim said about them :
"Abraxas and Crawlers are very similar : fat, warm and singing. The Abraxas neck is just a little sweeter, the Crawler neck sounded slightly tougher/more aggressive. the Crawler is a little hotter than Abraxas although both are AIV powered. The Crawler neck takes the neck Mule tone to a much hotter level-DC7.6K Alnico IV."   8) 8)

but I'd be very interested to hear what works for you with the AB neck which didn't worked with the Cr neck ? 


And congrat' for the PRS Mc Carty : one of a kind beauty ! Always been curious to know how to the korina sound, compared to mahogany... I know it's off topic but if you can says very few short words on that it would be great !
 

[Philly Q]

I liked the Abraxas neck better than the Crawler

The only (important) clue I have to compare the CR and AB neck is what Tim said about them :
"Abraxas and Crawlers are very similar : fat, warm and singing. The Abraxas neck is just a little sweeter, the Crawler neck sounded slightly tougher/more aggressive. the Crawler is a little hotter than Abraxas although both are AIV powered. The Crawler neck takes the neck Mule tone to a much hotter level-DC7.6K Alnico IV."   8) 8)

but I'd be very interested to hear what works for you with the AB neck which didn't worked with the Cr neck ? 

Well, I think when I got the Crawlers I used pretty much exactly the same words Tim used there  :lol: : "The Abraxas neck is just a little sweeter, the Crawler neck sounded slightly tougher/more aggressive". 

I was expecting them to sound almost identical, but in fact the difference was quite noticeable.  Whenever I try to describe the Crawler bridge, I always say it sounds aggressive and growly.   And that also extends to the neck model, to some extent.  I like a very warm, singing neck sound and the Abraxas was closer to that.

Of course they were in different guitars (both LPs, but one without a maple top), so that's part of the difference too.

And congrat' for the PRS Mc Carty : one of a kind beauty ! Always been curious to know how to the korina sound, compared to mahogany... I know it's off topic but if you can says very few short words on that it would be great !

It's hard to describe, it is basically similar to mahogany, but somehow it's both brighter and warmer.  The tone is really fat, lots of mids, but it also has "presence".  On a mahogany guitar, the high notes can sometimes sound a bit thin... with the korina, they sound bright but there seems to be more underlying depth.   It's like mahogany with all the tone controls turned up!  :)

Of course it's a PRS, and they always seem to use good resonant timbers, I haven't tried any other korina guitars to compare.

[Dr. Vic]

That's one-of-a-kind input Philly ! Thanks for your tips!

As Tim said the CR and AB neck are similar, I was thinking the difference was subbtle, not that noticeable. But as you said it may has a lot to do with the guitar too...

Anyway, my guess is that the Abraxas is certainly going to have more and more success in the near future...   8)