Looking for Neck pup, Carlton, yngwie, Vintage, clarity

[Ribboz]

Hello,
Im using a suhr standard(Alder/maple top-Maple neck/idian rosewood) Going through a Bogner Shiva with bogner 212. Main pedal is my king of tone.

Im looking for a neck pickup to replace the DSV and I want to ask what is your opinion of what Im thinking. For years I used a 59 in the neck and it was good, but as soon as I got into suhr, they just seems decent. Also after reading that the DSV is a variation on a old model of Duncan made for holdsworth, who couldnt love it. :D But, Im looking for more clarity. I want to go for a 59 with smooth clarity. Something that could get me Larry Carlton, to yngwie for fun. Gary more, to george lynch.

One idea I considered, more out of curiosity than tone because of its popularity, was the cold sweat. How would the cold sweat neck pup compare to the 59 or suhr DSV?
Also your opinions will be greatly appreciated :D Thank you

[dave_mc]

i haven't tried the dsv, unfortunately. I've got a duncan '59 neck pickup in an edwards les paul standard, while i've got a cold sweat neck pickup in my legra V with floyd... completely different guitars, in other words, so best take what I'm saying with a pinch of salt in case some of the differences are more due to the different styles of guitar, construction, woods etc.. But I'd say the cold sweat is probably a little hotter, it handles high gain stuff a lot better than the '59 (which can get mushy with too much gain), but the '59 might be slightly more open-sounding and probably has a slightly nicer, brighter, airier clean tone- though the '59 also has a slightly gritty, hard edge to the tone (which the cold sweat doesn't).

I'm not really sure if that helps or not, but those are the differences I hear. I'm sure everyone else who has both will disagree... :lol:

EDIT: by the way, that sounds like a very nice rig. :)

[Ribboz]

The main reason Im asking, was I tried the suhr aldrich in the neck, and higher output isnt for me in this position(neck). I want something with medium output/still a little hot, and gets a nice smooth/airy tone in clean.

[Dr. Vic]

I want to go for a 59 with smooth clarity.

With the nice review from Dave_MC, the CS might not be a bad call then !

But if you're more on the vintage side I'd would consider an Alnico IV neck pickup like the Abraxas or the Crawler (if you want it slighty hotter). You'll get here the smooth warm tone the '59 hasn't.

And welcome !  :good:


 

[Ribboz]

How would an Alnico cold sweat sound?

Oh, Ive had BKs since they started, I just prefer reading posts than talking.
Im just feeling desperate :D

[dave_mc]

^ the neck version of the cold sweat is alnico V, as far as I'm aware, it's the bridge version which is ceramic.

the cold sweat cleans are quite nice- but I'm not sure I'd call them "airy". That's possibly partly due to the guitar they're in, the amp I play through, etc. etc., but if I wanted an airy clean tone as you stated, I'm not sure I'd want the cold sweat, kind of thing. I don't have any experience with any of the other bareknuckle neck pickups, but I'm sure there are other, lower output, more "airy" neck pickups in the BKP range. Don't get me wrong, the cold sweat in the neck isn't metal hot or anything like that, and the cleans certainly aren't "bad", but they aren't amazing, and it doesn't really sound like a vintage output pickup either, to my ears anyway; it's warmer and smoother and takes to high gain a lot better.

When I asked Tim for pickup recommendations (and he recommended the cold sweat in the neck), I asked for "good overdrive and decent cleans", and I'd say that's about right- if the overdrive is your priority, go with the cold sweat- you'll still get nice cleans, but they probably won't blow your socks off. If clean tones are the priority, then perhaps go with something a little more vintage in tone. Funnily enough, I actually asked Tim about an airier Cold Sweat in the neck for a possible future guitar (a custom superstrat), and he suggested an alnico IV Mule, but I haven't tried it yet, as I haven't got the guitar or the pickup yet. :lol:

With the nice review from Dave_MC, the CS might not be a bad call then !

thanks :D

[Ribboz]

Hmm so a mule...
Could a mule match up with a miracle man??

[dave_mc]

you'd need to ask the other guys who've tried them (or tim) that. :) the cold sweat certainly matches perfectly fine.

[Ribboz]

Well thank you, you've been a greater help than any one on this forum yet. Other than Tim of course :D

[dheim]

Hmm so a mule...
Could a mule match up with a miracle man??

don't think so...
of course i've got them in two veeeeery different guitars (being the MMs in an ibanez RGA and the mules in an all-mahogany chambered les paul), but my idea is that they will sound too different to make a believable ensemble... i had a very nice surprise with neck MM, it's a great pickup for CLEANS and light overdriven tones, and of course can be used for hi-gain leads as well...
the mule is much more vintage oriented, very bright and clear, with an impressive "openness" and "inyourfaceness" (god if i'm talking ugly...) in its tone. i love it, but i'm not sure about the mix. i would mix it with a nailbomb, for example...
noone ever mentions Rebel Yells... i'm loving them since i installed them in one of my axes... the neck unit is absolutely awesome, maybe the best sounding neck pickup i ever played... very clear and definite, maybe too much for your bright guitar, but worth a try if you look for an airy and articulate tone.

[dave_mc]

Well thank you, you've been a greater help than any one on this forum yet. Other than Tim of course :D

no problem. I hardly ever post in pickup threads because i haven't tried enough of them, just it so happened i'd tried the one you were interested in. :lol:

[Ribboz]

dheim, I've read in other posts, you seem to think alder is bright?

[syr2012]

dheim, I've read in other posts, you seem to think alder is bright?

I personally think alder is quite balanced and versatile, depending on what it's paired with.
But you were asking dheim.

[Ribboz]

dheim, I've read in other posts, you seem to think alder is bright?

I personally think alder is quite balanced and versatile, depending on what it's paired with.
But you were asking dheim.

Oh, no I have plenty of experience with alder. I was merely confused that people think alder is bright :D

[dheim]

i'm not too experienced with alder guitars, i had just one (a strato) many years ago, so i speak just out of prejudice... :)
but if you just pass over my last sentence i confirm every other single word i wrote! ;)