that's a very interesting topic ! some questions are now jumping out !
If the MQ (and more generally talking the "P-90 soapbar family") is in between a single coil and a humbucker, does any humbucker handle high gain distorsion better than the MQ ?
do you think that the MQ is more fat and less clear than ANY of the humbucker of the BKP range ?
With what BKP bridge would the MQ pair well, in both power AND voicing. ?
I think I've read here that some people pair it with a WP in the bridge and I was wondering how come a D.C. 7K neck would pair well in volume with a D.C. 22K flamethrower in the bridge ? (even if I guess that the fatness of the MQ pairs well with the bass response of the Pig...)
Well to comment on the bits I have experimented with so far :
I can imagine many of the mid to higher gain humbuckers would certainly handle higher gain
tighter - as the M.Q is still a nice fat
single coil around an
Alnico magnet - and as such is still ( to my ears ) vintage sounding.
The M.Q is fatter but perhaps less 'open' ( which
could be a criteria of " clear " ) than my AIV or Alinico II Stormy Mondays or Mules. The
edge on the notes possible with an appropriately set up M.Q gives a different style of articulate than the 'open sounding - but without sharp edges' sound of B.K.P's lower output Vintage P.A.F. type offerings ( excluding Riff Raffs and VHIIs of course ) .
To over simplify, a beefy Telecaster bridge pickup is in a way 'clearer' ( i.e removes more tooth fillings and smashes more wine glasses ) than a bridge Stormy Monday or Mule,
BUT the Stormy or Mule could probably reveal more subtleties of vibrato - and other 'airy' qualities. Remember also that ( for example ) the B.K.P Peter Green specials are based on the Stormy Monday template - and they are made to get that fine detail of stuff like P.G's noodling on the original "Need Your Love So Bad" - or Snowy White's " Bird Of Paradise " ....
So which between a strident Tele bridge pickup and an open, breathy P.A.F fits your favourite definition of clarity ?
:D
