PAF-style in a vintage explorer?

[Dashface]

So, I've got a new project on the go shortly - an original 1976 Explorer.  I just have the body and neck - no hardware yet; no nothing.  It's not something I'll be using every day, but I'd love if it sounded really damn good.  Sometimes purists hate me for this, but I'll put it out there:  I usually play in a Pink Floyd tribute act (so yeah, not a lot of humbucker action ha ha) - however, I have a few sideman gigs coming up that I'll use the Explorer with.

I'd like a vintage sounding PAF.  In a Floyd-related reference, I really love Snowy White's tone in the Roger Waters In The Flesh DVD - and that's pretty PAF, considering it's original '57 Gold-top.  In this upcoming project I'll probably be playing sort of pop rock, though, not as many singing solos as usual.

Thing is, I'll be using my regular rig, which is very Gilmour (ie, multiple Hiwatts + Yamaha RA200).  So, tell me what you think would work best for a vintage tone through some vintage Hiwatts!  I'm leaning towards Stormy Monday or Mule.

(PS - I also have an Esquire that I put a BKP Blackguard in, which I love - so I'm not a total BKP noob).


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www.canadianpinkfloyd.com

[Twinfan]

Riff Raffs might work well with all that mahogany!!!

[AndyR]

I'm leaning towards Riff Raffs as well.

I've not tried my Mules in my Explorer, they might be rather tasty, but I like them where they are in a Les Paul type guitar.

When I got my Explorer, I was after making it into my "blues-machine". But I also wanted it to do blues-rock and "classic-rock". My reference points were things like Allen Collins in Lynyrd Skynyrd and late 70s rock tones just before it started getting called "metal".

My understanding is that the Riff Raffs are the BKP offering most like the type of humbuckers that would have been in many of those guitars (including a 76 Explorer!), and I had a set, so I put them in and loved it. It was 60s-70s rock incarnate :lol:

I've since swapped things around further, and my Explorer has had Mississippi Queens for nearly two years now. It was just an experiment, but it worked well for me. I'm treating the MQs more like humbuckers than singles. I'm really a single coil player, strat mainly, and the combination of Explorer and MQ is perfect for me - I know they're not humbuckers, but they do what I want from HB territory, and they respond more like I'm used to. It might be worth you looking into that sort of idea if you're really a single coil guy most of the time.

But if you're more of a humbucker purist (and I think I would be in an original 76 Explorer! :lol:) Riff Raffs is what I'd suggest.

And welcome to the forum! :D

[PhilKing]

One new pickup that I think might suit you is the T-Top. These are like a hot version of the Stormy Monday (but are only hot because the magnet pushes them more - the DC is 7.6/7.2K with AV magnet).  I've had them for only a week, but I am loving their sound.  They are have a really nice tone with great bass response, without losing the top that a higher DC wind would do.  Gibson used T-tops well into the 70's and they are probably what you would have heard on many recordings.   I have them in a Metal Front Zemaitis clone, which is all mahogany other than the front, and they sound great in that.  I had a set with an Emerald bridge and AIV Mule neck in there before, but I got a new LP with Emeralds and wanted to try something different.  I'm really happy with them.

[Dashface]

Thanks for all the replies, guys!  Always nice to go somewhere new and have everyone so friendly.

I like the idea of the Mississippi Queens - I've always been interested in those - and I'm sure they'd suit it fine; but I already have a Les Paul Custom with P90s, so I have that sort of sound covered.  This is why I'd like to stick with humbuckers, just not too rock sounding.  My idea of Explorer tone leans towards The Edge a lot more than 70s rock, if you see what I mean.

What's this T-top thing people are talking about?  Is there a new version by BKP that I don't see on the site?  I'm confused.  I used to have a 70s Les Paul Custom that had original T-tops, and they weren't my favourite...  But I think that was just the guitar.

[Ratrod]

It's time for Tim to spill the beans on those T-tops.

And some clips.

[Philly Q]

And give 'em a name!!!

What would be an iconic song/artist associated with T-Tops?

[Dashface]

Could they just call 'em "Tim Tops"?  :D

[FernandoDuarte]

Could they just call 'em "Tim Tops"?  :D

:lol:

[AndyR]

My idea of Explorer tone leans towards The Edge a lot more than 70s rock, if you see what I mean.

I did actually wonder that. Funnily enough, "an original 76 Explorer" means two things to me: first, The Edge, and then Allen Collins.

My Explorer was more capable of doing the earlier tones The Edge used when it had the Riff Raffs in it.

But I reckon these new, er, "Tim Tops" could be interesting...

TIM: I don't know why, but I have a gut feeling these pickups ought to have a Marc Bolan reference, I dunno, Jeepsters, or something...

[Dashface]

Sounds like a few people like the idea of Riff Raffs...  I never really considered them before, but now...

They're not too bright, are they?  My main conern is I like a humbucker to sound sweet - I don't like brittle, and I don't like woofy.  Something in the middle is what I'm interested in.  Will Riff Raffs do that?  I understand that an explorer, being a giant hunk of mahogany, may have funny sonic properties.

[ericsabbath]

And give 'em a name!!!

What would be an iconic song/artist associated with T-Tops?

about anything non-fenderish from the 70's :?

Rhoads, Zappa and Angus definitely used them a lot

I thought the riff raff was already based on the t-tops
but I've read that t-tops weren't consistent, so the DCR varied from 7k to 9k

[ericsabbath]

Sounds like a few people like the idea of Riff Raffs...  I never really considered them before, but now...

They're not too bright, are they?  My main conern is I like a humbucker to sound sweet - I don't like brittle, and I don't like woofy.  Something in the middle is what I'm interested in.  Will Riff Raffs do that?  I understand that an explorer, being a giant hunk of mahogany, may have funny sonic properties.

from my short experience with explorers and flying V's (which sound quite similar), I'd say a riff raff would be my first choice among the lower output models
they are mid heavy and very resonant, but tend to be dark sounding compared to a les paul, even with those stock ceramic pickups
I think the riff raff would balance pretty well in the bridge
maybe a warmer model for the neck position

[AndyR]

Some folks have got a Riff Raff in the bridge and an MQ in the neck of an Explorer (I even have a feeling PhilKing has - sorry if I've mis-remembered that PK!). I understand that's a nice combo.

I do have the ability to try this out, but I've never done it because I quite like the MQ in the bridge. As far as I can remember, the Riff Raffs in the Explorer were nice and sweet sounding. The MQ feels just a bit "hairy-er"...

My Riff Raffs were originally in a hard sounding Epi SG. They were bright in that. They moved to the Explorer, where they came into their own more, in fact I thought they were very nice and would never move... But the MQs in the Epi SG were even more bright though!! So I swapped round... and the Explorer has had the MQs ever since.

Eventually I went looking for a warm sounding Gibson SG Special faded. Found one and put the Riff Raffs in that - they are now sweet with the ability to get nasty. All pickups and guitars are now happy :D (with the possible exception of the Epi SG which is in it's gig-bag with no pickups or electrics at the moment :lol:)

[PhilKing]

Some folks have got a Riff Raff in the bridge and an MQ in the neck of an Explorer (I even have a feeling PhilKing has - sorry if I've mis-remembered that PK!).

You mixed up 2 of my guitars Andy.  The Explorer is the heavy rock machine, with a Warpig/MQ combo, I have a Riff Raff/Stormy Monday in my Tobacco burst Les Paul.  VHII's can be a nice setup in an explorer, I think Tim had that set up one year at LGS.