pickups for a basswood 7 strings... NGD incoming... ;)

[dheim]

my only basswood guitar is an ibanez RG loaded with Alnico Warpigs... it sounds absolutely awesome, but, since i tuned it in B, they tend to lose definition on lower strings...

i'll get very soon an absolutely identical 7-stringer (you know what i'm talking about, MDV! ;)), and i'll tune it in standard E with low B on the 7th... so the problem is: how can i get a massive, powerful and aggressive tone without sacrificing clarity on the 7th string?
i've asked the Masters (i'm using plural because it wasn't Tim to answer) and they anwered Painkiller. that seems an absolutely logical choice, BUT i'm not so sure i want another PK set... too tight and dry for my playing style - i've never tried them in a basswood guitar so i can't judge directly.

any idea?

C-Bomb?
Miracle Man?
C-Pig? (maybe the ceramic version is a bit more definite on low notes?)
Painkiller and shut up?

[Nolly]

You could try the Rebel Yells - they're clear and exceptionally tight for alnico pickups. Through an appropriate setup they can bring the heavies with the best of 'em.

[MDV]

I do indeed!

If the PK isnt suited for you it isnt suited for you, dont get one.

C-Pig can handle the low notes better than the a-pig but I figure your best bet is probably the c-bomb. I have one in a DX1 (basswood, maple) and it brings the big ass heaviness and the clarity in the low end and is about as hot as a PK, but not nearly as dry (I know what you mean there).

[dheim]

You could try the Rebel Yells - they're clear and exceptionally tight for alnico pickups. Through an appropriate setup they can bring the heavies with the best of 'em.

I didn't think about the RY... i've got (and love, definitely) them in a couple of mahogany guitars (one that's pretty dark and one that's midddy and extremely resonant), but i can't imagine how they could sound in basswood... they're tight and "airy" for sure, but maybe not enough grindy for what i had in mind... maybe.

[Roobubba]

Nolly makes a good suggestion to go for the lower output pickups - definitely worth considering! They can still get royally brutal when they need to ;)

With that said, I also have a miracle man in a basswood 6-string (downtuned to drop A), and it's great. Note definition is still excellent, and I find it a ballsy, raw sound (not what I'd expect from a 'smooth' voiced pickup). Of course, different pickups in different guitars will sound... different (unless they're EMGs), so YMMV and all that.

Roo

[MDV]

Oh, wrt my post there about the jackson and c-bomb; I just assumed that you would recall that I play in drop B, for some reason. I've had them in drop A# with great success as well.

[dheim]

Oh, wrt my post there about the jackson and c-bomb; I just assumed that you would recall that I play in drop B, for some reason. I've had them in drop A# with great success as well.

yeah, i remember you're tuned insanely low! :)

[dheim]

Nolly makes a good suggestion to go for the lower output pickups - definitely worth considering! They can still get royally brutal when they need to ;)

With that said, I also have a miracle man in a basswood 6-string (downtuned to drop A), and it's great. Note definition is still excellent, and I find it a ballsy, raw sound (not what I'd expect from a 'smooth' voiced pickup). Of course, different pickups in different guitars will sound... different (unless they're EMGs), so YMMV and all that.

Roo

i know, as i said i'm using RYs in standard E and they sound of course less brutal than my Pigs, but surely enough evil through my ENGL...  :twisted:

[Nolly]

I didn't think about the RY... i've got (and love, definitely) them in a couple of mahogany guitars (one that's pretty dark and one that's midddy and extremely resonant), but i can't imagine how they could sound in basswood... they're tight and "airy" for sure, but maybe not enough grindy for what i had in mind... maybe.

Fair point. This guy is using a Rebel Yell in his (admittedly mahogany) 7, certainly sounds grindy!

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/pickups-electronics-and-general-tech/103163-bkp-rebel-yell-7-string-clip-mp3-nemecide-ep-preview.html

[dheim]

I didn't think about the RY... i've got (and love, definitely) them in a couple of mahogany guitars (one that's pretty dark and one that's midddy and extremely resonant), but i can't imagine how they could sound in basswood... they're tight and "airy" for sure, but maybe not enough grindy for what i had in mind... maybe.

Fair point. This guy is using a Rebel Yell in his (admittedly mahogany) 7, certainly sounds grindy!

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/pickups-electronics-and-general-tech/103163-bkp-rebel-yell-7-string-clip-mp3-nemecide-ep-preview.html

urgh!

[dheim]

so... the rg7321 has arrived yesterday. i've played it just unplugged and, surprisingly enough, it's brighter than the rgr321ex... maybe because the latter has got a reverse headstock, or because the 7 string has got an heavier 5 pcs maple neck that's dominant on tone...
anyway i decided to buy a ceramic nailbomb in bridge position and a cold sweat in neck position...

just then i'll post pics and whatever... :)

[FernandoDuarte]

Really nice! Would like to know your thoughts, I'm not a PK-man too... I've been here for more than 3 years and can't understand clearly the meaning of "tightness", but as PK is the "tight-master" I use to think I like things more "loosy" :lol:

[MDV]

Tightness is the rapidity of response and control/allowance of decay of the low end.

A 'tight' pickup has a fast, strong attack in the lows that rapidly decays, accentuating and deliniating low frequency content between notes. It goes "Dunk" in the low end.

A loose pickup has a weaker attack (or seeming so) and longer decay, blurring the low end between notes. It goes "Boom" in the lows.

[JustBecos]

Tightness is the rapidity of response and control/allowance of decay of the low end.

A 'tight' pickup has a fast, strong attack in the lows that rapidly decays, accentuating and deliniating low frequency content between notes. It goes "Dunk" in the low end.

A loose pickup has a weaker attack (or seeming so) and longer decay, blurring the low end between notes. It goes "Boom" in the lows.

That's a really good way of putting it. I 'know' what tightness is but would have been stuffed to trying to explain it to someone else

[dheim]

excellent description, Mark... let's say that the only application for wich you'll REALLY need an extremely tight pickup are fast rhythms on low strings, especially if dowtuned... playing in B you really feel the need for a tight pickup, in E you can live perfectly with an Alnico bridge and it's unlikely that note decay will be slower than your hand's stroke speed...