another one..

[Will]

Any comparisons between the Riff Raffs, A5 mules and T tops then gwEm?

[AndyR]

Any comparisons between the Riff Raffs, A5 mules and T tops then gwEm?

+1

That's kinda what I'm thinking as well :)

Oh, and Philly, the moment of "uh-oh, another guitar perhaps..." has passed. I struggled to get the Explorer case out from behind the sofa, had a good ole blast on it, and Faded V GAS has evaporated :lol:

If only I could sort out why my skin/whatever makes Gibson nitro go sticky whenever I touch it. The Fadeds are fine, the stuff on the Fender Roadworn bodies is fine, but the stuff on the Explorer reacts with me everytime. If I was gigging it I'd live with it happily - I sweat so much that the krud would build up in song one and be washed off by song three! - but playing in a living room for enjoyment, where one does not tend to sweat like Rory, one is kind of drawn to one of the many other guitars instead :lol:


Anyway, I'm particularly interested in how these T-Tops compare to Riff Raffs gwem :D

[gwEm]

Keep 'em there, then!  :)

what about the zebra set of riff raffs and the double creme mules? i just have a white greco V and a schenker V to put them in - very difficult to get it looking right at this point..

So no "issues" with the bridge pickup being (on paper) very low output?  And will the neck give that nice sweet, singing tone or is it a bit brighter than (say) a Mule or SM?  (I'm assuming they're both AV?)

no issues with the bridge being low-ish output. it drives my amp into overdrive with no issues. both pickups are AV. the neck is brighter than a mule or SM, but they respond to the tone control very well, and its an excellent neck tone.

[gwEm]

Hmmmm... I suspect these buggers would sound equally awesome in an Explorer?

I reckon they would. i never had a set of pickups which made a V sound so much like a V. in Phil's Les Paul they sounded like a really nice Les Paul - clearly the "lowish" output lets the guitar breathe a bit.

on the output level, i can get a more than respectable amount of drive into my marshall 2204

But then where do I put the MQs?

in an SG??

[gwEm]

Any comparisons between the Riff Raffs, A5 mules and T tops then gwEm?

its hard to say, since I only have the T-Tops fitted to a guitar at the moment ;) I was planning some sort of back to back comparsion for you.. however (on to the next post)

[gwEm]

Anyway, I'm particularly interested in how these T-Tops compare to Riff Raffs gwem :D

the t-tops are more neutral sounding that the riff raffs. both are bright sets, but the riff raff has more bite to the tone. the riff raff bridge has a bit more hair on it, and colours the sound a bit more. speaking about the neck models, they have similar output i would say, maybe the t-top is sweeter sounding, works a bit better clean - though both are a touch cold in the faded V, the t-top is a bit warmer with less bite, though as i say they are both bright.

from that it all sounds like they are very similar, and in certain respects they are, but the actual character of the tone is quite different. the t-tops sounds more classic - like the tones on your favourite 70s hard rock records. the riff raffs have more dry bite than that, a slight exaggeration of that 1970s sound perhaps.

the t-tops are a little bit more funky sounding too, i can see why the schenker brothers bring that side into their chordal work having tried these. those funky barre chords really come out, maybe with a simidgeon of fender character... or at least the ability to have a really good stab at what a strat can do.

phil and I compared the t-tops to A5 mules, and the A5 mules are meatier with more mids, and a smoother neck (tim keeps the neck a4 in the a5 mule set - a wise decision)

anyway - if anyone has an idea about moving the pickups around, i would appreciate to hear it ;) zebra's in the schenker might look cool, but they might look weird as well. at least in the greco i still have covers to put on whatever goes in there.

[AndyR]

Thanks for that gwem. :D

But...

But then where do I put the MQs?

in an SG??

That's the problem... the SG has the Riff Raffs! :lol:

It's starting to sound like I might actually prefer the T-Tops to the Riff Raffs. RRs have been in three guitars here, and I like them in all three - but I suspect the extra touch of "hair" is what's troubling me slightly...

I've been doing several things on the SG to "refine" the sound a bit when it's going through a valve amp (AC4TV). PIO capacitors went in a while back, which smoothed things out a bit. And then the other day I decided to "reset" the pickup heights - originally they were set through a modellor. Basically I screwed them right in and levelled the bass and treble sides, then I started from scratch. I ended up with the pups slightly lower than before and a much more "classic" or "vintage" sort of tone, but with the bite I like to have in reserve on the tone pots.

I thought I was happy - but these T-Tops sound like they might be closer to what I'm after from a humbucker (my A4 Mules in a Love Rock, last time I used it, are fine, does what I'm expecting - but I am about to get her out and restring her, so who knows!!).

So, unless I get another guitar (:roll:), it's looking like trying T-Tops would retire either my RRs or MQs. (And if I really love them, possibly both... And maybe even the Mules! :lol:)

My favourite humbucker sounds are the mid-late 70s rock tones - like you say, the earlier Scorpions, Michael Schenker's Strangers in the Night... and then Judas Priest's tone on Killing Machine and Unleashed in the East, Mott the Hoople, SAHB, etc, etc...  it's starting to sound to me like I ought to be trying these things out...


I won't have the same pickup-swap problem as you though, I'm a confirmed "I want covers on my humbuckers" sort of guy :lol: (also explains why I don't have any meaningful advice for you there!)

[Philly Q]

Keep 'em there, then!  :)

what about the zebra set of riff raffs and the double creme mules? i just have a white greco V and a schenker V to put them in - very difficult to get it looking right at this point..

I see the dilemma.  Personally I think creme on white tends to look wrong, unless it's a very yellowed vintage white.   So you have a problem putting the Riff Raffs or Mules in the Edwards or Greco.

(But didn't Schenker have a zebra pickup on one of his Vs at some point?)

OK...

T-Tops in the Schenker Edwards.
Covers back on the Mules and back in the Greco.
Riff Raffs in the Faded (I know that's a bit of creme on a white scratchplate, but it'll be OK because the Faded looks a bit rough & ready).  And put some black pickup rings on it too - you'll look like KK Downing or some NWOBHM chap. 

[AndyR]

Riff Raffs in the Faded (I know that's a bit of creme on a white scratchplate, but it'll be OK because the Faded looks a bit rough & ready).  And put some black pickup rings on it too - you'll look like KK Downing or some NWOBHM chap. 

He'd need a blond wig and some nice shiny leather gear as well... and a beer-gut peeping out between the waistcoat and trousers :lol: (that's if he's going for the British Steel Tour look... KK seemed to lose a bit of weight after that)

[Philly Q]

Riff Raffs in the Faded (I know that's a bit of creme on a white scratchplate, but it'll be OK because the Faded looks a bit rough & ready).  And put some black pickup rings on it too - you'll look like KK Downing or some NWOBHM chap.  

He'd need a blond wig and some nice shiny leather gear as well... and a beer-gut peeping out between the waistcoat and trousers :lol: (that's if he's going for the British Steel Tour look... KK seemed to lose a bit of weight after that)

I remember that look well!  :lol:

I was about 15 then and thought he looked a right fat bar-steward.  Now I see those same pictures and he looks quite slim.... which shows how much I've (...ahem...) grown in the intervening 30 years.  :|

[gwEm]

Keep 'em there, then!  :)

what about the zebra set of riff raffs and the double creme mules? i just have a white greco V and a schenker V to put them in - very difficult to get it looking right at this point..

I see the dilemma.  Personally I think creme on white tends to look wrong, unless it's a very yellowed vintage white.   So you have a problem putting the Riff Raffs or Mules in the Edwards or Greco.

(But didn't Schenker have a zebra pickup on one of his Vs at some point?)

OK...

T-Tops in the Schenker Edwards.
Covers back on the Mules and back in the Greco.
Riff Raffs in the Faded (I know that's a bit of creme on a white scratchplate, but it'll be OK because the Faded looks a bit rough & ready).  And put some black pickup rings on it too - you'll look like KK Downing or some NWOBHM chap. 

well, it is a fairly yellowed vintage white that greco...

also there are some covers to throw into the mix - some BKP chrome covers, and the original aged chrome/brass covers from the greco.

i like the idea of the pickup rings on one of the guitars, might toughen up the look a bit.

i don't mind if my humbuckers have covers or not, it depends on the look of the guitar :)

uncovering the t-tops and slinging them in the schenker V, and putting the chrome covers back on the other pickups and put them where they were is the logical move lookwise... i'm not happy with that sound-wise though. i'm taking all these thoughts on board though. could uncovered creme pickups work in the greco, and then the uncovered zebras in the schenker... maybe, maybe.. some playing around ahead i think.

at least all three Vs will sounds glorious with alnico V BKP vintage tone :)

[Philly Q]

uncovering the t-tops and slinging them in the schenker V, and putting the chrome covers back on the other pickups and put them where they were is the logical move lookwise... i'm not happy with that sound-wise though.

I didn't realise you'd already covered the T-Tops!  You don't mess around, gwEm!  :lol:

I'd have left them in the box for a few months thinking I really out to get round to trying them (like my VHII in fact...  :oops: ).

[gwEm]

schenker V looks quite good with the zebras:

[Philly Q]

Schenker V looks great with the zebras!  :D

[AndyR]

I concur, looks good :D

(I don't know why I'm posting in "V" threads! Why?!! I don't really want one... everytime I sit down and think about it logically, I just don't have a want, let alone a need for one... But reading/posting about them cons me into thinking that I do! :lol:)