My conundrum (and the definition of insanity)

[ratspeak]

So, we all know that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. My problem is that I pretty much have to do so, as I can't find the old thread I started regarding my pickup woes.

So basically, I'm thinking of going with different pickups in my Horizon. As you probably know, it's a maple neck-thru, mahogany wings, ebony fretboard. I have a ceramic warpig/neck warpig set right now, which is great. I'm definitely keeping them for another guitar. I just find I have to dial the gain back way too much when I use them. I love how massive they are, but I want to do something a little different now. I'd love a few opinions on how they'd sound in a "monster strat", a rosewood-board american standard which I've screwed with so it's double-bucker. I mean, I'll do it anyway, even if you tell me it'll sound like Herman Li's farts. I'm just curious.

As for the Horizon itself, I really want something that's going to be smoother in the mids and much less saturated than the pigs. I don't want an Aftermath for this guitar, because I already have a set in my 7 string, and I'd rather go less hot than the Miracle Man. I'll be playing technical/progressive metal, but very melodic and with some clean bits. Lots of cool chords and tappy stuff, cleans and a fast pace. I'm not going to say the "D" word or the "P" word because I'm not pigeonholing here, but you guys probably know what I'm talking about anyway.

Anyway let's get specific; in the bridge position I really want to dial back on the thickness and grind. I love thickness and grind, but I'm turning over a new leaf here. Tight, great leads, eased-off mids, and good cleans. No preference as to ceramic/alnico here.

In the neck position I want to go for something similar, good leads and cleans, and smooth, definitely alnico ruling out the Painkiller. The Cold Sweat comes to mind.

I will most definitely consult Tim on these matters once I have a bit more of an idea, as well as how the C-Pig will sound in my strat. Thanks for your repeated opinions and time, everyone. I sometimes need to make multiple threads over time and hear the same things over and over for them to be driven home.  :lol:

[ev1ltwin]

I PMed Nolly a while ago to pick his brain about why he switched from high output ceramics to low output alnicos. At some point he suggested that the Rebel Yell bridge/VHII neck set was great for those looking to experiment with lower output pickups (but still enough output for anything you'd be able to throw at em). Good luck.

[Madsakre]

Two pickups comes to my mind
holy diver
rebel yell

[ratspeak]

Thanks for the responses guys. The thing that makes me a little put-off from the RY and HD is that they both have a very throaty midrange response (very noticeable in Nolly's clips on the BKP site), which is something that I don't really want for this guitar, which is already very middy. Listening to the clips right now, I think the midrange voicing I like the most is that of the Cold Sweat by far. I'm curious about the high-end with the Cold Sweat. I find the C-Pig to have a fizzy high-end. I know the CS is supposed to be treble-heavy, but does it have that "fizz" that the C-Pig does? I'm thinking that might just be a result of the high-output.

EDIT: Sorry dheim, I just read your post in another thread and in anticipation to you reading this and being frustrated with my description of the C-Pig as fizzy, I say this; what I mean is that it becomes fizzy when I try to get a specific tone out of it that it just doesn't really like to give me. :P

[Slartibartfarst42]

As I'm relatively new to the forum I've been reading a lot of threads and I do seem to recall the thread you mention, or at least, I recall the guitar as Horizon is one I tried recently and as I'm looking into buying a maple thru-neck myself I was interested in the comments. I may be wrong but I think the suggestions made that time were Holydiver or Nailbomb for the bridge. I haven't tried either myself so can't really comment, though looking at the EQ charts I'd agree that the HD seems an odd choice in a maple neck-thru which should be quite middy anyway but what do I know! As for the neck, I think the suggestions were Holydiver and VHII but I may be wrong. Both certainly seem to be great neck pups.

Where I might be of more use is the Warpig in a Strat as a mate of mine has an A-Pig in the bridge of his HSS Fender Strat and it sounds incredible. I guess the C-Pig may be different but certainly the A-Pig is perfect in a Strat as all that bass seems to balance beautifully in a naturally bright guitar.

[Transcend]

to me your description just screams cold sweat calibrated set

And it is a quite toppy pickup in my experience but in no way does it get fizzy.

It completely retains clarity and has a pretty sharp even if relaxed bass response which is great for keeping things nice & tight and fluid.

for an alternative in the neck try something like the MQ which is quite probably my favourite BKP neck pickup

[Slartibartfarst42]

The last time I owned a maple neck-thru guitar it used a Cold Sweat set and it was certainly very good, which is one reason I'm looking at getting another one. It was quite bright and was certainly tight, with a surprisingly organic tone for a ceramic pup I seem to remember, but it was a while ago. Although I never tried it in that particular guitar, I always felt that a Miracle Man would be a better fit for it and therefore, to me at least, I'd think of a Miracle Man bridge ahead of a Cold Sweat. I preferred the Cold Sweat in the neck position of that particular guitar. Again, it was very tight and cleaned up well, but I don't immediately think of the word 'smooth' when I remember it, though that may be down to how I'm interpreting the word of course.

[Grim]

Dude... I hate to do this to you... but...

In my "monster strat" (Jackson Soloist SL2H)... I play prog with an Aftermath bridge and Cold Sweat neck...

[ratspeak]

It's cool Grim. GAS never ends. ;) This strat is going to be primarily for brutality. I'm going to use the C-Pig for applications in which it doesn't need to be tight (although it is to some extent). I just really like the way my Horizon plays and I want the tone to be less "absolute-destruction" and more "aggressive-but-not-as-much".

I think the Miracle Man goes into the range of heat that I'm trying to stay out of. I think the Cold Sweat is much more where I'm looking, and that really sounds like what I should go for. I definitely want an injection of brightness in my tone. I think Tony sold it for me; it's toppy but not fizzy. That's what I like to hear.  :lol: Ever since I found out about BK i've wanted a Cold Sweat neck, just never got around to getting one. I think my time has come.

But again, if anything suggestions are burning inside of you, my mind is never made up. And I'll talk to Tim soon.

[Telerocker]

Holy Diver-bridge and CS-neck could be the ideal combo you're after.

[ratspeak]

I would agree with you except for the midrange voicing of the Diver. Maybe it's an AlNiCo thing?  :lol:

[ratspeak]

I was just listening to Nolly's "death metal" in Eb clip from last year and it sounds great! A Cold Sweat in what I'm assuming was the quilted B2. Could you elaborate, Nolly? Based on the way people talk about Blackmachine, I'm assuming that it's fairly bright and middy?

EDIT: Okay, okay, chambered mahogany. But I'm still leaning so far towards CSs that I might fall over. Now only the awesome power of Tim's word could sway me. ...BTW, What's Misha's ColdSweatted BM made of?