Pickups getting closer - advice needed

[Slartibartfarst42]

I primarily need to be able to go from position 1 to position 5 and have them balance but it would also be handy if position 2 balances as well. I can't say I ever really use positions 3 and 4 at the moment but as you never know what the future holds I'd have to say that I'd ideally like some kind of wiring configuration where they all balance nicely. I'm afraid I've only had one HSS guitar before and I never changed that from factory specification so this has never been something I've had to consider before.

[Telerocker]

I don't know if this is done much, but you could mix HD, Slowhand (middle), Sinner (neck). This will give classic quack in pos. 2 when splitted and at the same the time - if you use the HD in humbuckermode - you can go from bridge to neck, without sacrifying much volumelevel. Mind you that pos 4. will be dominated by the Sinner. But it would be quite a versatile set. You could even use the Slowhand solo for more vintages tones, when needed.

[ericsabbath]

Conversely, by stressing how very 'middy' the Holydiver is, are you suggesting that it is too much for a maple thru-neck?

mids are never too much for me  :lol:
I boost the mids with a vintage maxon graphic equalizer and crank the mids in my already mid heavy modded '73 marshall JMP
my speakers are no vintage 30's, but still quite middy (mg music black dog G12M clones and scumback G12H clones in X pattern in a marshall 1960A cab)
my cab doesn't have a ton of upper mids like it had with v30's, but has very thick low and center mids

I just replaced the diver in my '73 lp custom with a black dog, but only because it cleans up a bit better (I never switch amp channels, so I have to clean up by soft picking or volume pot tweaking), but the diver is still my favorite since I bought my first BKP set, 4 years ago

but I understand some people might prefer more vintage sounding less middy bridge pickups
the nailbomb is VERY aggressive, but it does retain that soft vintage mids, if that's what you're looking for
I just don't find it as versatile as the diver, but that's for my tastes
Tim usually recommends the nailbomb over the diver for versatility
the nailbomb would probably be a bit better for sykes

[Slartibartfarst42]

Well, I emailed Tim last night so we'll see what he has to say and I'll let you know. I think I've got to the stage where I don't really care if it's the HD or NB as it's clear both will do the job I'm after.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Mmmmm, Tim's managed to throw a bit of a curve ball at me. Like Eric predicted, he suggested a Nailbomb but contrary to expectation, he suggested the ceramic version on the grounds that it's tight at the bottom and had plenty of the compression that I like. I'm seeking clarification now as on the one hand, he knows best, but on the other I do prefer the A-Bomb to the C-Bomb when I listen to the clips on the website as the leads seem more fat and fluid.

[Zaned]

I would go for the ceramic. I have never owned a maple neck-through, but the neck wood tends to dominate tonally as opposed to the wings. According to Tim, maple tends to respond best to ceramic pickups. Maple also has a lot of midrange, which is why they MIGHT get congested with the HD.

Compression is also a contributor to fluidity.

-Zaned

[Slartibartfarst42]

The congestion of mids was my concern with the Holydiver, even though I think it sounds great. I think that must be why the Miracle Man is suggested so much for maple neck-thru guitars but because I wanted it to be warm, organic, fat and fluid, I had assumed that all of this pointed towards Alnico V instead of ceramic. It seems to me that the A-Bomb is the most powerful, aggressive and compressed of all the Alnico pickups (except perhaps the Warpig) while retaining that PAF feel, which is why so many people have suggested it and I do like what I hear on the website but now I'm really confused as both you and Tim are suggesting ceramic. I don't naturally associate the characteristics I'm after with ceramic, nor do I associate versatility, but I equally have to concede that others probably know better than me. Based on what you say, it looks like it's between an A-Bomb, a C-Bomb and presumably, a Miracle Man if I am to consider ceramics. God this is confusing  :shock:

[Slartibartfarst42]

OK, got a reply from Tim. He did indeed say that he opted for ceramic because of the maple neck-thru but he did also say that if my ear preferred the clips of the A-Bomb then I should get that instead as all he can do is offer a guide, though he advised me to stay open poled rather than covered if I was going alnico to keep the edge in the bass but use a cover if I went ceramic to tame the highs. He also suggested that a Nailbomb/Trilogy Suite HSS set would be a very versatile combination. It seems that whatever I get, it's going to be a Nailbomb and I'm quite comfortable with that. Has anyone tried either an A-Bomb or C-Bomb in a maple neck-thru guitar?

[Zaned]

Do a forum search for (forum member) MDV's review of the ceramic Nailbomb. I'm not sure if I remember correctly, but he might have had it in a Jackson.

-Zaned

[Slartibartfarst42]

Yes, I read that review last night and I think it was in a Jackson, though I'm not sure if it was a maple neck-thru. I have no doubt that a C-Bomb will sound fantastic but the question is, will it be the sound I'm after?

* Warm, organic and maintaining a PAF vibe
* Fat and fluid leads
* Aggressive edge to the bottom end without being OTT

I think my problem is that I've always associated the first two with alnico pickups so it's hard to imagine a ceramic pup delivering these qualities better than an alnico pup. I know both will sound good, it's a question of which will best get those characteristics in my guitar.

[ericsabbath]

Yes, I read that review last night and I think it was in a Jackson, though I'm not sure if it was a maple neck-thru. I have no doubt that a C-Bomb will sound fantastic but the question is, will it be the sound I'm after?

* Warm, organic and maintaining a PAF vibe
* Fat and fluid leads
* Aggressive edge to the bottom end without being OTT

I think my problem is that I've always associated the first two with alnico pickups so it's hard to imagine a ceramic pup delivering these qualities better than an alnico pup. I know both will sound good, it's a question of which will best get those characteristics in my guitar.

the c-bomb and c-pig are the only contemporary models I didn't try
but being an overwound cold sweat, with more bass and even more aggression, I don't think that's what you're looking for
the alnico nailbomb is already pretty hot and aggressive, and does retain the PAF vibe in the mids like no ceramic pickup would do

[Slartibartfarst42]

Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking Eric. For anyone else who's interested in these pickups, Tim explained it like this:

'I think it's certainly a fair assumption that warm and organic = Alnico, however warm doesn't usually equate to tight bass response or pick harmonics. Ceramic  will give you the speed in the bass response for a tight, percussive tone as well as easy pick harmonics - that actual wind  and wire of the NB lends an overall organic, older school voice that's suitable for a wide range of rock.
Having said that, if you feel the guitar naturally has a bright and percussive response, then you would be fine with Alnico as that would translate into the bottom end too. For reference, both Alnico and ceramic clips were recorded on the same LP so not an overly bright guitar.'

Based on this, it really does have to be a choice as to where my priorities lie. If I want to highlight 'warm and organic', I go with the A-Bomb and if I want to emphasise tight bass and pinched harmonics, then I go ceramic. I think we've already established that both have an aggressive edge and both have a tight bass response, even though the C-Bomb is more so. Equally, from what Tim says, both retain an organic feel to them, even though this is more noticeable on the A-Bomb so it may well be that the difference is relatively marginal in many respects. Now I wouldn't describe my guitar as bright in any way; certainly not compared to my Yamaha Pacifica but equally, there's no way I can see it being as dark as a Les Paul, not with maple, alder and an OFR. It really is 'middy' so I can only assume that both would work equally well and I may end up having to toss a coin unless anyone else has any insight.

[Telerocker]

That sounds to me like Alnico Nailbomb, which will be tight enough for most purposes.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I think I agree. There's a lot I like about the Holydiver sound as my roots are in 80s Metal but I like it with a touch of modern aggression, hence I think I was falling between two stools when thinking of a Holydiver and Nailbomb. Every time I contemplate a C-Bomb I think I'm probably moving too much into the modern arena and losing some of that smoothness. When I say I like an aggressive bottom end, it's not something that I want to be overpowering. It really is a smoothish 80s distortion with a bit of modern edge to it. The A-Bomb seems to be the nearest fit and I'm even thinking of the possibility of putting a cover on that to try and nudge it a little in the direction of the HD if that makes sense.

[Alex]

You could always tighten things up with a Tubescreamer or an EQ pedal, if the Alnico Nailbomb is not tight enough. On the other trying to make a supertight ceramic pickup sound more organic and PAF-like is nigh impossible.