Neck Pickup to match with a Black Dog

[Void_555]

Any other that have used the VHII neck or the Holy Diver neck version?

[DoomBuggi]

I will be getting a Black Dog Bridge with a VHII neck for a Les Paul Standard.

[Void_555]

can you keep me updated on this combo? Did Tim recommend this to you? And what is it that you want from a neck pickup? Sorry for me being a nerd  :D

[darrenw5094]

Just installed my Black Dog bridge and Riff Raff neck into my Tokai LP. Black Dog not as dark as i had thought. Nicely balanced, with deep rich mids, but still enough high end for a nice tone. The Riff Raff in the neck is another specimen. Less gain when i switch from bridge to neck is evident, much cleaner pickup. Less forgiving for any sloppy playing. But overall, a wide range of tones from that combo.

Not important now, as the OP has decided for a VHII neck. :)

[Void_555]

No, I didnīt decide for any of the three relevant pickups.
Its still VHII vs. Riff Raff vs. Holy Diver.

Thanks for your post man, right now I tend to go for a Riff Raff

[darkbluemurder]

Do you guys think, that the Riff Raff or the VHII are any louder or quieter that the HD?

Can't say about the Riff Raff, and the HD and VHII necks were in different guitars but my feeling is that the VHII neck would be louder because it has thicker wire (42 plain enamel vs. 42.5 polysol in the HD neck), about the same DC resistance from which I conclude that it has a few more turns on the coils, and a bigger magnet.

I use the HD neck in a guitar with a Cold Sweat neck as bridge pickup, which has the same wire and magnet as the Black Dog so I am not surprised that BD bridge and HD neck match well. As regards output - my bridge pickup is definitely louder than the neck pickup, and I have not set it really low. I should add that it is a 24 fret guitar though.

Cheers Stephan

[Void_555]

Yeah, thanks for your post man!

I asked Tim if the VHII would be better for my use than the HD and he said:

No, the VHII neck is really a very fat and hot sounding humbucker.The HD neck will clean up a lot better and also if you want a crunch tone from the neck, which is quite unusual as that position produces a lot of bottom end, then the HD will do it the best.

So the VHII might not be what I want.
That means that I might buy a riff raff or just go with the HD I have.

[darrenw5094]

So the VHII might not be what I want.
That means that I might buy a riff raff or just go with the HD I have.

If you have a HD, then try it out.

The points with a BD in bridge and RR in neck are:

1. BD bridge has more saturated gain than RR neck
2. RR has a single coil voice, BD is full on humbucker with extra mids
3. RR needs clean playing, as sloppyness will be shown up

That i it. The RR neck sounds completely different than the BD bridge. Great for versatility though.

[Philly Q]

I asked Tim if the VHII would be better for my use than the HD and he said:

No, the VHII neck is really a very fat and hot sounding humbucker.The HD neck will clean up a lot better and also if you want a crunch tone from the neck, which is quite unusual as that position produces a lot of bottom end, then the HD will do it the best.

That's very interesting.  And quite surprising about the VHII neck.

[Telerocker]

I asked Tim if the VHII would be better for my use than the HD and he said:

No, the VHII neck is really a very fat and hot sounding humbucker.The HD neck will clean up a lot better and also if you want a crunch tone from the neck, which is quite unusual as that position produces a lot of bottom end, then the HD will do it the best.

That's very interesting.  And quite surprising about the VHII neck.

Me too  :o

[ericsabbath]

I've been using a neck cold sweat paired with the bridge black dog
the dog is a little hotter nd more compressed, the cold sweat sounds more articulate, but quite edgy and aggressive
I like how the mule works with the dog much better

[DoomBuggi]

Maybe the Emerald neck.  That would be my other choice with the black dog

[darkbluemurder]

I asked Tim if the VHII would be better for my use than the HD and he said:

No, the VHII neck is really a very fat and hot sounding humbucker.The HD neck will clean up a lot better and also if you want a crunch tone from the neck, which is quite unusual as that position produces a lot of bottom end, then the HD will do it the best.

That's very interesting.  And quite surprising about the VHII neck.

Not really surprising to me. It matches my perception of both pickups.

Cheers Stephan

[Twinfan]

I didn't find the VHII neck fat and hot at all  :?

[Gizmo]

Have a BD and Mule in my LP and it sounds good. If you want a bit brighter RR is my vote but BD + Mule works well imo