Kramer Nightswan

[seancorker]

I've finally got my hands on my dream guitar a Kramer Nightswan. I've lusted after one since I was a teenager in the 80's and will be going to pick it up on Saturday.

So pickups: Its got Seymour D's in it (Full Shred bridge and a JB in the middle). I'll give them a go but I really don't like SD's

So suggestions please.

The guitar has a mahogany body and a 24 3/4 scale Maple neck and Ebony fingerboard so a super strat with LP credentials. I love my 80's super strats but they are all of the Alder/Maple 25.5" variety. I've tried most of the PU's that BK offer but in Alder bodies. I prefer the hot rodded PAF sound with plenty of upper harmonics. My PU of choice is the Crawler, I love the gutsy mid range. I like the liquidity of Holy Diver but it just doesn't have the mid I like.

I'm in uncharted mahogany / LP scale territory here so its clean slate time.

The other issue is the middle PU (there is no neck PU on the Nightswan. I've not got a scooby with that one but it would would probably use it for cleaner tones.

Cheers Folks

[FELINEGUITARS]

For cleaner - try the stormy monday - or maybe a manhatten HSP90

[seancorker]

Would a 7K mid PU balance ok with a 14K - 15 ? Bridge? I know it works in the neck but in the middle?

[FELINEGUITARS]

depends on how you use it ...
Some players use one pickup exclusively for cleans and bluesy  stuff and the other for rocky riffs and the like
Even down to when using a clean channel they will use one pickup and when using the dirty channel they will predominantly use the other pickup.
Remember that the Crawler is 15k of 43 gauge and the Stormy is 8k of 42 gauge do its not actually like a 2:1 ratio as the 43 gauge has a higher DC per foot of wire

I'd say it's no worse than playing a strat with a HSS setup and going to the middle pickup
The SM will be a lot bigger sounding than a strat pickup

[seancorker]

Cheers, that makes sense.

I tend to use my volume + in between position a lot so a I could do with them balancing though. I like the cold sweat in the neck of my alder HSH modded Kramer Pacer

[Telerocker]

The Crawler has a great mid growl. It's quite thick in my swampashstrat. I guess it will even be more massive in mahogany. An Abraxas would be a good alternative for mahogany. Has a bit more topend chime then the Crawler. For the middle I would pick a Mule. So balanced, so much depth, full yet crispy. Abraxas and Mule should go well together, being both AIV's.

[Philly Q]

I agree Crawler or Abraxas would be good choices. 

There is the slight worry that they might be a bit muddy in mahogany, but on the other hand you've got a maple/ebony bolt-on neck and a Floyd, which will tend to brighten things up.  I think those factors probably influence the tone more than the body wood, to be honest.

[seancorker]

Cheers Guys - this was the info I was looking for.

The SD full shred is, I believe, very toppy. How about a Rebel Yell? I love the sound samples I've heard of it.

Either way I'll live with the SD's for a while and then try a Crawler from one of my other guitars.

The other factor is that my other guitars have either got the brass or Titanium blocks which to me makes a massive difference in the tone so that will probably be the first upgrade.

[Philly Q]

I'm not a big fan of the Rebel Yell, it has a lot up upper mids and not much in the way of bass.  That said, it does sound very "80s" so it might fit the bill!  :D

[seancorker]

All ways tricky - I'm trying to balance keeping the original shreddy vibe of the guitar whilst updating the sound and making it a working guitar.

[gwEm]

All ways tricky - I'm trying to balance keeping the original shreddy vibe of the guitar whilst updating the sound and making it a working guitar.

I always find any humbucker in any strat-like guitar to be quite shreddy ;) But I know what you mean..

[Telerocker]

All ways tricky - I'm trying to balance keeping the original shreddy vibe of the guitar whilst updating the sound and making it a working guitar.

I always find any humbucker in any strat-like guitar to be quite shreddy ;) But I know what you mean..

The Crawler isn't really, but isn't muddy either and that's a good thing.

[Philly Q]

All ways tricky - I'm trying to balance keeping the original shreddy vibe of the guitar whilst updating the sound and making it a working guitar.

I always find any humbucker in any strat-like guitar to be quite shreddy ;) But I know what you mean..

Yeah, if you're used to humbuckers in set-neck mahogany guitars they do sound entirely different in bolt-ons.

[richard]

I thought of suggesting RYs after I saw your first post but I'm not sure how much effect the maple bolt-on neck/ebony board would have. I posted this in the player's section to show how thick and chunky the RYs can sound but they are in an all mahogany, set neck guitar. I don't solo in this song so you are just hearing my amp's rhythm setting but might give you an idea. I have a feeling they'd sound amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZtwUEr8v17Y

[darkbluemurder]

I think the Crawler should work well in the bridge of that guitar, even though the Holydiver would have been my first choice for getting an 80s tone with an 80s guitar.

As regards the middle pickup - will you split the pickups in the combined position? If so I would use a either a hotter neck humbucker (e.g. something like the Nailbomb neck) or a moderately hot bridge humbucker - Emerald or Abraxas come to mind. If you don't intend to split the middle pickup, I would choose a vintage model.

Cheers Stephan