The Mule vs VHII strat bridge pickup

[Caleb]

Hi!

I'm new to this forum and I'm really intrested in getting a new humbucker pickup for my stratocaster bridge position. Specs for my strat:

-alder body
-rosewood fretboard
-Lindy Fralin single coils in the middle and neck
-Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge position
-no tremolo

I'm playing my strat through Marshall Jubilee JCM 2554 amp with 2x12 cabinet loaded with v30's.

I've listened to many samples here in bkp website and in youtube and I've narrowed my decision to the Mule and VHII.

The sound I'm looking for (compared to the duncan JB) is open, woody, clear, dynamic.
I really like those early ac/dc and early gnr rhythm sounds with meaty and open vintage crunch in a bridge pickup. I also play lots of pop stuff like Avril Lavigne, Reba McEntire, Chris Tomlin, Roxette, Amy Grant and so on. Sometimes I also play some TOTO stuff too.

I don't need bridge pickup for clean sound that much, I use it mainly for distorted rhythm and lead sounds. At minimum to medium gain I really like to hear all chords and each string clearly (like acdc 'You shook me all night long') and at maximum gain I would like to play some Michael W Smith guitar stuff (Dann Huff is the guitarist) like this clip's solo sound, which starts at 2:37 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN-vgjs__gk
I'm not fan of modern hard-rock or metal sounds. I like more natural, "fresh" and wooden guitar sounds.

I like to get my distortion more my from and and pedals than the pickup. The JB, which I currently own, just gives me too much distortion (I always have gain on 3 or less). It's also too muddy and compressed sounding for rhythm playing. I think that the VHII sounded a bit better with high gain to my ears than the Mule, but I'm worried that the VHII will give me too much gain, just like the JB. I'm also worried that the Mule will be too bright with my strat.

If you have any opinions or experience with these pickups I'd really like to hear them! Thank you :)

[ericsabbath]

few bkp have as much gain as a jb
the vhii is quite focused, but not compressed or saturated

[bandmaster188]

I put a vhII in my strat and I put a mule in my mates strat last year. Both strats were alder/maple necked. Although I initially liked the vhII, after playing my mates one with the mule in it, I would say I definitely prefer the mule. Warmer and woodier than the vhII.
I would choose the mule but that is my personal preference. There are some folk on the forum who really like the vhII in a strat. Both versatile pickups though.
I think someone might be selling a second hand vhII in the seconds out section of this forum. :wink

[Telerocker]

The VHII in my ash strat is less woody then the Mule in my all mahogany Saint Blues LP-tele hybrid. The VHII is like Eric explains focussed en touchsensitive, but not compressed. Balance is good too. Cleans up fine. More dense midrange then the opener, vocal Mule. I don't have experience with Mules in strats, but in general I like something the Crawler or Abraxas to give a strat enough weight.

[Caleb]

Thanks for your opinions. Keep them coming!

bandmaster, do you think that the Mule wasn't too weak for the strat bridge? For what kind of music styles the Mule suits best in your opinion?
And if you were a session musician which one would you choose. I mean, which one is more versatile? :)

[bandmaster188]

i play in a southern rock and blues covers band playing stuff from the allman brothers, zz top and skynyrd to name a few. i have a mule in my 335 which easily covers all the stuff i play. completely different guitar i know but a versatile pickup none the less.
i wouldn't say the mule is too weak for a strat and would balance nicely with your other pickups, but as telerocker mentioned, if you want that mule tone with some extra balls then the abraxas could be one to consider to.
i think for vesatility between the mule and vhII, i would say the mule.

[Telerocker]

In an ES335 the Mule (and Stormies) is at it best, so in a Les Paul or something mahogany-based. I'm curious how they perform in a strat. I concur the opinion that the Muile is more versatile as a VHII, which imho is great in a strat for rock, hardrock and - with a highgainamp - for some metal-styles.

[Caleb]

I decided to get the Mule, because I need a versatile low-medium gain pickup and don't use high-gain that much. Thank you all for your help!

[Telerocker]

Let us know how the Mule performs in your guitar.

[darkbluemurder]

I decided to get the Mule, because I need a versatile low-medium gain pickup and don't use high-gain that much. Thank you all for your help!

I believe that was a good choice. Given the solo guitar tone in the video, you will need more mids than the VHII bridge has.

Off topic: I would like that song a lot better if it wasn't that overproduced.

Cheers Stephan

[Caleb]

Hi!

I tried the Mule in my strat's bridge position first time yesterday in our band jamming and I really liked it :) It was very clear and woody sounding through my 1x12 Jubilee combo. It was very articulate and open sounding wit distortion. It was a lot clearer, open sounding and brighter than Duncan JB. It was excellent pop-rock rhythm sound with medium gain.

Sometimes I feel the higher notes in solos should have more punch/mids. High notes seems to be much weaker with Mule than JB. I think I'd have liked the VHII even more than the Mule. Maybe I should try the Mule through my Matamp 2x12 cabinet and see if it gives more punchy sound.

[Marco78]

Hi!

I tried the Mule in my strat's bridge position first time yesterday in our band jamming and I really liked it :) It was very clear and woody sounding through my 1x12 Jubilee combo. It was very articulate and open sounding wit distortion. It was a lot clearer, open sounding and brighter than Duncan JB. It was excellent pop-rock rhythm sound with medium gain.

Sometimes I feel the higher notes in solos should have more punch/mids. High notes seems to be much weaker with Mule than JB. I think I'd have liked the VHII even more than the Mule. Maybe I should try the Mule through my Matamp 2x12 cabinet and see if it gives more punchy sound.

The JB is a high output hb, while the Mule is a PAF hb. Is it normal that the high note are "weaker". If you need to high output humbucker, you'd have to choose a completely different pickup, in the contemporary range.

[Telerocker]

Hi!

I tried the Mule in my strat's bridge position first time yesterday in our band jamming and I really liked it :) It was very clear and woody sounding through my 1x12 Jubilee combo. It was very articulate and open sounding wit distortion. It was a lot clearer, open sounding and brighter than Duncan JB. It was excellent pop-rock rhythm sound with medium gain.

Sometimes I feel the higher notes in solos should have more punch/mids. High notes seems to be much weaker with Mule than JB. I think I'd have liked the VHII even more than the Mule. Maybe I should try the Mule through my Matamp 2x12 cabinet and see if it gives more punchy sound.

I work a lot with the tonepot to get the best tones out of the Mule, but mine is in a mahogany guitar. I was afraid the Mule might be a bit bright and misses the push in a strat, hence my recommendation for a Abraxas and Crawler, which do nice splitted tones too.