Unpotted Stormy Monday... For heavy stuff!

[psalterium]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to share the experience I've had so far with an unpotted stormy monday in the birdge position in my 2010 Les Paul Custom. I've always been a "high output" guy, but lately I'd been wanting to let my LP Custom shine as it should with a low output PAF style pickup. I'm playing in an alt-rock band, through a modded 6505+ head. At first I was a bit concerned about hissing and excessive feedback with unpotted pickups through a high gain amplifier at high volumes, but when I described the kind of tone I was after to Tim, he immediately suggested a Stormy Monday set (yeah, I'll get the neck humbucker as soon as I have the cash!).

I've been using my Stormy Monday for a few weeks now. I'm totally sold. That's exactly the kind of tone I have always been looking for. Crazy definition, string separation, the unmistakable "honk" and attack quality typically associated with unpotted PAF-style pickups. When using a clean or mid-gain setting, the tone I get is sweet, bright and totally musical. On my typical high gain rhythm and lead sounds, it rips: the tone is very balances, tight enough for most applications and the definition is simply unreal (almost in the same league as the cold sweat I swapped out). I never thought I could be so happy with such a low output, vintage-voiced pickup, but here I am. Totally takes my LP custom to a whole new level... The guitar now feels so "alive".

So, for me this is a lesson learned. Never underestimate a vintage humbucker for high gain application, it might just be *that* tone you were always looking for :)

...Oh, and I forgot to mention that my unpotted stormy is dead silent even under massive amounts of gain!

[Kiichi]

That is very interresting. I know that the vintage range can go suprisingly high gain (hey even my manhattan neck has a charme for high gain leads), but that the unpotted version holds up that well is a bit unexpected for me.
Of course I still trust it somewhat for, but the way you decribe it goes above and beyond what I thought.

This has made me very confident that it was the right choice to get the 10th Anniversary PUs in unpotted. Them being most closely related to the stormy, but hotter I think these will do amazingly. Thanks for the added confidence!

Oh can congrats on your Stormy!

[psalterium]

That is very interresting. I know that the vintage range can go suprisingly high gain (hey even my manhattan neck has a charme for high gain leads), but that the unpotted version holds up that well is a bit unexpected for me.
Of course I still trust it somewhat for, but the way you decribe it goes above and beyond what I thought.

This has made me very confident that it was the right choice to get the 10th Anniversary PUs in unpotted. Them being most closely related to the stormy, but hotter I think these will do amazingly. Thanks for the added confidence!

Oh can congrats on your Stormy!

I was very surprised myself. Off course I was confident that a SM would be a strong improvement in clean and mid-gain tones, and that it would give me a more vintage overall sound - which I was seeking. I also thought that an AII pickup couldn't be that tight (off course it is no aftermath, but it still feels tighter than many high output pickups). For some reason, the sublte microphonic character of an unpotted SM adds some magic which is still audible under considerable amounts of gain... Off course anyone looking for extreme amounts of bass and low mids or for added front-end saturation should look elsewhere.

[Kiichi]

That is very interresting. I know that the vintage range can go suprisingly high gain (hey even my manhattan neck has a charme for high gain leads), but that the unpotted version holds up that well is a bit unexpected for me.
Of course I still trust it somewhat for, but the way you decribe it goes above and beyond what I thought.

This has made me very confident that it was the right choice to get the 10th Anniversary PUs in unpotted. Them being most closely related to the stormy, but hotter I think these will do amazingly. Thanks for the added confidence!

Oh can congrats on your Stormy!

I was very surprised myself. Off course I was confident that a SM would be a strong improvement in clean and mid-gain tones, and that it would give me a more vintage overall sound - which I was seeking. I also thought that an AII pickup couldn't be that tight (off course it is no aftermath, but it still feels tighter than many high output pickups). For some reason, the sublte microphonic character of an unpotted SM adds some magic which is still audible under considerable amounts of gain... Off course anyone looking for extreme amounts of bass and low mids or for added front-end saturation should look elsewhere.

If I want front end saturation I can always use an OD or booster, so that never is an issue these days I feel. That is why I like medium to low output PUs.
You get exactly what you describe with the detail and such. Even with something like the RY I feel that this is to a certain degree apearant, not even to speak of Pubs like the Mule or such.
Also having less bass and low mids usually is very much to my liking. As long as there is a punch to my palm mutes under gain I am happy. Donīt need oompf and big chugga. Little chugga and mostly punch makes all good for me.

[BigB]

5h!t. Just when I had finally settled down on for Mules for my LP (having also considered SM and PG Blues) you come in and post this and now I'm in doubt again  :?

Soundclips or it didn't happen ? ?-)

[Kiichi]

Just for the record, I told you to go Stormys BigB. Unpotted at that. Love to say I told you so?^^

[BigB]

Just for the record, I told you to go Stormys BigB. Unpotted at that.

Yeah I know... Indecision, indecision...

Love to say I told you so?^^

Allright ? ;)

[psalterium]

5h!t. Just when I had finally settled down on for Mules for my LP (having also considered SM and PG Blues) you come in and post this and now I'm in doubt again  :?

Soundclips or it didn't happen ? ?-)

I'll try to record a few tracks as soon as possible (actually I'm looking forward to it!).
I'm pretty sure Tim said that the SM is particularly well suited for LP Customs, and he mentioned that in his reply to my email. I totally agree. Customs just sound immense with Alnico II low output PAFs. A Mule will probably give you more power and more mids, though. For what I've heard, if I had to pick a PAF style humbucker set for a LP Standard, I'd go for a Mule set without hesitation.

[Gary_Goo]

I'm pretty sure Tim said that the SM is particularly well suited for LP Customs, and he mentioned that in his reply to my email. I totally agree. Customs just sound immense with Alnico II low output PAFs.

Just a word of warning. Not all LP Customs are equal. Stormy Mondays are great in a "normal" Custom with a mahogany neck, but being bright pickups they can be a bit much if you happen to have a brighter late 70's/early 80's Custom with a three piece maple neck or just have a particularly bright guitar. The Stormy's mid scoop exaggerates the brightness and as Customs are already spankier than Standards you can get to telecaster levels of cut and twang.

I do agree that low output pickups can sound amazing when used out of their supposed comfort zone.

[Telerocker]

Personally I prefer low- to mediumoutput pickups into mediumgain- and highgainamps. Keeps things open and musical.