Coverband musician - One Guitar that does it all? - Mule, Riff Raff, HD BD?

[Cboysen]

So as of late, I've been leadplaying with a cover band, covering basically anything you hear in the radio, and even though bringing 4-5 guitars to every gig would be neat, neither my wallet nor my back think that's a swell idea.

My guitar is an ESP JH-600, neck-through maple with alder wings and ebony fretboard, EMG 81/85 equipped, back from when I played a lot of metal. I still do though, but just about anything else too.
I considered buying a strat, but opted for pickup change instead
I want a 2-humbucker system, possibly with single-coil splitting, to get a vintage Tone; amazing cleans, a lot of headroom, with the ability to play anything from funk, to jazz, from cleans to metal.

I guess its gonna be a jack of all trades, but listening to pickups like the Mule and Riff-Raff, really brings out some great cleans and nice vintage metal tones, but will they pair with guitar? I've also been looking at the hotter Holy Diver, since that was my initial thought, but i fear it wont do cleans very well, despite it being a very nice lead guitar-pickup.

So what bridge and neck-pickup combo will be best for this purpose, where main focus is on a sweat crunch, but cleans being ever so important too.

Kind regards, Christian

[darkandrew]

The Mules really are extremely versatile.  It's got great cleans (I especially love the neck pickup fot cleans) but the bridge pickup can also be driven hard to give some great hard rock / metal tones (I don't know if he had his Mules back then, or even if they had been made, but Steve Stevens' tone on White Wedding exemplifies the sort of sound you van expect from driving a mule hard).

[Cboysen]

The Mules really are extremely versatile.  It's got great cleans (I especially love the neck pickup fot cleans) but the bridge pickup can also be driven hard to give some great hard rock / metal tones (I don't know if he had his Mules back then, or even if they had been made, but Steve Stevens' tone on White Wedding exemplifies the sort of sound you van expect from driving a mule hard).

Hmm, sounds very nice indeed - Some say the Mules might not be 'beefy' enough for alder body - now this is mainly maple i'd assume, due to the neck-through construction, but otherwise, people seem to throw crawlers in most stratocasters and the likings. How would crawlers fair for this purpose and this guitar, compared to mules for example.

[Telerocker]

I would recommend a Crawler-set or a Crawler/Abraxas-neck combo. Beefs up your in alder/maple, fat organic sound, very good cleans, medium output, enough topend, great solotones, growls like a bear when pushed, splits superb (you will get a nice stratty/tele-esque tone). The Crawler-neck is unsplitted quite warm. An Abraxas-neck could be a good alternative and keep the balance. It has a little more chime than the Crawler-neck.

Mules are great too, but I prefer them in mahogany for a good balance. Imo the Mule-bridge needs a warmer sounding guitar to shine. It has quite some highs (but not shrill treble) that could be too much in alder. The Mule-neck is my absolute fav neckhumbucker (in mahogany).

[Yellowjacket]

Jack of all trades for rock, huh?  Well, I think ESP would be off my radar for that sort of an application.

Guitarwise, Les Paul + Strat or Les Paul + Tele would get pretty close for more rock stuff.  Both are really iconic so something that is more of a chameleon may be better.

For a lump of wood, I'd recommend a Godin LG if you can track one down.  It's a mahogany neck / body bolt on instrument with a rosewood fingerboard.  One with humbuckers is good enough.

With that, you can have the option to coil tap and you'll cover most sounds.  I had a great result with a Rebel Yell bridge in that guitar but other pickups could work as well, provided they're bright with a tight and clear bottom.  I'm about to try a VHII in the neck of that guitar and I can comment further.

The other trick for that sort of gig is having a suitably versatile amplifier.  Something like a Mesa Boogie Roadster or an amp from an up and coming Canadian company 'Revv' would fit the bill for that.  I think other companies like the Marshall JVM are also equally capable and qualified for this sort of application.   

[Twinfan]

I've played guitar in a covers band for quite a few years now and use one guitar for most of the night, only swapping for different tunings.  What I've found works is a two humbucker guitar that cleans up well on the volume control and is generally bright sounding.  You can darken things up with the tone control if required, and both pickups on together hollows out the tone for a more singlecoil sound, backing off the volume a touch cleans it up a bit more.

Yours isn't the ideal guitar for this sort of stuff but I think it will work fine if you stick to vintage or vintage-hot style humbuckers.  I like slightly hotter PAFs personally, so for me I'd go for VHIIs.  Vintage enough for cleaner and classic rock tones, hot enough for slightly more modern tones.

Good luck!

[Cboysen]

Yeah my guitar is definitely build around a heavily distorted tone, both with wood and pickups, and even though changing out the whole rig with a new guitar and what not would be best, I just don't have the amount of cash to support it, so a pickup for versatility seems to be the second best option, otherwise thanks Yellowjacket

I do see that mules are generally put in heavy Les Paul Guitars, which of course makes a lot of sense, so I suppose it's gonna be too bright for my guitar.
In fact, I'm getting more and more interested in the crawlers - would they be able to cover the whole field just like the mules, especially in the regards of cleans, now that it's a contemporary pickup? And how would a Crawler bridge / Mules neck go, or is the abraxas better for that?

 

[gwEm]

I think VH2s as well for what its worth. They have a Fendery treble characteristic. Although any humbucker bridge pickup can cover most humbucker bridge tones out there with the right amp/pedals, some songs just need a straty sound to work. You can't add treble, so I would agree with Twinfan that its good to have it a little too bright. Then if you want to do Hendrix or some funk for example, then you still can.

[Cboysen]

I think VH2s as well for what its worth. They have a Fendery treble characteristic. Although any humbucker bridge pickup can cover most humbucker bridge tones out there with the right amp/pedals, some songs just need a straty sound to work. You can't add treble, so I would agree with Twinfan that its good to have it a little too bright. Then if you want to do Hendrix or some funk for example, then you still can.

Hmm, well, this certianly isn't getting easier ;)

I really don't want a too trebly guitar, even though you can turn it down, since my gutar is already fairly bright I guess.
I really wanna know if the mules are too soft, for when i wanna play metal or at least some old school hard rock,and if  the crawlers are too hot for when I wanna do strumming warm cleans, for background fill of songs, say, a regular coldplay, Imagine dragons etc (yeah I know, but it's what they want to hear)

[Twinfan]

Basically anything we've suggested will work, sometimes you've just got to buy something and try it  :)

By the way, you know you need to replace the pots/tone cap as well when switching from EMGs to BKPs don't you?

[ericsabbath]

crawler + coil split

[Cboysen]

Basically anything we've suggested will work, sometimes you've just got to buy something and try it  :)

By the way, you know you need to replace the pots/tone cap as well when switching from EMGs to BKPs don't you?

Yeah, I do, but thanks for reminding me anyway - whole thing gotta go, I guess i need 4pins for coilsplit - I got it all written down somewhere.
My EMGs are going to my Hallow-Body ES335 Copy, sparkling some new life into that old cheap piece of wood. Probably going to equip it with some .15s and bring it down real low, just for fun and giggles;)

Whats the difference between Mules, VH11 and Crawlers? Other than one being hotter than the other, and the latter a bit more trebly?

[Twinfan]

All the info is on the website, including sound clips  :)

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=humbuckers&sub=vintage&pickup=the_mule

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=humbuckers&sub=vintage_hot&pickup=vh_ii

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=humbuckers&sub=contemporary&pickup=crawler

[Telerocker]

VHII's do have a good rocksound, but I find them to be less versatile than other BKP's.
I'm stick to my own and Erics recommendation. This guitar in particular needs some extra mids for a balanced tonespectrum. VHII's have a serious present topend that might be too much in this axe. It's also not a very warmsounding pickup and doesn't split half as nice as a Crawler. In my experience (I have both in (swamp)ash HSS-strats)

[darkbluemurder]

Whats the difference between Mules, VH11 and Crawlers? Other than one being hotter than the other, and the latter a bit more trebly?

Can't comment on the Mule but on the others:

1.) Crawler bridge vs. VHII bridge: Crawler has slightly higher output, is more compressed with more beef and warmth in the midrange. VHII bridge is more snarly and aggressive. Crawler splits well. Have not split the VHII.

2. Crawler neck vs. VHII neck: Crawler is fatter in the midrange and has a smoother top end and a more vintage like tone. VHII is tighter and brighter in the top end and as the bridge pickup more aggressive. VHII splits well. Have not split the Crawler.

Comparisons of the above are from having tried both in the same guitar.

I use the Crawler bridge together with the VHII neck in my PRS Custom. They can be split through the rotary selector (inside coils parallel, outside coils parallel but no individual split of the pickups so I cannot comment on individual split sounds).

Cheers Stephan