Dark Mahogany Bolt On for the Heavy Stuff

[fdesalvo]

Never thought I'd be posting this sort of topic, but I have a spare guitar that I want to really turn into a flame thrower for mostly rhythm work in my home studio.  It is a dark toned, heavy mahogany Strat with a Zebra wood cap, TOM bridge/tailpiece, and HH config.  It isn't the most resonant of guitars and it currently has a Fralin Twangmaster in the neck and a BKP HD in the bridge.  The set is nowhere near calibrated or balanced, rather this guitar has become the Island of Dr Moreau, as it were -  a home for lost, neglected, and wayward pickups.

I already have Vintage Hot tones covered in spades, with w/ a Tele and Strat loaded with Abraxas and Apaches,  This one guitar, has been a challenge.  The HD is completely uninspiring and a bit boring/clinical in it.     The Fralin up front is actually a beautiful and organic sounding pickup - imagine a muscular P90 that sparkles like a great Tele neck singlecoil, but it needs to go (or does it?). 

I am looking for a moderately high output set that doesn't sacrifice organic tone for horsepower.  Bridge-wise, I need something with a nice presence in the treble and not obnoxiously mid-focused like a tone zone.  For the neck, something that avoids flab and stays fluid would be nice.

What am I looking for? 

[Telerocker]

Why don't you go humbucker-sized P90's?

[Yellowjacket]

How dark / scooped sounding is this guitar?  I have a 24.75 scale bolt on mahogany instrument with a mahogany neck and rosewood board.  I have a Rebel Yell in the bridge and a VHII in the neck and it really has become quite a remarkable instrument.  Now, the mahogany has a focus in the lows and low mids and the guitar has a particularly beefy tone and is really missing the high mids.  As a result, the rebel yell fills that missing tonal spectrum quite nicely.

I'd also investigate the A-Bomb and the Painkiller in the bridge position.  My friend has a 7 string mahogany Schecter and he put a Painkiller in the bridge.  It actually sounds great and has a nice feel to it. 

[fdesalvo]

I actually dig p90s just want something diff for this one.  Might look into them for a semi hollow build in the future. 

It's a fairly balanced plank with respect to mids I think. I might look into the RY/VH2, S I suspect our guitars have similar properties, with the 25.5" scale being an exception. I'm wondering if this combo would take it out of the flame thrower category. The a-bomb sounds fascinating.

[Yellowjacket]

Hmmm.  The RY isn't exactly fire breathing but it is tight, punchy, and holds up well under dropped tunings.  It has a wonderful harmonic sheen and is bright and even overall, with a pleasant spike in the high mids.  It will get aggressive, especially when boosted.

The Painkiller is more of a fire breathing pickup but it still has the organic edge that makes BKP so awesome.

I put up a recording I did yet again.  It's 4 axes being recorded unplugged, by a condenser mic.

The Mahogany axe is first, the second is a LP, the third is a Superstrat  (Maple neck, rosewood board, and maple / poplar body), and the fourth is a cheap strat knock off.

First guitar has RY / VHII combo, second has A-Bomb / RY neck, and the third has the Juggerset.

[Telerocker]

The Nailbomb could be a good choice. It has quite some output and balls. It's imo not the best BKP for leads, but kills in riffing. Compared to the middy HD it shows more teeth, due to the agressive uppermids. The ceramic version is a little tighter and more scooped.

The Rebel Yell is to my ears the rocky version of the NB. The RY has less bass though.

[fdesalvo]

Thanks all - you've set me on another journey for tone!

[Lucas]

The Nailbomb could be a good choice. It has quite some output and balls. It's imo not the best BKP for leads, but kills in riffing. Compared to the middy HD it shows more teeth, due to the agressive uppermids. The ceramic version is a little tighter and more scooped.

I have to agree with that, Nailbomb is definitely not the best for leads. I have ceramic version and have to agree with that. Even cleans are slightly better than leads to be honest.

[fdesalvo]

Hmm, well you guys have heard what I write and the Abraxas has taken me a lonnnng ways into really saturated rhythms and singing lead tones.  I'm just looking for a bit more and the HD isn't blowing my hair back haha.

[Telerocker]

Look at the alnico Blawkhawk then, it's one of the loudest BKP's. 

[darrenw5094]

I have to agree with that, Nailbomb is definitely not the best for leads. I have ceramic version and have to agree with that. Even cleans are slightly better than leads to be honest.

I am getting a C-Bomb set installed into a Ibanez J Custom atm. Why is the C-Bomb not great for leads?

[Telerocker]

I have to agree with that, Nailbomb is definitely not the best for leads. I have ceramic version and have to agree with that. Even cleans are slightly better than leads to be honest.

I am getting a C-Bomb set installed into a Ibanez J Custom atm. Why is the C-Bomb not great for leads?

Of course you can play with every pickup your leads, and I can see the C-bomb working in a - most of the time - neutral sounding basswood Ibbie, but some BKP's are more rewarding in the leads than others. What I dislike in the NB is the topendsizzle and uppermid slice in the leads, where others might like that. In a bolt-on guitar I favour the strong, bold, creamier leadtones of Diver or the Crawler. So I'm not disqualifying any BKP, yet there's a general consensus on the forum that b.e. the Diver works better for leads than the NB and the NB does the tight riffing better.

[Yellowjacket]

I have to agree with that, Nailbomb is definitely not the best for leads. I have ceramic version and have to agree with that. Even cleans are slightly better than leads to be honest.

I am getting a C-Bomb set installed into a Ibanez J Custom atm. Why is the C-Bomb not great for leads?

Do you want a scorching lead tone with hair, sizzle, and slice or do you want something creamer with more fluidity and 'body' to the tone?  Out of all my bridge  BKP, I think the A-Bomb is my least favourite for leads / solos while the Juggernaut is the best and the Rebel Yell is really a damn close contender.  The Rebel Yell is definitely the signature pickup of a phenomenal lead player and the difference between that pickup and the A-Bomb is quite noticeable.  You can get great solo tones out of the A-bomb but it just has its own thing going and it may not be what some people are looking for. 

Generally, for a very dark and low mid / bass heavy guitar, I would recommend the Rebel Yell Bridge pickup over and over and over again.  It's such a fantastic bridge pickup. 

I have a guitar that, on paper, should have been a great instrument.  Fantastic construction, good sound unplugged, and really silky neck.  A very VERY lively instrument.  Unfortunately, it just didn't sound great.  It was always really muddy and lacked bottom end punch and clarity in the tone.  Putting the Rebel Yell in this guitar just made the instrument shine.  The huge lows are still there in force, but now they're open and tight and with the extended top end contributed by the Rebel Yell, the sound is absolutely enormous.  Great clarity but also an absolutely gigantic, wide sort of a tone. 

[seancorker]

I found that the Rebel Yell was perfect for my Kramer Nightswan (dark mahogany bolt on) but in the middle position.

[fdesalvo]

Honestly, I've been thinking that I've been able to get some incredibly heavy tones from the Abraxas and the lead tone has been stellar, as well.  I may look into the Jugg, despite my reservations based upon some relatively crude online samples.  Seems like everything on YouTube is mid scooped, 11 string baritone guitar sludge.  I've worked hard to create a decent palette of the tones available from the Abraxas and Apache pickups, but would love to see something similar online.

I have to agree with that, Nailbomb is definitely not the best for leads. I have ceramic version and have to agree with that. Even cleans are slightly better than leads to be honest.

I am getting a C-Bomb set installed into a Ibanez J Custom atm. Why is the C-Bomb not great for leads?

Do you want a scorching lead tone with hair, sizzle, and slice or do you want something creamer with more fluidity and 'body' to the tone?  Out of all my bridge  BKP, I think the A-Bomb is my least favourite for leads / solos while the Juggernaut is the best and the Rebel Yell is really a damn close contender.  The Rebel Yell is definitely the signature pickup of a phenomenal lead player and the difference between that pickup and the A-Bomb is quite noticeable.  You can get great solo tones out of the A-bomb but it just has its own thing going and it may not be what some people are looking for. 

Generally, for a very dark and low mid / bass heavy guitar, I would recommend the Rebel Yell Bridge pickup over and over and over again.  It's such a fantastic bridge pickup. 

I have a guitar that, on paper, should have been a great instrument.  Fantastic construction, good sound unplugged, and really silky neck.  A very VERY lively instrument.  Unfortunately, it just didn't sound great.  It was always really muddy and lacked bottom end punch and clarity in the tone.  Putting the Rebel Yell in this guitar just made the instrument shine.  The huge lows are still there in force, but now they're open and tight and with the extended top end contributed by the Rebel Yell, the sound is absolutely enormous.  Great clarity but also an absolutely gigantic, wide sort of a tone.