I just finished wrapping up and posting my first Crawler based track in the Players area. While I was recording with it some things came to mind.
Firstly, this pickup has an outstanding lead voice. The Abraxas is my benchmark, but the Crawler's notes really have the most lovely decay I've experienced. As the notes fade, you can hear them breaking up into beautiful harmonics and if the amp is goosed a bit, the ensuing feedback is just fantastic.
Secondly, from a rhythm standpoint, I find it's pretty close to the Abraxas in most cases, but that mid-range growl that's been described really gives distorted chords this fat, velvety, and smooth texture with a bit of high end presence to give it some sparkle,. I honestly feel this is what DiMarzio was gunning for when they developed the Tone Zone, but in my mind, they stopped R&D much too soon. When I listen to rock music, my ears often gravitate towards the rhythm guitars in the mix. And when they are recorded in such a way that I get the sensation of a huge, velvety ocean tickling my ears, I know I've found the right sound.
When I was a young boy, my father was listening to some hard rock and the crushing sound of the guitars caught my ear for the first time. From that moment forth, my ears have always searched for that sound within music. The Abraxas and Crawler put the mids in just the right places for that ocean of sound to manifest.
Tim and the crew at BK have somehow found a way to create a driving pickup with a huge and organic voice. That can't be easy to do; so many have tried and failed. The more I play with this pickup, the more I appreciate it. I am finding that the MM isn't the best partner with this pickup in my particular guitar. I may have to investigate the Irish Tour for this one, as many of you have suggested.
I think part of my problem has been flawed logic. I wanted a guitar that could do everything to the utmost without compromise. I've just come to accept that it doesn't work that way. The guitar this Crawler will reside in will be a bit of a hot rod. I can deal with that. I can see this pickup as an inspiration, the likes of which I haven't had since falling in love with the Abraxas.
