Emerald neck: tone and specs?

[Slartibartfarst42]

Even though the Crawler and Emerald neck models share an AIV magnet, they are VERY different beasts. The Crawler is rounded with a duller bottom end. It had a nice tone but no cut tended to get a bit muddy under reasonable amounts of gain. I really didn't like it at all so sent it back. I like a PAF tone but I like it a bit brighter and with more cut. The modern wire does that on the Emerald and the AV magnet does it on the Holydiver. That was certainly part of it but it couldn't have been everything because I now use a neck pickup with an AII magnet and vintage wire and it's fine.

[darkandrew]

That is my experience too: i have a neck emerald in an ES335. it definitely has a high output, very articulate and clear, with a bit of emphasis on the lower mid, making everything a little bit thicker than a regular PAF. in that particular 335, which is not so bright, almost woody (they vary a lot from model to model), it lacks a bit of range in the highs for my taste.

I have a friend with a VHII in a 335 neck and it sounds really like a telecaster neck, very open, full range, more define sound, and without the bump in the mids that i have. but he has that bell like quality in the highs that i don't get from the emerald.

In the end, my 335 sounds a bit like his, after he uses a tubesceamer or a rat at really low gain to fatten up its tone just a tiny bit and give it a bit more punch, but the difference here just comes from the pickup.

I'm currently thinking of swapping the emerald for a VHII because my particular guitar is all about the mids, and doesn't have a lot of highs. and i just fell in love with the open rangey tone and clarity of the VHII.

but that's just me ..

hope that helps you getting a better idea.

I really like my VHii neck, it certainly has all the characteristics that you mention but sometimes I wish it had just a little more bottom end.

[ericsabbath]

The vhii neck is plenty of bottom end
Even when installed in the bridge position
It's like a bridge mule with the riff raff attack
perhaps you have it pretty low or the guitar isn't bassy enough (I had it in les pauls)

the only neck models I had that had a heavier bottom end were miracle man and warpig