Pup for racer X tone

[Tahoebrian5]

I've decide to pull the cold sweat bridge pickup out of my alder/maple j custom ibanez. It just doesn't have enough upper to medium mids and sounds too scooped. I like the amount of crunchiness and the output but just need a slightly different voicing. I like the voicing of the holy diver in my other jem guitar but want something ceramic for variety so a bit more modern tight and crunchy but not too much. Im thinking racer X type crunchy tone. C bomb?

[darrenw5094]

A Bomb

C Bomb is thin in non LP type guitars i think

[darrenw5094]

Now that i think of it, Gilbert uses PAF type pups

[ericsabbath]

painkiller

my first thought was actually the miracle man, but it's not a middy pup

[Kiichi]

Now that i think of it, Gilbert uses PAF type pups

Right, they were around there, weren´t they? So maybe the vintage hot range would be it for recreation.

Thing is then the OP wants ceramic. So we do have a bit of a clash here. I would recon C bomb then, but it is a bit tricky.

[gwEm]

Gilbert used Super Distortions in the early Racer X days.

I would go for a Holy Diver probably, but I see what Eric means by going for the Painkiller

[Tahoebrian5]

Hmmm, keep the comments coming!  Hoping to nail it this time. It doesn't need to nail PG, just using that as an example. I think the CS would be perfect in a middy les Paul, but this thing is more nuetral. T ch support recommended the C bomb so just fishing for more info.

[Alfi27]

Juggernaut is amazing in alder guitars! Hopefully I will receive my set tomorrow to put in my Suhr Modern, I will let you know how it works out.

[Dave Sloven]

My first thought was the Painkiller too

[darkbluemurder]

When you speak of Racer X tone, do you mean the early tones like on "Second Heat" or the later ones like on "Superhero"? Very different tones to my ears. If it's the Second Heat tones you're after I am a bit surprised that you cannot get them with the Cold Sweat bridge. Holydiver bridge would be too smooth for these tones, unless you have a bright and biting amp/speaker cab combination.

For the Superhero tones Holydiver could work as these tones are more middy to my ears.

Cheers Stephan

[PK]

Didnt Paul use the Tone Zone in those days?

[gwEm]

Didnt Paul use the Tone Zone in those days?

He had one specified in some of his signature models I believe.

The DiMarzio website states "Paul Gilbert used to use two Super DistortionŽ pickups wired in parallel when he was in Racer X."

It also has a list of the DiMarzio's hes used, and it seems like he went through most of the range over the years!

Painkillers would good to create that note attack he gets. I still lean towards Holy Divers for the overall spirit.

[gwEm]

...If it's the Second Heat tones you're after I am a bit surprised that you cannot get them with the Cold Sweat bridge...

^^^
I just listened to a couple of songs off that album and would agree. Second Heat isn't the best Racer X tone for me to be honest though ;)

Furthermore I've listened to a bunch of songs from every period of the band and the tones always have brutal attack, and I change my recommendation to The Painkiller.

[Tahoebrian5]

So the cold sweat feels right and has the right amount of output but it's too scooped for the jem. The holy diver sounds fantastic but the bass is not tight enough, it does iron maiden to old Judas Priest dead nuts though. But neither of these are perfect for my second Ibby. Btw, I have access to a prototype Paul Gilbert guitar, it's a red sparkle with painted f holes, and it has what I've been told by a member of racer X, but not Paul, that it was a custom wound DiMarzio. It sounds stunning and is my inspiration for my pup search. I've got to get these ordered soon, leaning torwads tech supports recommendation of the c bomb.

[gwEm]

another random thought -

his neck tone sounds like a parallel wound bucker.

i don't get that the bridge is though.. it sounds like a very bright serially wound pickup to me.

but hey - what do I know :) Gilbert is a guitar god and I'm some guy on the internet!

Tahoebrian5: you should post a picture of the PG prototype!