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Author Topic: HSS Custom Guitar Pickup Advice  (Read 2345 times)

MW016

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HSS Custom Guitar Pickup Advice
« on: January 29, 2019, 04:31:35 PM »
Hi, first time poster and prospective BKP buyer looking for advice.

I'm currently looking into getting my first custom guitar build and would like to know if there would be any issues matching the outputs with the following pickup combination.

My plan is to have a Dimarzio air norton S (single coil sized humbucker) at the neck, a BKP trilogy suite in the middle and a Ragnarok in the bridge.
Would this combination work? As the Ragnarok has a much higher output (19k) than the other two (trilogy suite - 12.5k, air norton - 11.2k) would I run into problems with the volume being drastically different between the pickups?

Some details on the planned guitar and the tones I'm looking for: the guitar will be a neck-through wenge/purpleheart neck with an ebony board, swamp ash body and maple cap, with a fixed schaller bridge. I intend to have it primarily tuned to drop C and am looking for a very djenty periphery-esque rhythm tone (hence the ragnarok), but the added versatility of getting more classic tones from the middle single coil for high gain jazz/blues stuff and a smooth petrucci type lead tone from the neck pickup. I'll mainly be using the guitar for writing/recording stuff which generally lives in the prog metal area but I'd like the versatility to cover other styles if needed.

Any advice on whether this pickup combination is viable, or any suggestions for alternatives to the BKP's mentioned (quite set on the air norton s) would be much appreciated!
Thanks! 


darkbluemurder

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Re: HSS Custom Guitar Pickup Advice
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2019, 01:18:57 PM »
First, DC resistance is not a measure of output. it can only be used to compare the output of two different pickups if they use the same magnet, construction and wire - none of which are given in your scenario.

Also keep in mind that strings vibrate more over the neck position so a lot less output from the pickup is needed to get the same signal level. From that perspective you should not have a balancing problem with the Ragnarok and the ANS.

How many frets has your guitar - 22 or 24? And what do you want to do with the middle pickup - use it alone or in combination with the humbuckers split? If you only use the middle in combination, a lower output model could work as well.

Cheers Stephan

MW016

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Re: HSS Custom Guitar Pickup Advice
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2019, 04:10:30 PM »
Ah I see, thanks for the reply!.
The guitar will be 24 fret with quite a compact body shape, which is why I plan on using the single coil size humbucker at the neck to save space.

I intend to use the middle pickup both alone and with the split humbuckers, mainly for cleans but would like it to sound good under gain as well, what would you recommend for a lower output option?


darkbluemurder

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Re: HSS Custom Guitar Pickup Advice
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2019, 01:26:24 PM »
With BKP I would go for one of the vintage hot singles, unless hum is a concern.