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Author Topic: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge  (Read 8868 times)

Nerd

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Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« on: April 07, 2021, 12:56:39 PM »
I have a really hard time trying to chose best pickup for a bridge position of my new guitar. The guitar in question is 35th Anniversary Custom 24. I can't bound with stock pickups. They are not bad, just not quite in my camp. I really like bright neck pickups - had good experience with RiffRaff in past and I feel confident going RiffRaff neck again. The bridge pickup is tougher - I thinking between Abraxas and Clawler. I like harmonic richness and good string separation. I also need a pickup with good split tones.

So what would you suggest? Also - how are the RiffRaff splits? I will most likely done the splits with resistor like its done in PRS DGT.

I play trough Boogie Fillmore if that matters - this amp is quite midrange dominant

Cheers

Nerd

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2021, 08:24:05 PM »
A little bump as Emerald just came in play

From BKP description it looks like everything I want. The only concerns I have is the lows content - I like solid bass, but not dry. Any input from Emerald users? 
« Last Edit: April 09, 2021, 08:28:41 PM by Nerd »

Dave Sloven

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2021, 11:03:16 AM »
The Emerald is lacking in bottom end.  It needs a guitar that has acoustic lows.

That said, it is roughly the same as the Impulse in my experience, and someone did a demo of one of those in a PRS Standard 22, maybe this video will help. Bass response is similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8MyXNAj_6E

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Dave Sloven

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2021, 11:07:35 AM »
I got the Emerald sounding big in my friend's Les Paul Studio through my Peavey 6534+ and Orange PPC412 but then he used it through his Laney Lionheart 20W and it was lacking beef.

I think one of his bandmates adjusted the pickup down too, that cut out the bass.
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timmy_pix

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2021, 01:27:03 PM »
I have to fundamentally disagree on the Emerald bridge lacking bass. Granted, it's certainly not bassy but it has controlled bass.  It never sounds thin, it doesn't have low-end flub, but notes and chords have plenty of weight to them. It's a very even pickup, overall, with a sweet top end and lots of presence and rich harmonics. String separation and clarity is impeccable and the splits are great - quite Tele-ish in the bridge.

I've got in a Les Paul that is quite bright, acoustically, so having read some of the posts on here I was concerned before I ordered it, but it's absolutely fine - for example, I'd say the Mule is brighter and less bassy, even if what low end the Mule does have is "looser", so it responds differently. I've lived with it for four years now and it is absolutely my favourite pickup for a Les Paul.

Now whether that translates into a PRS is another question, but I think certain very visible posts in this forum paint the image of the Emerald bridge being thin and shrill, and that couldn't be further from the truth at all.
BKPs owned:
Stormy Mondays, Mules, Emeralds, 10ths, Mothers Milks, Nantucket, Black Dogs, Holydivers, A-bombs, Warpigs, Sinners, Cold Sweats

Nerd

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2021, 06:07:23 PM »
Thank you gentleman for commenting.

I was looking for opinions everywhere regarding Emerald and it seems that its widely and highly regarded. Often described as sounding huge.

My PRS plugged with current pickups is rather dark. Acoustically, though it has a lot of midrange dominant presence, very life instrument with amazing vibrations transfer. I would say unplugged it sounds even with lots of rich content across all frequencies

I think I will pull the trigger and go Emarald Bridge and Riff Raff Neck. It seems that on the paper they will complete each other great as long as Emerald sounds close to BKP description and Riff Raff as I remember. I will report back

Cheers

Telerocker

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2021, 02:32:42 AM »
Just ask the BKP-team about that combo. They know their pickups best.
Mules, VHII, Crawler, MM's, IT's, BG50's.

Nerd

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2021, 10:01:42 PM »
And I went with Emerald + Riff Raff

Expectations are roof top

Thx to all who cared to answer

timmy_pix

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2021, 05:00:12 PM »
Excellent, let us know how you find them! I imagine the middle position with the RR neck and Emerald bridge on 24 frets will sound great!
BKPs owned:
Stormy Mondays, Mules, Emeralds, 10ths, Mothers Milks, Nantucket, Black Dogs, Holydivers, A-bombs, Warpigs, Sinners, Cold Sweats

Telerocker

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2021, 01:15:46 PM »
Great!
Mules, VHII, Crawler, MM's, IT's, BG50's.

Nerd

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2021, 07:05:54 PM »
Yeah, I can't wait. I will defo share my findings.

I will probably bother you some more soon as I thinking to BKP my strat too. I just have to figure out what I really want that guitar to be

b.gandt

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2021, 12:59:16 AM »
Looking forward to reading your comments on how that combo works out.  The Emerald was one of the pickups that Tim recommended for my PRS SE Singlecut Korina (I went Mule set, another recommended model).

Nerd

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2021, 02:04:55 AM »
Looking forward to reading your comments on how that combo works out.  The Emerald was one of the pickups that Tim recommended for my PRS SE Singlecut Korina (I went Mule set, another recommended model).

As I said I know Riff Raff well. I had it in my EBMM JP7 in neck position before. Different guitar, different wood but I know its gonna smoke in PRS. Emerald is totally new for me. I was reading a lot of reviews here and across the interweb and people seems to love it. Its being seen as underapriciated in general, a true sleeper - often described same as BKPs product description and as sounding huge yet detailed. I need a pickup with tight lows as well so I bet I will be floored
« Last Edit: April 16, 2021, 02:06:29 AM by Nerd »

Nerd

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2021, 12:07:56 AM »
Emerald / Riff Raff finally arrived. If everything goes well I will be putting them in next week

ericsabbath

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Re: Abraxas or Crawler for Custom 24 bridge
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2021, 02:22:37 PM »
Emerald / Riff Raff finally arrived. If everything goes well I will be putting them in next week

sweet!  :afro:

I bit late here
years ago I had a '96 McCarty that I put a riff raff in the bridge and that made it the best sounding guitar I ever had
bet the emerald should work just as fine

some nice emerald use here, for reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE9ESx2Q_bA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH-mCI02Y1E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBD7el_bcpQ (not sure about this one)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKBWjsC-sxY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ecekLV4yps


« Last Edit: May 07, 2021, 08:36:28 PM by ericsabbath »
Riff Raff, Mules, Black Dog, VHII's, Cold Sweat