Author Topic: Neck pickup comparisons: Nailbomb, Cold Sweat, Rebel Yell (Read 3910 times)

TonyGibson · « **on:** February 07, 2007, 05:42:59 PM »

Hello Bare Knucklers! :P

I'm just trying to get a feel for the difference between the NECK pickups on the following:

1) Nailbomb
2) Cold Sweat
3) Rebel Yell
4) Holy Diver

Basically I'm looking at a Nailbomb set in my new Ibanez S-Classic (mahogany body, maple neck 25.1 scale). These pickups will be 4 conductor, tapped.

From personal experience I like the Cold Sweat neck but have heard great things about the Nailbombs. My concern is that the Nailbomb is going to be too bassy for my liking. For example, I didn't like the Miracle Man neck and sold it in favor of a Cold Sweat neck. I'm also very curious about the Rebel Yell or Holy Diver sets as "well rounded" pickups. I've taken a liking to playing jamband/funk stuff recently as well as metal and I want a pickup that has good cut and sound great tapped.

Any help would be appreciated!

JoshuaLogan · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:24:02 PM »

I don't think the nailbomb would be too bassy. from what i've heard it's a lot more in the mids, and it sounded good tapped. but always heard the coldsweat was great too, and it's a little lower output so the cleans might be better...

TonyGibson · « **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:59:49 PM »

Quote from: JoshuaLogan

I don't think the nailbomb would be too bassy. from what i've heard it's a lot more in the mids, and it sounded good tapped. but always heard the coldsweat was great too, and it's a little lower output so the cleans might be better...

The Cold Sweat is a great neck pickup and sounds good clean or overdriven...I'm just dying to try something different this time.

Antag · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2007, 12:22:55 PM »

I have 3 of the neck pickups you mentioned but haven't wired any of them in for coil splitting.

To my ears, the Cold Sweat neck sounds better clean than the Nailbomb but not as nice as the Holy Diver neck. Overdriven, the Nailbomb has slightly more grunt than the CS which is in turn better than the HD. I agree that the Cold Sweat is a fantastic neck pickup - an allrounder that you can use for pretty much anything.

TonyGibson · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2007, 02:38:36 PM »

Quote from: Antag

I have 3 of the neck pickups you mentioned but haven't wired any of them in for coil splitting.

To my ears, the Cold Sweat neck sounds better clean than the Nailbomb but not as nice as the Holy Diver neck. Overdriven, the Nailbomb has slightly more grunt than the CS which is in turn better than the HD. I agree that the Cold Sweat is a fantastic neck pickup - an allrounder that you can use for pretty much anything.

Thanks for the info on that.

That being the case, I'm going to change the topic of my own thread. :P

In your opinion, what is the difference between the Holy Diver bridge and Nailbomb bridge?

Dennis · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2007, 02:40:58 PM »

Quote from: TonyGibson

My concern is that the Nailbomb is going to be too bassy for my liking. For example

I have a Nailbomb in the neck position on a guitar with a mahogany body with maple top, maple neck with ebony fretboard, with a 26" scale. I don't find the Nailbomb in the neck too bassy, but maybe it depends what you like. The pickup is in a wooding pickup ring also, and it sounds a little like a jazz guitar, which is pretty nice clean. I don't use the neck nailbomb for riffing very much, but for solo's it is really sweet!