Author Topic: I need some new pickups for my Charvel (Read 6306 times)

AH^DK · « **on:** July 06, 2007, 12:24:25 PM »

Hey...

I have this old Charvel 375 Deluxe from 1989. Its a basswood body, with maple cap on the front and black, 22fret bolt on maple neck with rosewood board. The setup is H-S-S and it has a Schaller Floyd rose system.

I got myself a EMG 81 and EMG S's a while back, but they are way too modern for my taste. I guess when you are 17 and ask for pickups in a store for old school metal, they dont figure out you mean Dio and such, anyway :D They are too modern and gainy, and they have way too much treble, way too little growl in the sound.

My big inspirations for sounds are Viv Campbell in Dio and Sykes on the 1987 album with Whitesnake, EVH on the 1984 record is also great, Jake and Randy in Ozzy is also a favorite, Jabs in Scorpions rocks as well, but Vivs tone is really the one that stands out for, because it is just amazing, because all the palmmuted notes have chunk and beef, but it still sounds great for distorted folk chords.

Also Sykes tone is sick.

For single coils, I want a good clean sound in the neck. It doesent have to be over twangy, just a good single coil stratty sound.

There is one problem with single coils, my charvel is a drop top, and regular strat pickups have that little triangle, that goes out from the base of the pickup. Can that be removed or?

I have been looking at the Duncan Full Shred, JB and Duncan Distortion but I wanna check out this stuff as well. Especially after seeing a humbucker called Holy Diver :D ;)

Anyways I hope someone can help me out there :)

Thanks
-Alex.

ericsabbath · « **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2007, 12:58:58 PM »

yeah, you really want a holy diver or cold sweat :lol:

there are 2 holy diver versions (i think that a 3rd one existed and became the rebel yell... a 14k alnico HD)
the first version is 13k ceramic and i bet it would sound closer to vivian's live tone than the last version (16k alnico 5)

Kepu · « **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2007, 12:59:55 PM »

according to all the posts and clips around here, I think Holy Divers (Viv Campbell) or Cold Sweats (John Sykes) would be perfect for you

gingataff · « **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2007, 04:04:35 PM »

I've got a Charvel from the same era (slightly different model to yours) I put a Nailbomb in the bridge and it's great but it can be very METAL so if you want something more rock go for the other pickups the guys have mentioned.
I have 2 Irish Tour single coils in mine and they are bright and springy enough to make a basswood and floyd super-strat sound like something Robert Cray would play without making it sound thin, they also take high gain well and can really wail!
When you order them ask for "EMG shape" (i.e. straight, not triangular). I recommend sticking some foam under them in the cavity to get the height correct- the foam in the BKP box is perfect :D

Edited for 'Beer-finger' spelling

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2007, 04:26:31 PM »

Quote from: gingataff

When you order them ask for "EMG shape" (i.e. straight, not triangular). I recommend sticking some foam under them in the cavity to get the height correct- the foam in the BKP box is perfect :D

I don't think Tim does the finger type pickups anymore

You would probably need someone to carefully rout out the extra triangle of wood for the pickup to fit.

I would be happy to do it if we are local enough for ya.(haven't checked to see where you are based - we are South London)

I also have an old sspec Diver in stock and can supply the modern version or the Cold Sweat too.

Philly Q · « **Reply #5 on:** July 06, 2007, 04:45:06 PM »

Quote from: FELINEGUITARS

I don't think Tim does the finger type pickups anymore

You would probably need someone to carefully rout out the extra triangle of wood for the pickup to fit.

I saw an article somewhere (can't remember if it was on a website or in a magazine) where someone had used a special router bit to cut the triangle just under the top, leaving the top intact with a little "shelf" hiding the triangular bit of the pickup.

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2007, 05:27:53 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Quote from: FELINEGUITARS
I don't think Tim does the finger type pickups anymore

You would probably need someone to carefully rout out the extra triangle of wood for the pickup to fit.

I saw an article somewhere (can't remember if it was on a website or in a magazine) where someone had used a special router bit to cut the triangle just under the top, leaving the top intact with a little "shelf" hiding the triangular bit of the pickup.

Tried that with a keyhole cutter but couldn't quite get deep enough to get the pickup in
Very possible in principle - just have to get the tooling sussed

deg0ey · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2007, 06:21:41 PM »

I have a Holy Diver and 2 Slowhands in my strat (see avatar), and they're perfect for the sort of tone you're after. I also cooked up some crazy wiring for them that gives the Slowhands in series via a push/pull, which gives an almost neck 'bucker sound which is nice too :D

AH^DK · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2007, 08:16:30 PM »

Sounds cool.

I am really between the Cold Sweat and the Holydiver, of course the holy diver is the one I am more drawn too.

But how would the Diver be for Sykes tone on that album and vice versa?

perhaps TwilightOdyssey would like to chime in?

And I am in Denmark, so I cannot get it routed out in England.

Btw. What is the difference between the holy divers? and which one would be best for what I want?

Doadman · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2007, 08:27:17 PM »

I can't say how the HD would cope with Sykes' tone as I don't have one but I can tell you that the CS is perfect for Sykes' tone and will easily play Dio as well. It's an awesome pup because it will do pretty much anything from mild Rock to modern Metal.

deg0ey · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2007, 09:31:01 PM »

As to the 'versions' of the Holy Divers, I don't think there are many people around who have used both to give accurate comparison...I think the main thing to bear in mind is that both the old version of the HD and the CS are ceramic (the bridge at least, the neck CS is AlnicoV, not sure about the old HD), whereas the newer HD version is Alnico V - Obviously this makes a difference to the sound and is personal preference (and the main reason I bought the HD in the first place) and might help you make a decision

Brow · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2007, 05:56:59 PM »

I have a Charvel Fusion Special (not the same model as yours I know) which originally came with 2 single coil pickups side by side in the bridge, and a single coil in the neck.

A friend of mine routed it out and I put a Cold Sweat in the bridge and a Trilogy Suite in the neck.

I'm not the best guy on here to give advice on pickups for heavier styles of music, but the Cold Sweat/Trilogy Suite is more than likely 'heavy enough' to cover anything I'll be doing in the future :)

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2007, 05:57:26 PM »

Nailbomb & Trilogy Suite all the way!

AH^DK · « **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2007, 06:54:25 PM »

All those differnet pickup suggestions :D

Brow -> The cold Sweat sounds like the deal. Btw My Charvel aint the same, but they both have the routing out problem :)

Deg0ey --> Okay thanks, so the ceramic version will be a tad more aggressive due to the nature of ceramic? Or?

Twilight --> any reason why the nailbomb? And what do you think of the Cold Sweat and Holy Diver?

Thanks guys.

AH^DK · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2007, 09:00:38 PM »

I just found this clip of the STARS musicvideo.

The rhythm guitar sound is pretty much excactly what I want.

Warm, fat and beefy as a mofo.

Forgot the link :D
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qZktrrqT1A0

Author Topic: I need some new pickups for my Charvel (Read 6306 times)

Doadman

TwilightOdyssey