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?k Neck Humbucker

Discussion in 'Effects, Pedals, Strings & Things' started by polifemo, Feb 19, 2009.

  1. Feb 19, 2009 #1
    polifemo

    polifemo Member

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    I´ve always preferred single coils over humbuckers, but thru the years I´ve come to dig the sound of a tube amp driven into a nice breakup with the aid a bridge humbucker.
    Lately I´ve been playing Les Pauls quite a bit, but I just find it hard to get a detailed low end out of the neck humbucker. (I want to hear "THE STRING" not "LOW FREQUENCIES" when I play the bass strings with a clean sound)

    Right now I use a Duncan Jazz in the neck position with the bass side lowered for a better balance. This PU is OK, but there´s always room for improvment, right ;)

    I might have a PU custom wound for me and my question is if anyone has tried PUs at about 6,5k? (I dont know if I´ve seen any pickup - apart from the DiMarzio "Humbucker from hell" - measuring as little as that.

    How low, in that respect, can one go without loosing to much body/output?

    (Please no replies like: Go for a single coil/P90! as my quest right now is to find out how to make a neck humbucker sound the way I want it to sound :)
     
    polifemo, Feb 19, 2009
    polifemo, Feb 19, 2009
    #1
  2. Feb 19, 2009 #2
    Drifting

    Drifting Member

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    Well, there is a boutique pickup winder known for his neck pickups.

    They're called Skatterbranes, supposed to have excellent articulation and clarity, especially for neck pickups, I think the A5 magnet version is recommended. Good bridge pickup too. I think he recommends A2's for that.

    I think getting a single pickup is $150-200 or a set would be $300.

    I don't know your musical style and taste, but they are PAF styled pickups, so they're around the 6.5k mark you've shown.

    if 6.5k is the lowest you've seen, maybe you're playing high out put pickups, which can attribute to murkiness as well, depending on the model.
     
    Drifting, Feb 19, 2009
    Drifting, Feb 19, 2009
    #2
  3. Feb 19, 2009 #3
    polifemo

    polifemo Member

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    Hi,

    I do not play high output PUs!

    I´m using low output/PAF style pickups in both positions.
    When I´ve been looking at the web sites of many winders most low output PUs seem to be around 7k (some a little less some a little more)

    I´ll check the Skatterbranes out!

    Thanks.
     
    polifemo, Feb 19, 2009
    polifemo, Feb 19, 2009
    #3
  4. Feb 19, 2009 #4
    Drifting

    Drifting Member

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    AHHH, sorry, not thinking straight, PAF's are closer to 8.5k now that I think about it :bkw Must of been thinking of single coils, my bad.

    Skatterbranes aren't the only high-end PAF styled humbuckers out there, now that I know you want a PAF sound. WCR, WB, and others are very, very, good brands as well, so check them out before you make your choice.

    They're all excellent though, so it's hard to go wrong with any of them.
     
    Drifting, Feb 19, 2009
    Drifting, Feb 19, 2009
    #4
  5. Feb 19, 2009 #5
    fendergeek

    fendergeek Member

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    fendergeek, Feb 19, 2009
    fendergeek, Feb 19, 2009
    #5
  6. Feb 19, 2009 #6
    fr8_trane

    fr8_trane Member

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    I was in the same boat. I installed a jazz hoping to improve the mudbucker tone and it was a failure. More treble same amount of low end mud. I honestly don't know how anyone gets a useful tone out of a traditional neck HB unless you play jazz and some the jazz guys could use more treble IMO.

    Anyway I don't think you're going to get what your looking for in a tradtional neck HB. Dimarzio is your best bet as they have three HB's that fit the bill

    Bluesbucker
    Humbucker from Hell
    EJ custom.

    All 3 are brighter with less bass than a typical HB. TGP'er Jim soloway (who makes high end custom guitars) is a big proponent of the Bluesbucker as is fellow member Aaaron Davis. I listened to some clips and that's what I ended up ordering. It just came yesterday. I'll install it this weekend a post a reveiw.

    My buddy Gasp100 has a humbucker from hell in the neck of one of his LP's and loves it. He actually described the clean tones as "chimey" - I can't name one normal HB guitar that I've ever played that I would describe as chimey.

    Another good choice would be the fralin P-92. Its sort of a HB/P-90 hybrid. Lots of good reviews here on TGP.

    If you must have a tradtional HB an alternative to the Lollar low winds ($$$) would be a dimarzio air classic neck which is fairly bright with tighter bass than most HB's.
     
    fr8_trane, Feb 19, 2009
    fr8_trane, Feb 19, 2009
    #6

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