My guitar originally had a Duncan JB in the bridge position and a Jazz in the neck position, while the JB was a bit murky sounding the two pickups seemed to work well together when flipping between positions and splitting them - although they never worked well in the middle position (both pickups on) either humbucking or split.
The new bridge pickup (10.5k custom Mutt-Pup) works really well in the bridge position and sounds good split too. When I have the pickups split, it also works well in the middle position - something that I didn't expect, and I now use the position a lot.
When I use the Jazz on its own in the neck position it just doesn't sound right - it comes across as loud and boomy compared with the bridge pickup - so I want something that is a better match for my bridge pickup.
My old tele had a '59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge. I actually really liked the sound of the '59 split and was a bit disappointed when I first heard the Jazz. Ideally I want my split neck pickup to sound really clear and glassy/stratty.
Any suggestions on what sort of thing I should be going for?
Neck Pickup Choice
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
Yeh, you need another MuttPup..
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
We can talk... Start with letting me know what you have on there as far as you can and where you want to go... When you say Jazz, do you mean Jazz bass? Or am I out of the loop on this guit?
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
Nah, it's a Seymour Duncan Jazz. Very warm sounding humbucker. Santana probably likes them.
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
Thats what I was going to suggest.
He made the bridge, you like that. He has some idea of what you're looking for, and he certainly would know how to wind a neck pup to go with his bridge.
So just get one.
You're welcome, Mutt.
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
OK, that would be easy.
If you want something that would give you options then a simple 20% under wind along the lines of the bridge muttpup I did would suit. You can get more of a strat type split by using an a2 magnet instead of the a5 in the SD Jazz. An a2 or a3 magnet would tighten the mids and push the treble. The bass is less muddy too. The compromise is less high gain but thats what you are trying to control from the sound of it.. High gain pups in a neck position always sound boomy to my ears.
If you are not bothered about it being a bucker something along the lines of the Mutt90 that Lt has on the way would suit. Thats a full P90 style with a vintage coil tap to get a strat type option on the single coil. That has an a2 in it as well.
If you want something that would give you options then a simple 20% under wind along the lines of the bridge muttpup I did would suit. You can get more of a strat type split by using an a2 magnet instead of the a5 in the SD Jazz. An a2 or a3 magnet would tighten the mids and push the treble. The bass is less muddy too. The compromise is less high gain but thats what you are trying to control from the sound of it.. High gain pups in a neck position always sound boomy to my ears.
If you are not bothered about it being a bucker something along the lines of the Mutt90 that Lt has on the way would suit. Thats a full P90 style with a vintage coil tap to get a strat type option on the single coil. That has an a2 in it as well.
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
That sounds like a good idea - I generally don't use the neck-pickup for hi-gain stuff anyway, pretty rarely for recording even! When I'm just jamming away at home on my own I use it a lot though and mostly split to get a more strat/tele tone.
I sometimes use the neck humbucker for lead, when I want that warm sustainy lead sound. But I have a tonne of gain available from the amp so I'm not worried about a lower gain pickup.
Don't think I want a P90. I've not got enough experience with P90s yet so don't want to chance sticking one in the custom. I like the Bridge P90 in my PRS - I use that for recording loads now. But I don't get on with the neck P90 that well - just doesn't seem to suit me for some reason, might just be that I'm not used to it yet 'cos I rarely use the guitar for anything other than double-tracking rhythms.
I sometimes use the neck humbucker for lead, when I want that warm sustainy lead sound. But I have a tonne of gain available from the amp so I'm not worried about a lower gain pickup.
Don't think I want a P90. I've not got enough experience with P90s yet so don't want to chance sticking one in the custom. I like the Bridge P90 in my PRS - I use that for recording loads now. But I don't get on with the neck P90 that well - just doesn't seem to suit me for some reason, might just be that I'm not used to it yet 'cos I rarely use the guitar for anything other than double-tracking rhythms.
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
I think you need the Malcom Young signature neck pickup. It's very cheap. You probably already have one.
Rebel Yell
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
Take the neck pickup out, throw it away, and stuff a sock in the pickup cavity because neck pickups sound shit.
Rebel Yell
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
haha, did he not use one at all? That's great. I do like it for just playing at home though - just nice to have different sounds to flip through.
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
haha, awesome - fucking cool guitar too. I read a bit about them filtertrons - they're supposed to be really low output aren't they?
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
They vary. They're sometimes similar to early Gibson pickups in that they can be wound very hot or very mild, and you just never know what you're gonna get.
Rebel Yell
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
I bet they cost a fortune now. Just looked up Malcolm Young's gear, very basic set up. He's really fucked now though, poor bastard.
Re: Neck Pickup Choice
Yup. And he had probably the best pure rock and roll rhythm tone there ever was.
Rebel Yell