My Top 10 Neck PUs (Humbuckers)

(*) Note: For the following P A F is used as an abbreviation for a low output PU, mid range mildly scooped humbucker with either an alnico 2, 3, 4 or 5 magnet. In other words, it's a clean and acoustic sounding vintage styled PU.

1) Voodoo P A F 60 (Alnico 3 magnet)
Best Feature: Mellow P A F bright tone
Worst Feature: Can sound too bright

2) Benedetto PAF
Best Feature: Early P A F vibrant PAF* Tone
Worst Feature: Can sound way too bright

3) PRS Dragon I
Best Feature: Punchy lead tone
Worst Feature: Can overpower an average PAF* Clone

4) Voodoo P A F 59 (Alnico 3 or 5 magnet)
Best Feature: Full and rounded PAF* lead tone
Worst Feature: Can sound too middy

5) Duncan Jimmy Page
Best Feature: Compressed punchy Jazzy tone
Worst Feature: Can sound too compressed

6) Duncan Full Shred
Best Feature: Articulate and excellent with high gain
Worst Feature: Too focused or not open sounding enough

7) Gibson Mini-Humbucker
Best Feature: Singing Strat/humbucker lead tone
Worst Feature: Can sound too thin

8) Duncan Alnico II Pro or Seth Lover
Best Feature: Mellow P A F tone
Worst Feature: Lacks a bit of punch

9) Fralin PAF
Best Feature: Clean yet strong output
Worst Feature: Can sound a bit compressed

10) Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday (Alnico 2 magnet)
Best Feature: Fat but warm PAF* tone
Worst Feature: May sound muddy


My Top 10 PAF* Clones

1) Tom Holmes (Alnico 5 magnet)
2) Voodoo P A F 60 (Alnico 3 magnet)
3) Benedetto PAF
5) Voodoo P A F 59 (Alnico 5 magnet)
6) Fralin PAF
7) Duncan Antiquity
8) Gibson Burstbucker
9) WCR Crossroads
10) Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday (Alnico 2 magnet)


http://www.prsguitars.com/pickups
http://www.peterflorance.com
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk
http://www.seymourduncan.com
http://www.benedettopickups.com/products.htm
http://www.crcoils.com/
http://www.fralinpickups.com/

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

I love these threads! I need to pick up a new neck humbucker soon... Are you gonna do one for single coils and also speakers?

__________________
rig:
Squire Supersonic with JB in the bridge>tu2>ps3 (in stereo)
right side- ps3>barge concepts bee baa>de7>dl4 also in stereo pds20/20>midiverb 2> ampeg vt-22
left side- ps-3> dd3> dl4 also in stereo>volume box>holy grail>Peters Wolverine 10 watt>marshall 1960a 4x12

www.myspace.com/horsesandorcas

So basically, what you're saying is you like PAFs in the neck

When did you have a chance to try out a pair of Fralins? That kind of slipped under my radar.

__________________
Axes: Fender Custom Shop Strat (Fred) / MIJ Strat (Fralin '54s) / MIJ Tele / Dillion LP (Fralins) / Dot (SD Ants) / PRS: McCarty Brazilian / Custom 22 Rosewood Artist / Archtop II
Rig: -> 535Q wah -> DOD FX56/ProCo RAT -> E13 TBD -> loop { Digitech RDS 3.6, phase inverted { dry -> 3-knob EHX Bad Stone -> ADA Rocket 20}} ->
Mesa Maverick, or GarageBand.
* BC Rich ST3 (SD Custom) -> Boogie Mark IIC+; 2 1x12 EV 12S's
I gave the Maverick to nyrkickazz1, and man, I miss that amp. IT SURVIVED! I have it back now.

Other stuff: a Ric 360/12 in baby blue; an '83 MIJ Squier P-bass; a Martin HD-28V; and now I have a Mesa Mark IV long head too.
__
"Arise, goddess; invest thyself in these, thy shining raiment, and ensconced in Phaeton's chariot float your starréd way to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario."

I like PAFfabbes or single coils in the neck.

I waisted way too many years because I was trying humbuckers that were too hot for my taste in the neck. Hot neck humbuckers is most probably the reason why I'm a Fat Strat player today.

Quote:

When did you have a chance to try out a pair of Fralins? That kind of slipped under my radar.

After I found out Lindy Fralin was using Alnico 4s. So, sometime in the middle of spring I got a set. They were great but didn't blow my Voodoos away so I turned around and got a set of Custom PAFs based on the Fralins. They were made by a guy near me in Hamilton. I asked him (Jon Moore) to spread out the mismatch between the coils to 1K. He did a great job and they sounded great also but they would chop through gain too drastically. Our own Mr. Tickles is enjoying that set now.

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

Singles coils are tricky for me since I don't use them much in the bridge position but a lot in the neck.

I've tired pretty much every single coil I could get my hands on but again only for the neck.



PS> Smittytime11 : Here's the thread.

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

Yeah thanks Motorhead, sweet list.

__________________
Rig:
Fender P-Bass>Boss TU-2 Tuner>Digitech Bass Synth Wah>Electro Harmonix English Muff'n>Gallien Kruger 1001Rb into a Peavey 8X10

Gas:
Sanford & Sonny Bluebeard or similar intense big muff bass fuzz

I know this is supposed to be neck humbuckers but what do you think about humbucker sized P-90's in a semi-hollow?

I have a Epiphone Sheraton and have been thinking about putting a Phat-Cat in the neck and bridge? Some people say they are too microphonic in semi-hollows. Basically I want something punchy but at the same time I don't want anything that will be too bright/muddy and I definatley don't want it to feed back more than the stock epi pickups pickups.

My rig is in my sig and if it makes a difference, I normally like to crank the master and add a small amount of pre on the jmp. So its loud w/ a moderate amount of gain. The Sheraton is always tuned to Open G and I'm kind of going for a Black Crowes kind of sound. I'm open to humbucker suggestions too. What do you think?

thanks

Kevin

__________________
FOR SALE:
Boss AW-2 --- 50$
Ibanez TS-808 --- 140$
Digitech Tone Driver ---35$
Digitech Main Squeeze--35$

All w/ original box and paperwork. Shipping not included. PM me for more info/pics and we'll go from there...

As much as I don't like Gibson P-94s for personal reasons they do give out that great Crowes grind. I found that Phat Cats have more bass and simply more character then P-94s.

Usually I would just park the PU selector in the middle position which will kill the 60 cycle hum, get that patented Crowes tone and go nuts with the wah.

Feedback will be a problem but much less then with the stock Sheraton PUs. Simple fact : Better PU (P-Cats or P-94s).

Do have a volume pedal that you can cut the signal with?
... when in the middle position you can jump on that when it starts to loop out of control.

Maybe look into Rio Grande's 'Bastard' PUs (don't know anything about them). Normally P-90s like single coils aren't wax potted to prevent feedback but some PU makers add a coat of lacquer. This was started by Fender in the '70s to prevent external factors from getting to the coils and reduce the noise and feedback.

There's no way around it that your Sheraton will feedback but with time and some effort I'm sure you will be able to contol it and even use it to your benefit. Not everybody is Ted Nugent but I'm sure even he started somewhere.

PM me if you have other question and I'll be glad to help.

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

Good job, Pierre. Some great info here.

Now all we have to do is combine it with your "Power Humbuckers" thread, and turn it into a sticky. Moderator?

__________________
General of the Grammar Nazis, 41st Exploding Toad Division.

Link to links of Duncan Phat Cats in a Chambered Hamer Monaco.

Duncan Phat Cat Sound Clips

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

Motorhead, I'm curious as to why the Rio Grande Texas humbucker is not on your neck list or your PAF list.

It's advertised as the perfect partner for a BBQ in the bridge...

__________________
"The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all." - George Washington.

The Genuine Texas is between 9 and 10k which pushes my limit to being a PAF clone so that's why it doesn't show up on the PAF list.

The Texas is a very good Super PAF. It's balanced, thick sounding and powerful but I simply prefer the PRS Dragon I for that type of PU. The Dragon 1 is more acoustic sounding and IMO the best PU to split or kill a coil.

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

Thanks.

I'm wondering if a Genuine Texas in the bridge would balance nicely with a Fralin PAF in the neck. I'm looking for a strong vintage tone, and won't be splitting the coils...

__________________
"The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all." - George Washington.

The way I see it:

'60 PAF : mellow but bright

'59 PAF : Thick (middy) and rounded, punchy

'57 PAF : '59 PAF with an weaker magnet, less punchy

'50s PAF : very bright, low output and super clean

So, the Fralin PAF which is in between a '59 & '60 PAF, slightly higher then 8K, with an alnico 4 magnet would go very nicely with a Texas that is all '59 PAF.

__________________
Home Thread

Fat Strat into a Soldano, always.

Thank you again. That description is very helpful.

__________________
"The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all." - George Washington.