Humbucker From Hell??

[Charvel_King]

Anybody got any experience with this pickup that can chime in?

Looking at a new neck pickup for my Charvel, can't decide what to get!

It's alder body, maple neck floyd rose guitar. Has a Duncan Custom Custom in the bridge at the money which I like. Really like the idea of Hum-single set up, from what i've read the HFH emulates a single coil type sound?

Other options I was considering an Air Norton, which I know is different..

(Already have another charvel with a liquifire in it which is great, looking for something a bit different)

What do you guys reckon?

 

[Lord Toneking]

Both are great neck pups. Hfh is more low output and single coil-y sounding imo. I love them both in the neck

 

[Charvel_King]

Awesome!

Do you think the HFH would balance well, output wise, with the custom custom?

 

[Heritage Softail]

Listen to clips on the HFH. Especially one where they switch from a bridge to it in the neck.

Not quite a fan. They are put on a Tele once in a while. Not super popular for a reason.

 

[rcm78]

The HFH is specifically designed for dark guitars. It's very bright and brash. Not my first go to pickup.

For a 25.5" scale alder guitar my first Dimarzio picks would be Tone Zone - AT-1 - 36th Ann PAF

 

[Purpleibby]

Have this one. It's very bright, on the high strings it's almost too much, like broken glass....but really it left me hoping for more definition on the lower strings even still. Like it's super bright, but in the wrong places.

 

[Purpleibby]

Check out the bluesbucker, might be exactly what you're lookin' for. I had some success with that one, still have it...very cool pickup for the neck! A word about output, obviously these two will be lower, but imo makes for a cleaner sound which is always a good thing. Never could get along with the AN...just too dark imo

 

[Anonymous]

I have one on a basswood Ibanez, I really like it
I use it mostly for lead; it can sound as bright as a bridge humbucker, it doesn't sound like a single coil, but it's not as fat a neck humbucker. As far as output, you can mess with the height to match it with the bridge pickup; mine is matched with a Steve's Special and I have no issues. Favorite humbucker currently is the Dimarzio FRED in the neck position, amazing!

 

[Charvel_King]

Interesting!

I really like the liquifire, but I'm reluctant to have it in both guitars...
I think the gravity storm looks cool too. Don't really like the look of any Duncan neck pick ups. Any body like the distortion in the neck?

 

[Anonymous]

Let me quote the Dimarzio website about the FRED:

"Many standard humbuckers have a tendency to fatten up with distortion. The FRED® does the opposite; it gets tighter and brighter, much like a single-coil. Joe uses the FRED® strictly as a bridge pickup, but it's also a distinctive neck pickup — it works really well with any humbucker of equal or higher output."

So it does have single-coil qualities and the same output as the Liquifire (305 vs 300)

 

[Charvel_King]

Let me quote the Dimarzio website about the FRED:

"Many standard humbuckers have a tendency to fatten up with distortion. The FRED® does the opposite; it gets tighter and brighter, much like a single-coil. Joe uses the FRED® strictly as a bridge pickup, but it's also a distinctive neck pickup — it works really well with any humbucker of equal or higher output."

So it does have single-coil qualities and the same output as the Liquifire (305 vs 300)

Yeah that sounds perfect! Sounds like its solves the problem I have with most neck pickups I've tried. That's cool.

On a side note. I really love Blues Saraceno's neck pickup time, anybody know what would do that?

 

[snowdog]

Petrucci used one for a while with a Tone Zone in the bridge. Images & Words era.

 

[jcmlespaul]

I have a humbucker from hell in a warmoth explore matched with a dimarzio super distortion in the bridge. In a les Paul I have a humbucker from hell with a Duncan custom custom. The humbucker from hell gives a nice contrast from the hotter bridge pickups to a nice single coil quality when switching to the neck position. In the mid positon on a clean setting makes a perfect tone for comping chords.

 

[Charvel_King]

Petrucci used one for a while with a Tone Zone in the bridge. Images & Words era.

Really?! I heard he always used a Steve's Special in the bridge and Air Norton in the neck till he had his sig pickups. That's interesting!

 

[Charvel_King]

I have a humbucker from hell in a warmoth explore matched with a dimarzio super distortion in the bridge. In a les Paul I have a humbucker from hell with a Duncan custom custom. The humbucker from hell gives a nice contrast from the hotter bridge pickups to a nice single coil quality when switching to the neck position. In the mid positon on a clean setting makes a perfect tone for comping chords.

That's cool! Pretty much the exact same pickups as me! Think I may go for the Fred though!

 

[shredi knight]

Petrucci used one for a while with a Tone Zone in the bridge. Images & Words era.

Really?! I heard he always used a Steve's Special in the bridge and Air Norton in the neck till he had his sig pickups. That's interesting!

Snowdog is correct, for the Images & Words album, Petrucci used a DiMarzio Tone Zone (bridge) and Humbucker From Hell (neck). From the Awake album, on up to somewhere around Octavarium, it was always the Steve's Special and Air Norton (or the custom ones in his various signature guitars that were "based heavily" on them).