Mid heavy bridge humbucker needed

[FourT6and2]

Oh... you don't even need to change anything to try this first either. Just temporarily parallel a 110K - 120K resistor over the stock 47K slope resistor to hear the difference. Instant mid boost. It will shift the tone stack's center frequency up higher. The lower the value, the more upper mid emphasis you'll get. The higher the value, the more scooped. 47K is pretty dark.

 

[harddriver]

The Jupiter sounds total badass there. It's pricey here, but who knows if a used ones shows up.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

dimarzio fred. i friend gave me one that had a bad ground wire, and i cleaned it up and put in one of my old dinkys and im shocked at how much i like it. smooth, barks, and its tight.

Mad props to the FRED. AMAZING pickup. I really dig the sounds I get out of it. Several times I've been asked "What is that bridge pickup?"

 

[Zado]

Oh... you don't even need to change anything to try this first either. Just temporarily parallel a 110K - 120K resistor over the stock 47K slope resistor to hear the difference. Instant mid boost. It will shift the tone stack's center frequency up higher. The lower the value, the more upper mid emphasis you'll get. The higher the value, the more scooped. 47K is pretty dark.

As someone who has owned, built, and modded like 50 of these amps with the same or similar circuits, I'm urging you to try swapping out the slope resistor first. Then possibly the NFB resistor. The Yeti sounds great with Greenbacks or Creambacks for sure.

If you can swap out a pickup, you can swap out a resistor. It's even faster than doing a pickup swap honestly. Just a suggestion...

The Yeti is comparatively dark, smooth, and scooped. You're chasing a ghost here with pickup and speaker changes because the amp itself is the biggest contributor. It's a good circuit, but with about 15 minutes of work and about $1.00 in parts, you can re-voice it to do exactly what you want. And if you don't like it, all it takes is another 15 minutes to convert it back and then you can continue focusing on pickups and speakers. It might just save you a lot of time, headache, and money in the long run.

I'm an absolutely amateur/dumb when it comes to electrics, resistor values and stuff like that, I swap pickups basically following schematics. With that said, more mids are always welcome, as long as the amp does not lose treble and presence, which is something I want in my sound (many are bothered by piercing high, I personally don't mind them).

Is the 47k slope resistor this one?

If putting a 110k resistor in parallel is enough to make a test I will try as soon as I take home the amp from the rehearsal room (btw to I have to solder the resistor or is making metal to metal contact enough?).
On the other hand, I still think the issue is not the amp, not just that at least, as the problem was there even when I was using the room tube heads with the other band (that one with dual guitar too). So the Demon has to go. Gotta look for some used trembuckers and see what happens I guess.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

I'm an absolutely amateur/dumb when it comes to electrics, resistor values and stuff like that, I swap pickups basically following schematics. With that said, more mids are always welcome, as long as the amp does not lose treble and presence, which is something I want in my sound (many are bothered by piercing high, I personally don't mind them).

Is the 47k slope resistor this one?

If putting a 110k resistor in parallel is enough to make a test I will try as soon as I take home the amp from the rehearsal room (btw to I have to solder the resistor or is making metal to metal contact enough?).
On the other hand, I still think the issue is not the amp, not just that at least, as the problem was there even when I was using the room tube heads with the other band (that one with dual guitar too). So the Demon has to go. Gotta look for some used trembuckers and see what happens I guess.

Be careful, bro. Tube amps can hold lethal voltage even after they're turned off. Do you know how to discharge the electricity in your amp?
If not, ASK someone here. I don't know how, but I do know it needs to be done.

 

[rstites]

It’s not that the Demon isn’t hot enough for leads. It’s the design of the pickup. There are people playing metal and other heavy music with Tele’s and Strats that have no problem with leads sustaining and ringing out. I tried a Demon many years ago in a Les Paul and it came right out. Just had a neutered tone. Sounded dry and constricted. Hated it. A 57 classic (supposedly “weaker”), which replaced it, was so much more alive. You said you have another guitar player? Play your rig through his speaker cab and see what difference that makes. But almost anything will be better than that Demon in a set neck guitar..IMO of course.

The Demon was designed for a solid maple guitar. I have an old Charvel with a solid flame-maple body and solid maple neck that's had a Demon in it for years. It sounds good in there. I've never liked it as much in other guitar.

Also, country to expectation, it isn't an especially high output pickup - probably the lowest output I have in anything, actually.

 

[FourT6and2]

I'm an absolutely amateur/dumb when it comes to electrics, resistor values and stuff like that, I swap pickups basically following schematics. With that said, more mids are always welcome, as long as the amp does not lose treble and presence, which is something I want in my sound (many are bothered by piercing high, I personally don't mind them).

Is the 47k slope resistor this one?

If putting a 110k resistor in parallel is enough to make a test I will try as soon as I take home the amp from the rehearsal room (btw to I have to solder the resistor or is making metal to metal contact enough?).
On the other hand, I still think the issue is not the amp, not just that at least, as the problem was there even when I was using the room tube heads with the other band (that one with dual guitar too). So the Demon has to go. Gotta look for some used trembuckers and see what happens I guess.

Yes, that is the slope resistor. No soldering needed.

Just put little hooks in the ends of the leads and wrap around the stock resistor's leads (you can also attach from that orange cap to the brown silver mica cap). Gently pinch 'em so there's solid metal-to-metal contact. Be careful the resistor doesn't flop around or come loose while you test. It won't hurt anything but unless there's a solid connection you won't actually get a change in value/tone.

Alternatively, you can use alligator clips on two long lengths of wire and just let them hang out of the chassis.

 

[FourT6and2]

Be careful, bro. Tube amps can hold lethal voltage even after they're turned off. Do you know how to discharge the electricity in your amp?
If not, ASK someone here. I don't know how, but I do know it needs to be done.

He'll be fine. Just don't go poking around other parts of the circuit. The slope resistor won't kill you lol. But to be safe, use an insulated needle nose pliers and not your bare hand and make sure the amp is off. This amp has bleeder resistors that drain the caps when amp is shut down.

Use only ONE hand inside the amp. Put the other hand in your pocket. And don't touch that large blue cap on the preamp board or the plates of any preamp tube.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

This amp has bleeder resistors that drain the caps when amp is shut down.

More amps should have those as stock.

 

[FourT6and2]

More amps should have those as stock.

Most do, unless they're super old/vintage.

 

[Zado]

Be careful, bro. Tube amps can hold lethal voltage even after they're turned off. Do you know how to discharge the electricity in your amp?
If not, ASK someone here. I don't know how, but I do know it needs to be done.

Yes, that is the slope resistor. No soldering needed.

Just put little hooks in the ends of the leads and wrap around the stock resistor's leads (you can also attach from that orange cap to the brown silver mica cap). Gently pinch 'em so there's solid metal-to-metal contact. Be careful the resistor doesn't flop around or come loose while you test. It won't hurt anything but unless there's a solid connection you won't actually get a change in value/tone.

Alternatively, you can use alligator clips on two long lengths of wire and just let them hang out of the chassis.

He'll be fine. Just don't go poking around other parts of the circuit. The slope resistor won't kill you lol. But to be safe, use an insulated needle nose pliers and not your bare hand and make sure the amp is off. This amp has bleeder resistors that drain the caps when amp is shut down.

Use only ONE hand inside the amp. Put the other hand in your pocket. And don't touch that large blue cap on the preamp board or the plates of any preamp tube.

Thanks. I'm aware that there are lethal voltages there, but honestly had no idea where those where located. I guess I'll go with the alligator clips, sounds like a safe and fast way. Not sure when I'll have time to do it, but I'll let ya know how things go. Will this also make the amp more abrasive in the treble, or just shift mids?

The Demon was designed for a solid maple guitar. I have an old Charvel with a solid flame-maple body and solid maple neck that's had a Demon in it for years. It sounds good in there. I've never liked it as much in other guitar.

Also, country to expectation, it isn't an especially high output pickup - probably the lowest output I have in anything, actually.

I don't dislike low output pickups, they have their place and I've used them extensively in the past. But the Demon, while having a great clarity, articulation and bloom, just doesn't push the amp enought, at least not in the most useful frequencies. The 59 delivers a lot more in that sense.

 

[Speeddemon]

@Zado have you considered the DiMarzio Norton?

That one has mid-push, tight lows, 'kerrang' and crunch in spades with awesome harmonics. It's medium/high output; less than a Super Distortion or Duncan Distortion, but definitely more than a '59 or a Screamin' Demon.
Like the Demon, it splits beautifully.
For a DiMarzio, it's more on the brighter and opener side of things. Generally speaking, I found most Dimarzio's a tad smoother than Duncans, but the Norton not so much. I've used it as a JB replacement, where I wanted tighter low-end, but similar harmonics. It's a tad less screechy than the JB.

 

[JackBootedThug]

I didn’t read through the thread, just your first post but sounds like a jb would work for you. I might have one and if I do you can have it.

 

[ClintN667]

Nazgul is really mid heavy. Almost too much for E standard. Lower tunings are where it's at for these

 

[FourT6and2]

Thanks. I'm aware that there are lethal voltages there, but honestly had no idea where those where located. I guess I'll go with the alligator clips, sounds like a safe and fast way. Not sure when I'll have time to do it, but I'll let ya know how things go. Will this also make the amp more abrasive in the treble, or just shift mids?

The slope resistor sets the center frequency for the entire tone stack. It's the midpoint for all three controls: treble, mid, bass. But no, it shouldn't make the treble/highs more abrasive. But keep in mind you might have to re-EQ the amp slightly after the change. But it shouldn't be anything super drastic. It's more like shifting the amp to be more mid-heavy like a Marshall.

 

[Zado]

@Zado have you considered the DiMarzio Norton?

That one has mid-push, tight lows, 'kerrang' and crunch in spades with awesome harmonics. It's medium/high output; less than a Super Distortion or Duncan Distortion, but definitely more than a '59 or a Screamin' Demon.
Like the Demon, it splits beautifully.
For a DiMarzio, it's more on the brighter and opener side of things. Generally speaking, I found most Dimarzio's a tad smoother than Duncans, but the Norton not so much. I've used it as a JB replacement, where I wanted tighter low-end, but similar harmonics. It's a tad less screechy than the JB.

This sounds very interesting! Does it cut well? Is it somehow similar to the Air Norton?

I didn’t read through the thread, just your first post but sounds like a jb would work for you. I might have one and if I do you can have it.

The JB's not exactly a pickup I dig, those I had always sounded muddy and somehow darker than they supposed to (500k pots), and I don't use gobs of gain or dropped tunings.

Nazgul is really mid heavy. Almost too much for E standard. Lower tunings are where it's at for these

I actually play E standard most of the time with that band. Does it get annoying bright with that tuning? How is it compared to, let's say, a Distortion?

The slope resistor sets the center frequency for the entire tone stack. It's the midpoint for all three controls: treble, mid, bass. But no, it shouldn't make the treble/highs more abrasive. But keep in mind you might have to re-EQ the amp slightly after the change. But it shouldn't be anything super drastic. It's more like shifting the amp to be more mid-heavy like a Marshall.

So it sorta shifts the focus of the amp, taking away some bass and adding mids with that specific resistor value, am I right? Indeed interesting! And what if I needed a rawer upped end? Would it be a much more complicated kind of mod?

 

[ClintN667]

Nazgul just has a snarl to it. Like it's one pickup that I can instantly recognize by hearing it alone. Very crunchy and lots of high mids

 

[Speeddemon]

This sounds very interesting! Does it cut well? Is it somehow similar to the Air Norton?

Mos def does it cut!
My old, original take on it (it's probably still somewhere up on the Dimarzio forum...or maybe TGP) is that the Norton is the pickup that the JB wanted to be....but became too loose in the bottom and too screechy up top. Basically that pickup is a chunky 'Karen'.

The Air Norton as a bridge pickup is lower output than the Norton and seems to fare better in the classic rock realm (again, as a BRIDGE pickup!!!), whereas the Norton definitely does the 80's/90's metal thing better.
Now, mind you, at the time when I tried the Air Norton in the bridge of a Les Paul standard, I found it a very interesting, characterful tone. It behaved more polite and open than the more forward/punchy/focussed Norton.
Another thing is that the Norton as a bridge pickup doesn't suffer from that half-cocked wah tone that the PAF Pro has.

In my Charvel So-Cal (that originally came with Evo neck and ToneZone bridge, which I found too woofy/loose in the lows/low-mids), I swapped bridge pickups 4 or 5 times, before settling on the Norton. IMO, it's easier to cop EVH tones now, than when there was a Super D or a Duncan Distortion in there.
With the Duncan Distortion the guitar was a bonafide thrash-metal machine, but I wanted more nuance, without losing too much snarl and crunch, and that's where the Norton delivered.
Also had it in the Burny Les Paul standard (where originally I had the Air Norton in the bridge to try and it went to the neck position) and I swapped it finally with an AT-1, to bring out a tad more lows (at a slight loss of kerrang and crunch), but either the AT-1 or the Norton in that guitar would be totally fine. AT-1 is slightly thicker overall in tone, but a tad mellower up top.
See attachment. Tone pots are push-pull, for coil taps.

 

[anomaly]

Nazgul is really mid heavy. Almost too much for E standard. Lower tunings are where it's at for these

I think the JB is better for E or Eb, it's got lots of mids but it's not like it's spikey in any way, it's wide sounding in the mids so it seems to work well in most guitars. Also the lows are not super tight so the JB might not be the best option for downtuning beyond C# I'd say.

I've been going back and forth between the JB and Distortion lately and have settled on the JB, it just seems to have a wider sonic spectrum, and it doesn't have that over the top sizzle of the Distortion.

 

[anomaly]

I do have the original EMGs the guitar came with, but it didn't shine with them... or maybe I wasn't a fan of the lack of dynamics at the time. Funny enough EMGs are still strong and you see plenty of pros using them no matter how unpopular are in forums. Gotta give em another chance someday, I'll need to buy the 25k pots again but whatever.
The Distortion is definitely on my list atm, maybe it's a lil too hot, but it's a classic for a reason I guess.


Maybe so, but honestly want to keep the pedalboard the smallest possible. Also, I guess I kinda "need" a slightly hotter bridge pickup, the Demon is so uncompressed that, while chords sound (and "feel") beautiful, leads are not as fun as other guitars I have.



A friend of mine has a Strat loaded with a Suhr Aldrich, and he loves it to death. Plays in a Whitesnake tribute, with an hot rodded '59, really great tones. Do you think it'd behave just as well in a set neck/mahogany combo?


You mean Super Distortion or Duncan Distortion? The Duncan Custom is tempting me hard, as the distortion is, I just can't understand why is described both as mid prominent AND scooped. BTW how accurate is this comparison video? The guitar should be similar to my Schecter spec wise






I'm gathering some infos with the DMZ site, but I'm not sure I can trust the EQ chart (I hardly trust Duncan's), as all humbuckers have almost inexistent treble value and exceptional low end. The guitar is filled with lowend already (and the amp is as well), so I guess I need something that can handle all the fat ass the rest of the gear delivers, without increasing it even more and get into flubcity.



I've always been a Duncan fan, or better said, a fan of their sonic character, so I guess DiMarzios might not be my best option considering their peculiar tonal spectrum... I might be wrong of course.
In recent years I've always been into hot PAFs (my Strat-style guitar is loaded with a Schecter Pasadena, which is an amazing sounding hot PAF - not very hot, around 11-12k, but plenty aggro when pushed), and the Demon was apparently a safe choice spec wise, cause it's described as super articulate (which is) and very bitey (which absolutely is), something I wanted in that guitar... problem is you never know how the guitar-pickup combo will sound til you have it assembled, no matter what your previous experiences with that pickups are or what its the tone features are. Maybe sometimes the wrong choice is trying to balance the whole thing, like putting bright pickups on a dark guitar, or scooped pickups in a middy guitar. I guess there's a reason why, for example, Lynch signature guitar is built with brightness upon brightess, and still delivers.

Now, i'd just say JB, more output than you're looking for but they definitely have crunch and enough high end, they're balanced... you really can't go wrong with one IMO. If not that, then EMG-81, those seem to be my go to pickups at the moment.