Mighty Mite 1400

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fiesta Red
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I've only tried the original vintage versions of the 1400, 1300 and 1800. Maybe it could be different with the recent made ones, but none of the vintage ones really sound like Super Distortions to me despite being copies. They sound imo much better and probably why they also cost more. Happy accident maybe lol

To me they all sound pretty similar overall, but the 1400 is the best one to me. Sounds a bit more gritty and aggressive than the others and despite the lower DC, it doesn't sound or feel any less hot to me. They are all very over the top in sounding hot and saturated. They make even a Wagner Iron Man sound low output and dry comparatively lol (I've compared them in the same guitar) and more importantly the Iron Man also sounds bland and kinda sterile comparatively. Whether this holds true with the current made ones or not I have no idea, but the vintage ones are killer pickups that are much better sounding than any high output pickups made today IME
 
braintheory said:
I've only tried the original vintage versions of the 1400, 1300 and 1800. Maybe it could be different with the recent made ones, but none of the vintage ones really sound like Super Distortions to me despite being copies. They sound imo much better and probably why they also cost more. Happy accident maybe lol

To me they all sound pretty similar overall, but the 1400 is the best one to me. Sounds a bit more gritty and aggressive than the others and despite the lower DC, it doesn't sound or feel any less hot to me. They are all very over the top in sounding hot and saturated. They make even a Wagner Iron Man sound low output and dry comparatively lol (I've compared them in the same guitar) and more importantly the Iron Man also sounds bland and kinda sterile comparatively. Whether this holds true with the current made ones or not I have no idea, but the vintage ones are killer pickups that are much better sounding than any high output pickups made today IME
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Agreed that they sound better than a Dimarizio SD IMHO.

The new ones are produced exactly like the old ones and still made in the USA.

I have a 9K 1400 that has the all hex head pole screws and it measures almost 10K and it's a killer pickup, very VH1 ish. What you hear in the YT clips is accurate to what they sound like. I find the 1400 to have less mids more balanced and like a hot crunchy PAF than the 1300 which measures more like 14K ohms rather than the 13K the old vintage ones measured.

I really like mine.
 
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I wish they did them in some other bobbin colors. Sounds like just what I’d like to try in one guitar of mine. I liked the Super Distortion in it but wanted a little more bite or openness, less of the trademark Dimarzio muddy mids.
 
Bardagh said:
I wish they did them in some other bobbin colors. Sounds like just what I’d like to try in one guitar of mine. I liked the Super Distortion in it but wanted a little more bite or openness, less of the trademark Dimarzio muddy mids.
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Try a Pariah 70's Distortion. Sounds like the older models. Other bobbin colors too
 
harddriver said:
Agreed that they sound better than a Dimarizio SD IMHO.

The new ones are produced exactly like the old ones and still made in the USA.

I have a 9K 1400 that has the all hex head pole screws and it measures almost 10K and it's a killer pickup, very VH1 ish. What you hear in the YT clips is accurate to what they sound like. I find the 1400 to have less mids more balanced and like a hot crunchy PAF than the 1300 which measures more like 14K ohms rather than the 13K the old vintage ones measured.

I really like mine.
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Thanks for this. You seem to be the only one who has tried one
 
Fiesta Red said:
Try a Pariah 70's Distortion. Sounds like the older models. Other bobbin colors too
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+1 to this. I have a set in a Gibson V and also one in a single hum strat. By far my favorite high output pups.
 
I have one of each; vintage 1300 and 1400. Unpotted but they had some type of resin that covered the wire and then they heated it, and the resin bonded like wax would. Still, they do feedback a bit under higher gain. You can definitely tell the VHI vibe with each; the 1400 being more VHI than the higher output 1300.
Not tried a newer version though.
 
Racerxrated said:
I have one of each; vintage 1300 and 1400. Unpotted but they had some type of resin that covered the wire and then they heated it, and the resin bonded like wax would. Still, they do feedback a bit under higher gain. You can definitely tell the VHI vibe with each; the 1400 being more VHI than the higher output 1300.
Not tried a newer version though.
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I couldn't find a vintage one so I bought a new 1400 and 1300. The 1400 nailed the tones I was looking for so much I haven't even removed the 1300 from the package.:p Like I sated before the 1400 is more open and has that hot PAF twang and chirp to it yet its overdriven and real crunchy on the single notes, (Exactly like what you hear on VH1, IMHO), it's alot more crunchy than my SD 78 model from 2009 which I love as well that's in my Frank strat. The MM is in my other 83 Kramer for VH1 tones but the 1400 does other tones as well.

There is comparison vids between the vintage MM and new Mighty Mite and they sound almost indistinguishable at least to my ears. I think you would dig one Fiesta and the don't break the bank at all to try one.

Here's a vintage 1300 and new one comparison by Ossie Ahsen
 
Racerxrated said:
I have one of each; vintage 1300 and 1400. Unpotted but they had some type of resin that covered the wire and then they heated it, and the resin bonded like wax would. Still, they do feedback a bit under higher gain. You can definitely tell the VHI vibe with each; the 1400 being more VHI than the higher output 1300.
Not tried a newer version though.
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The newer version of the 1300 is great. I have it in a mahogany set-neck guitar and it sound wonderful. I also have a Pariah 70s Destruction that is the same thing, and it also kicks ass. I can compare those two with the modern Super Distortion in a Jackson I have, and the two non-Dimarzio's sound so much better.
 
I haven't tried the new versions, but own and tried the 1300, 1400 and 1600. The 1300 sounds closer to a Duncan Custom than a Super Distortion, the 1400 sounds more open and less compressed than the 1300, I potted mine to prevent the microphonic feedback, many people assume the 1300 is what EVH used, but my guess it would have been the 1400, sounds closer to early VH to my ears!
 
Stradazone said:
I haven't tried the new versions, but own and tried the 1300, 1400 and 1600. The 1300 sounds closer to a Duncan Custom than a Super Distortion, the 1400 sounds more open and less compressed than the 1300, I potted mine to prevent the microphonic feedback, many people assume the 1300 is what EVH used, but my guess it would have been the 1400, sounds closer to early VH to my ears!
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That's what my ears hear as well Al....the 1400 all the way for VH1 IMHO. I haven't had any feedback issues with my new 1400 I assumed the new ones were potted.
 
harddriver said:
I couldn't find a vintage one so I bought a new 1400 and 1300. The 1400 nailed the tones I was looking for so much I haven't even removed the 1300 from the package.:p Like I sated before the 1400 is more open and has that hot PAF twang and chirp to it yet its overdriven and real crunchy on the single notes, (Exactly like what you hear on VH1, IMHO), it's alot more crunchy than my SD 78 model from 2009 which I love as well that's in my Frank strat. The MM is in my other 83 Kramer for VH1 tones but the 1400 does other tones as well.

There is comparison vids between the vintage MM and new Mighty Mite and they sound almost indistinguishable at least to my ears. I think you would dig one Fiesta and the don't break the bank at all to try one.

Here's a vintage 1300 and new one comparison by Ossie Ahsen
Click to expand...

Hi
Please how is instal new MM 1400.
Is it normal like other picks or not.
How many different ways can instal and which is best.
Thank you Kind regards
 
Question I haven’t played a vintage mighty Mite in ages, are the brighter and more open sounding then the dimarzio super distortion
 
Slightly OT, but I had Jalen make me an EVH Frankenstein copy with the clear bobbin (ala MM) and four conductor wire for coil splitting. I have it in my 1983 Kramer Pacer and it sounds great.

 
I’m a close friend of Ossie Ahsen I was talking to him and also listening to his Mighty Mite 1300 shoot out he did on YouTube and I have to say that f#%king pickup has it,no question about it for the first Van Halen album sound it just matches the tone/attack/brightness it sounds more lively then the dimarzio super Distortion that’s for sure,I need to get one.
 
Would the mighty mite 1400 or the Seymour Duncan 78 be closer to Van Halen 1 in your opinions
 
Is the only difference between the 1400 and the 1400z that Duncan is making the z? But still the same pickup spec wise?
 
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