Neck pickup in bridge

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan Gleesak
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Dan Gleesak

Dan Gleesak

Well-known member
So I’ve had this Buz McGrath sig guitar for a bit and I could just never get into the steph carpenter pickups. Bridge was much too hot and compressed.
In a last ditch effort before moving the guitar or invest in pickups, I decided to put the alnico neck in the bridge and move the super hot ceramic to the neck.

And it actually turned out pretty good! When I get the time I’m going to add some mini switches to turn the onboard boost on and off to even things out, but the ceramic in the neck actually cuts in a cool nasally way, I didn’t think I would like it.

And the alnico bridge is a little more restrained and growly instead of full on scream.

Anyways, here is a quick impromptu clip. It’s my first time recording my Kemper so bare with me lol

Apologies in advance for the 2000s metalcore…

 
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Ok well after listening to it back a few times, the neck sound still kinda sucks lol. But there are still a few tweaks I can make. I’d prefer not to have a separate kemper patch for leads.

I still did the rhythm tone though
 
The neck pickup is just the plain old Modern Alnico on the Stephen Carpenter set, is it not?

I like the Modern Alnico in the bridge as well. To me, it always reminded me more of the EMG 57 than the EMG 85, just wider EQ spectrum.

Killer pickup.
 
Rex Rocker said:
The neck pickup is just the plain old Modern Alnico on the Stephen Carpenter set, is it not?

I like the Modern Alnico in the bridge as well. To me, it always reminded me more of the EMG 57 than the EMG 85, just wider EQ spectrum.

Killer pickup.
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Yes I believe it is the same as the modern alnico.
The only “problem” for me is that the little slash going through the pickup on the SC glows in the dark, so I’d have to find a solo SC alnico if I can’t live with the ceramic lol
 
You might try the ceramic split - sometimes with a beefy pickup that can give you a great neck tone.
For more humbuckerish character, parallel is an option too - and it'd still have full hum rejection.
A pickup like yours is likely hot enough that you needn't worry about not having enough output.
 
Aynirar27 said:
Yes I believe it is the same as the modern alnico.
The only “problem” for me is that the little slash going through the pickup on the SC glows in the dark, so I’d have to find a solo SC alnico if I can’t live with the ceramic lol
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You could try selling both those SRC's as a set and getting some plain old Moderns. Or two Modern Alnicos. They now come stock with more options like single coil sounds. It's worth it, IMO.
 
eclecticsynergy said:
You might try the ceramic split - sometimes with a beefy pickup that can give you a great neck tone.
For more humbuckerish character, parallel is an option too - and it'd still have full hum rejection.
A pickup like yours is likely hot enough that you needn't worry about not having enough output.
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I don't think the Moderns (or any of the Fluence series) can be run in parallel. They do offer a lot of options compared to EMG's, but they don't quite work like passives either.
 
Rex Rocker said:
I don't think the Moderns (or any of the Fluence series) can be run in parallel. They do offer a lot of options compared to EMG's, but they don't quite work like passives either.
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Sorry - I'm not up on actives and didn't realize it had Fishmans.
I searched the Carpenter sig. Mighty cool look at least.
 
i’m not a metal/chug guy per se, so hot pickups for my tastes generally blow🤣

i run a tom holmes 450 neck pickup in the bridge of my Tyler strat. the original thought was humbucker-something with low output and PAF to blend with my middle/neck suhr fletcher landau singles. even though there are times i enjoy hotter pickups, i’m addicted to the clarity and dynamics of my specific config now.
 
mentoneman said:
i’m not a metal/chug guy per se, so hot pickups for my tastes generally blow🤣

i run a tom holmes 450 neck pickup in the bridge of my Tyler strat. the original thought was humbucker-something with low output and PAF to blend with my middle/neck suhr fletcher landau singles. even though there are times i enjoy hotter pickups, i’m addicted to the clarity and dynamics of my specific config now.
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This is my first foray into actives as well. I’ve been a metal guy for a long time but never really went with any pickup hotter than a PAF pro lol.
But I am beginning to see some benefits of actives.
I started with actives about the same time as I started with digital gear so I am testing a lot of variables at once so to speak. It’s often counterintuitive, but it has been fun and interesting too.
 
Rex Rocker said:
You could try selling both those SRC's as a set and getting some plain old Moderns. Or two Modern Alnicos. They now come stock with more options like single coil sounds. It's worth it, IMO.
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But then I would have to take a new profile pic lol.
I will most likely sell the guitar I think. I do enjoy playing it but I am a total pickup junky, and the 7 string soapbar is very low on options at the moment. I don’t think I’ve ever played a pickup higher than 10k or so, which I think is non existent in this format outside of something semi custom
 
most hot pickups sound like casio kazoos playing leads
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It's a shame you can't get the Fishman Classics in that housing. The PAF voicing on the Fishman Classics is to-die-for.

I'm pretty sure you can get Duncan '59's in that housing, though.
 
Rex Rocker said:
It's a shame you can't get the Fishman Classics in that housing. The PAF voicing on the Fishman Classics is to-die-for.

I'm pretty sure you can get Duncan '59's in that housing, though.
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Duncan does have some offerings. The Pegasus looks promising despite the stupid name lol
I could always get 2 modern alnicos and just color in the stripe myself. A metallic silver would look cool on that guitar.
 
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Just for the hell of it this was my first take. I noticed the lack of low end compared to my monitors so I tweaked it a bit. I’m definitely digging the bridge.

I wired up some switches last night to turn the boosts on and off and also the HF circuit, but I need to take my time drilling the holes for them because they are going right in the middle of the body bevel

 
you could try re-voicing the pickups to taste ... pretty easy mod to do
 
I swapped the bridge and neck fluence modern positions on my schecter e-1 SLS Elite. I like it better myself. The bridge is fatter and warmer to my ears now.
 
mentoneman said:
i’m not a metal/chug guy per se, so hot pickups for my tastes generally blow🤣

i run a tom holmes 450 neck pickup in the bridge of my Tyler strat. the original thought was humbucker-something with low output and PAF to blend with my middle/neck suhr fletcher landau singles. even though there are times i enjoy hotter pickups, i’m addicted to the clarity and dynamics of my specific config now.
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I love the 450/455 set. It's hard to find any humbuckers more clear and dynamic than those.
 
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