High Output pickups with my High Output Dual?

[MichiganboySB]

Hi guys,
Going through a Dual Rectifier 3 channel using Dimarzio X2N (bridge) and Dual Sound (Neck) must just be overkill... what you think? I don't dare throw a Boss Distortion/overdrive pedal into the mix. Just would like it to have clarity, sustain, controllable feedback and killer distortion. I've been told to use very clean pickups with a high gain amp but never believed them. If this is true whats the purpose of a high output pickup then, for clean Fenderish amps? I'd like to turn my Boog gain up to 10 without it sounding terrible... is this possible with low output pickups such as air nortons or air zones?
Ken

 

[Platypus]

I can offer some insight here since I have 3 different guitars with 3 different pickup combinations

1) Passive high output pups (prs tremonti, dragon II) -> My favorite combination with the dual, loads of tone dripping with harmonics/sustain, high clarity, fat crunch, great string definition

2) Lower output PAF type (gibson burstbuckers) -> A radically different sound, much fatter, fuller, chords blur together into a nice huge chord but not too much string seperation

3) Super high output (EMG 707's), extremely clear, soaring lead runs, tons of harmonics, sort of sterile in my opinion however.

The Dual responds totally different to each of these pickups.... for what it's worth, I use an overdrive 100% of the time with every single one of those pickup combinations. What do your settings look like..?

 

[macmax]

Hi guys,
Going through a Dual Rectifier 3 channel using Dimarzio X2N (bridge) and Dual Sound (Neck) must just be overkill... what you think? I don't dare throw a Boss Distortion/overdrive pedal into the mix. Just would like it to have clarity, sustain, controllable feedback and killer distortion. I've been told to use very clean pickups with a high gain amp but never believed them. If this is true whats the purpose of a high output pickup then, for clean Fenderish amps? I'd like to turn my Boog gain up to 10 without it sounding terrible... is this possible with low output pickups such as air nortons or air zones?
Ken

Try Tom Andeson pickups

 

[Guitarzan]

Hi guys,... using Dimarzio X2N (bridge) and Dual Sound (Neck) must just be overkill... what you think?

Might I suggest a Dimarzio Breed, Seymour Custom 5 or Bill Lawrence L-500XL in the bridge. Dimarzio Norton (not the "air" version) or Lawrence L-500C in the neck. I think you'll have more tonal opportunities with these combinations and the ability to use effects w/o defeating your signal. Just my .02

 

[MichiganboySB]

Plat, you asked what my settings are, umm... can't turn my gain passed 2:00 that's for shizzle. Are you comfortable diming your gain with those high output pickups? Or better yet, do you find you can dime the distortion with the milder pickups? That's what I'm trying to find out; whether or not you can turn the distortion up higher on medium output pickups. I still don't know what purpose they make such high output pickups for to begin with. Wouldn't you want your distortion coming from the amp or pedals rather than your pickups? The reason I got these X2N's is cuz I thought that the higher the output then the more sustain but that isn't true since the magnet is stronger you know? Also for once in my life I'd like to have the option of using my neck pickup without it sounding all dark and muddy and just blah! Seems that this dual sound is also a high output pickup as well.
Hey Guitarzan I'm checking out each of these. Doesn't it make sense to you though that you ought to have a mild output pickup with a high gain tube amp? And if you need more power and distortion then just crank her up!
Ken

 

[tele_jas]

I had a Wolfgang which has really hot stock pickups and i really loved the tone I got... I sure missed that tone when I sold my Wolfgang. I recently purchased an OLP (wolfgang/EB copy) and I put a Dimarzio X2N in the bridge and I like it even better than the Wolfgang!! It's not as dark as the Wolfgang was, but it does have a tad bit more gain...... and with a Road King, the Brit mode really sings!

I really like that pickup... I run in Vintage mode (channel 2 on a 3 ch recto) with the following settings:

Gain: 3:00
Treb: 12:00
Mids: 11:00
Bass: 10:00
Pres: 11:00

 

[Platypus]

It's all about preference. I prefer hearing my guitar through my amplifier most times.. however sometimes I want to hear my amp as the instrument (if that makes sense). With my PRS, I want to hear my guitar shining through so I think the high output pickups are justified. With my schecter, my 7 string heavy metal machine, I'd rather hear my boogie shine through because there just isn't enough tone in active pickups for my tastes so I tune my amp much differently with this guitar. The rectifier is a high gain amplifier.. especially on the 3rd channel in modern which is where I usually play that guitar. I run my gain at 2 and an OD with super high output pickups in that guitar to get a brutal menacing tone.

My LP is an interesting combination of both guitar tone and amp tone, I literally have this little pad of paper filled with little circles indicating my settings for each of my guitars (lol.. hope I'm not the only one).

As far as gain, I'm very conservative with my gain and presence settings because it gets way too gainy, esp with an OD pedal. The highest I run my gain ever is around 2 o clock and usually around 1 o clock. That said, I like my sound a little bright and my recto is rather dark as it is due to using EL34 tubes, so I use the treble control as a gain most times, usually run it around 2:30.

So the short answer to a long/complex question is, do what sounds right to you. I've tried tons of stuff before landing on what I think sounds the best though I understand not having the fortune of doing so (like how I was in college lol) Luckily I did a lot of research and a lot of playing at stores before I isolated *my* tone.

Good luck!

 

[Guitarzan]

Hey Guitarzan, I'm checking out each of these. Doesn't it make sense to you though that you ought to have a mild output pickup with a high gain tube amp? And if you need more power and distortion then just crank her up!
Ken

Every one of those pickups I suggested are mid to almost high output, very transparent and clean. My philosophy is to let the amp do the distorting. Where as the X2N, for instance, has a fizz underneath that you can't dial out.

 

[MichiganboySB]

Yea that's my point exactly! So today I stuck in this super distortion I had laying around, its still considered a high output pickup but less than the X2N. Well I am able to turn the gain up and it is a bit clearer. These are obvious experiments but ones I needed to hear for myself. I'm certain a more mild pickup is the right choice for me, I hate extraneous noise. Thanks for your help gentlemen talk to you later.
Ken

 

[soundpurist]

Hi guys,
Going through a Dual Rectifier 3 channel using Dimarzio X2N (bridge) and Dual Sound (Neck) must just be overkill... what you think? I don't dare throw a Boss Distortion/overdrive pedal into the mix. Just would like it to have clarity, sustain, controllable feedback and killer distortion. I've been told to use very clean pickups with a high gain amp but never believed them. If this is true whats the purpose of a high output pickup then, for clean Fenderish amps? I'd like to turn my Boog gain up to 10 without it sounding terrible... is this possible with low output pickups such as air nortons or air zones?
Ken

Hi, maybe you saw that in a post about pickups, i won't tell you go and put X2N in your guitar for playing with a rectifier...

I used to play in a heavy band with rockmaster peavy preamp in a (mod for guitar) marshall super bass, it was simply awesome! I bought a new guitar and i tried it. The gain start to breakup a 9oclock and it sound too muddy not crunchy as it was with the rockmaster?!??! The clean? I agree with Guitartarzan it's too much output. High output pickups will be good for 70's music like hendrix's style, i mean if you want to play on fuzz distortion with a lot of sustain...that's ok but if you want a clear and crunchy sound go with a little less ouput and use the gain of your amp.

I ordered a seymour duncan distortion at the store but I cancelled it, i just don't trust it, period. When it's time to do shopping for a pickup, there's a big problem: trying every pickups is impossible but there's always the clips on the web. I heard the duncan distortion but it was on a 7strings and the guy was just playing on the 7th string, all that with no idea on what amp he was playing...

I just know that dimebag was using a bill lawrence on the first albums and i doubt that he really changed for the custom seymour dimebucker(design with the same configuration of the L-500's?? :roll: ). There is too much bullshit with the product's marketing, especially when they put the name of a guitar hero on a mass selling product. But this is not the point, I will always repeat the same wise advise, don't only take people's opinions, go an try it with your own ear and taste.

Anyway, for my part i odered a bill lawrence L-500XL last sunday with pay-pal and i already received the mail company's notice to confirm my adress! I encourage you to do the same. I just remembered that i tried a L-500 few years ago cause the guy in the studio where i was told me that it was the dimebag's pickup and i have a good memory
there was no seymour duncan written on the humbucker and it was a clear :shock: mean :twisted: sound :!: , that's why i canceled right away my order for the duncan pup.

Good luck in your research.duncan distortion

 

[Guitarzan]

The only difference between Bill Lawrence and the Duncan Sh-13 is the magnets used and the diameter of wire that it is wound with. The Lawrence has an Alnico 5 magnet as compared to the Dimebucker's ceramic magnet. Also the Seymour is wound with a smaller diameter wire that allows for a slightly different and compressed tonal spectrum. Not nearly as wide a spectrum as the Lawrence p/u. The Lawrence pick up is truly a HiFi pickup. Good call Soundpurist! You'll like them!