PRS Dragon II's, SG and a Triple Recto-tone Suggestions

[Ken]

You haven't tried the HFS vs Tremonti pickups have you? I have been thinking of replacing the HFS treble pickup in my Custom 24 with the Tremonti pickup I have laying around. They seem sort of similar in clips I've heard.

Stay far away from the HFS, terrible pickup in my opinion.

Why do you say that?

 

[Micah]

You
haven't tried the HFS vs Tremonti pickups have you?
I have been thinking of replacing the HFS treble
pickup in my Custom 24 with the Tremonti pickup
I have laying around. They seem sort of similar
in clips I've heard.

Stay far away from the HFS, terrible pickup
in my opinion.

Why do you say that?

I havent had much expirience with them but from
what I saw in the store was that they were very
warm and lacked the edge I was looking for to
go into a rather dark amp like the recto. But different
people are looking for different charactoristics in a
pickup--thats what makes us different! Not meant
as a slam...Just off the bat it didnt seem to posess
what I was looking for. I had this expirience with
my JB PU. I tried it and used it for a while but it
didnt have the chunk I was looking for (but it did sustain).
This is crazy because allot of guys I admire for
their tone use them-- Were all a little different!

 

[Platypus]

You haven't tried the HFS vs Tremonti pickups have you? I have been thinking of replacing the HFS treble pickup in my Custom 24 with the Tremonti pickup I have laying around. They seem sort of similar in clips I've heard.

Stay far away from the HFS, terrible pickup in my opinion.

Why do you say that?

Talk to any reputable PRS dealer if you don't believe me, most offer to do a pup swap. I think they sound terrible personally, very smoky tone with extremely shrill high end and very little 'tone.' The kind of tone you'd expect from a PRS anyway. Muddy mids and sloppy bass.

As far as chunky riffs and the Tremonti, a dramatic improvement over the Dragon II but not as quick to track as say an active pickup is. It helps to use the diode rectifier with them.

 

[Elpelotero]

i agree with the high shrill part, but muddy mids??!! PRS made its stake on those beautiful mids!

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

In an SG maybe a Gibby 500T ? Have the 500's in two different flying V's (one mahogany, the other korina) and they both kill thru the Triple.

Also take a look at the Tom Anderson H3. I put one of these in the bridge position on a Jackson soloist (replacing the stock JB) and changed it from icepick to sledgehammer. Might be too bassy in an all-mahogany guitar, i dont know. The H2+ is brighter and a bit less output.

Dimarzio D-Sonic DP207 ? Never tried this one but it looks interesting.

 

[Platypus]

i agree with the high shrill part, but muddy mids??!! PRS made its stake on those beautiful mids!

Maybe it was something in my setup? My HFS just had some weird thick midrange you couldn't dial out.

 

[jbird]

Maybe your tone defecit is with the model of guitar! Pickups can only do so much, you might as well be trying different strings, tubes, and speakers! Is the SG really the right tool for the job at hand? Carry on! :?

 

[Micah]

Maybe your tone defecit is with the model of guitar! Pickups can only do so much, you might as well be trying different strings, tubes, and speakers! Is the SG really the right tool for the job at hand? Carry on! :?

Any suggestions on guitars for Metal/Hard Stuff?? Allot of guys I know out there playing the same stuff with SG's--But then again the Dragon II's were made for a Mahogony guitar with a *Maple* top--that does add brightness to smooth out the warmth--Suggestions??

 

[Micah]

ok, now I understand it perfectly. thanks...

As for suggestions,
First I personally would scratch all the
settings and start again. You are varying
too widely by having bass almost off,
gain way up and the volumes differing
as well. set everything in the middle.
Bypass loop. Put channel volume on at
least 9:30 or 10:00. The vintage channel
is kinda dark so up your presence around
1:30-2:00, maybe more, but it may sizzle.
Bass will give you the chunk. Put this at
11-1:30. Keep your mids in relation to
bass knob. If you up the bass a lot, say
2, you got to up your mids a few notches
as well, else you got zippooo! Treble is a
great knob...put her around 12-2. Gain,
start off at 12. Don't go over 2:30 or 3.
I suggest keeping it around 1:30 or 2.
The rectos sweet spot is within this the
11-3 range for each knob. I wouldn't
venture far off from here unless you
want a very specific sound. By having
you bass around where i told and keeping
mids in relation, you'll have chunk and
enough mids to cut.

If you ever choose to use the overall
volume master, put your channel volume
up more and then you adjust the overall
volume knob.

This also goes out to Ibanez4life SZ!

Guys--I tried those settings last night and
I could not believe my ears!! Every time
I set the Bass that high before all I got was
mudd!! After setting the mids up as well I
had all of the punch I was looking for and
super tight bottom ent that was huge!!!
Of course started with your suggestions
and relative to my pickups and guitar with
my requirements for tight mids and bottom
and let my ears walk. My settings were
close to as follows by the time I was done

All are clock-wise

Vintage High Gain/Bold/Tube

Amp Master
PEGGED! (up to 11)

Presence
10:30-11

Master
7-8

Gain2:30-3

Bass
4-4:30

Mid
4:30-5

Treble
2-2:30

It absolutly tickled my ears! It seems that
these high settings really make up for the
lack of punch I have in the Dragon II's--
Im actually ok with that though because
I can keep the versatility of the Dragons
and still have the nasty that I was missing!
Life is good! I have my cake and ate it too!!
Thanks guys!! I would have never thought
to set my knobs that high.......... Thanks
again!1 :lol: :lol:


FYI: To all of you out there who own a recto...
I stand by my theory of pegging the overall
amp volume and barely touching the preamp
master (channel volume) volume to get your
overall volume. The sustain and clarity and
tightness of bottom end that I get is not replicated
to my ears when the amp volume is @ half and
the preamp volume is @ 10-11. Guys(gals) you
wont be disappointed by trying this!!

 

[Elpelotero]

some of the artists set their knobs even higher, you'd be surprised. Mark tremonti puts his bass knob FULL! POD puts their gain on 5 30!! And no one can argue they don't have good tone! I've set up my rectos with both of their exact eq's and they sound sick! i'll dig up the settings later tonight.

 

[Micah]

some of the artists set
their knobs even higher, you'd be surprised.
Mark tremonti puts his bass knob FULL! POD
puts their gain on 5 30!! And no one can argue
they don't have good tone! I've set up my
rectos with both of their exact eq's and they
sound sick! i'll dig up the settings later tonight.

Much appreciated man!! I would love to
see those settings for both tremonti and POD!!

 

[Micah]

In an SG maybe a
Gibby 500T ? Have the 500's in two different
flying V's (one mahogany, the other korina)
and they both kill thru the Triple.


Also take a look at the Tom Anderson H3.
I put one of these in the bridge position on
a Jackson soloist (replacing the stock JB)
and changed it from icepick to sledgehammer.
Might be too bassy in an all-mahogany guitar,
i dont know. The H2+ is brighter and a bit less
output.

Dimarzio D-Sonic DP207 ? Never tried
this one but it looks interesting.

Never tried a 500--What guitar could I play
one of these in(stock in a music store)??
Im not Familliar with the H3 or H2 Who
makes them? Ever try a Dimarzio DP152
Super 3?

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Never tried a 500--What guitar could I play
one of these in(stock in a music store)??
Im not Familliar with the H3 or H2 Who
makes them? Ever try a Dimarzio DP152
Super 3?

Gibson 500T is stock bridge p'up in Flying V's, Explorers, and LP Classic

H3 p'up Tom Anderson Guitar Works www.andersonguitars.com

Nope never tried the Super3. Only Dimarzio Ive ever had was a super-distortion, a decent p'up for sure but nothing spectacular.

FWIW here's what I'm using currently...they all sound different (as they should) but all work well with the Triple for hard-rock/traditional metal.
(2) Gibson V's w/ stock 496R and 500T One is all mahogany/ ebony board, the other korina/rosewood board.
O'Hagan Flying V w/ Duncan Distortion both holes. Walnut body/maple neck-thru maple board.
Jackson Soloist SL3 w/ Anderson H3, Duncan hot-rails middle and neck. Alder body/maple top/maple neck-thru, rosewood board
Jackson Soloist SLS w/ Duncan pearly gates (br) Duncan '59 (neck) All mahogany/ thick maple top/ ebony board

Hope that helps.
Jon

 

[Micah]

Never tried a 500--What guitar could I play
one of these in(stock in a music store)??
Im not Familliar with the H3 or H2 Who
makes them? Ever try a Dimarzio DP152
Super 3?

Gibson 500T is stock bridge p'up in Flying V's, Explorers, and LP Classic

H3 p'up Tom Anderson Guitar Works www.andersonguitars.com

Nope never tried the Super3. Only Dimarzio Ive ever had was a super-distortion, a decent p'up for sure but nothing spectacular.

FWIW here's what I'm using currently...they all sound different (as they should) but all work well with the Triple for hard-rock/traditional metal.
(2) Gibson V's w/ stock 496R and 500T One is all mahogany/ ebony board, the other korina/rosewood board.
O'Hagan Flying V w/ Duncan Distortion both holes. Walnut body/maple neck-thru maple board.
Jackson Soloist SL3 w/ Anderson H3, Duncan hot-rails middle and neck. Alder body/maple top/maple neck-thru, rosewood board
Jackson Soloist SLS w/ Duncan pearly gates (br) Duncan '59 (neck) All mahogany/ thick maple top/ ebony board

Hope that helps.
Jon

Sweet line up--thanks! :lol: