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Hi all,

Just out of curiosity: what are your favorite combinations of different pickup models? I mean, combining different neck and bridge models for your desired tone in a single guitar.

I have settled on the following:

PGn / JB - cool in a warm-sounding guitar (mahogany/maple body, mah neck)
59n / JB - the best match for a maple-necked SG clone
PG n / C5 - gives a nice treble bite to an all-mahogany Strat clone with FR

I believe the Jazz / Custom would be a cool-sounding combo as well but I have yet to try it. (Actually I will try it this weekend if everything goes right).

What do you think is the best bridge pup to match an Alnico 2 Pro?

What do you think is the best bridge pup to match a Phat Cat neck?

Too many questions, too few guitars to test on.
Anyway, please share your thoughts if you care to.
Thank you
Tony


Originally Posted by Tony_HI believe the Jazz / Custom would be a cool-sounding combo as well but I have yet to try it. (Actually I will try it this weekend if everything goes right).

I think Custom/59 is a classic combo - it RAWKS. It'll help ya kick some serious sonic a**, but it's not a wall of voltage/mush kinda output like an Inavder or something. Custom/Jazz is great if you really want to do chord stuff with the neck, or if your guitar is particularly warm and fuzzy at the neck.Originally Posted by Tony_HWhat do you think is the best bridge pup to match an Alnico 2 Pro?

Custom Custom! No question.

APH-1 Bridge is also a no-brainer for this.

Hi Tony! Good to see you!

I tried a Custom with an Alnico II Pro (n) in my LP Standard and it was fantastic. Their outputs balance really well, and (as A2 pups go) the Alnico II Pro is quite bright so it matches well with the Custom. Excellent combo for hard rock. The Custom is a little hard for what I'm doing with my covers band currently, but if I was rockin' out more the Custom / A2P combo would be first choice.

Custom Custom (b) / Jazz (n)

If a single coil is there:

Custom Custom (b) / APS-1 or SSL-1 (n)
59 Model (b) / APS-1 or SSL-1 (n)

The best bridge pickup for the A2P neck is the CC hands down, or the A2P bridge.


Originally Posted by Simon_FHi Tony! Good to see you!

I tried a Custom with an Alnico II Pro (n) in my LP Standard and it was fantastic. Their outputs balance really well, and (as A2 pups go) the Alnico II Pro is quite bright so it matches well with the Custom. Excellent combo for hard rock. The Custom is a little hard for what I'm doing with my covers band currently, but if I was rockin' out more the Custom / A2P combo would be first choice.

Hi Simon, nice to see you too! Your avatar rocks! I've been away from the forum for a few months but started coming back in Sept or so.

Yes, the APHn/Custom combo sounds cool, I tried it and it was good but the guitar itself was pretty bright. Somehow, I got into a situation where I have a couple of nice pickup sets and look for matching guitars to put them in


Originally Posted by wildstarI think Custom/59 is a classic combo - it RAWKS. It'll help ya kick some serious sonic a**, but it's not a wall of voltage/mush kinda output like an Inavder or something. Custom/Jazz is great if you really want to do chord stuff with the neck, or if your guitar is particularly warm and fuzzy at the neck.

Custom Custom! No question.

APH-1 Bridge is also a no-brainer for this.

Yes, I agree, though I have not tried all of your suggested set-ups.
I have a guitar fit out with an APH-1 pair and it's one of the best, if not THE best sounding guitar I've ever had.

My faves in no particular order:

CC/PGb
C5/APH
Super Distortion/Jazz
Custom/PGPhat Cat/Seth

Teles:
Antiquity I Tele lead with SM-3n neck mini-humbucker
Jerry Donahue Tele lead with Phat Cat neck
STL-2 Hot Tele lead with Atomic II neck HB

LP:
PG bridge with APH neck

Strats:
Antiquity Texas Hot neck and Custom bridge with Texas Special middle
Twangbanger with SSL-1 neck and middle


Originally Posted by KelseyJerry Donahue Tele lead with Phat Cat neck

Thats interesting. I was toying with the idea of doing exactly that. I take it, you like it?

Artie

Hi. I have a question in this vein. I have a fat strat and I'm looking for a good pickup combination. I was thinking of a Pearly Gates in the Bridge position, but I'm not married to that. Any thoughts on what might give me a good classic rock/texas blues type sound?

Thanks a million,

Wolf


Originally Posted by mfwolfHi. I have a question in this vein. I have a fat strat and I'm looking for a good pickup combination. I was thinking of a Pearly Gates in the Bridge position, but I'm not married to that. Any thoughts on what might give me a good classic rock/texas blues type sound?

Thanks a million,

Wolf

Hey Wolf, as far as I know, Fender used to make a guitar model called the Lone Star Strat, which had a Pearly Gates humbucker in the bridge position (which is basically a Pearly Gates pup with an Alnico 5 magnet - the standard PG pups use Alnico 2) and Fender Texas Special single-coils in the neck and mid positions.

So if I understand your question well, yes you're on the right track.

Hope this helps
Tony

Tony,

Thanks for the tip. I am trying to stick to seymour duncan pickups, though. Have you ever run into a single coil similar in tone to the Fender Texas Special pups?

Thanks again,

Wolf


Originally Posted by mfwolfTony,

Thanks for the tip. I am trying to stick to seymour duncan pickups, though. Have you ever run into a single coil similar in tone to the Fender Texas Special pups?

Thanks again,

Wolf

I'm not so well-schooled in single coil pickups, but perhaps someone with better info will chime in.

Custom Custom/Alnico II Pro is my fav Duncan combo for most situations.

Artie,

Yes, I like the JD and Phat Cat combo a lot, although I think I prefer the SM-3 or other Firebird-style mini-HB at the neck just a little bit more.

Kelsey


Originally Posted by mfwolfTony,

Thanks for the tip. I am trying to stick to seymour duncan pickups, though. Have you ever run into a single coil similar in tone to the Fender Texas Special pups?

Thanks again,

Wolf

I asked about this same thing a while back. I was recommended the Antiquity Surfers or Texas Hots with the Custom bridge pickup.