Vintage PAFy type pups - options and discussion

[mahtone]

Hi guys! I have been talking to Ash about a guitar. Brave of me I know. Pics when it happens, etc. You'll all be the first to know.

We've done most of the design work on it, but we still haven't pinned down the pickups. I'm polling the forum for wild speculations and general input on the matter.

The guitar will be of Fijian Kauri with maple neck and rosewood fretboard. It will have two humbuckers, wired with a PRS five-way rotary switching arrangement. There are some cool design features that will remain secret until finished

Soundwise, I play low gain stuff in a blues/jazz/fusion/funk kinda vein and occasionally break out into more classic rock kinda sound. I'm planning on vintage/low output style PAFs with four conductors. I want pickups that stand up well when clean, and generally I want a warm, sweet, singing kind of tone. I want to stay away from harsh treble and aggressive fat bottom end.

Specifically:
Neck Pickup - warm and able to do creamy/jazzy sounds without sounding too thick and muddy. Able to do runs with good definition between notes.
Bridge Pickup - clear and open without being too aggressive. Good note definition without too much compression or harsh attack.

Basically, my playing style relies heavily on dynamics and touch. I need the pups to be reasonably responsive to different weights of attack.

It's pretty difficult to make selections based on the tone clips I've been able to find on the web, as they've not been recorded off my future guitar. Can anyone offer any good suggestions/recommendations/war stories about some good choices? Any thoughts on specific combinations would be good.

So far, being considered are:
Neck:
SD Classic 59, Seth Lover, Alnico II Pro, Jazz,
Dimarzio PAF Joe, PAF 36th Anniversary, Air Classic,
Vintage Vibe (lower output magnets)
Bridge:
SD Classic 59, Jazz, Alnico II Pro
Dimarzio PAF 36th Anniversary, Air Classic,
Vintage Vibe (lower output magnets)

Ash, if I missed anything off that list can you let me know and I'll add it. Anyone else want to recommend anything not on the list?

Hit me up people!

[Capt. Black]

I think my taste in guitar sound is pretty close to yours. Your description of your requirements certainly match up to mine.
Of my three guitars, if it's purely for the sound/tone, I keep coming back to the one with SD Antiquities.
I bought it with them already fitted. May never have tried them otherwise. They are very sweet pick ups. Haven't tried anything that I like better overall, so far.
They come as two conductor stock but I think they can be ordered with four or modified for four.

Ash knows my guitar so he can probably give you a fair idea of how well Antiquities might sound in yours.

[sgt mukuzi]

dimazio super 2
dimazio paf pro
SD jazz

i like two wire pups, four wire are for nancy boys with two much time on there hands guitar sounds great, ASH does great stuff, i was happly fondeling mine last night

[ash]

Well at least the very first post wasn't wildly off the mark.

The Rio Grande Buffalo/Texas was one of the other suggestions.
I think SD Pearly Gates and possibly Bareknuckle Mules (not sure which is the PAFy model) were also on the list.

[mahtone]

Capt: Ash did mention the antiquities as something that might sound good....should consider them, though I hear they are mucho dinero...
Sgt: Guilty as charged with the fourwires....not sure about the PAF pro...seems like it might be a bit hot for my liking, but might work in the bridge.
Ash: Right you are, I forgot about the Rio Grande ones...

[DarcyPerry]

Well at least the very first post wasn't wildly off the mark.

The Rio Grande Buffalo/Texas was one of the other suggestions.
I think SD Pearly Gates and possibly Bareknuckle Mules (not sure which is the PAFy model) were also on the list.

Let me know how the Bareknuckle Mules go...

[mahtone]

Well at least the very first post wasn't wildly off the mark.

The Rio Grande Buffalo/Texas was one of the other suggestions.
I think SD Pearly Gates and possibly Bareknuckle Mules (not sure which is the PAFy model) were also on the list.

Let me know how the Bareknuckle Mules go...

I would love to try the Bareknuckles, but I really don't know if my budget extends that far...especially as it's a punt because we just don't know exactly what the guitar will sound like intrinsically.

[Capt. Black]

Antiquities aren't that badly priced.

I guess it's another thing where if the sound justifies it, why skimp?

Whichever pick ups you choose, they're gonna define the sound of your guitar. More so than anything else except the guitar itself and your speakers..... another often overlooked part of the equation.

[mahtone]

Antiquities aren't that badly priced.

I guess it's another thing where if the sound justifies it, why skimp?

Whichever pick ups you choose, they're gonna define the sound of your guitar. More so than anything else except the guitar itself and your speakers..... another often overlooked part of the equation.

I hear what you're saying (which is how I came to be talking to Ash in the first place). As I understand it, the antiquities are a variation on the Seth Lover model pickups. It might make more sense to try those first. Then again, it might not, especially if I end up going with the antiquities anyway.

I confess I'm a little afraid of unpotted pups as well.

[crushing day]

I don't suppose you will be at the Auck Gearfest?? .. I 'll have my Robin Avalon with me that has the Rio Grande Texas/Buffalo configuration

[mahtone]

I'm actually working in sydney for the rest of the year, so I get a weekend back every month. Would like to come down, but the odds of my next trip back overlapping the gearfest aren't great....

[ash]

As I understand it, the antiquities are a variation on the Seth Lover model pickups. It might make more sense to try those first. Then again, it might not, especially if I end up going with the antiquities anyway.

I confess I'm a little afraid of unpotted pups as well.

The Seth Lover is unpotted and also not cheap. Perhaps not much of a stepping stone!

[crushing day]

I had the unpotted Burstbuckers in my R7 ... While they weren't 'squealy', they did have a high frequency edginess to them at higher gain settings... it wasn't an uncontrollable wailing feedback, more like a slightly tinny tonality in the higher frequencies. Reminded me of how a tube thats starting to go microphonic sounds when you tap it.....

[mahtone]

As I understand it, the antiquities are a variation on the Seth Lover model pickups. It might make more sense to try those first. Then again, it might not, especially if I end up going with the antiquities anyway.

I confess I'm a little afraid of unpotted pups as well.

The Seth Lover is unpotted and also not cheap. Perhaps not much of a stepping stone!

Dammit. I missed the unpotted part.

[Mr Glyn]

Hey guys I've just ordered a pair of Bare Knuckle Mules for Warren at Hill Street Studio.
They're going in his Les Paul. I'm sure he'd be cool with demoing them (I know I should have asked him first).
He's a great player and really cares about tone.
They should arrive in about a week.