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understanding pickups / BL's

  • 28-02-2007 11:24pm
    #1
    fourmations
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭


    hi all

    i have a few pup questions,

    i have not played electrics for years
    and have only taken it back up,
    and everything i did know is gone!

    I am playing a lot of old thrash at the mo

    I have three bill lawrence pickups on the way
    (the real billlawrence.com ones for those in the know about the politics!!)

    i was wondering about the differences between the neck
    and bridge positions, I much prefer the bridge position
    for most playing, but as i only copped recently the neck is far
    clearer for shreddy leads, although i much prefer the bridge tones

    is it just me or is it much harder to get harmonics off the neck?

    without blinding me with science......
    why is the neck position clearer?
    is it just commonplace for guitar companies to place a hotter
    pup in the bridge? is the neck clearer because its generally less gain
    thus giving a clearer sound? confused

    bill lawrence suggest the extra hot L500-XL for the bridge (a given)
    and the L500R for the neck (slightly lower gain, r = rythym),
    the third pickup is single coil,

    next question...

    i got an ibanez sz recently and the wiring is unusual

    it has two hb's but the middle toggle position splits the
    hb's and uses the inside coils of each, giving you the
    sound of two singles, producing a really nice powerful single coil sound

    is this just a wiring trick or is it down to the pickups
    can you do it with any hb's
    (I have not decided where my precious lawrences will go)

    thanks for any advice

    regards


Comments

  • #2
    Giblet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,989 ✭✭✭✭Giblet


    The string vibrates slower and wider over the neck pick up than the bridge and thus is louder, which is why hot pickups are usually used. The neck pickup vibrates wider giving it a more full bodied tone rather than the tight tone of a bridge pickup, which has more attack and makes it sound more trebley. This treble sound, and the quick attack and release sounding tone makes it sound "faster" for solos and such. Now, as the string vibrates faster and trebly it accentuates high harmonic sounds. You probably get better harmonics from the neck, but you just aren' t amplifying them or using settings which help.

    You need humbuckers with four cables to coil tapping as it's called.

    Now, one thing you should learn about the neck and bridge pickips. One tone set for solos on the bridge, will probably sound sludgy on the neck. Try a little gain, but a lot of volume, and listen to RATM to see how powerful it sounds.


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