Pickup Choices for Thickening the Sound of a Floyd Rose-Equipped Guitar

[elkoki]

Well I got the FU Tone brass 42mm block in my Gotoh. It is certainly a change, more bass response, a bit fatter sound. Interesting, not completely sure which I prefer, it really depends what tone I'm seeking. It's nice for variety at least, since I have two Axis guitars that would otherwise be identical spec-wise. It's a hefty piece of hardware! Quality looks very good.

You planning on swapping the pickups too ?

 

[elkoki]

Tone Zone is the everything on 11 pickup. I find the Super Distortion to be more balanced and the sustain is insane.

I have tried the Air Norton in neck and bridge, I think it sounds exactly the same in the neck, too trebly and mid heavy. It sounds sludgy like you just entered another dimension where all you lines seem slowed down.

The PAF 36th is great and loud but definitely more trebly than you would expect:


Super 3 has ten billion good mids, no bass and smooth treble. Bridge pickup comparison with PRS HFS, SD DDJ and others here. PRS HFS, Suhr SSH+ feel like too much treble, when I palm mute, you can hear the strings i'm not even playing ringing out! Suhr SSV or SSV+ are better in the bridge.


Suhr DSH+ has the treble rolled off and still sounds super hot and tight. String separation is something else.


Suhr Doug Aldrich is a Suhr Tone Zone.

I think the Dimarzio FRED sounds great in the bridge, as does the Double Whammy if you can find it. Satch was using the Double Whammy back in the day with his floyd guitars and they sound so thick and articulate. They were OEM on some Ibanez:




Dimarzio Steve's Special? Sounds great in a Floyd Guitar and the treble is so good.

Did you just describe the super 3 as having no bass ? Are you sure you’re using the right pickup lol ? Because Dimarzio has the bass response on it listed as 10 on their site

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Well I got the FU Tone brass 42mm block in my Gotoh. It is certainly a change, more bass response, a bit fatter sound. Interesting, not completely sure which I prefer, it really depends what tone I'm seeking. It's nice for variety at least, since I have two Axis guitars that would otherwise be identical spec-wise. It's a hefty piece of hardware! Quality looks very good.

Does it affect other frequencies? (i.e. are the fatter lows at the expense of the highs being smoothened off?)

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Did you just describe the super 3 as having no bass ? Are you sure you’re using the right pickup lol ? Because Dimarzio has the bass response on it listed as 10 on their site

"No bass" certainly isn't accurate from my experience, but I would say DiMarzio has a tendency to overstate the bass for pickups that have a lot of low mids (particularly before they recently split 'mid' into 'low mid' & 'high mid'). IMO the Super 3 and Tone Zone both have more low-mids than bass...but plenty of both.

 

[elkoki]

"No bass" certainly isn't accurate from my experience, but I would say DiMarzio has a tendency to overstate the bass for pickups that have a lot of low mids (particularly before they recently split 'mid' into 'low mid' & 'high mid'). IMO the Super 3 and Tone Zone both have more low-mids than bass...but plenty of both.

Maybe he was talking about the super 2 , that pickup for sure has almost no bass

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Maybe he was talking about the super 2 , that pickup for sure has almost no bass

He also described it as having smooth treble though...not how I'd describe the Super 2.

 

[elkoki]

He also described it as having smooth treble though...not how I'd describe the Super 2.

Yep that's true. Still confused as to why a Super 3 would be described as having no bass though. I've tried it before (this was probably over 6 years ago though) and it was very dark and thick sounding

 

[hamoftruth]

Does it affect other frequencies? (i.e. are the fatter lows at the expense of the highs being smoothened off?)

It doesn't seem so - I think it's still as articulate in the higher frequencies as before, just has a little bit more heft in the low mids and bass.

 

[lost_horizon]

Yep that's true. Still confused as to why a Super 3 would be described as having no bass though. I've tried it before (this was probably over 6 years ago though) and it was very dark and thick sounding

My experience is it's a wall of mids, low and high, so "in your face" it is like the bass doesn't exist. That is why to me it is great as a instrumental solo bridge pickup with that mid solo tone and great harmonics, not the best as a chugging palm mute rhythm pickup.