Solos on BOTH Humbuckers - Ever Try It???

Inspector #20

Inspector #20

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Discovered a GREAT lead/solo tone by combining the Gibson 57 Classic + with the Burstbucker Pro Neck simultaneously. WOW!!!! Still clear and cutting, but fuller, and not at all too thick...must be the combo of the Alnico 2 and 5's working together....????
 
Can’t exactly answer your question since I’m way not good enough for solo work. But rhythm. I have 57s on my G400 and play middle position all the time. I just think it sounds better.
 
Ever heard of Peter Green?

I use the middle position, with the pickups wired out of phase, a lot. With the pickups out of phase you can fiddle with the volume knobs and get a HUGE variety of sounds depending on the individual volume of the two pickups. With both pups turned to the same level, you get a thin honky sound, and turning one or the other up or down lets the loudest pickup dominate while you retain some of the "honk".

Using the middle position really adds to the nuances of your sound. Variety is king!
 
smitty_p said:
Welcome to the World of the Middle Position, Robert!

It’s a world of wide-open spaces with plenty to explore.

Both pickups for leads?

Been doing it for years!
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gball said:
The land of Jimmy Page tone.

I spend a third of my time, easy, in the middle.
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67plexi said:
With a 1950's wired Les Paul Standard that's how you get the Jimmy Page sound.
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Always before, my middle position was too thick...very similar to my neck position, so I kinda lived on the bridge.

But this S-G is so unique. It sounds nothing like my Les Paul in the middle position.

We played 6 hours yesterday. I'm EQ'd very bass heavy. My mids are cranked and then I am coloring them a little with the contour control, so I wouldn't call it a truly scooped mid, but more of a refined and focused mid tone, if that makes sense...

I have the 50's style wiring in the S-G, with Bourn 500k pots, but I was running all controls wide open too.

I'm running full gain on the Valvestate VS265, with an EC833-MG preamp tube, so with the relatively mild 57 Classic Plus, the gain structure is very organic and natural sounding.

I struggle to describe the tone. Its like this heavy, almost Iommi-esque bottom and mid, not too crunchy, but moving some air nonetheless, but then this unexpected upper end jumps out at you - like two clashing sabres - bright and metallic, but not harsh...and the quality of lead phrases in the mid position is indescribable.

Its a thick...almost double-tracked quality with much more sustain - almost as if I was running a compressor.

I think it may have something to do with the combination of the Alnico II bridge and the Alnico V neck.

Both are set 3/32" x 4/32" fretted at the last fret - like all my humbuckers are - and I'm just shocked that I can actually use the middle position for everything...I've never been able to use the middle position for much in the past as it was just too dark sounding.

This was a GREAT mod!!!
 
Gahr said:
Ever heard of Peter Green?

I use the middle position, with the pickups wired out of phase, a lot. With the pickups out of phase you can fiddle with the volume knobs and get a HUGE variety of sounds depending on the individual volume of the two pickups. With both pups turned to the same level, you get a thin honky sound, and turning one or the other up or down lets the loudest pickup dominate while you retain some of the "honk".

Using the middle position really adds to the nuances of your sound. Variety is king!
Click to expand...

Previously, I've never had enough clarity in the middle to rely on it, even with 50's wiring. This pickup swap was a big deal...
 
That guitar can really rock. And if You need it brighter, you can just pick her close to the bridge. REALLY massive.

After some experience with my archtop i found out that i could live quite well without bridge pickup and actually removed the 2nd PU from my V - originally i built it with two really fat single coils like those blade single coils You occasionally saw on some Höfner guitars and basses (those with the curved blade).

BTW, if i am using 2 humbuckers i prefer Rhythm on both parallel and lead on the neck bucker. The only guitar where i also like the tone of the bridge PU alone is the P90 of my SG (which implies that i simply do not like the tone of humbuckers close to the bridge).
 
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