Need help in selecting matching replacements for mid and neck pickups.

[first_synn]

Hi everyone,

I am a budding musician who's into 80's rock and Thrash. I own a Hamer Californian CX3T which I love very much. However, like most low-mid end guitars, the pickups were nothing special. So I decided to upgrade them step by step. The first to go was the bridge, and in went an EMG HZ H4A. It was perfect for my application and I couldn't be happier.

Now I am in the market for matching neck and mid pickups. I want the neck pickup to have a warm, fat, bluesy tone. Something like the Gary Moore tone, if you may. The mid, i would prefer to have a bit more edge to it, for lively rhythm playing with a riff or two in there. I would prefer to stick with the same brand for all three pickups and hence zeroed in on the EMG HZ S3 and S4.


Now a quick check on the EMG fact sheet tells me that both are low output and the S3 has better treble with lower mids, while the converse is true for the S4. Both have pretty good bass characteristics. Therefore, i plan to use the S4 for the neck and the S3 for the mid.

I would request you to tell me if this is the right choice for my intended application. if anyone has experience with these pickups, please do elaborate.


If i do have to look to other brands for the sound i want, I would prefer to use a Lace Alumitone. The demos I have seen have pretty much assured me that they are perfect for the job. However, the general feeling that I get is that the Alumitones don't work well with other brands. Is this true? Is there any way I can retain my H4A in the bridge while plonking in two Alumitones?


Thanks in advance for your time and patience.


P.S> Apologies if these questions were asked before. It's just that the search engine is not accepting "EMG" or "S3" as query strings.

 

[ShredCow]

hmmm...

I think when it comes to matching single coils in a HSS config, the output matters more than say.. HH or SSS. Its harder to match and the difference is obvious, both to the player and listener.

About the EMGs, you should email them about the output and the compatibility, so to speak, of the singles to the humbucker.

I take it you don't really need clean tones - so your choice seems logical and fine.

Abt the Alumitone - that is an interesting pickup. I've googled a lot about it to try to find out more. From what I read and the clips of it online, its got a few "issues". Apparently they don't work as well with regular pickups due to their design. Sound-wise, they have a HECK of a biting top end. Check youtube and stuff, see if that's your cup of tea. I'd think its probably not.

There's a humbucker sized Alumitone.

Read from TGP that Lace actually has an alnico version of the Alumitone (prototype or something) that seems to reduce that top end sizzle.

 

[first_synn]

Hi Shredcrow,

Thank you for the reply. You are right, cleans aren't my top priority. I will email EMG about the pickup choices.


I did do some research about the alumitone on the net but couldn't come across one case where the user coupled it with another brand of pickup. I did find one recorded clip with the pickup, (still got the blues, no less!) http://marksmitchell7.home.mindspring.com/AlumiToneBuckerBlues.mp3 on harmony central. Yes, it's a bit "stratty" sounding, but the guy clarified that the bass setting was down to zero. it probably would sound warmer with a bit less treble, more midrange& bass and a lower tone setting on the axe. But i still am not sure if they will work with my EMG. I don't wanna go for an set of three Alumitones because i just invested in the H4A.


Other than these, are there any other single coils/ stacked humbuckers that you feel are perfect for my application?

 

[ShredCow]

You can youtube for more clips.

Actually, frankly, you could be the 1st in Singapore (i presume) to try the Alumitones.


You can try the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 from Dimarzio. There's a clip on youtube - crappy video but you can get an understanding of the basic sound there. Its apparently relatively hot so you can match it with humbuckers more easily. Plus, its using the newer Area technology - which is a plus in my books.

Again, I'm not sure how hot is your EMG.

Why don't you pick a couple of players from the 80s who use a similar pickup config, and match them if you like the tone? Good way to start.