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Non ADA Gear => Guitars => Topic started by: Kim on June 24, 2017, 02:33:02 PM

Title: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on June 24, 2017, 02:33:02 PM
..New Pickups Day!   :whoohoo!:

Finally have the DiMarzios installed and wired up in one of my Kellys.  SC was very helpful with providing wiring schematics and such, but I already had it wired up another way before I got to his most recent email with a schematic attached.  I may try it that way in the future, but for now.... wiring this stuff was so damn fiddly and tedious that I'm not in any hurry to do it all over again!  So, I hope I like these pups.  lol

The way I have this wired (for now) is that the push/pull only changes the neck pup from a normal Series humbucker to a Parallel humbucker.  This seems to get more of a single-coil tone from the humbucker without all the buzz normally associated with single coil pups because it's still cancelling the hum by using both coils (EDIT: at least I think it's still cancelling some hum...it's still quiet anyway)  We'll see how I like that, but we'll have to see how I like the new passive humbuckers in their normal mode first.   I played a bit at home, seems a lot different than what I had before with the EMGs.  I'll have to get over to the rehearsal place to actually try with the Rig of Fire to make some more determinations.

But here's the attached pic.  Sorry about the fingerprints and smudges.  I like a clean guitar and try to keep it clean as much as I reasonably can, but this is ridiculous and I swear I will never own another Black guitar again unless maybe it's a Flat or Matte Black.  >:(   
But you can see I swapped the chrome pole pieces with the black ones in a strategic and matching way.  The Breed pickup in the bridge originally had chrome pole pieces, and the PAF Pro in the neck had the black ones.   I'll keep us posted about how I like these pickups, and if they are indeed right for me.   :wave:
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on June 24, 2017, 05:40:02 PM
That's looking pretty good Kim,

    I know where you are coming from about the wiring hassle, as I've been dealing with a bit of that in my Showmaster guitars and it's proving to be a major pain in the a$$.

    Since the Showmasters come with a volume and tone knob, and a 5-way blade switch, I'm thinking about getting the DiMarzio EP1112  and doing some wiring mods with that. I'm not really sure what I'm after with those, but it could prove interesting.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on July 02, 2017, 09:17:00 AM
Last night I had my first gig since getting the new DiMarzio Breed and PAF Pro pups in one of my axes.   :thumb-up:

Oh yes.....I will be keeping these pups in that guitar because it sounded great!  I brought both guitars for the gig, and ultimately only used the black one just because it was sounding so good and just felt like it was singing just right.  I can't really explain it like others can....other than everything just clicked.  The quality of that particular chunk and heft I look for was all there in spades. I didn't readjust any my normal EQ settings either; left everything right where it is for now. The EMGs really are nice, but I don't feel like they are right for me anymore like I always used to think.  Meh, tastes change and I'd be a fool to think otherwise because I already know how they changed for a lot of things over all the years. So, I will definitely be on the lookout for another pair of DiMarzio pickups for the other guitar.  8)  EMGs are going to market to help offset the purchases.

Now for the other guitar I'm thinking of trying a Crunch Lab paired with something else, perhaps the LiquiFire?  .....SC will undoubtedly have a great recommendation for a DiMarzio pair to try; IMO he's definitely the guy to listen to for that advice.   :bow:   

Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Dante on July 02, 2017, 03:20:22 PM
I hear ya on the tedious factor...my Steinberger gave me fits.

SC will probably recommend the Liquifire/Crunchlab combination, as he uses them extensively ;)

Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on July 12, 2017, 10:12:39 AM
I hear ya on the tedious factor...my Steinberger gave me fits.

SC will probably recommend the Liquifire/Crunchlab combination, as he uses them extensively ;)

(Almost) on the money 8)
The CrunchLab bridge is my favorite pup hands down. If you like the Breed you’ll love the CL. It has the same character in a tad bit more modern and complex way.
I’ve gone back to the Air Norton in the neck though (installed with the slotted screws towards the bridge)
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Soloist on July 12, 2017, 11:20:37 AM
I stand corrected  :thumb-up:
 
SC is the only other person (besides me) that I know of to use the PU backwards in the neck
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 12, 2017, 11:59:19 AM
I have the Air Norton in the neck position of both my MIK Showmaster guitars, but I have the slotted screws toward the neck for more warmth. I like that tone for soloing on the neck pup.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Soloist on July 12, 2017, 03:47:21 PM
I have the D activator in the bridge with the Air Norton in the neck. Love the A.N. but might have to swap the D Activator for a Crunch Lab. The D/A is alright but that's the problem it's only alright.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rabidgerry on July 17, 2017, 01:29:46 AM
@ SC
I put the megadrive in my guitar man, and I put the bar facing the neck and pole pieces facing the bridge.

Very happy!


Have to buy another one although they are hard to find as it's only a custom shop model now days.

So for what it's worth I recommend the Dimarzio Megadrive.

Shit loads of tone, notes stick to your fingers, loads of mids, sizzle hi's, all good in a very dark guitar!
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 17, 2017, 05:35:10 AM
If I had a dark sounding guitar, that would be helpful. In my case it's the opposite. The MIK guitars tend to be on the bright side and kind of thin sounding, so I lean more toward pickups that put more emphasis on the low mids and low end.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rabidgerry on July 17, 2017, 06:31:25 AM
If I had a dark sounding guitar, that would be helpful. In my case it's the opposite. The MIK guitars tend to be on the bright side and kind of thin sounding, so I lean more toward pickups that put more emphasis on the low mids and low end.

Funny my guitar is MIK (Stagemast),  perhaps "dark" is the wrong word, it sounded very "woody" before, very "bold", not enough sparkle.  It also felt a little too "open". 

It's a through neck like your showmaster.  But compared to my Bolt on Showmasters, it's a lot bolder in tone.  The megadrive gives a bit more bight and seems to compress the dynamic a little bit to make for a nicer feel.  It also allows me to get some "chimey, chimey" highs should I try to play in that super flexible wrist type of way with the pick only glancing the strings.  It's not too compressed, just it is compared to the stock pup that came out.  It rounds off the stiffness and gives some nice sensivity.

Perhaps overboard in description there but was trying to some it all up.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Chip Roberts on July 17, 2017, 10:56:30 AM
I echo the Crunch Lab and MegaDrive as I have both.  If it helps, for modern metal I'd go with the CL, but if you're going for 80s sleaze the MD is the pup for you.  My Air Norton shares a guitar with the MegaDrive and I find it to look the balls I want in a neck pickup; the Liquifire takes the Air Norton and basically rolls off all the good parts and it just sounds weak and meh.  Just my take on it, though. I've been curious to try a Super 2.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rabidgerry on July 17, 2017, 12:21:12 PM
I have a Super 2 I wish to install in the neck of one of my Showmasters.  I got it ages ago to pair with the DP100 I have in the bridge.  When I get round to it I'll let you know what I think.  I have only heard good things about it.  Still classed as a high output pup despite the more standard 8 ohm resistance measurement.  Quite high on the MV readout though.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 17, 2017, 02:51:25 PM
   The Showmasters are not thru-neck guitars rather, they are set-neck guitars along the line of Gibsons. When they were current on the catalogs, they were advertised as having Mahogany necks and a Basswood body, but I can see through the finish on the back of my S-S-S guitar, that the body as actually African Mahogany as well as the neck.
    When I got my first one in '07, it was hanging on the used guitar section in GC, and I picked it up for $250. It had a very comfortable neck and was in good shape, so I bought it. It came with it's stock pups which were SD's, (Pearly Gates in the bridge, and RWRP JB in the neck). As soon as I plugged it in when I got home, I knew those pups were out of there. It was all high end, and thin sounding. Currently, that guitar has the Air Zone in the bridge, and the Air Norton in the neck. The Air Norton actually delivers more of the kind of sound I want to hear from the guitar which is a full range type of sound with a lot of clarity all around, and it does have a decent emphasis on the low end. The Air Norton seems to have a lot more output compared to the Air Zone in the bridge, and I've toyed with the idea of replacing the bridge pickup with a Norton to balance the output a bit more, but I don't want to lose that warmth. The Airbuckers are advertised as a warmer. more vintage version of their original counterparts. For a short time, I did have a Tone Zone in the bridge of the other H-H guitar, but I took it out because it was too nasally for my taste, too much emphasis in the upper midrange. I replaced that with a Steve's Special in the bridge, and that guitar now produces tones that are very reminiscent of Waddy Wachtel's tone on Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London.
   I have been thinking that I may try a Mo Joe pup in the bridge, but I'm not sure if I want that kind of tone in my bridge pick up, as that could be a little too muddy. I may just get a Norton and try it.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Chip Roberts on July 17, 2017, 03:29:03 PM
Harley, report back to me on the Norton.  I was wondering, since the Air Norton doesn't have the balls I'm looking for, of what the regular Norton would sound like in the neck.  I tend to prefer bridge pups in the neck because I'm a crazy person.  I have a Flying V with a pair of X2Ns and a Les Paul with a Tone Zone in the neck.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on July 17, 2017, 03:50:12 PM
I tend to prefer bridge pups in the neck because I'm a crazy person.

From one Crazy Person to another.....gtfo of my chair.   ;)

I did this with the EMGs.  I absolutely hated the 85 wherever I tried to put it.   I tried it in the neck....and hated it.   Tried again in the bridge...hated it even more.  The 81 was very welcome in the neck position, however.  Then the 57 became my favorite bridge pup, as it did what I wanted it to do better there than the 81 did.  So, 81 (a decidedly Bridge pup) became my favorite Neck pup in EMGland.

Anyone throw a pair of CrunchLabs in both Neck and Bridge positions? 
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 17, 2017, 05:22:49 PM
Kim,

    I'll let you know. The Air Norton, like the Norton was also designed as a bridge pickup. I use use it in the neck position and I mounted mine upside down, (slotted screws toward the neck). There is a bit more power to the Norton, so maybe that will help balance the output. At least, that's what I'm hoping for.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rabidgerry on July 18, 2017, 01:15:13 AM
   The Showmasters are not thru-neck guitars rather, they are set-neck guitars along the line of Gibsons. When they were current on the catalogs, they were advertised as having Mahogany necks and a Basswood body, but I can see through the finish on the back of my S-S-S guitar, that the body as actually African Mahogany as well as the neck.
    When I got my first one in '07, it was hanging on the used guitar section in GC, and I picked it up for $250. It had a very comfortable neck and was in good shape, so I bought it. It came with it's stock pups which were SD's, (Pearly Gates in the bridge, and RWRP JB in the neck). As soon as I plugged it in when I got home, I knew those pups were out of there. It was all high end, and thin sounding. Currently, that guitar has the Air Zone in the bridge, and the Air Norton in the neck. The Air Norton actually delivers more of the kind of sound I want to hear from the guitar which is a full range type of sound with a lot of clarity all around, and it does have a decent emphasis on the low end. The Air Norton seems to have a lot more output compared to the Air Zone in the bridge, and I've toyed with the idea of replacing the bridge pickup with a Norton to balance the output a bit more, but I don't want to lose that warmth. The Airbuckers are advertised as a warmer. more vintage version of their original counterparts. For a short time, I did have a Tone Zone in the bridge of the other H-H guitar, but I took it out because it was too nasally for my taste, too much emphasis in the upper midrange. I replaced that with a Steve's Special in the bridge, and that guitar now produces tones that are very reminiscent of Waddy Wachtel's tone on Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London.
   I have been thinking that I may try a Mo Joe pup in the bridge, but I'm not sure if I want that kind of tone in my bridge pick up, as that could be a little too muddy. I may just get a Norton and try it.


Perhaps I am wrong Harley, but this is the info I got on my Squiers regarding the two deluxe version I own.  May be they are different from the Fenders


V4 - The Deluxe versions with neck-through construction were made alongside these models and were available in HH and HSH configurations. The Deluxe HH neck-through came in three colors: Shoreline Gold Metallic (544), Atlantic Blue Metallic (569), and Wine Red Metallic (575). The Deluxe HSH came in three different colors: Pewter Gray Metallic (543), Black Metallic (565), and Emerald Green Metallic (571). No HSS neck-through models were made. All V4 models came with black hardware.


also I too think of Air Norton as a Bridge pup.


Harley, report back to me on the Norton.  I was wondering, since the Air Norton doesn't have the balls I'm looking for, of what the regular Norton would sound like in the neck.  I tend to prefer bridge pups in the neck because I'm a crazy person.  I have a Flying V with a pair of X2Ns and a Les Paul with a Tone Zone in the neck.

I used to do this as well back in my early to mid 20's but then I realised it sounded like  :poop:  I had the odd success but generally I learnt my lesson.

The balance with other pups was also a nightmare sometimes.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 18, 2017, 04:51:21 AM
Hey Gerry,

     Yes, the construction of the Fenders is different from the Squires. I can faintly see where the glue joint is on the H-H guitars, and I see it more clearly with the S-S-S guitars. Even though they were advertised with Basswood bodies, I can clearly see on the single coil version that the body is Mahogany. I can faintly see the wood grain on the H-H guitars in strong sunlight, but you can tell by the weight, they are not Basswood.
    Getting a balanced output from guitars can be a pain in the ass when you aren't buying a matched set of pups to put in it, so you have to try some experimentation.  The Air Norton, although rated with a little less output than the Air Zone, seems to come through a lot stronger because it's in the neck position, and therefore, picking up a wider vibration range than it would if it were in the bridge position. The output of the Tone Zone was a pretty good match with the Air Norton, but I didn't like the sound of the Tone Zone, so it had to go. If the Norton can give me the kind of sound I'm getting from the Air Norton, but with enough output to balance it, I'd be happy with that.
    Also, the woods used in a guitar does have an effect on the tone too. So what might work in my Showmaster, may not work so well in  a Les Paul, (different variety of Mahogany).
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rabidgerry on July 18, 2017, 06:13:25 AM
It says my Stagemasters and Showmasters are alder and poplar (I also read basswood) however I cannot tell which my 5 versions of this guitar are what when it comes to the wood.  All I know is the deluxe versions with neck through are as heavy as hell and sound very different from say the 20th Anniversary Squier edition Showmaster which is bolt on.

Perhaps I am confused, the Air Zone may be what I was thinking off not the Air Norton.  Which ever is the bridge version is the one I was thinking off.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 18, 2017, 12:28:14 PM
No Gerry,
   You are correct, the Norton, and Air Norton, were designed to use in the bridge, it was John Petrucci who started using it in the neck position with the Ibanez JP100 guitar.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: vansinn on July 19, 2017, 09:25:34 AM
Mmnn, DiMarzio's in a Kelly, good combo. The PAF is known to me, the Breed isn't.  (shouldn't it be the Breeder.. :lol:)

I'd avoid matte black like the plaque; wherever your huge underarm rubs, it gets polished to a semi-sheen, same around the knobs. Looks great new, but gets to look crap in just month.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Chip Roberts on July 19, 2017, 11:55:33 AM
I'd avoid matte black like the plaque; wherever your huge underarm rubs, it gets polished to a semi-sheen, same around the knobs. Looks great new, but gets to look crap in just month.

Word to your mother, sir.  I had an Epiphone Goth Flying V because I was 13 and everything I owned had to be black.  Was fun for a while and it did look bitchin', but I eventually got tired of the all black so I repainted it white with pink stripes and a mirror pickguard.  The exact opposite of black, heh.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rabidgerry on July 23, 2017, 03:53:03 AM
So I played the megadrive through my live rig this weekend.

Holy  :poop:

That pickup has turned out to be a great choice for my Stagemaster!  Lots of midrange, lots of definition, nice bit of sparkle.  Very happy with it.  Gets all the harmonic content,  I was totally impressed with it.

Now I have another Stagemaster with the neck through, but I don't have another megadrive  :( (I hate that they are hard to come by), what could I though in to this guitar?  I got a load of Super D's, an X2N and a D activator X.  May have to try a few or look at something else.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on July 23, 2017, 04:26:13 AM
If you like that mid and top end try an Evolution (DP159F)...you won’t be disappointed.
Or buy a new Megadrive from Thomann...they have them in stock ;)
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Chip Roberts on July 24, 2017, 08:23:08 AM
I second Systematic Chaos on the Evolution.  Brightest pickup I've yet to play.  When I first got my MegaDrive, I described it as a more rounded Evolution.  I've played Super Ds, X2Ns, and D-activator, though the latter was in a buddy's guitar that I borrowed for the week.  The D-activators were the most articulate, but nothing to write home about.  I have a set of X2Ns and they are FAT.  Good for ALL DA GAIN, so be careful not to have too much preamp gain otherwise it'll get muddy.  Coil splits like a dream and gets good cleans out, but lacks dynamics.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on July 24, 2017, 03:36:50 PM
I personally found the D-Activators way more high pitched than the Evolution. The Evo sounds awesome in Alder and Mahogany and the pronounced mids let you cut through any mix, provide harmonics to spare and attenuate saturation
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on August 02, 2017, 06:44:39 PM
f**king UPS courier delivered more shit on my doorstep!  >:(   When will it end?


 ;)
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on August 02, 2017, 10:36:30 PM
Awesome!! Enjoy the CL!!
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on August 06, 2017, 03:21:49 PM
Awesome!! Enjoy the CL!!

Oh....I think I might.   ;)

NEW PUPS (installed) DAY!!!!    :whoohoo!:   

I now have the Crunchlab and PAF Pro installed in my "metal" guitar; just did a normal 3-way toggle install with no fancy push/pull pot or anything like that this time around.  Confirmed:  I am a big fan of having that PAF Pro in the neck position.  :thumb-up:  I just liked it so much there in my other guitar that I went right ahead and got another for this one.   The Crunchlab....definitely different than what I'm used to, but so far it seems in a good way.  Some real nice harmonic overtones in there like the Breed has but in just a little sharper way.  I scrolled through all the programs of my QuadTube and played stuff in each one for about 10 minutes each, switching toggle positions around, rolling Room EQ knob up and down, and getting a real good feel of what I got. Plenty badass, but playing through the Rig of Fire is the real test.  To Be Continued....
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rnolan on August 06, 2017, 11:47:56 PM
Nice  :thumb-up:
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on August 14, 2017, 05:28:57 PM
Hey Kim,

any updates??
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on August 19, 2017, 12:02:13 PM
Hey Kim,

any updates??

Sure!   
DiMarzio CrunchLab
Ok, after further review I think the CrunchLab is not for me.  It sounds really good though, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others.  It has a nice crisp feel to it, the harmonics really pop, and has a decent amount of power.  However, to me it lost too much of the Lows and seemed just a tad too piercing at times (probably due to my guitar not having a Tone control).  Even with the Lo on my MP-2 at +12 (where I normally keep it) it just doesn't have that pounding that I want in my current sound.  A Tone pot on my guitar would help with rolling back the Highs just a wee bit, but there's no room in the cavity to add another pot. I could add a circuit that incorporates the Tone rating/capacitance/magick without actually adding another pot, but that won't bring back the Lows anyway.

Remember, this is all very subjective.  I feel that the others who love this pickup have a very good reason to, and I certainly won't knock it because it is a very nice sounding pickup....just not quite what I'm looking at this time.  I'm glad I got to try it, because you never know until you do.  Reading and comparing the specs doesn't nearly as much as actually trying it IRL.  However, if I keep the CrunchLab I wouldn't have a "backup" guitar anymore; I'd have "another" guitar.  Know what I mean?

DiMarzio Breed
This pickup is one of the two models that brought me to love DiMarzio passive pickups. (Thanks Systematic Chaos!  :wave:)
I find that the EQ balance of this one is perfect for what I'm doing, but the polepieces need to stay at level for that. Raising the pole pieces under the higher-radiused strings to balance the distance between the poles and the strings result in quite a substantial midrange spike...more than I would've guessed and definitely more than what I need. I'll keep 'em flat across the surface of the pickup.
A good amount of power, and cleans up nicely with the guitar volume control.  Good dynamics, and nice beefy tone without becoming overbearing in any frequency area.  Very responsive to picking attack. This would be my current pickup of choice for the Bridge, and will very likely get another for my other guitar.  :thumb-up:

DiMarzio PAF Pro
I absolutely LOVE this pickup in the Neck position!  It is exactly what I was looking for there, and I can't explain it but the EQ of it, the power, the feel is exactly what I was looking for.  My gosh, I was missing out on this for all this time?  Very "vocal" sounding, meshes perfectly with the Breed (I actually do use the middle position of the 3way toggle quite a bit), and even sounds really good in a Parallel humbucker mode as well.  In the Parallel mode, the volume drops down a bit but really digging in on a Clean amp setting brings a certain desirable "spank" or "quack" quality and makes me play/noodle something a bit SRV or maybe even Blackmore-ish inspired licks.  On a Hi Gain amp setting, I can't help noodling out some of the more neo-classical Yngwie-inspired licks.  LOL  But the main point here is that this pickup is everything I'm looking for in a Neck pickup; I'll look no further for another.  Very very pleased with this one.

Actually quite pleased with all 3 even though 2 of them are the clear winners for me.  I'm very glad I made this switch from active pickups to DiMarzio passives.  The actives aren't bad.  I loved them for a long time, but my tastes have changed. 
DiMarzio FTW.   :thumb-up:
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on August 19, 2017, 04:40:00 PM
Nice sum-up and review!
I'm a bit surprised by your CL experience though....Especially the lows and lower mids outplay or compliment its highs in all of my guitars (mahogany, alder, basswood and ash). It's been nicknamed MudLab or ThumbLab for its eq ;-)
Especially the high notes have so much belly/depth and cream.
Did you use a 500k or a 1Meg pot?
Anyway, personal preferences and subjective tone definitions with all of us  8)
Glad you found a combo that works for you!
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on August 20, 2017, 06:49:15 AM
I'm a bit surprised by your CL experience though....Especially the lows and lower mids outplay or compliment its highs in all of my guitars (mahogany, alder, basswood and ash). It's been nicknamed MudLab or ThumbLab for its eq ;-)
Especially the high notes have so much belly/depth and cream.
Did you use a 500k or a 1Meg pot?

I used a 500k pot.  MudLab?  lol   No, no mud here.  It's very defined, but lacking a certain heft in the low end.  Perhaps it's the fact I use a Baritone tuning and therefore my guitar's range is shifted downward slightly out of the CL's comfort zone? 
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Chip Roberts on August 21, 2017, 10:19:52 AM
For what it's worth, I use the Crunch Lab in my particle board Les Paul with 11-70 gauge strings in drop C and it's probably my favorite pickup out of all my guitars  :dunno:  I understand I'm an outlier.  Definitely a matter of preference; I've never tried a Dimarzio I didn't like, they're all great for different applications.
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Systematic Chaos on August 21, 2017, 07:45:44 PM
For what it's worth, I use the Crunch Lab in my particle board Les Paul with 11-70 gauge strings in drop C and it's probably my favorite pickup out of all my guitars :dunno:  I understand I'm an outlier.  Definitely a matter of preference; I've never tried a Dimarzio I didn't like, they're all great for different applications.
Absolutely
Title: Re: NpupsD!
Post by: Kim on September 02, 2017, 10:05:49 AM
Thanks for the comments!   I've since bought another Breed to replace the CrunchLab and made that swap this morning.  But first, I fired up the QuadTube and played around a bit with the CL still installed just to refresh myself on how that pickup played/acted/reacted with both a medium-gain setting and a somewhat higher-gain setting.  Made the mental notes I needed, and shut the amp off to start the swap.  I didn't remove or unlock the strings at all; just pulled the trem springs off so I could take the whole bridge off and carefully laid it aside and got busy. 

After I had the pickup changed I put the bridge back in and installed the trem springs, closed everything up, plugged in and fired it up to play some more.  (Still in perfect tune too after removing and reinstalling the bridge without removing or unlocking the strings!)   :thumb-up:

I absolutely made the right choice, IMO.   :whoohoo!: 
Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: Kim on June 10, 2018, 07:45:02 PM
Update:

Still loving the Breed and PAF Pro.   :thumb-up: 

But....this is the look I wanted for this particular guitar so I found new nickel covers from DiMarzio and added them! 

(https://i.imgur.com/jkzCM1v.jpg)

Title: Re: NPupsD!
Post by: rnolan on June 11, 2018, 04:45:43 AM
Very nice  :thumb-up: