Pickup Popularity...Hollow Cobra S

[kingtone]

Just wanted to get some input from you guys, have not been here in awhile...

I have recently acquired a 2006 Hollow Cobra S. I have not owned an Anderson in awhile although this is my fourth one, I have always loved them. It has the H2+ and H1-. I know that is a popular combo for TA guitars. I would like to hear opinions on whether there is a more popular setup for a Cobra S (or if hollow plays into it the difference) I almost think I might like a setup with the pickups from the HC/HF series. Maybe a slightly flatter or more vintage eq curve..? The H2+ can get pretty honky compared to other things I have been used to in the past few years. I can't decide if I am wanting to hear a pickup with lower output or one around the same output but does not have the honk of those large pole pieces, less mids. It does sound very good especially for lead stuff so as usual I am splitting hairs...any ideas? I may just leave it alone but your comments could cause me to try something!

[pipedwho]

I know I rave about it all the time, but the HF1+ in the bridge is gorgeous sounding pickup - great clarity while still having that vintage PAF character. Low output enough to sound really nice clean, but hot enough to still drive hard when necessary.

A HF1- would match nicely for the neck. But, I'm not really a neck hum bucker guy (except to get combined N+B tones).

I'm not really a fan of the tone of the metal covered pickups as they seem to kill some of the top end magic. Great for a Jazz sound, but I like my clean pickups to sound more sparkly and acoustic. And the uncovered pickups (HF series) deliver that in spades.

[Pietro]

I had a Hollow Cobra for a few years. Sweet guitar, wish I could have afforded to keep all the guitars I've ever loved.

Anyway, it had an H2+/H1- arrangement like yours, and that was really awesome. That pickup arrangement also splits better than any other I have ever used on any guitar period.

I currently have an Atom CT with HC1+/HC1- in it. They split well, but not as well as the H2+ did... but... I like these pickups in this guitar UNsplit way more than I liked the Cobra and use them that way almost all the time (that's why eventually I didn't keep the Cobra, but traded it).

I think I'd like to hear that HC set in the Cobra... but... at the end of the day I bet I'd never want to make a permanent swap. The H2+ + the H1- plus the hollowness of that instrument was perfect. I never, for a second, dreamed of replacing those pickups.

I have also played a Cobra with an H3 in it. Do not go that direction unless you're high-gain all the time. It's just too much, but it also split ridiculously well.

[brokenvail]

Every time people say they love the h2+ I feel like I have to shout my love of the H3 lol. It is darker and smoother to me than an h2+. It actually feels like it has less gain to my ears but is fatter sounding

[kingtone]

Thanks for the input guys.

Any comments on the HF2 and HF1 combo compared to H2+H1-..?

[tom]

it's always a dilemma about splits. if you're a hot hb person, then splits are always better. so if you're a weaker hb person, you get weaker splits.

if you listen to sean ashe's stuff you can hear the hf2 hf1 combo and he does use the splits.

[Pietro]

it's always a dilemma about splits. if you're a hot hb person, then splits are always better. so if you're a weaker hb person, you get weaker splits.


Pretty much my experience.

With the HC1/2 in my Atom I can set my volume to about 8.5 for HB... and then to 10 for splits... and if I set my rig up to work with that situation, it's really awesome, but the splits are still not TOTALLY "tele-like" in character.

But then, I also have a tele so there's that...

[kingtone]

I do like to use the splits as sort of gain reduction when on a marshall crunch sound. Sometimes on clean settings for crystal 80s type chorus sounds. Splits are less important than the main hb sound, but definitely needed.

I am a Facebook friend with Sean and have watched him for a long time. Some of those kind of tones are kind where I am often. I have used the fractal unit for a long time and like similar tones as he usually uses. It is hard to tell pickup comparisons without doing it myself but that sounds like the right direction. Would you say the HF2 is roughly the same hotness as H2+ but flatter mids or slightly more vintage?

[tom]

it's very close in output level and it is a vintage style pickup. so the top end is softer, some would say prettier.

[kingtone]

That sounds like a good way to go.

So progress report:
I went over to my local GC (Nashville) and compared my guitar with another cobra s with HF2 and HF1 pickups and it was interesting. I played through a Freidman Dirty Shirley which sounded great.The difference was there but more subtle than I thought it would be. I think I do prefer the HF series to what I have so maybe I will get some. The guitar I was comparing to was a solid not a hollow and I liked the neck (slightly fatter) better than mine also so I tried not to let that mess with my ears. It seemed to me that the HF's were slightly less honked and the splits were slightly brighter as well. I tried with some gain and also very clean. I actually liked both especially with that amp so some settings in my rig are also in order!

[tom]

solid will have more mids than your hollow one, and that should be pretty noticeable.

the other thing you should try if you have not already, is lowering your pickups down a substantial amount, that would sweeten it up and soften the treble.

[kingtone]

Thank you all for your timely and helpful replies!

[brokenvail]

It is funny you say the H2+ get's honky because it has flatter mids than HF series but I too might consider using the word honk when referring to the H2+

[Pietro]

solid will have more mids than your hollow one, and that should be pretty noticeable.

the other thing you should try if you have not already, is lowering your pickups down a substantial amount, that would sweeten it up and soften the treble.

you can't stress this enough.

Pickup height, in my experience, can make a as big a difference (maybe bigger) than swapping them out. No, you can't make one pickup sound like another, but you can often mitigate any issues you're having.

For instance, I like my pickups lower than just about anybody and have almost NEVER gotten a new or new to me guitar that I didn't immediately improve (for my uses that is) by lowering the pickups.

[kingtone]

It is funny you say the H2+ get's honky because it has flatter mids than HF series but I too might consider using the word honk when referring to the H2+

I don't know, I would not call it flatter mids to my ear. The HF seems more opened up, less cocked wah-ish. It is not super drastic but that is sort of the difference I hear. I think some of my settings being adjusted is helping already. Actually both guitars sounded great through the freidman amp so maybe a revisit to the dirty shirley in the fractal...

[kingtone]

you can't stress this enough.

Pickup height, in my experience, can make a as big a difference (maybe bigger) than swapping them out. No, you can't make one pickup sound like another, but you can often mitigate any issues you're having.

For instance, I like my pickups lower than just about anybody and have almost NEVER gotten a new or new to me guitar that I didn't immediately improve (for my uses that is) by lowering the pickups.

I am pretty minute about things like that. Typically I don't like pickups very low on anything although I have tried a lot of variations over the years. I can hone in on the sweet spot easy enough but lower almost never acts or sounds right for me and the way I play. Really no issues here, just me splitting hairs!