Opinions on M1 & VA1 with Koa/Basswood HDT w/ Rosewood

[dkaplowitz]

Hello,

I ordered a guitar in January with the specs in the title of this thread. It's an H/S/H configuration. Based on the other TAGs I've had and have, I chose (with some expert guidance from Roy) H1 SA1 H3 for the pickups. I'm starting to realize more and more that I'm a bigger fan of the true single coil sounds and am actually not really that crazy about noise canceling pups. So I'm thinking I may want to change the order, if possible, to something like an M1 in the neck, a VA1 in the middle and either another M in the bridge, or maybe I'll just leave the H3 in the bridge.

What are some of your opinions on how Ms and VA1s might sound with the koa/basswood (with solid RW neck) combo?

Thanks for any input.

Dave

[tom]

when you mix stuff up like that, you do get some killer combinations, but you also get a wider spread of tones which may or may not be easy for you to use. the m1 with a single in the middle does make a more usable neck/middle sound to me, it's a little edgier so it cuts better. the balance between the humbucker and the va will be pretty extreme.

[dkaplowitz]

Thanks for the reply, Tom. I see. So even though the Ms are extreme single coil sounds, they're still humbuckers, so mixing them with the VAs might give you the feeling you're in another universe when switching between the two. That makes a lot of sense. Okay, maybe I'll do something other than the VA.

I've just been noticing that a couple of guitars I recently got (a tele and another stratier sounding guitar - with fralin blues buckers) are sounding much closer to what I like to hear coming out of the amp. Comparing these types of sounds to the SA1R SA1 that I have in my current HDT is like a night and day difference to my ears. I'd actually like something a little grittier on the vintage strat side of the spectrum. I'll have to figure out what'll be best.

Any recommendations would be appreciated and seriously considered.

Thanks,

Dave

[tom]

m's or va's would both be grittier than the sa's.

[dkaplowitz]

Thanks for the replies, and thanks to Roy for the time over the phone today. I've decided on 3 Ms (M1, M1, M2). Now if I can forget all about this order for another couple of months until it's done I'll sleep much better at night.

[oscar100]

Thanks for the replies, and thanks to Roy for the time over the phone today. I've decided on 3 Ms (M1, M1, M2). Now if I can forget all about this order for another couple of months until it's done I'll sleep much better at night.

m series pickups are cool - teh m2 is like a gibson minihumcker and latc hes teh m1s better than teh m3 that is really pokey and hot - more like a fullsize humbucker

[sylvanshine]

Just out of curiousity, how did you get from an H3 to an M2? That is a quantum leap in output. I would think that M3 would bridge (pun intended) the gap better. Just a thought.

[dkaplowitz]

Just out of curiousity, how did you get from an H3 to an M2? That is a quantum leap in output. I would think that M3 would bridge (pun intended) the gap better. Just a thought.
Well, I already have a pretty killer HDT with H/S/S (SA1R SA1 H2+) and I want something pretty radically different from the sound of that guitar. I'm moving away from real humbucker sounds and into single coil sounds. I think the Ms provide something closer to singles with some of the advantages of hums. At least that's my thinking at this stage in the game.

[sylvanshine]

Well, I already have a pretty killer HDT with H/S/S (SA1R SA1 H2+) and I want something pretty radically different from the sound of that guitar. I'm moving away from real humbucker sounds and into single coil sounds. I think the Ms provide something closer to singles with some of the advantages of hums. At least that's my thinking at this stage in the game.

Different is good. :)

[Dave K]

I've just been noticing that a couple of guitars I recently got (a tele and another stratier sounding guitar - with fralin blues buckers) are sounding much closer to what I like to hear coming out of the amp. Comparing these types of sounds to the SA1R SA1 that I have in my current HDT is like a night and day difference to my ears. I'd actually like something a little grittier on the vintage strat side of the spectrum. I'll have to figure out what'll be best.

I have an alder Classic (10-01-04n) loaded with an HO2,M1,M1 that I rewired so that the mini toggle splits the M1s and the push/pull tone pot splits the HO2,and this combo covers a lot of sonic territory.The M1 in series doesn't have the glassiness of a true single coil,which is something I missed,but it splits remarkably well.If you want to get true single coil tones out of your HDT,it's an option you might consider.