Anderson's greatest weakness: the bridge humbucker

[quadrophenia]

I own two Andersons, a Classic and a Cobra. I feel that their greatest weakness is the bridge humbucker setting; this pickup is too dark and compressed. Turn up the treble and it becomes too harsh.

Where my Andersons really shine is in the neck pickup and both pickups on settings. Regardless of whether it's single coil or humbucker, the neck pickup and bridge pickup played together is absolutely superb. Also, the neck pickup by itself is fat and warm, what Clapton must have meant by "woman tone." The single coil settings on the Cobra are very good as well.

If anyone vehemently disagreees with my views about the bridge humbucker, or if anyone has found a way to make this setting sound more open and clear, please chime in.

[killerburst]

Which model(s) have you tried?

[quadrophenia]

Which model(s) have you tried?

I have extensive experience with the ones I own, the Classic and the Cobra. I have found that the bridge humbuckers sound bad on their own, but interact beautifully with the other pickups.

[dkaplowitz]

How's it sound in the mix with a band? Which bridge pups have you been using? Have you done any A/B'ing with other Anderson pups? Have you done any A/B'ing with anyone else's bridge pups?

[quadrophenia]

How's it sound in the mix with a band? Which bridge pups have you been using? Have you done any A/B'ing with other Anderson pups? Have you done any A/B'ing with anyone else's bridge pups?

The Anderson pickups I have are the HO1s in the Classic and the H2+ in the Cobra. The pickups that sound better to me are the Seymour Duncans 59 in the bridge in my Hamer Studio.

[killerburst]

I have extensive experience with the ones I own, the Classic and the Cobra. I have found that the bridge humbuckers sound bad on their own, but interact beautifully with the other pickups.

Sorry, I meant which pickup models, not guitar models. TAG has a dozen or so humbucker models, any of which could be ordered in any guitar. There is no standard pickup model used for all cobras, etc.

Start here (http://www.andersonguitars.com/toneLibInfo.html) for some background on the various Anderson pickup models available. You can always talk to Roy at Anderson about finding the right model for you, if one exists.

[TimH]

huh...I find the H2 in my Cobra to be perfect...even the split sound with the H2 is great.

[quadrophenia]

huh...I find the H2 in my Cobra to be perfect...even the split sound with the H2 is great.
Thanks for the input, Tim. Maybe it's just me. If others love their Anderson bridge humbuckers, please chime in. BTW, I love all the split sounds on my Cobra. It's just the bridge humbucker that sounds closed up to me.

[Stys]

What type of amp are you using? One would think that the amp would play an important role in how the bridge pickups sound. I have had nothing but success with the bridge pickups in all my Anderson through Mesa's, Top Hat an old VHT Pitbull. Although I favor VA's, TA's and m's, my Drop Top with the trusty H2+ never fails to amaze me. My 2 cents worth..........

[quadrophenia]

[QUOTE=Stys]What type of amp are you using? One would think that the amp would play an important role in how the bridge pickups sound. I have had nothing but success with the bridge pickups in all my Anderson through Mesa's, Top Hat an old VHT Pitbull. Although I favor VA's, TA's and m's, my Drop Top with the trusty H2+ never fails to amaze me. My 2 cents worth..........[/QUOTE
I use an 87 Fender Twin, the "red knob." Please don't hold it against me. When I read reviews of the Victorias, I realize there's much better out there, and much more expensive.

[guitarzan]

I definitely agree that the relationship of pup-to-amp is imperative. I just picked up another TopHat ClubRoyale 2x12 (single-channel, el84's, w/ a greenback and a g12h30) and it sounds totally different from another ClubRoyale I owned a year ago. The only thing that separates them is a 5 year span between build dates. I NEVER used the bridge pup in my HDTC (I actually contemplated having the blower switch wired to activate the neck pup in full because I never used it). Now, however, I use it as much as the other two and I use it regularly in my HTC.

I think the thing that I was doing in the past that perpetuated the problem was to sit at home and build all of my tones for the neck pup exclusively. I would say, "I don't like the bridge, I'll try to perfect the neck." So I would dial in a little more top end to make the neck shimmer a little. But if I went to the bridge (accidentally) it sounded like an ice pick. Now I set all of my tones where the neck feels just a smidge dark and the bridge feels just a hair too bright. In the band setting and depending on the room and the activities of the little gnomes that make my amp sound different from gig to gig, I find that the neck and pup are both priceless.

[tom]

when i was way younger, i used the neck pickup mostly on my les pauls. it was always easier to get a fat tone out of. when i discovered that if i set my amp for the bridge pu, i could use all the sounds the guitar had to offer. kind of like what zan just said. since neck pickups are out where the string vibrates so much more, they are more forgiving to amp settings. i go for a full enough but still cutting enough bridge tone then my other pu's work well too. your 2 guitars are fairly extreme, the classic would be the brighter guitar and you have the bright humbucker in it. your cobra would be a darker guitar and it has a dark humbucker in it. you might be better off with the pickups reversed. i'm an H2 guy all the way, it does both ends of the spectrum for me.

[bud]

'zan and Tom,

Great insights. This explains why in 1976 my solo sound was neck humbucker (in a 73 strat, I guess I wanted an Anderson back then) with wah pedal on :eek:

I have been blessed to have learned much since then, from many who know better.

[John Price]

I have several Andersons with the H2+ (my Favorite) and have no problems with this pickup setting especially at gigs! Very balanced with just the right amount of gain! What do you like? What guitars have you used in the past that had that great bridge humbucking tone? Maybe you could try that pickup in your Anderson. I also had a cobra with the HO2 and screamed vintage tones all Day! Maybe the tone in your fingers is a little darker. :)

[BadBrad]

I disagree, but tone is subjective. One simple little trick is too roll off your tone knob just enough to take that ice pick bite out of the sound. Might help but I love andersons bridge pickups.

[guitarzan]

This explains why in 1976 my solo sound was neck humbucker (in a 73 strat, I guess I wanted an Anderson back then) with wah pedal on :eek:

I have been blessed to have learned much since then, from many who know better.

I have had the same experience. I went through about a six-month phase where the only tone I would play was a neck humbucker and a Morley Wah on the toe down position. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of saying it was in the 70's. Mine was about '95 or so. :o

[GaryMcT]

I have had the same experience. I went through about a six-month phase where the only tone I would play was a neck humbucker and a Morley Wah on the toe down position. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of saying it was in the 70's. Mine was about '95 or so. :o

Tweaking the tone knob on my Atom (and probably other Andersons. . .I'm a newby so I don't know :) ) gets some really nice fixed-wah pedal tones.