looking for a particular HB pickup for my Drop Top

[GaryMcT]

I'm not convinced yet that I want to change my bridge pickup at all, but if I do, I'll be looking for something that is about the same power (so that it matches the SA pickups in the neck and middle) as an H2, but either has less lows and highs, or more midrange. I want my bridge pickup on my alder Drop Top to sound more like the Atom with an H2. I know this isn't really achievable given the drastic difference between the two guitars, but that's what I'm going for.

[AndyT]

I'm not convinced yet that I want to change my bridge pickup at all, but if I do, I'll be looking for something that is about the same power (so that it matches the SA pickups in the neck and middle) as an H2, but either has less lows and highs, or more midrange. I want my bridge pickup on my alder Drop Top to sound more like the Atom with an H2. I know this isn't really achievable given the drastic difference between the two guitars, but that's what I'm going for.

I have a Hollow T countoured with an H2+ and it definately has a strong mid range. It has less lows and highs than I like, so I'll be swapping for an H1+. The H2+ would likely be a bit stronger and louder than the H2, but might just give you the sound you are looking for.

[GaryMcT]

The H2 has really grown on me in my drop top (it already grew on my in my Atom). The key to me being happy with it in the drop top is having the ability to switch it to parallel wiring for rhythm playing and to series for single-note and heavier stuff. My drop top is custom wired (from the factory) so that you have a typical switcheroo situation, except that the only way to get series wiring on the bridge pickup is with the blower, and the individual bridge pickup siwtch can select either split or parallel. I end up in a lot of songs picking parallel on the bridge and using the blower switch whenever a solo comes up.

[AndyT]

Cool, ya the whole switcheroo thing took me a long time and lots of panicked switch flipping to figure out.

So the H2 is working fo you, that's a good thing. What kind of music do you play? Where you just searching for sounds?

Pesonally, I like to stay conservative with pickup output and balance neck and bridge tones with pickup height. You can always add some gain, but trying to get a powerful pickup to sound vintage if you need to is not going to happen.

Enjoy that great guitar.

[GaryMcT]

I play with a weekend (mostly) cover band made up of folks from work. We mostly play stuff like U2, Stone Temple Pilots, Queens of the Stone Age, etc. What I was looking for is a bridge HB sound that has a high degree of clarity on chords (like in STP's Interstate Love Song). Going to parallel on the bridge really did this for me, and I can kick it into series when doing solos or more power-chord-type stuff. I wish there were a quicker way to get from parallel bridge to neck-and-middle for instance. I think after a bit more time with the switcheroo, I'll get good at it.

A blower switch that is 3 position that let you switch the bridge from parallel to series would be really handy. . . I wonder how much of a wiring job that would be if it is possible? If it isn't too bad, I might have to drop my guitar off on the way to Disney next time. I wouldn't mind getting a jumbo stainless refret on my Atom too since those frets are heavenly on my drop top.