Pickup recommendations please.

[dano]

I have a Drop Top T with a H-S-H pickup configuration. Alder back, maple top and a Floyd Rose trem. Currently I have an H2+ in the bridge, SA1 in the middle and an H1- in the neck. Contrary to what I expected with the Floyd Rose bridge, this guitar is a little on the dark/muffled side. I'm noticing it more as I play some of my other guitars with Gibson 57 classics and Anderson single coils. This Drop Top T just doesn't have the punch, articulation and openness of these other guitars. It's not bad but I think it could be better and I think a pickup swap might do the trick. I still want low end and I don't want too much mid focus so that it overpowers the bass.

I play Bogner 100Bs so I don't think I'll miss the higher output of the H2+. Plus I have an Atom with an H2+ if I need it. The Atom sounds fine.

Needs to split well too.

HO or HF humbuckers maybe? What about the single coil in the middle?

Thanks in advance everyone!

Dano

[tom]

HF1 and HF1+ would be my choice. i think the SA can stay.

[Thoth105]

I really like the HO1+ with my 101B in my Cobra.

I am, however, thinking about trying the HF's in my Drop Top (same config as Dano's). The H3+ is a little too thin through the Bogner, but not through the /13. I want more grind, hot, without the nasal thing.

I will await your review, dano!

[dano]

Tom,

Thanks for your reply.

HC/HF is described as midrange focused, vintage and musical articulation.
HO is described as midrange focused and vintage with clarity.

I know tone is very hard to describe with words. So, what is it that makes your recommendation be the HFs over the HOs. Is there an output difference? Does one split better? Also, I'd really like the SA to bite a little more so is there anything that might do that?

Thanks again!

[tom]

words are tough. the Hf's have a more extended sweeter top end than the HO. the splits are also sweeter than the HO. output is about the same.
are you using the SA split or humcancelling most of the time?

[dano]

I like it better split because it's brighter and balances better with the humbuckers. At Church the dimmers are so bad I don't want to add any additional hum. So, I would prefer to use it in hum canceling if possible as long as I can balance it with the humbuckers and it will cut through.

[pipedwho]

I like it better split because it's brighter and balances better with the humbuckers. At Church the dimmers are so bad I don't want to add any additional hum. So, I would prefer to use it in hum canceling if possible as long as I can balance it with the humbuckers and it will cut through.
The SFs do a great job of getting that top end sweetness while operating in the humcancelling mode. I used to use my SDs split, but the SFs are good enough when humcancelling that I just leave the switcheroo set that way. (I don't think the current batch of SFs even allows splitting, as they are now shipped as two conductor pickups.)

I have a similar problem at our church with gas discharge lighting and a nasty hearing aid loop. That's where the humcancelling mode on the singles really makes my life much less painful. :)

[tom]

what he said about the sf's.

[dano]

Put an HF1+ in the bridge, SF1 in the middle and HF1 in the neck. Definitely made the guitar a lot more clearer and articulate. Not sure the HF1+ is hot enough for me but I need a little more time to see.

I'll post back in a few days.

[dano]

In my particular guitar the HF's extended high frequency response made the unwound strings a little shrill in both the neck and bridge position. I did like the punch it added to the low strings but it didn't overcome the highs.

So.... I'm looking at other pickup options. Considering the HOs.

Any opinions would be more than welcome.

[pluto]

In my particular guitar the HF's extended high frequency response made the unwound strings a little shrill in both the neck and bridge position. I did like the punch it added to the low strings but it didn't overcome the highs.

So.... I'm looking at other pickup options. Considering the HOs.

Any opinions would be more than welcome.

I just bought a HC which I believe is the covered version of the HF for a Gibson Flying V and I know what you mean about the extended high frequencies as the HC replaced a Gibson Classic 57+ pickup which is a very smooth, even frequency pickup. However, I re-eq'ed (is that a word??) my amps (a Bogner 100b and 101b) by cutting some mids and highs, and that helped out a lot. I think the thing with Anderson pickups is that there is so much clarity to them that when you compare it to say a Gibson Classic 57 pickup, it's like removing a ton of wax from your ear-it takes some time getting used to it.