Sell Me On A Mongrel Pickup Configuration

[ToneBum]

Here's the deal, I'm in the market for another Anderson and need some pickup advice. Here's a small list of my current guitars and why I like them:

Fender USA Strat w/ TA SA2's (neck/middle) and H3+ (bridge)
I love the fat single coil sounds but at times wish they were a touch "less". The H3+ actually works quite well with the SA2's and I love that I can go from bluesy to heavier rock tones with the slap of a pinky!

Suhr Classic T w/ Lollar A3 (neck) & A5 custom (bridge)
This guitar made me love teles! The neck is a tad dull (not much though) to my ears which makes me think I like the neck position on my strat better. I love the tele bridge sound for rock if I'm playing with another electric player who's using a humbucker based guitar. I like how the tele sits in the mix live and in the studio--high end shimmer that cuts through just enough without being harsh

PRS Custom 24 w/ TA H1 & H2
Great compliment to the two guitars mentioned above, but I feel like the TA pups in this guitar sound "dull", kind of like a blanket is over the sound. I find that I have to turn the tone knob of my overdrives a little more to get this thing to cut through. But it works great in the studio for a beefy rhythm.

The tones I crave: John Mayer, Lincoln Brewster, Hillsong, Coldplay...you probably get the idea already

My plan: I plan to sell the Suhr to help fund the Anderson so I will be losing my tele tones...unless I get some sweet tele tones from an Anderson!

So far...How does this sound?:

Mongrel (Swamp Ash w/ maple neck) with SC1's in neck/middle with the boost switch and a splitable TM2 or TM3 in the bridge?!?

I love the idea of a Mongrel since I love the pickup options and ease of switching it provides and I love a tele body and I love good strat tones. Anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks!

[chriswhite]

sup DBum

I was talking to Roy and Tom about the TM2 vs TM3 back when I ordered my Short T. Tom let me borrow a shorty with a TM2 and I decided to go with the TM3. I of course LOVE hotter pickups and getting a little more of a dirty tone from them. My criteria was -- I wanted a guitar that would just sing beautifully with bluesy stratty/tele tones and had more of a mean side when it needed to be but I am the farthest fan from single coils. They sound too thin to me and I have just never found a single coil thats been right for me.

I ordered mine with a TM3 with a kickback. The kickback really brings the pickup back to a TM2 more than it sounding like a split HB. I have found that I use the kickback on the TM3 almost as much as without it (same with the M1 in the neck). Just an amazing pickup and I couldn't recommend it more.

The M's are perfect for getting SRV or John Mayer tones but without having to tune down or use fatter gauge strings.

Now we just need Pipedwho to chime in for you about the SC1's especially with the TM2/3

[ToneBum]

sup DBum
...and I decided to go with the TM3...I ordered mine with a TM3 with a kickback. The kickback really brings the pickup back to a TM2 more than it sounding like a split HB...Now we just need Pipedwho to chime in for you about the SC1's especially with the TM2/3

Ok, I like the sound of that...but what's a "kickback"? I'm not familiar. I think I'd love a TM3 that could "back off" a little to provide more classic tele bridge tones when I need it, but punch me in the gut when I want that too!. I love HSS pickup configurations but since I already have that on my strat I wanted something a touch different on this one. I figure the TM2/3 could be different enough from what I already have and get me close (but hopefully better) than my Suhr sound.

Ok, so another question (and I already know what Chris is going to say), would a short scale be good for me? I've got long and medium girth fingers. Will a shorty be hard to get around higher up on the fretboard? What's its affect on tone/playability? I know Tom's site says things like "mid-focused", "saturates nicely", "bloom on attack", "effortless feel", "legato presentation"...but can anyone who has one share some more verbage to help my brain understand? :)

Also, can a Mongrel even be ordered short scale? I imagine all that mostly depends on the neck itself which can be applied to most any guitar, correct?

Also also, can a Mongrel even be ordered with a TM2/3?

[tom]

no tm's in mongrels. they have such a weird shape we have not done a pg for them. any pickup combo you want could be in a t classic or short t classic.
short things are going on everywhere around here these days. it looks as though the schmongrel will be among them.

[chriswhite]

OK so no TM's but M's are still in?

[tom]

straight m's are fine.

[chriswhite]

I havent yet heard an M2/3 in the bridge and I know that my guitar is very mid-focused and just shimmers in highs but how much of that would be lost with the straight M, if any at all?

[tom]

highs and lows are pretty similar. the angled pickup looses some middle.

[ToneBum]

Oh Tom, I'm sad to hear that there's no TM's allowed in the Mongrel! Maybe I'll have to go with the straight M or just get a tele. But I'd love to be the first to get a "Schmongrel"! Ha!

[tom]

i believe we do have a schmongrel on order for someone:D

[chriswhite]

If you did decide that you wanted to look at a Short T check out this review from Corey (Guitarzan) here on the forums. He has mostly what you would be wanting and thats a Hollow Swamp Ash Short T with an TM in the bridge and "an Anderson something or other single in the neck."

http://andersonforum.com/board/showthread.php?t=7881

These videos are an amp review but it definitely shows you what this guitar is capable of.
Thanks Corey for helping out... even tho you didn't know that you did.

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[ToneBum]

i believe we do have a schmongrel on order for someone:D

Darn! I missed my chance! ;)

[ToneBum]

So...what's the main sound characteristic of a hollow T compared to a solid?....Maybe a Classic Short T will be better for me in the end...those TM pickups sound stellar.

[tom]

the hollow ones have a little less middle with a softer attack which translates into more harmonics and less fundamental. some would say a more compressed attack or sweeter.

[chriswhite]

So...what's the main sound characteristic of a hollow T compared to a solid?....Maybe a Classic Short T will be better for me in the end...those TM pickups sound stellar.
I asked Roy this last year at NAMM and he leaned in close and told me that solid PoPPeD more and had more aTTaCK and he really enunciated those dramatic letters and then said in a very soft calm voice that the hollow body is a little softer and sweeter; a little more mellow.

[ToneBum]

Sounds like you and Roy should get together some time ;)

That makes sense though. I could see me liking a hollow someday. But for now I think attack and pop are good things. I feel I can back attack off if I need to in different ways.

Thanks for all your help on this. I'm really leaning toward a Classic T with SC's and a TM2 or 3. I still didn't get an answer on what exactly the "kickback" is. I want a fat bridge sound for some things but also want the more traditional tele sound when I need it...yes, I want my cake and want to eat it too!!! Good news is, I hear Tom serves up a killer cake ;)

[chriswhite]

I still didn't get an answer on what exactly the "kickback" is.
I dont know all that technical mumbo-jumbo when it comes to the kickback (I'll leave that for the experts) but it is essentially what is splitting(?) my M's. I have a 2 pickup config with a 5-way switch. In Positions 2 and 4 (and middle with tone knob pulled) it is really taking my pickup and kicking it back a notch, hence "kickback." I mean it when I say it really makes my TM3 sound like a TM2 in position 2.

[ToneBum]

Sounds great to me! So...could I get SC1's (or maybe 2's) in the neck/middle with a passive boost toggle (to work on ALL pickups, even the TM3) and then a TM3 in the bridge with a push-pull kickback? That sounds tasty to me :) I think I'll have an extra order of awesomeness!!

[chriswhite]

not for the single coils tho...

[ToneBum]

What do you mean "not for the single coils"? As in "they're not awesome"? ...if that's what you mean then next time you come out here I'm going to make you choke on those words! :) ...I miss u Chris

[chriswhite]

ya unfortunately the kickback isnt for singles but they are most definitely AWESOME nontheless. Dave and I have some family in Denver, you in Longmont and another friend in Colorado Springs, we might be taking a trip out there sometime this year.
I never wanted you to "choke" on the words, I wanted you to "eat" them like a delicious morning breakfast. :p I miss you too, bro

I do often hope more people would chime in... I really dont know what I'm talking about most of the time and I dont want to give you the wrong info if I'm wrong about anything.

[ToneBum]

Lol. You're all good Chris. You should come soon! I assumed the kickback was just for the buckers but I definitely like the idea of having the passive boost as well to be available for all three pickups. That's what I'm wondering is possible.

Tom, can you wire an HSS configuration with push-pull for the kickback (on the humbucker) and have a global passive boost that would effect all pickups (even if the kickback is engaged) all into a Classic T?

[tom]

parallel on a humbucker works better than kickback. and the boost can be added to that. kickback is almost always only on m's.

[ToneBum]

Thanks Tom! Though when I said "HSS" I was thinking of the TM3. Does parallel or kickback work best for a TM3? Would that make it sound close to a TM2?

[chriswhite]

Does parallel or kickback work best for a TM3? Would that make it sound close to a TM2?
I of course will let Tom be the ultimate factor but I will say kickback for sure on the TM_ and I have played both TM2/3 my ears tell me that the kickback brings it close to a TM2

[tom]

kickback is great on all the m's, but it can't be used on singles.