Pickup choice?

[suparsonic]

I own two HSS TA Drop Tops. One HDT Basswood, Maple top with H2+ and SA1s' (Blue), the other is Alder with a Maple top, with an HC3 and SC1s' (Light Tiger Eye).
I have found the H2+ to be too "wooly for my taste and I really like the cut of the HC3, so as an experiment I swapped the loaded pickup plates.
Now I really like the HC3 in the HDT, it has bought the guitar to life. I thought it may have been the hollow body making it sound "wooly' but it seems to be the H2+, so I'm on the hunt for a new Humbucker.
My question is, is the uncovered version of the HC3 the same tonally if not what are the differences?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/547/0zq2.jpg

[brokenvail]

I own two HSS TA Drop Tops. One HDT Basswood, Maple top with H2+ and SA1s' (Blue), the other is Alder with a Maple top, with an HC3 and SC1s' (Light Tiger Eye).
I have found the H2+ to be too "wooly for my taste and I really like the cut of the HC3, so as an experiment I swapped the loaded pickup plates.
Now I really like the HC3 in the HDT, it has bought the guitar to life. I thought it may have been the hollow body making it sound "wooly' but it seems to be the H2+, so I'm on the hunt for a new Humbucker.
My question is, is the uncovered version of the HC3 the same tonally if not what are the differences?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/547/0zq2.jpg
The hf3 is the uncovered version. I don't own own but from what the forum posts I have read say it has more chime in the high end. You might want to check out the h3. It too do not get along with the h2+ and the h3 is nothing like it

[tom]

The hf3 dies have some extended high end by comparison.
If by wooly, you mean too much gain in the low end, the h3 may not be better for you. The hc and hf series have a tighter low end.

[suparsonic]

The hf3 dies have some extended high end by comparison.
If by wooly, you mean too much gain in the low end, the h3 may not be better for you. The hc and hf series have a tighter low end.
"Wooly" is my best description in comparison. I really like the H2+ but I have grown to like the HC3 more due to its cutting nature and its' cleaner, more defined bottom end. I have used and still own a H3 but the H3 is too hot for my taste and is going in the opposite direction of what I am looking for. Does the HF3 empasise the highs or just extend the response? I like the look of the HF3 to go with my Blue HDT.

[pipedwho]

The H3 has more bass and is more even across the frequency band than the HF3. The HF3 has that mid emphasis characteristic of traditional pickups, but with a nice chimey high end (not as sparkly as a lower output pickup, but not muffled either).

When using the H2+ and H3, you need to pre EQ your signal into your amp a bit differently (ie. roll off more bass) to when using a more middy pickup, otherwise the amp can 'flub' out on the bass. You may also need to turn up the mids a bit more to cut in a dense mix.

Old school pickups and the HF series tend to work with the default settings of typical amps without much tweaking.

Also I prefer uncovered pickups as the metal cover tends to 'blanket' the tone to my ear. I love sparkle. There are a few on this forum however that prefer the metal cover.

Plastic covers don't interfere with the sparkle. Which reminds me, I need to order a plastic cover for my de-potted HC2.

[tom]

sorry piped, i must have dropped the ball on that cover. will get back to your pm.