What would you do?

[nickeroo]

I want to change the bridge pickup in my Charvel Model 6.

Right now it has a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge, and I am not too happy with how it sounds.

Recently I bought a Seymour Duncan Distortion (Bridge) and a Dimarzio Evolution (Bridge) my intention was to dump one of them in my Model 6. Both were Ebay impulse buys.

But then yesterday I scored a Dimarzio Evolution NECK pickup off Ebay.

I also have a 750 XL, currently loaded out with PAF Pro in the neck and Dimarzio Breed bridge in the...bridge. I think it sounds OK. The breed sounds a little jangly, I wanted something a little darker/full bodied, rounder/tubular etc.


I was thinking though, if I dropped both Evos into the 750XL, would I get a screaming hellhound machine sounded as if it was crafted by gods (= good!) Or would the Evos just not work? There's lots of hype around them.

Or should I put an Evo bridge into the 6? Mix and match? Take the breed from the 750 and put it in the 6? Or I have a cheap Aria guitar HSH which is sitting unused and empty, pickup wise. Pretty sure it is basswood, which the Evos were built for IIRC?


Stylistically I play Fusion, shred, Shawn Lane, Vai, Timmons and Satch stuff, and also hair metal (hence my username).

Any advice would be very much appreciated. I tried using the Seymour Ducan and Dimarzio tone wizards, but it doesn't have an option for "Mahogany body with maple top" (750XL). Model 6 is Maple through neck with poplar wings.

Sorry for the long post and thanks again. My first psot here, BTW. great site!

[frankfalbo]

Welcome to the forum! Based on what you've told me, my move would be to put the Evo's in the 750XL for a screaming treble flamethrower. If the Breed sounded a little jangly, that MUST be a sign of the guitar. The Breed by most accounts is very thick and fat. So I'm thinking your guitar is a screamer. That being said, the Evo's will give you even more of that whiney screech, and yeah, that's what I'd do. I'd go all out.

My suspicion is that if you put the Breed into the Charvel, it will sound smooth and dark, and work well with the PAF Pro in there as the neck pickup.

Here's the total WILD CARD. If you haven't lurked here long enough you don't know that the Invader with regular pole pieces is an absolute monster. What I'd like you to do just for fun is: Take the 12 pole pieces out of one of your Evolutions, and replace the large Invader poles with the Evolution poles. You should notice a huge spike in the clarity and top end sizzle. And in that Charvel, it might be just the ticket.

If that works, then put the Distortion in the XL, because it should be a big, chunky tone that's less midrangey than the Breed. The bigger highs and lows and reduced mids will cut the jangliness you're getting from the Breed.

[nickeroo]

Cna I take the pieces from another pickup? I feel a bit hesistant to take apart a pickup, especially an Evo! I have no-name branded humbuckers...would the same thing work?

[frankfalbo]

Don't fear swapping the pole pieces. They're just threaded in there, and swapping them will have no effect on anything.

The Evo pole pieces share the same diameter and thread count as the Invader. That's why they make appropriate donors. It's a free swap that takes you 10 minutes and may open up some doors for you!

[nickeroo]

Thanks for the suggestion frankfalbo! Does anyone else have cool ideas, or even standard ones about which Pickup combination would work well?

Thanks!