DK24 HH not digging pickup

[audiosalvage]

Hi, I have a DK24 HH FR with a SD full shred in the bridge. I am running through a plexi clone that is really mid heavy. With my stock SGJ it sounds great, nice and juicy, but with the Charvel it is WAY middy. Both guitars have a maple neck and mahogany bodies. so the pickups must be the issue here. The amp treble and presence are dimed with the DK and with the SG they can be all @ 12 o clock Any suggestions on which pickup would get me closer to the more biting treble side?

[Razor]

It's hard to beat the Duncan JB or the Dimarzio Super Distortion

[ed]

Its funny since the full shred is supposed to be scooped. The JB is even more middy and in my experience i dont like its sound in most guitars except a few. I would also maybe test out lighter gauge strings too before going for another pickup.

[audiosalvage]

I guess when I say mid I think that might be a little subjective maybe it's lower mid that's more of the thing

[metalhobo]

In addition to ed's suggestion about the strings, I would also try adjusting the pickup height and pole pieces. the full shred is going to be super high output compared to the sgj's pickups, so lowering the pickup position will prevent slamming the front end of the amp too much which can result in a more muddy sound. also, in addition to lowering the pickup, you can also adjust the pole pieces. raising the pole pieces which are closer to the bridge will get you more treble response.

[audiosalvage]

I've tried adjusting pickup and pole pieces which do regulate the output, but I'd like to try something different like a SD 78 or 59

[DonP]

The Full Shred was meant for a guitar like a Les Paul. Short scale, mahogany, no trem, rosewood FB. I have a set in my 750XL and that is one of my best sounding guitars.

[audiosalvage]

Well I pulled the trigger on a 78 model, so I'll start there.

[metalhobo]

hopefully that works out well, I'm curious to hear how the 78 does.

the other thing I was going to say is that the whole "vintage pickups sound different" thing is 100% true. the aging of the magnet has a pronounced effect on the sound of a humbucker and usually results in a sound which is more pleasant. pickup manufacturers do various things like degaussing, using different magnet alloys, and using different constructing techniques (airbucker) to try to emulate old pickup sound reliably. your mileage may vary, but personally I've found the most enjoyment out of the "airbucker" pickups dimarzio sells, including the air nortion and the paf 36th (which uses airbucker design though it's not called an airbucker).

[audiosalvage]

I agree with the paf36th, I had a Epi DOT that sounded lifeless, I dropped one of those in there and it was instant love.

[audiosalvage]

Put the 78 in today and first impressions are certainly more bass and more highs as expected. So I think the low mids are tamed. Better that the FS.

[audiosalvage]

I need to exhume this thread. I've found the tone/sound I'm looking for, unfortunately it's the wrong guitar. I have a a squier CV strat hard tail w/ maple neck and Lidp body. I put a dimarzio SDS 1 pickup in the bridge and Loving the tone.. I want to simulate this with my Charvel DK24 HH FR, maple neck and mahogany body. I've tried the stock Full shread and the 78 model so what's next? Any help would be great. Thanks

[audiosalvage]

1Meg pot did the trick

[MartinBarre]

I just got one of these guitars yesterday and I LOVE the pickups. Unfortunately, I don't like the fact they're white on my amber finish so I'm going to swap them for black Duncans (Custom/59). I don't really worry too much about pickups nowadays - I used to be really into the minute tonal differences but IDGAF much now, any decent set of Duncans or Dimarzios (or Gibsons in my Les Pauls) and I'm happy.