What are your thoughts on a PC1 Pickup overhaul?

[Chew]

Hi all,

I've got two Jacksons:
1. A proline (Japanese) Soloist SL3 with Seymour Duncans - JB in the bridge paired with two hot rails in the neck and middle
2. A PC1 with stock DiMarzios (Super3 bridge, a stacked HB in the mid and the sustainer at the neck.)

Problem: My $700 Soloist has better tone than my $2500 PC1.

Solution: New pickups?

After cruising this forum and much Googling, I'm leaning towards swapping out the PC1 bridge for either a SD Custom 78, or the Fender/EVH version, the Frankenstrat replica humbucker. Both are getting huge reviews, but the custom is about $50 more expensive.

The EVH model is hotter at ~14 DCR vs. the SD 78's 9.

Not sure which would pair better with the Mahogany body and maple neck of the PC1?

As for the middle position, I like Seymour's Hot, Cool and Vintage rails. Again, not sure which would be the best fit for the woods of the PC1.

As for my playing style, even when I play clean, I don't. I just roll off the guitar volume and so that my cleanest voice is still a little husky, if muted. The other guitarist in our band does a lot of the ultra clean chiming delay tones, so I usually compliment his shimmering parts by padding with an edgier rhythm underneath. Our singer is usually playing an acoustic as well, so my niche is pretty well carved out.

I'm real interested in hearing your ideas and opinions!

[rdamaral]

I agree that the PC-1 has crappy tone.

I'm afraid the mess with the pups and board though.

[Radiohead]

I have the EVH Frankenstein Replica Pickup, the EVH Wolfgang and the 78. All in different guitars with different woods. If you are searching for an EVH tone, go for the Replica pickup. It makes every guitar I have ever put it in sound better with "a brown tone". The Replica also sounds great with every amp I have every plugged into... Its just a great pickup - period... The Wolf is way hotter and sounds better with higher gain amps IMO. Think Mesa vs a hot rodded Marshall. Of the 3 the 78 is my least favorite, but still a very good pickup, just not exceptional.

This guitar I have is Mahogany body with all Maple neck. I put a Bare Knuckles Blackdog in the Bridge and I absolutely love it. Cant say enough for its versatility and ability to create great 80 rock tone. It loves all of my amps (low and high gain) and is very reactive to rolling back the volume pot. Cleans up beautifully with great break up tones to be found by manipulating the volume pot. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

J/C Japan FTW.

[horns666]

I think it's the vibe of the whole guitar. I bought a new Fender HHR back in the day and it had a HN2 with Floyd and it sounded amazing..especially for VH. In that guitar. But I had this weird import Japan mental hang up. So I ordered and waited for a USA version "Floyd Rose Classic"..but it has a PAF pro. I love the guitar, but I must admit the HHR sounded better...both were ash.

MarkD just went through 15+ Les Pauls w 2K in his pocket. Money wasn't an issue..tone was. With that said, he kept going back to an Epi. It had the mojo.

Clevo-John prefers his 475 over his early USA Dinky. I think he's freaked since I accidently rubbed my balls on it..but that stuff happens.

[Chew]

Thanks all for the feedback!

Radiohead,
I will definitely check out the Bare Knuckles. It so hard to describe tone, but I can tell you that I'm not trying to duplicate EVH per se, but I do like the brown sound and accentuated harmonics. What I don't like, is that clipped nu-metal distortion. I'm looking for a more expressive, overdriven voice. The DMZ more or less just barks. Think Slash, EVH, even Dickie Betts/Warren Haynes vs. Rage, Disturbed, etc.

Given that, would you opt for the EVH or the Blackdog? Does the EVH -only- do brown well?

By the way, the neck on your guitar is beautiful!

[markD]

i had a serious hatred for my solar PC-1 for the longest time. the super 3 did NOT get along with my amp. i went through a bunch of pickups in bridge position - dimarzio PAF Pro (i liked it in my euphoria, but not the solar), SD JB, SD 59, SD custom, EMG 85 (18V), gibson 500T....finally i went with an SD custom/custom.

the guitar sounded a little better, but still seemed "weak". i really felt that the sustainer circuit hurt the "natural" tone of the guitar. after all, the PC-1 is made with killer wood combos. i hooked the bridge pickup straight to a new volume pot, and WOW!!!!! what a difference. so, at that point, i gutted all the sustainer gadgetry - which i find to just be a gimmick anyway and wired the pickups to a 5-way and was MUCH happier.


not many people want to gut their PC-1 though. in my case, i am always about what is gonna sound the best. i play live a lot and want my guitars to be consistent and easy to use. the PC-1 sounded like ass with the sustainer circuit. it sounds glorious - almost PRS-like, with singing sustain without the sustainer circuit.

i ended up simplifying the electronics even further by putting a "dummy" pickup in the middle (which i lowered ALL the way down so it is flush with the body, the custom/custom in the bridge, and a dimarzio virtual vintage heavy blues in the neck position. they are wired to a 3-way switch giving me B/B+N/N, and a 250K volume pot. that PC-1 is just a raw, in-your-face rock guitar now.

men cry and women cream when they hear that guitar.....

[Chew]

Great point Mark, but I'm not ready to gut the sustainer - the guitar is still too new and I'm having too much fun with it!

Also - For the EVH replica pickup, does anyone know if it is available in F spacing for the Floyd bridge, or is it always a true replica of Eddie's modified (and angled) standard spaced Gibson PAF?

If I can't get it spaced right, it's out of the running. In play then are the SD 78, The Bare Knuckle Blackdog and maybe their VHII as well?

[DonP]

I need to take you shopping. You are paying way too much

[veniculum]

It's funny how different experiences for different people...I have a PC1, and I actually am really happy with the stock config. Much more so than some of the guitars that I've purchased new. I started a thread a few days ago discussing the same thing regarding a USA soloist. I couldn't get the tone I wanted out of the stock JB. It just felt weak....similar to what you're saying about your PC1 (although, my problem wasn't so much a problem through an amp..it was more at very low volume or even more so through headphones). Also, I know what you're saying describing the Japanese soloist. I had one of those briefly, and it really had a killer sound (I almost regret getting rid of it...but I had to have the USA soloist after owning that guitar)....you can imagine how disappointed I was when the USA didn't sound as good as that SL3.

After living with the inferior tone of my USA Soloist for a little while, I finally decided to go with something different. I put a lot of thought into it...I've used just about every pickup ever made at one time or another..or at least covered a good portion of what's out there...and I ended up going with EMGs. Obviously this is a pretty big departure from what you've got, and probably not a solution as it is a pretty big change, overall.
I can only tell you what my favorite pickups have been...fortunately with a PC-1, you've got great wood and hardware....and I'm guessing it sounds great unplugged (mind does)...which should sing nicely no matter what you put in it. If I were to consider swapping p'ups in my PC1, I'd probably look at Bareknuckle Rebel Yells...possibly a Duncan Full Shred...or the Suhr Aldrich is a great sounding pickup. I also really have always like Gibson Burkbuster Pros...To be honest...I think actives might sound pretty good in a PC-1 too...although I'm kinda on an active p'up kick right now...so that might not be the best advice.
Decisions decisions.
I just walked into the local Sam Ash and bought two EMGs for my soloist. I figured, what's the worst thing that can happen...it won't be perfect? I figured it had to be better than what I was hearing with the stock setup...and as it turns out, it sounds great to me now.
Good luck man.

[Chew]

Thanks guys!

After Radiohead's glowing review of Bare Knuckles above, I'm been swapping emails with Tim there. I'm leaning towards a VHII in the bridge paired with a 63 Veneer in the middle. Much of this is based on a PC1 owner's endorsement on the BK boards: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/for...?topic=10968.0

He's tried a bunch of BK pickups in his PC1, but finally decided on the VHII. I'm assuming this is BK's answer to SD's custom 78, using an Alnico 5, instead of the 2. The SD 78 also gets a pretty good review on the boards here: http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/951...-pickup-change

I tried emailing the Seymour Custom shop, but no replies yet...


What do you guys think?

[vklobucar]

One of my PC1's has a Jackson J90C in there. Killer tone! Not weak at all and seems to bring out wood in the guitar as well.

[xenophobe]

One of my PC1's has a Jackson J90C in there. Killer tone! Not weak at all and seems to bring out wood in the guitar as well.

That doesn't surprise me. One of my most favorite picksups is the J95... the J50BC is also pretty decent but milder than I would normally like. Many people here don't like stock Jackson pickups, but I think they're great.

[veniculum]

One of my PC1's has a Jackson J90C in there. Killer tone! Not weak at all and seems to bring out wood in the guitar as well.

I had a late 80s/early 90s import Charvel with stock Jackson pickups...don't know what they were, but they said Jackson on them...they weren't bad at all. I don't have the guitar anymore, but posting some picks out here a while back revealed that it was a 'fusion deluxe'...if that means anything (regarding the type of pickups)

[Chew]

I decided on the Bare Knuckle VH2 in the bridge and a 63 Veneer board single coil in the middle. I'm not sure how it will take to get them, but I'll post some before and after pics when I do. If its possible to post audio samples, I'll try to get a before and after for that too.

So far, I'm really impressed with the responsiveness of BK. Tim Mills, the managing director over there, responded to my email and made a personal recommendation after I described the tone I was looking to get. In contrast, the guys at the Seymour Duncan shop still haven't bothered to return my call or email. I guess they're busy enough...