Pickup suggestions - Cali

[mail4kev]

Would like to get some ideas what pickups to put in a mahogany bodied cali elite? Looking to replace my current pickups as I'm not a big PATB fan.

The cali is currently loaded with PATB at bridge and some unknown single coil at neck.

Musical style? 'Modern rock' I guess.

Throw me some suggestions... Thanks!

Kev

[Lockbody]

When I had a Cali, my favorite pickup I ever had in it was a Dimarzio Breed. Kind of like a Seymour JB without the annoying mids. Probably my favorite humbucker for guitars with Floyds.

[Bennyboy-UK]

I really like the PATBs - if you are binning it - I'll potentially have that off you :-D

Cheers,

Ben.

[atquinn]

Cool Rails neck PATB1 bridge has always been a winning combo in my experience. However, the one guitar I thought a JB sounded awesome in was a mahogany-bodied Cali Elite, so if you're not feeling the PATB1, that might be a winner.

-

Austin

[holLoWskull]

Tough to recommend a pickup unless you give us an idea of exactly what it is about the PA-TB-1 that you don't like. Too bright? Too muddy? Not enough bite? Too many mids? Too thin? you get the idea... What kind of amp are you using too, that plays a big part in the equation. Also does your Cali have a rosewood board or ebony?

[mail4kev]

To give everyone a better idea, the cali in question is the red cali elite that belonged to diablo175. Yes... I am the proud new owner and finally pulled the trigger on one after sitting on the fence for close to 20 years. LOL!

Generally, specs:-

1. Cali elite with ebony board,

2. Mahogany body,

3. Unknown single coil (I pulled the PU out to check and there are no markings on this PU except for R2 being ink stamped on the back). This is a true 2 wire non hum-cancelling single coil and sounds very strat like.

4. SD PATB bridge which is probably the original stock bridge PU.

The pickups sound ok individually but not a good match to each other. When in neck position, I feel like I'm playing a strat, and then I flip the PU selector and suddenly WHOA.... it sounds way too different. All the highs are missing and I have a reversed scoop sound with too much mid range if you know what I mean.

I'd ideally like a bright sound with more defined bass. Not too mid rangey.

Thanks!

Kev

[Mpcoluv]

I really like the PATB-3 which is sort of PAF sounding in a strat scale guitar.

I might look at changing hte neck pickup to something like a Duncan SSL-6 or STK-6 whic is pretty hot and should help the volume difference. Or maybe get the Duncan Custom Shop to sell you the single coil used in the triple coil Phantom/Prototype.

[holLoWskull]

To give everyone a better idea, the cali in question is the red cali elite that belonged to diablo175. Yes... I am the proud new owner and finally pulled the trigger on one after sitting on the fence for close to 20 years. LOL!

Generally, specs:-

1. Cali elite with ebony board,

2. Mahogany body,

3. Unknown single coil (I pulled the PU out to check and there are no markings on this PU except for R2 being ink stamped on the back). This is a true 2 wire non hum-cancelling single coil and sounds very strat like.

4. SD PATB bridge which is probably the original stock bridge PU.

The pickups sound ok individually but not a good match to each other. When in neck position, I feel like I'm playing a strat, and then I flip the PU selector and suddenly WHOA.... it sounds way too different. All the highs are missing and I have a reversed scoop sound with too much mid range if you know what I mean.

I'd ideally like a bright sound with more defined bass. Not too mid rangey.

Thanks!

Kev

This is probably an over-simplified generalization on my part, but it sounds like you're looking for a bridge pickup with a ceramic magnet if more highs and more definition in the bass notes is what you're going for. There may be some A5 magnet pickups that work for you, but in general I don't think you'll find the sound you want from an A2 magnet pickup. FWIW I think the Duncan PATB1 and PATB3 have A5 magnets and the PATB2 has a ceramic in it.

You may like the better volume balance of a neck pickup that is a stacked coil humbucker design as the previous poster suggested. An added bonus is that you'll still have noise cancelation in the middle position of the 3-way selector switch (which I assume you don't currently have).

[mail4kev]

Was browsing at the shops yesterday and picked up a Suhr Aldrich HB and a Suhr Landau SC. I always liked the way the Suhrs sounded and thought I'd give them a shot. I was quite confident the Aldrich would work. According to the marketing speal... the Landau single coil promises to be "big and full while retaining the detailed high-end sparkle and the big tight lows of the best vintage pickups"... whatever that means. My gut was telling me to go for it.

Warmed up the soldering iron and put them in. Initial impressions are good.

The Suhrs sound brighter and has a nice bite to them. The Aldrich HB works well at the bridge. The single coil balances quite well with the Aldrich but could be a little thicker. I'll try to break them in over the next week and see how they work out.

Kev