Rolling Mills or Blues Engines?

Dave_Vader

The idea of doing an AC/DC tribute has been thrown at me by some band friends, and I don't yet want to throw money at it in case it doesn't happen, so buying another SG isn't going to happen.

I've got my trusty old brown Epi with P90s in, but...

My current favourite dirty amp sound (Guvnor into my old Roland Cube which does DC pretty well using a strat with a hot-rail) doesn't like single coils at all, so if I want to use the SG, I'll need a pickup change.

I have been looking for an excuse to get a set of Irongears for ages so....

Anybody got experience with both Rolling Mills and Blues Engines?

And which one will get me closer to Angus (I realise that both will do it well enough, since I've been doing an okay job with a Hot Rail on a strat for the last 3 years for 4 DC tracks in the set)

Research says Rolling Mills, but how about real world usage?

If it goes well I suppose I'll have to get a Red SG Standard, but I don't like red SGs, so I'm hoping to find rare footage of Angus with a Pelham Blue with P90s in as I've always wanted one of them. Or a black strat with a hotrail, that would save me some money.

longjaw

Humbuckers won't fit in routing for P90s.

Dave_Vader

longjaw said:

Humbuckers won't fit in routing for P90s.

Sorry, should have mentioned, they're HB sized P90s that I put in to replace the original - now long gone - Epi HBs

guitarcookie1

I have Blues Engines in my Epi Dot & it sounds good for a bit of Rosie. If you want a hotter bridge, maybe try a Rolling Mill/Blues Engine combo? 

digitalscream

I've just put a Blues Engine in the neck of my recent kit build from Jaden, along with a Dirty Torque in the bridge. It's a great combo that I'd highly recommend (indeed, Iron Gear suggest that combo themselves).

The only frame of reference I have is that the Blues Engine has quite a bit more mid and treble than, for example, the SD '59, and isn't quite as single-coil-sounding if you see what I mean; I'd highly recommend using the tone control to take some of the edge off if that's the kind of tone you want. Roll it off a touch, and you're golden for mellowed-out cleans.

The Dirty Torque is...bloody marvellous. It's perfectly capable of giving your classic rock sounds (that's what it's designed for, after all), but if you wind the gain up a bit the pinched squealies leap out like no pickup I've ever encountered. It's the kind of thing that puts a massive childish grin on my face. I'm easily pleased.

I'd say the BE/DT combination is what you want. Neither pickup has masses of low end, and that's exactly what you want for Angus-type tones.

Dave_Vader

I was a bit worried the DT might be a bit high gain. Same reason I'm not using the Di Marzio not-quite-super-distortions I've got in my Les Paul at the moment.

I should just swap them round and see what happens really but I'm looking for an excuse to buy stuff.

The Dirty Torque sounds like it just might be a thing I love anyway.

I love pinched squealies, they're my favourite thing about hotrails.

jdbwales

Love the Blues Engines. They can do ‘rock’ stuff perfectly well and handle everything you can chuck at them gainwise. If you want to hear them in a Les Paul all tracks here are neck and bridge BE set into a Blackstar/Greenbacks.

www.soundcloud.com/undercovercoversband 

TTBZ

I had a Rolling Mill in my SG briefly and liked it. Very clear sounding. Probably would have kept it if I got the overwound version - I just prefer a hotter bridge pickup in an SG.