Neck pickups - how can I make it sound more like my bridge pickup

Drew_TNBD

Y'know that sort of glassy chimey sound you get from a neck pickup? Well I want that but with less low-end and more volume. Is there any electronic wizardry I can perform (incantations notwithstanding) that will result in such a supernatural phenomenon as this?

ICBM

Tube Screamer with volume full up and gain on low?

It's easy to get less low-end and *less* volume in the guitar itself (treble pass cap on the neck pickup), but almost impossible to get more volume without something active.

You can just about achieve it with a carefully chosen tone cap to roll off top-end, which will also boost the mids by up to 3dB at the resonant frequency (giving the impression of less bass and more volume) but it's pretty subtle and no good if you don't want to lose the top-end as well.

Sporky

Move it to the middle position?

ThePrettyDamned

The neck pickup, if identical to bridge, would normally be louder because it sees more string vibration, though whether it sounds that way is debatable...

So, possibly the exact same pickup as the bridge and a treble pass cap? Or even a high output neck, lower output bridge.

Other than that, a drive pedal would be my best guess... Something that cuts bass, like a tubescreamer (bad monkey?) and has volume enough to get a bit above unity. Even that will add a bit of grit - perhaps an eq pedal could work?

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

So, possibly the exact same pickup as the bridge and a treble pass cap? Or even a high output neck, lower output bridge.

Actually an inherently louder neck pickup with a treble-pass cap might do it, yes...

ToneControl

an EQ pedal

stickyfiddle

Have you tried both pickups on and bridge volume rolled to 8?

viz

Wind the pickups up or down to taste. Neck pickups are designed to give less output because the wave amplitude is greater nearer the middle of the string so if your arrangement is for some reason closer to the beridge than it was designed for, wind it up closer to the string. Not too close mind because then you will start to lose volume again as the magnets cause the string vibration to lessen, though I've never actually experienced that phenomenon.

fretfinder

Drew_fx said:

Y'know that sort of glassy chimey sound you get from a neck pickup? Well I want that but with less low-end and more volume. Is there any electronic wizardry I can perform (incantations notwithstanding) that will result in such a supernatural phenomenon as this?

Are we talking LP-type humbucker or Strat-type single coil?

bertie

surely 'glassy chimey'  is with less low-end ?

ESBlonde

Drop the bass side of the PU and raise the treble side. Standard.

chrisj1602

Saw this a while back but not tried it...

koneguitarist

technique can help. try picking close to bridge on neck pickup to give more attack , and play softer on bridge pickup closer to the neck. Watched Will Kimbrough do all this years ago at a gig, total revelation in tones from one guitar.

Using Tone control on bridge pickup at half setting, then set amp up for usual tone. this way you can go brighter on neck pickup if you want or go for nice warm tone with clarity with tone just backed off, all these things help. and are easy to try and free !

Drew_TNBD

Hey all, thanks!

It's not technique, I always play close to the bridge, even on the neck pickup. There is a cap in line, but I don't know its value. It is green though! )

Basically... if we're saying the typical bridge pickup is like a sawtooth "fence" sound, then my neck sounds more "bell" like, but with ridiculous amounts of low-end, even on the coil-tap. The pickup is quite low too, it's not really near the strings it's mostly in the body!

I think maybe I need to explore my electronic options. Don't want to do it with pedals.

ICBM

If there's already a cap in line, you just need to reduce its value.

Are you sure though? And that it's not the standard tone cap - an in-line cap is a very rare thing on guitars unless you've had it fitted yourself.

If you don't use the standard tone control you could actually turn that into a bass-cut control - the cap value you need is very different though, usually 1/10th of the value for a standard tone control.

Drew_TNBD

I will check. It's probably the standard tone cap thinking about it.

ChrisMusic

ICBM said:   ...If you don't use the standard tone control you could actually turn that into a bass-cut control - the cap value you need is very different though, usually 1/10th of the value for a standard tone control.

Maybe use a push / push tone control to switch the cap in or out, or to flip the tone control between top cut & bass cut, gives variability, depending if / how you use the tone knob.

Just a thought.

Drew_TNBD

I leave both tones open all the time. I also have coil taps on both pickups, but only really ever use it for the neck.

koneguitarist

It's easier to knock the edge off a toppy guitar bridge pickup than to brighten up a neck pickup. Try setting amp up using neck pickup till you are happy with sound, switch to bridge and if too toppy just back off the tone. Easy to do and also you find out if you like the tone of the neck pickup. If that doesn't work, change it, plenty of great pickups out there at low cost. But Technique also helps or hinders if you don't want to change picking position.

mike_l

@Drew_fx ; The pup's on my Jackson sound almost identical.

The neck is a Duncan Distortion (Ie Ceramic) and the bridge is a @Clarky spec Bulldog Extremist (Ie Alnico 5).

The neck is almost flat with the body, where the bridge is quite close to the strings. There is no volume difference set like this when you switch from one to the other. The neck is a little looser and less focused, the bridge is a touch more focused,  and a little brighter, but that's probably more down to the different pup's.