I have recently picked up a Y2D and while the playability is great I can't get it to sound right. The bridge pickup sounds especially harsh, cold and hard edged. I'm thinking about changing the bridge pickup to something like a Duncan Custom Custom. Or does anybody have any recommendations? It all sucks a bit because the pickups are colour matched.
- Thread starter Vegaman
- Start date
beej
Moderator
So much is down to personal preference (I love those pickups), what amp you're playing, etc.
But they're easy to change, and you can always get stickers/decals for the top of the pickups so they all match. I just searched for "colored stickers for pickups" and got some solid hits.
But they're easy to change, and you can always get stickers/decals for the top of the pickups so they all match. I just searched for "colored stickers for pickups" and got some solid hits.
vuduhwy
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- Jan 12, 2018
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I had the same problem with my Y2D. I ended up with (believe it or not) Duncan Screamin Demon. It's kind of a misnomer. It's not a screechy high output like the name tends to imply. It really balanced it out for my setup. It actually sounds pretty damn good when split also. A lot of the Duncans don't. It's a clear and open sounding pickup that I think takes some of the harshness away. Let us know what you try and like or don't like.
PS I didn't care for the JB or the Custom in mine.
PS I didn't care for the JB or the Custom in mine.
Ok, thanks for the tip, very useful info. I have the fixed bridge version, how about you? Screamin Demon sounds like an interesting and a bit unexpected choice. I feel I need something "sweet" and smooth in this guitar for the bridge position, hence the idea of using a Custom Custom, I've had great success with that pickup in the bridge before. As it is now legato sounds half-ok but the picked attack is just plain nasty at times, and very "unforgiving" if that makes sense.
banjoplayer
Well-known member
Welcome Vegaman,
I "just" own a Standard Morse, not a Y2D. Don´t find the Pickups harsh, cold and hard edged. Did you play with the pickup height? The Humbuckers, especially the Bridge, have a lot of power and are designed for Steve Morses preference of having all of his pickups VERY low. I have seen his guitars in person. The neck HB was at the height of the lower edge of the rosewood fretboard, the Bridge HB a bit higher. So I can imagine, they sound uncommon when setup higher.
Steve´s tech Tommy, here onboard, posted this one:
You may want to take a look at this thread: http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-b...149-steve-morse-ebmm-correct-pick-height.html
Hope it helps!
I "just" own a Standard Morse, not a Y2D. Don´t find the Pickups harsh, cold and hard edged. Did you play with the pickup height? The Humbuckers, especially the Bridge, have a lot of power and are designed for Steve Morses preference of having all of his pickups VERY low. I have seen his guitars in person. The neck HB was at the height of the lower edge of the rosewood fretboard, the Bridge HB a bit higher. So I can imagine, they sound uncommon when setup higher.
Steve´s tech Tommy, here onboard, posted this one:
You may want to take a look at this thread: http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-b...149-steve-morse-ebmm-correct-pick-height.html
Hope it helps!
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tbonesullivan
Well-known member
Love my morse. I keep it at the factory action. always sounds great.
I guess the one question I have after reading all that, is whether those numbers are with guitar fretted at the 22nd fret, or with the strings open.
I guess the one question I have after reading all that, is whether those numbers are with guitar fretted at the 22nd fret, or with the strings open.
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Do you use the Demon with stock pots or did you change anything there? I have the same identical problem with the OP, I appreciate info on this, thanks.
Also not sure a Trembucker will fit in the pickguard, you use regular humbuckers? I think the original pup is F-spaced but that must be still smaller than a trembucker.
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vuduhwy
Well-known member
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HI! I used 500k pots while I was in there because I wanted that value and I also wanted to add coil split. I thought it sounded pretty good. I'm not sure a Trembucker would fit either. Things get pretty tight in the pickguard and in the cavity as well. Keep in mind too that depending on which pickup(s) you use you may have to trim down the mounting tabs to fit in the cavity of the Y2D. I really loved how the Demon tightened up the tone. That's very much subjective though.
I love doing mods and sniffing solder smoke so it was fun trying a few different pickups. I almost never leave one pickup in for good and I seldom get rid of any even if I remove them. Although I do have a spanking set of Y2D pickups that I was trying to sell. I love dimarzio too but these stock pickups are just wrong in that guitar for me.
