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danyeo

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Feb 27, 2007
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Just picked up a used Silo Special. I like these guitars mostly because of the necks. Tonewise I'm not too excited about it. I'm mainly talking about the bridge humbucker as i don't mind the single coils. For hard rock and heavier tones i feel the tone is a little weak from the bridge bucker. I'm comparing it to an old Kramer with an Anderson H2 bridge pickup and the Silo sound very thin in comparison.

I do like those Anderson pickups, but has anyone here swapped out their bridge pickup? With what? And how do you like it compared to stock? Thanks.
 

Gundar

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Mar 11, 2008
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Hi danyeo and welcome to the forum! I switched my Silhouette Special from a sss configuration to a hss and put a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge. If you check out Dimarzio's site they have a pick up finder to help you choose what pick up might be best for you. I play mostly anything on the heavier side of rock up to metal and the pick up suits my style very well. My JP6 has the D-Sonic pick up and I wanted a pick up that would provide a similar tonal range while retaining the look of the vintage style humbucker. I would say that it sounds pretty close and and I do not have to do any tweaking to my amp to when I change guitars. Dimarzio has a great exchange policy if you are unhappy with any pick up you purchase from a authorized dealer. Hope this helps and put up some pics as soon as you can.
 

candid_x

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I've been wondering if it's possible to milk "real" humbucker tones from 250k pots, which is what the Silo Special uses. I've also (shockingly) become disenchanted with the HSS arrangement, and am thinking of converting my second one to SSS.
 

Gundar

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I also changed my pots to 500k and it did brighten the sound of the guitar. 250k pots make the sound a tad bit warmer.

Hey candid-x, go with a push/pull pot(no mod needed) and get the best of both worlds.
 

candid_x

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Thanks, Gundar.

Actually, my thinking is leaning more toward an SSS for single coils and an HH for buckers, which translates to getting a 20th, lol.
 

wired

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I put a Dimarzio Norton in my SS awhile back. I spoke w/ a rep at Dimarzio & he suggested the Norton because it works well w/ the 250k pots. I've been happy with it. It's not high output (more in the medium range), but it definitely has more output then the OE pup, which I think is a Virtual PAF.
 

danyeo

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Feb 27, 2007
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Thanks for the replies. I lurk here often and in the classifieds but haven't posted much. I did look at some old threads and the Norton or the Tone Zone seem like popular choices. I may change to 500k pots with a TZ.

But i have to say, i tweaked my Silo last night and tweaked my Mesa Boogie Mark III for the guitar and it was sounding very good. I switched strings from 9's to 9.5s, and raised the action just a tad. Although i wouldn't mind just a tad more mids and output from the humbucker. I like the neck pickup good enough. If i want a more humbucking type of lead tone i stepped on a boost pedal and used the tone knob to roll off a little treble, it seems to thicken the tone up just a little.

I have owned Andersons, Suhr's, Jacksons, Gibson, PRS, Fender, Ibanez, and i just love these Silos necks. I must say out of all the high end guitars i owned i do like Anderson the most. Every Anderson i owned or played sounded soo damm good. For neck shapes the Reb Beach profile on the Suhrs is nice. But for the money the Ernie Balls are tough to beat. Damm, i just LOVE these necks. I don't have big hands so maybe that's why i gravitate towards them.
 

Sub1 Zero

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I've been wondering if it's possible to milk "real" humbucker tones from 250k pots, which is what the Silo Special uses. I've also (shockingly) become disenchanted with the HSS arrangement, and am thinking of converting my second one to SSS.

Can you elaborate some? I'm on the tone hunt at the moment :rolleyes:
 

candid_x

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Can you elaborate some? I'm on the tone hunt at the moment :rolleyes:

Ain't we all always?! :)

I was just thinking of compromises in a HSS, and have really been enjoying my maple SSS lately. So I've toyed with changing my other one to SSS too, just hold onto the HSS in case.

But change just one thing in the signal path and all bets are off, and suddenly the HSS comes into its own. For example, the SSS/maple kicks through modded TS and a Em. red white and blues speaker. Very lively/outgoing/extroverted feel and sound. The HSS/rosewood sounds best straight to amp and through an Em. Wizard. The feel and sound is deep and blue.
 

candid_x

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I'm going to leave that to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. It's just my observation that HB guitars seem typically loaded with 500k, and single coil guitars with 250k pots. The push/pull is one option, but not one which interests me.
 

Ripper

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Oct 6, 2006
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I'm going to leave that to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. It's just my observation that HB guitars seem typically loaded with 500k, and single coil guitars with 250k pots. The push/pull is one option, but not one which interests me.

I may be able contribute here. My Y2D is equiped with high output Dimarzio Steve Morse set (400 - 450mv) yet the pots used are 250k ones. Confusion at first but reading from stewmac allows me to understand more on matching pup and pots:

Free information, Which control pot to choose at Stewart-MacDonald

It really boils down to what type of pup you are using and the tone you desire (warm/bright).

Hope this helps!:D
 

psy501

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Sep 7, 2007
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vienna, austria, europe
..hi..
..just for contribution...maybe it helps..
..i loaded an exchange pickguard for my silo with a sd invader in the bridge, a sd full shred in the neck and a dm hs2 in the middle..
..i installed a five way selector br/br-m/m/m-n/n and also installed three toggle switches to be able to decide on any given pickup in any given setting of the five way switch to split coils or not..
..i had to change the pots to 500k pots because both the neck and the bridge hb were way too muddy with the 250k pots..(whereas both pickups are more on the dark high output metal side)..
..i now have a variety of sounds (but the pickups are not so much in balance as the factory preinstalled ones are with each other) from heaviest metal to a real fine fine quack, the twang is a bit missing..
..but the guitar is definitely a bit brighter as it was with the 250k pots..
..from my point of view experimenting with pickups is made really easy with the silo as you got the interchangeable pickguards with the molex connector..
 

Sub1 Zero

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Wow, I'm enlightened. Who would have thought, my pots might be the key to getting the sound I'm after. I'm guessing the SUB1 has 500k pots then?
 

RocketRalf

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Dec 10, 2007
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Sydney
I'm perfectly happy with the tone of my guitar with its controls dimed, but I'd like more control over the highs when adjusting the volume pot. That link Ripper gave may help me if I ever decide to tinker inside to do something about it, thanks there!
 

robelinda2

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Nov 10, 2005
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Diamond Creek, VIC, Australia- at Rancho Alberto
I've been wondering if it's possible to milk "real" humbucker tones from 250k pots, which is what the Silo Special uses. I've also (shockingly) become disenchanted with the HSS arrangement, and am thinking of converting my second one to SSS.

right on brother. who needs HSS. glad youve finally taken a liking a liking to the Silo Special SSS! The tone is different to HSS, better!
 

candid_x

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Jun 26, 2006
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Discussion on the treble bleed mod. treble bleed volume pot mod question - The Gear Page

Rob, the traditionalist in me appears to be winning out with the SSS. But I think part of that is the gear I'm presently using, which seems to have a big preference for the more raw edge of a maple board and SSS arrangement. For going straight to amp and through the Wizard speaker, the rosewood HSS still sounds like fine red wine: moody, bluesy, introspective. But the maple SSS through the modded Maxon and rwb speaker, that's got me dancing! and at 62, that's sayin' something, brother!

In fact, going to give these guys a plug cuz I like their Maxon so much. I chose Maxon over Ib because the Max already has true-bypass. It is not an aggressive crunch pedal, at all, but also not at all like the new TS's, nor like the Ib 808 reissue. This is creamy-all-day-while-clean-or-dirty tone. westchestermusic2_svs.gif
 
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RocketRalf

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Dec 10, 2007
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Have you considered a treble bleed mod?

Guitar Volume Control Mod - Treble Bleed Cap

So, if I do the treble bleed mod, will it change my guitar's tone with volume on 10 or only when I reduce the volume? Can I make it with a push-pull controller so the treble bleed optional (like on the Ibanez Satriani signatures)? In any case I'm not sure I want a screwdriver too close to my guitar yet :p only allen wrenches for me.

Sorry for hijacking the thread
 
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