AL MM90 in Cherryburst

[batflash]

Hey everybody! I figure it's about time I post a pic or two of my Albert Lee MM90. I did a little tweaking with her. I swapped the 500k tone pot to a 250k to darken her up a bit. And then I popped a P90 sized humbucker in the bridge position to add a little more versatility. I've got to say, I love the tones I get when in positions 1, 3, and 5, but the 2 and 4 leaves a little to be desired. It darkens up quite a bit in the 2 and 4 in comparison to the other positions. So you kind of lose the guitar in a dense mix. Any suggestions are welcome.

Anyway, she's a sweet beast and I wouldn't trade her. She's the most comfortable of my axes and I love the way she looks. Enough yapping on my part; here are the shots:

 

[DrKev]

Beautiful! And the flame on that neck is very special indeed!

 

[Coffeemug]

Drop dead gorgeous! Love the flamed neck, too...you don't get to see that everyday.
BTW, great pics...I usually have a hard time telling cherry burst and honeyburst apart in pictures.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

That is a gorgeous guitar. When you put in the bridge humbucker, did you change the switch to split the coils in the 2 position? Not sure if the switch is different in the 3x single compared so something like a silo spec, which has the superswitch.

I have an Axis Supersport with the MM90's but only in 2 positions and it's the most versitile guitar. It's my go-to when I don't know what I'm going to need for tones.

 

[batflash]

Thanks guys! Jack, it's a 5 way switch. Standard wiring up until positions 4 and 5. 4 splits the 'bucker and runs in parallel with the middle pickup, and 5 is the humbucker full on.

If anyone wants to know, I popped in a GFS pup in the bridge. It's a great addition, but I will say that it sounds waaaay different than the rest of the pups. It's very mid-rangy, a little hotter, and actually has a lower output when split and combined with the middle pup in position 4 than the mid and neck in position 2.

I'm interested in trying a Tone Zone P90. I definitely do want a 'bucker sound. Mostly for overdiven sounds, but I also want a smoother transition between pups and want 2 and 4 to complement the other positions.

Ahh, the quest for tone, eh? Gotta love it! Thanks for looking guys and thanks for all of the nice compliments.

-Bats

 

[BartB]

That neck lookes gorgeous!! Very nice guitar!!

 

[mtrejo]

Oh Hell Yeah!

 

[batflash]

 

[browndog]

Nice wood! Looks great.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Loving that Al and the neck is sublime.

IMO on my Als - I think positions 2 a 4 are the best - followed closely by the 3rd position.

 

[batflash]

Spud,

Thanks! I feel like I haven't seen too many of those cherries around. Funny thing about the neck is I wish it were one of those all rosewood necks. That's what sold me on the ALs. But again, this neck is the most comfortable neck I have ever played.

As for the switching, I just feel like my 2 and 4 are dark. They're not as chimey or spanky as the 1 and 3 and don't really have that Strat tonality to em despite the middle coil being RWRP. Almost like the two pups are putting a load on each other. I'll have to record a couple of samples for you guys one of these days so you can tell me what you think.

Any thought on why the output of the 4th position is considerably lower than the 2nd? Think it just could be because that tiny little 'bucker coil is underweighted(in comparison to the larger fat 90's) which would cause the lower output when split and coupled with the mid pup?

By the way, I don't want to come off as an unsatisfied corksniffer. I am waaaay satisfied with my AL. I feel like a great neck and beautiful body are the transport for the right pickup. I found the perfect neck and body in my AL, now I'm just looking for a particular type of voicing from the pickups. I love the neck and middle pups. I've never been so happy with a middle pup before. With the addition of the right kind bridge humbucker, I'll have a guitar that can take the place of a couple of my others without hesitation.

Spud, by the way, I love the birdseye on your AL! Birdeyes maple is so fricken beautiful.

 

[batflash]

Also... I love this vibrato system. Mmm MMM!

 

[batflash]

Drop dead gorgeous! Love the flamed neck, too...you don't get to see that everyday.
BTW, great pics...I usually have a hard time telling cherry burst and honeyburst apart in pictures.

Coffee, I usually do a little post processing of my pics to get that cherry to shine a little. I feel like sometimes my images snap off a little too "cool" or blue for my taste, so I just gently warm up the image which usually highlights the reds and yellows a little better. Hope that helps.

-Bats

 

[davetcan]

Damn that's a fine looking guitar. How did you find the 500k pot affected tone? Did it make it too dark or just in 2 and 4 ??

I'll say it again, I love the look of that

 

[batflash]

Thanks Dave. The original 500k actually made it brighter. Think of it like the higher resistance from ground = less highs that are bled off to ground. The 250k just lessens the resistance and darkens up the sound a bit. It worked out nicely. It's still fairly bright, but tameable now. Before I could knock by the treble on my amp and still cut through!

I've gotta say the Alpha pot I put in there doesn't feel at smooth as the CTS pots EB puts in their guitars.

Also, the guitar's always been comparably darker in the 2 and 4.

 

[davetcan]

Sorry my brain was thinking one thing but I typed the opposite, LOL. I really do know the difference, just wanted to get your perception of the impact on the AL. Appreciate the feedback, thanks. I find the bridge a "bit" on the harsh side so this may just do the trick. Cheap experiment either way, I've got lots of pots laying around.

Thanks Dave. The original 500k actually made it brighter. Think of it like the higher resistance from ground = less highs that are bled off to ground. The 250k just lessens the resistance and darkens up the sound a bit. It worked out nicely. It's still fairly bright, but tameable now. Before I could knock by the treble on my amp and still cut through!

I've gotta say the Alpha pot I put in there doesn't feel at smooth as the CTS pots EB puts in their guitars.

Also, the guitar's always been comparably darker in the 2 and 4.

 

[batflash]

No prob, Dave. Like I was saying before, I think it'll help out quite a bit. Again, I was drawing my treble back on my Egnater Tweaker all the way back and still thought it was kinda bright. It tamed the overall harshness of the guitar. Like you said, cheap and easy way to change things up a bit. That was why it was the first thing I did on mine.

Let me know how it works out.

-Bats

 

[Jorge ven]

The neck.. Wooooo.. Stunning

 

[fbecir]

Wow !
Just stunning ... thanks for the pics !

 

[Spudmurphy]

Batflash - thanks for the kind comments. The AL is my go to guitar and it seems that it has also cast it's spell on you.

The colour you have was on the list of colour options I wanted for my first one - eventually I settled on the Black Cherry burst.

I'm no expert on electronics and won't be able to offer much to this thread. Beej is an expert on this kinda thing and ol FSmith is a bit of a pickup twiddler. There's planty of other guys on here who will be able to chime in.

Fwiw I have a good friend in the UK who makes some of the best pickups around - to any configuration you want.
He has an awesome reputation and goes under the name of Shed Pickups here in the UK.

My next gig is next week and I'll be taking the trusty BCB and Vintage Sunburst Als with me - roll on next Saturday!!!