AL Question

[scmavl]

This should be easy for you AL owners, but as there are none around here to check out, I must ask.

Are the AL pickups active? I saw an AL on ebay (without piezo) and it had a battery compartment. If so, can you get it with passive pickups? Passive & piezo?

Lastly, how is the neck on the AL? Small like the Silo, wider like the JP?

Thanks guys!

-Jarrod

 

[kneeoh]

The pups aren't active. The battery powers the silent circuit which, as the name suggests, eliminates the hum associated with single coil pups. You can get an AL with piezo (mine has one). The neck is closer to the profile of a Silo than a JP.

 

[jamminjim]

The pickups on an Albert Lee are not active. The battery is for the silent circuit which helps reduce or eliminate inductive noise from single coil pickups.

The neck is more like a Silo in width but it is maybe slightly thicker in profile. Theres a thread by Spudmurphy that shows the profile of the Al neck and other MM guitar profiles.
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-guitars/34737-i-want-knuckleheads-volunteer-neck-profile-project.html

Note for subsequent readers: I edited out my comment about "chunkier" after I reviewed the said link above.
OK Spud - you're right it's not really chunky. I used the words "chunkier than" meaning thicker, beefier than a silo. But, I digress, it's been along time since I have had a Silo in the house. In my experience it seems my Al's neck feels like it is a touch thicker than my Sub 1's at the nut end; but it could be all in my head.............. (Lord knows if it is it has alot of strange company)

 

[Headstock]

Just thought i'd mention as well here that if you dont want to use the silent circuit you can remove the battery. I personally love it - it works well.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Seems your questions have been well answered.

The neck profile of the AL (as you can see from the profile thread) is a C shape ?
It's not a chunky neck at all. The profile of the JP is much shallower like a ( shape- I like both profiles.

 

[Sweat]

As Spud said your questions were answered quickly, the AL neck is perfect fits ones hand like a glove, and wheter its the SSS or the MM-90's pickups are fantastic.

I so miss playing mine right now I cant hardly stand it.

 

[scmavl]

Thanks so much for the (complete & helpful) answers guys!

This community is much nicer than many other guitar forums (unlike "OMG, use the Search Duma$$!" etc...), it's nice to be around other "grown-ups".

I'm Ball-less until the JP6 I bought (here on the forum) last week gets here. Here is the only Ball I've owned, an Axis Sport, but I changed the pickups to vintage-style DiMarzios which just didn't do it for me so it was sold. I've been jonesing for another ever since...

 

[Spudmurphy]

^
I know exactly what you mean about the forum.

I just got myself a JP6 - needs some work doing to it - but with a little TLC should turn out nice.

Lovin' that red Axis - I'm a sucker for solid colours.