Different pickups for Silhoutte Specials

[Roubster]

Just thought I would share and discuss the different pickups I have put in the Silo Special and what others have thrown in theirs.
I just installed a DiMarzio Air Zone in the bridge, Cruiser Bridge in the Neck position and a Fast Track 1 in the Middle. I had the Fast Track in there already as I also had one in the neck. Honestly I thought I would like it much more since Vinnie Moore inspired me for that, but I guess I cant make it sound as good as he can.

Andy Timmons of course inspired me with his tone and especially his neck pickup tone. He DOES use the Cruiser Bridge pup for the Neck to balance it with the bridge pup. It sounds absolutely FANTASTIC!!!! Definitely has some great single coil tones with lots of clarity and sparkle but a little bit chunkier which I really like. The Fast Track 1 in the neck sounded too muddy for some reason...almost as if the tone knob was rolled off all the time. The FT1 sounds good in the middle position though for some reason.

The Air Zone is also absolutely wonderful. SOOOOOO much better than the stock humbucker (no offense to EBMM for choosing that one). It is much fatter and very clear and defined at the same time. This is not a high output pickup but hotter than the stock. I also did the Treble Bleed mod which does make a difference when you roll off the volume. Retains the high end and makes the volume knob more useful...at least to me. And this is all with 500K volume and tone pots and an Orange Drop .022 cap.

I HIGHLY recommend the Cruiser for the single coil position if you guys want to try something different...of course it is hum canceling too. Also the Air Zone is really nice for a fatter singing tone which is also nice and tight in the lower register...good for rhythm. Believe it or not, this guitar is even more versatile then when I got it with all the stock pups.

 

[John Price]

Since the cruiser is already hum canceling what happens with the silent circuit? Are you able to bypass the battery? I've been thinking of adding this pickup myself but wasn't sure about the silent circuit........ Does the cruiser still retain the single coil vibe or does it tighten it up like a humbucker?

Thanks for the info.
JP

 

[fogman]

Great info Rob.

 

[robelinda2]

I'm a fan of Timmons, but not his tone, ive tried a bunch of pups in my silo specials, but keep going back to the stock ones- they sound just great. I always lean towards a full clear clean tone so i'm not interested in metal type pups, ive tried Fralin, Kinman, Fender CS 69's, Lace Sensors, even the AL pups! Always go back to the stock pups and i'm happy again.

 

[Roubster]

Hey JP, I actually took out the silent circuit, so I dont have to worry about that hehe. I think it sounds great, and of course it is NOT exactly like a regular single coil. But I like it because it's different and has a little bit more power for distortion lead kinda stuff. But it is phenomenal on clean. Again, a bit different, but I like that. It is very versatile with a fatter sounding humbucker in the bridge like I put in there.

Everyone has preferences and different styles of playing and music, so I by no means disregard your preference to the stock pups Rob .
But I dont know how someone cant like his tone?
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CDklxuTS0E"]YouTube - Andy Timmons his Mesa Boogie Rig[/ame]

Oh, and I dont have a Lone Star and the cleans with the Cruiser are STILL amazing! I havent been able to put the guitar down...supposed to be studying physics all day hahaha.

 

[robelinda2]

Yeah I dont love his tone, its good though but doesnt WOW me, I like a twangier more biting neck pup, like on the AL for instance ( go AL!) , for low gains. Timmons goes for a warmer neck pup tone, not so trebly, but it can handle more gain, which doesnt suit my needs. Absolutely LOVE Andy's playing though, monster guitarist and my favourite player from the past 20 years without a doubt, his phrasing and note choice is just superb. Much like Morse and Lukather i'd rather play like them not sound like them. Would love to hear Luke jamming on an AL!

 

[paranoid70]

I am totally unfamiliar with Timmons, but I must say that I am very impressed with both his playing and his tone in that clip. Very nice indeed.

 

[whitestrat]

I HIGHLY recommend the Cruiser for the single coil position if you guys want to try something different...of course it is hum canceling too.

I'm about to embark on some thing different, yet similar. Pro Track neck, Cruiser Middle, Air Norton S bridge.

Will let you know how it turns out!

 

[whitestrat]

Does the cruiser still retain the single coil vibe or does it tighten it up like a humbucker?

Depending on the gain amount, it does both. On low gain, it retains very much a single coil character, but a wee bit fatter. On medium gain, it's still transparent and single-coil like. But thru a Metal Zone on full gain, its compressed, and tight... Then again, through a MT2, what isn't?

 

[wolf5150]

I too have Fast track in neck and cruiser bridge in the middle.

I tried the cruiser in the neck and it was simply too weak for me.

It's fantastic in the middle though and the fast track 1 is a revelation in the neck.

Mine has the AT1 in the bridge.

 

[candid_x]

Still loves a Breed hb and stock singles in me old rosewood board S Special. I've stopped chasing Strat tones on Silo Specials (use a Strat for that), but "blue" is evolutionary and creatively inspiring. It can cover 4x the ground (with the ballsy Breed) than a Strat. Makes it the perfect grab-n-go guitar for me.

But a'course each to their own.

 

[whitestrat]

Still loves a Breed hb and stock singles in me old rosewood board S Special. I've stopped chasing Strat tones on Silo Specials (use a Strat for that), but "blue" is evolutionary and creatively inspiring. It can cover 4x the ground (with the ballsy Breed) than a Strat. Makes it the perfect grab-n-go guitar for me.

What're you running with your Breed? 250k? or 500k?

 

[whitestrat]

The Air Zone is also absolutely wonderful.

i've been hearing a lot about the air zone... it seems to be a pretty awesome pickup... i might have to check one out soon!

 

[candid_x]

What're you running with your Breed? 250k? or 500k?

Stock, 250k.

 

[whitestrat]

oh? It's not too dark? too warm?

 

[candid_x]

Nope, not to my ears. I usually roll off volume a little too, which warms it more. Plenty of brightness on tap still. Position 2, same way, plenty of spark and spank.

 

[Roubster]

I'm about to embark on some thing different, yet similar. Pro Track neck, Cruiser Middle, Air Norton S bridge.

Will let you know how it turns out!

That sounds interesting, but the Pro Track will probably be overpowering the Air Norton a bit since it has very similar output and its gonna be in the neck position. I'm guessing you want a much fatter tone from the neck pup?

I am also digging these side by side singles, because you can do bunch of different wiring things with them. You can split them as well say in position 4, you can have 1 blade from the neck and one from the middle or have both neck and middle combined. I was going to have a push pull pot to do few of these functions, but I got pissed off since my sodering iron and gun were not working properly and I gave up on trying to do detailed wiring (beej, thanks for the help, but I just went the simple route hehe ).
Either way, I mainly use the neck and bridge positions anyway.

 

[whitestrat]

That sounds interesting, but the Pro Track will probably be overpowering the Air Norton a bit since it has very similar output and its gonna be in the neck position. I'm guessing you want a much fatter tone from the neck pup?

The protrack is similar in hotness, but that's not stopped me from using the Fender CS69 sets in the past where all 3 single coils are the same output! Hahaha...

I think the protrack would be interesting mainly because it's a single coiled size PAF pickup. I want a PAF tone... not necessarily fat, but PAF-like. The norton is mainly there because I don't want too hot a bridge either...

This guitar should sound a bit like a Les Paul with strat-like quack for the in-betweens. DiMarzio recommended this combo, and says it's one of the best for their singles sets for something "different".

Nope, not to my ears. I usually roll off volume a little too, which warms it more. Plenty of brightness on tap still. Position 2, same way, plenty of spark and spank.

Oh? That's interesting... i've gor to go try the Breed one day with 250k pots... I never liked it with 500k... it was quite compressed.

 

[John Price]

Has anybody tried the AT-1? If so, how does it compare to the stock bridge pickup?

 

[wolf5150]

I've got the AT-1. I love it.

hot, sweet, sounds lovely split.