n00b Luke pickup question!

[Junior]

Thanks for opening.

I'll try to make it short.

I need a humbucker in the bridge position. Pretty much any standard kind is OK. That's what I'm sure about. Now, as for neck pickups, I'd like something that sounds like a single coil, but is not as noisy with distortion and not much weaker than a regular bridge humbucker (output).

The reason is, I play rhythm on bridge pickups and I always play lead parts on neck pickups. I just love the sustain and fluid sound of a neck pickup for leads. As you can imagine, if I'm playing a heavy song, with a distorted rhythm part, and I need a lead sound, it wouldn't be too cool if my lead sound on a neck pickup was weaker.

Now there is probably a few solutions. One is to have a HSS pickup combination and stop playing lead parts on the neck pickup. This I'd hate to do. Another is to have two humbuckers with splitting, but as far as I know, a splitted humbucker can't sound like an actual single coil. I guess another solution is to have all single coils, but I doubt I can get such a beefy drive sound of a bridge single coil. I don't liek bridge single coils.

Basically, what I'm after is a neck pickup that will sound like a single coil, but with less noise and such an output that can match a regular humbucker. I play a variety of styles, (as well as sounds, clean, crunch, overdrive, higain, etc.) so I need something that can give me a few more sounds. A clean and crunch with the characteristics of a neck single coil, a rhythm drive of a bridge humbucker and a lead drive of a neck pickup.

I've heard that EMG's do great single coils with a bit more meat to them, so I'm interested if the pickups on the Luke have about the same output power or are the single coils a bit weaker.

I plan on getting a EBMM in late 2007 or early 2008, so I'm gathering as much info as I can.

Luke owners, help me! Also, you can share your way of getting your desired sounds.

Thanks.

 

[Junior]

You can also comment the same thing for a HSS Silo special.

 

[Rage]

... well I'm sure you tried to keep it short!
Active PUs are less noisey. Most quality guitars are well balanced from an output point of view (Between PUs). Play a few and you'll find what you like. I'm sure other people here will have much more useful things to say

 

[beej]

Junior-

The output from your p'ups is going to determine how much the signal distorts, since it comes from your amp or pedal. So if you want a hot signal from your neck p'up on par with your bridge, then it's going to distort the same way.

One big difference between HBs and singles is the frequencies they pass. HBs tend to give you a lot of mids, singles more highs and lows. So even at the same output level, you'll get a much different sound from a single.

Personally, I'd just try to pick a balanced set that I liked the sound of and use my volume control to adjust the levels. Maybe get a pedal to boost solos when using the neck p'up.

As far as pickups, there are a zillion and everybody's got a fave. The HSS in the Silo Special rocks, try it and see if you like the sound. The Luke's setup is also great, though I've found the actives to be a lot noiser in my enviorment than passive pickups (with EMGs you like 'em or you don't).

And, of course, you can't go wrong with any EBMM

 

[dwells]

hey
i own 2 lukes and a axis ss and i can do anything with a luke from full on metal to pop/jazz and they never let me down in tonal quilaty and volume ive also played lead guitar for about 15 yrs and the Luke is everything that i could need in a guitar < which is why i have 2 !
all the other ebmm are just as versitile its what eva you like