Time for another pickup swap on my Axis. thoughts?

[Chaka5150]

Why don't u get a set of Axis PUs?

If some were readily available I would. At the same time I don't mind trying something else

 

[jones4tone]

So I think I may go with Dimarzio AT-1 for the bridge and 36th Anniversary for the neck. I may end up getting the Thornbuckers at some point for my Epiphone LP

Did you complete this swap? Impressions of the new pickups?

 

[Chaka5150]

I did. At first it took my ears time to adjust, coming from the Suhr Aldrich pups. they were a real beast (in a good way). so much more compressed. After fiddling around with pickup height and pole piece adjustments I am now loving theses new pickups. The 36th anniversary neck PU is beautiful. such clarity and balance. I can see why this is a fav for neck PU. The AT-1 sounds a hell of a lot like the original dimarzio originals in the axis to my ears and memory. I got exactly what I was after: just more clarity and note definition between strings and also well balanced. Pull of cleans as well as dirty with no problems. They are quite versatile and well suited for my styles. Very happy with the combination here. I also just ordered dimarzio transitions to put in my epiphone.

 

[jones4tone]

Great - thanks for the update!

 

[pfrischmann]

Probably too late but a Bill lawrence pickup like the L-500 might be something to try if you need more clarity in the bridge. You can't use the normal parameters to measure if this will work for you, ohm's etc don't really work as a predictor for how this pickup will sound. It has exceptional clarity on chords and great bass but doesn't get harsh on the B and E string when you play single notes. You see it most often with Nuno and Dime bag Darrel.

Nuno is about the heaviest I ever get. I found the pickup surprisingly versatile. FWIW.

 

[By-Tor]

Hi, guys! I'm a newcomer. Hope this thread ain't dead yet.
I got '04 EBMM Axis Super Sport. Would like to change the neck pickup - to me it's a bit bassy and mid-rangey. It sounds great actually - very warm, balanced. But I prefer more blues/classic rock sound. More transparent. I'm not a shredder guy - more into 70's classic/prog-rock area or 80's new-wave (but again, no shredding, haha). Clapton, Gilmour, Alex Lifeson, Steve Hackett, Andy Summers, Robert Fripp are my favourites.

I just wonder if 36 anniv PAF in the neck will work fine with a stock bridge pickup (it's close to Tone Zone, right?). And are there any issues/problems in changing pickups on Axis?

Cheers.
Dennis.

 

[wesman11483]

They aren't so easy to find, but the PRS Dragon II pickups are a pretty great vintage hot type of sound. Lots of clarity.

I second this. Or a Dimarzio Super Distortion. I have one in the bridge on my Axis with an MM90 in the neck, and it is incredible versatile. I also get good breakup with the Dimarzio without needing to go balls deep with the fuzz/distortion/gain on my amp.

 

[vuduhwy]

I love the original pickups in the Axis which I believe are the same as in the Al HH.
For something similar to the original pickups but with a little more detail (I realize you don't have the originals and are looking for more detail compared to what you have now but....) I also agree with the PRS Dragon II option.
However, another pickup I really love that sounds very sweet, kind of a slightly hotter P.A.F - type pickup, is the Seymour Duncan Screamin' Demon. It's also very touch sensitive (as is the Dragon II) and can get some great output but also cleans up nicely with a lighter touch.

Probably the same can be said for many pickups but these 2 are ones I have experience with and have compared directly to the original pickups in my Al HH.

I have to +1 the Duncan Screamin Demon. I have it in my main Morse and I love it because it's like a PAF with a bit of octane. It stays tight sounding even with a lot of gain. Individual notes seem more clear too. There's also an added bonus The coil split sounds really great with hardly any volume drop.
I avoided this pickup for years (don't know why) I tried it finally when I found a used one cheap. I really like it a lot. Note clarity is a big deal for me too. I don't have great technique and a lot of gain can get sloppy sounding fast for me. I can really hear my notes better.

 

[By-Tor]

up

 

[i_rock69]

I will add to this, so thanks for everyone who posted. How will I adjust the Pick up height since on the Axis they are screwed into the body and way way further from the strings then any other humbuckers I have ever used. Had it for 10 years and just cant stand the bridge pickup. Love the neck though
Thanks

 

[kimonostereo]

Not sure how others have done it, but I've used packing foam on the back of the pickup and longer screws. Works well enough for me. If you want a more complicated solution, you can get small screw retainers and put those in the body and then thread screws through the pickup and into the retainers to "float" the pickup.

 

[beej]

Ditto. I've used foam underneath as well.