D-Activator/Pegasus/Other for JS22-7 (Bridge)

[TidusX]

Hi folks!

So I'm thinking of upgrading my cheap JS22-7 a bit, since apparently the stock pickups are a bit microphonic and I can't control them very well.

I have to say the pickup choice is appaling in its diversity! I'm thinking only the bridge pickup, but also accept suggestions for neck:

- D-Activator 7;
- Pegasus 7;

I will be buying used if possible.

The tone I'm looking for is more towards prog metal, and above all I want a tight low end and lots of clarity.

Bear in mind that the guitar has a Poplar body and maple neck, so I don't know how that would influence the pickup choice... from what I understand, my guitar is towards the bright side.

Thank you, cheers!

 

[Exchanger]

tight low end and lots of clarity.

For me, that's exactly what the D-Activator does (I have it in my RG8). I guess it might be too bright for some's taste, but I personally love it.
When recording, I noticed it had a bit less output than other humbuckers, but I think it's because it has less windings > less coil impedence > higher frequency peak before the HF cut. And it's a cermaic magnet. All in all a less "muddy" pick-up, but still has enough bass and mids to roar.

 

[TidusX]

For me, that's exactly what the D-Activator does (I have it in my RG8). I guess it might be too bright for some's taste, but I personally love it.
When recording, I noticed it had a bit less output than other humbuckers, but I think it's because it has less windings > less coil impedence > higher frequency peak before the HF cut. And it's a cermaic magnet. All in all a less "muddy" pick-up, but still has enough bass and mids to roar.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, in my head the D-Activator would sound a bit too bright on my guitar, but I guess it could be tamed with amp eq (and post-eq, since this is only for recording at home).

 

[Exchanger]

The brightness of the guitar could have to do with the scale length. The RG8 I use it in is 27", it seems the JS22-7 has a 26,5" scale length so pretty close. Maybe using lighter string gauge > less tension could balance that a bit. Either using a light-heavy set or a light set of 6 + a heavy 7th or pick them individually. But yeah some proper EQ should work just fine.

 

[TidusX]

The brightness of the guitar could have to do with the scale length. The RG8 I use it in is 27", it seems the JS22-7 has a 26,5" scale length so pretty close. Maybe using lighter string gauge > less tension could balance that a bit. Either using a light-heavy set or a light set of 6 + a heavy 7th or pick them individually. But yeah some proper EQ should work just fine.

Good advice, thanks! I already play on 9-46 + 66, so that should be good.
BTW, what do you use as your neck pickup?

 

[Exchanger]

Yup, 9-46 is usually the light-heavy set.
For the neck I also have the D-Activator, I basically got the set of Neck + Bridge pickups.
Like the bridge one it's on the bright side, so you won't hear that warm full tone you'd get from say, a LiquiFire, but it's still quite nice for singing leads.
I'm usually not too picky when it comes to neck pick-ups. To me, the nice sounds (actually the absence of higher order harmonics) come more from the position towards the strings.

 

[Drew]

The Pegasus is very bright (in a prescense more than treble sort of way, if that makes sense), dry, and articulate - I actually didn't like it very much since in the bridge I tend to like a lot of upper-midrange harmonic haze and a less clinical, open top end, but for what you're doing you might love it. Sort of a singlecoil-y vibe, for a humbucker. I loved the Sentient in the neck, however, for exactly the reasons I didn't like the Pegasus in the bridge.

I did a comparison of the Sentient/Pegasus set in an alder bodied seven, compared to an Air Norton/Zone Zone and Jazz/Wolfetone rewound JB whicgh might help a little. At present I'm using a Sentient neck and Custom bridge, which is anpther pickup with a look here - very tight, punchy low end, but with a top end I get on with a lot better, that works surprisingly well for soloing as well as riffing.

 

[Exchanger]

I made some quick demo tracks. One file is going through my Zoom G5 with my practice presets (Bridge then Neck then Neck parallel), the other file is DI input in case you want to re-amp it.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JopWD56KLOUx6pb2Jg3_kfXr6kShB595

 

[TidusX]

I made some quick demo tracks. One file is going through my Zoom G5 with my practice presets (Bridge then Neck then Neck parallel), the other file is DI input in case you want to re-amp it.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JopWD56KLOUx6pb2Jg3_kfXr6kShB595

Woo, nice man, thank you very much!

The bridge sounds especially tight, which is what I wanted in the first place.

Yesterday I bought a second-hand bridge D-Activator, should be here by the end of the week. Stoked!