pickup booster for switching from LP to strat?

[jasondunringill]

I recently posted asking for pickup recommendations for my mim strat, have opted for the tonerider pure vintage set which is winging it's way as I type.
My next question is regarding the drop in output there will be, the strats stock pickups are really hot for single coils. I switch from LP to strat a lot during gigs and have managed to do so without significant drop in volume (a wee tweak up with the gain is all that's needed, sometimes don't even do that) but if these new pups are as I expect then the difference to be more noticeable and am looking for advice on the best way to compensate. It's not a huge deal to adjust the amp settings ( playing through a dual terror, occasionally switching to the fat channel but mostly on the TT channel) but was wondering about something like a Seymour duncan pickup booster? I have a cheap but effective joyo boost pedal on the board for solo's but it's after the overdrive pedals, didn't like it at the front of the chain.
Any suggestions?

[Spaceboy1]

If you don't utilize both channels during your set, I would set up the fat channel with the humbucker equipped guitar, and the TT channel for the strat. Or the other way around, but that would be my preference. Just flip channels when switching guitars.

You're not going to be able to boost much volume with a pedal and a Dual Terror, but a pedal can increase the perceived "heat" of the guitar. Which makes me wonder why you want to change the pickups at all if you're going to use a pedal to get more output. Anyways, I've experimented with a handful of pedals with my teles and so far the best has been the Xotic EP Booster for increasing heat and adding a little bit of low-end that suits single coils. I have tried a handful of overdrives and boosts basically trying to get a humbucker-ish sound from single coils, and so far the EP came closest. I haven't tried the Duncan Pickup Booster but I've heard good things.

[jasondunringill]

If you don't utilize both channels during your set, I would set up the fat channel with the humbucker equipped guitar, and the TT channel for the strat. Or the other way around, but that would be my preference. Just flip channels when switching guitars.

You're not going to be able to boost much volume with a pedal and a Dual Terror, but a pedal can increase the perceived "heat" of the guitar. Which makes me wonder why you want to change the pickups at all if you're going to use a pedal to get more output. Anyways, I've experimented with a handful of pedals with my teles and so far the best has been the Xotic EP Booster for increasing heat and adding a little bit of low-end that suits single coils. I have tried a handful of overdrives and boosts basically trying to get a humbucker-ish sound from single coils, and so far the EP came closest. I haven't tried the Duncan Pickup Booster but I've heard good things.

Not looking for more heat, just wanting the levels matching when swapping guitars. Changing the pups for a more vintage stratty tone and using the les paul for the more rockin tunes, certainly not looking to hide or change the quality of the strat tone with a pedal. If it's not possible to get a nice clean boost for the DT with a pedal I may well just do as you suggest and set up the fat channel for the LP and keep the TT channel for the strat or just roll up the volume a bit when swapping to the strat!

[Spaceboy1]

Yeah, that would be the best option. Setup the strat channel with a touch more volume, and you're good to go. If you put a clean boost up front it's only going to drive the preamp harder resulting in more distortion. If you set the amp incredibly clean you could be able to bump the volume with a boost but that usually works better in the effects loop, which of course the DT doesn't have. It sounds like you've got the solution right there in your dual channel amp. Good luck!

[Ronnie Robinson]

Although Ive never used one thats exactly what the Seymour Dunn pickup booster is made for

[jasondunringill]

Although Ive never used one thats exactly what the Seymour Dunn pickup booster is made for

That's kinda what I thought but as said above, it may colour the sound too much with the DT. Be interested to hear if anyone's tried the Seymour Duncan booster for this purpose with a terror amp. I live in the outer Hebrides so trying one out at the store is not an option!

[philhed]

is use an 7band-eq-pedal with a master volume in the first position of my pedalboard to lower the output of the humbucker equipped sheraton when i switch from the strat. i also like to cut the lows und boost the highs a bit.

[fiveightandten]

Although Ive never used one thats exactly what the Seymour Dunn pickup booster is made for

That's kinda what I thought but as said above, it may colour the sound too much with the DT. Be interested to hear if anyone's tried the Seymour Duncan booster for this purpose with a terror amp. I live in the outer Hebrides so trying one out at the store is not an option!

I haven't used mine with a DT, but I use it with my AD-30, OR-120, Hiwatt DR504, Vox AC-30, and a boat load of other amps i've owned or played through. I hate pedals...absolutely hate them. Believe me when I say, the Duncan Pickup booster adds absolutely zero coloration. It's completely transparent. That's the whole purpose of it. This is literally the only pedal I use. I own a Boss TR-2, but that rarely gets hooked up these days. I even took my Ernie ball volume pedal out of the loop, as I can hear that dull the sound down a bit. The Pickup booster has zero coloration.

Get the older model that starts with a 3dB increase. The newer ones bottom out at 6dB IIRC. The circuitry is otherwise the same, so you have nothing but benefit to being able to use a more subtle amount of boost if you want. When you hook up a SD Pickup booster is *has* to be the 1st thing in your signal chain. That means before the tuner, and before anything else. It makes a huge difference if not hooked up properly. Guitar > cable > Pickup booster. That's how it's designed to work.

That being said, there's (IMO) a better solution to this issue. Back the pickups off in the LP. Personally, I keep mine more or less even with the pickup surround. The guitar sounds better that way. You have less magnetic pull on the strings, so they resonate and sustain better, and the sound is less harsh and more open. It's more of a raw, pure sound though, and will feel a bit more exposed.

Anyways, with the pickups backed off, the output will more or less match that of your Strat. You will still have 2 guitars with completely different frequency responses though, so they're going to sound different through the same amp at the same settings. There's no way to get around that, and I wouldn't think you'd want to. If that was the case, you wouldn't have two different guitars.

-Nick

[Hubaxe]

If you are happy with the sound of your guitars, and don't want to lower/raise pickup to balance the volume, go the easy way and put whether a EQ pedal, or a boost like MXR Microamp, that will do that very well.

[a.hun]

If you are happy with the sound of your guitars, and don't want to lower/raise pickup to balance the volume, go the easy way and put whether a EQ pedal, or a boost like MXR Microamp, that will do that very well.

+1. The MXR Microamp is just a very clean uncoloured boost. A rotary pot for boost level and on / off switch - you don't really need more. Or if you do than an EQ will give you both tonal and level tweaking. You may prefer to slightly re-EQ one or other guitar for given amp channel settings, but otherwise the Microamp is perfect for the job IMO.


Andy.

[Hubaxe]

If you are happy with the sound of your guitars, and don't want to lower/raise pickup to balance the volume, go the easy way and put whether a EQ pedal, or a boost like MXR Microamp, that will do that very well.

+1. The MXR Microamp is just a very clean uncoloured boost. A rotary pot for boost level and on / off switch - you don't really need more. Or if you do than an EQ will give you both tonal and level tweaking. You may prefer to slightly re-EQ one or other guitar for given amp channel settings, but otherwise the Microamp is perfect for the job IMO.


Andy.

Had a boss GE7, and since some monthes switched to the MXR microamp. Sounds way better, transparent yes, but it enhance the whole spectrum in a musical way when on. I love this unit. really efficient and one button is far enough for people like me.

[jasondunringill]

Thanks guys, all good advice. May shop around for a second hand SD pickup booster or if I happen to spot a micro amp for a good price may give it a go (though just read in Guitarist this week that the micro amp is hard wire bypassed, the most tone sucking type when not engaged)
Don't think I want to mess too much with the hight of the 'buckers on my LP although seem to recall seeing some research that showed that a lower pickup = less output but more sustain?
For the moment I'll just change the way I use the fat channel on the DT and have it set up for the LP rather than as a dirty channel which I rarely use, tend to just hit the overdrive pedal on the TT channel.
First thing is to see how the strat sounds with the new pickups which arrived today, soldering iron heating up

[fiveightandten]

Thanks guys, all good advice. May shop around for a second hand SD pickup booster or if I happen to spot a micro amp for a good price may give it a go (though just read in Guitarist this week that the micro amp is hard wire bypassed, the most tone sucking type when not engaged)
Don't think I want to mess too much with the hight of the 'buckers on my LP although seem to recall seeing some research that showed that a lower pickup = less output but more sustain?
For the moment I'll just change the way I use the fat channel on the DT and have it set up for the LP rather than as a dirty channel which I rarely use, tend to just hit the overdrive pedal on the TT channel.
First thing is to see how the strat sounds with the new pickups which arrived today, soldering iron heating up

I got my pickup booster for $35 on eBay. It's totally worth buying one in your situation. Like I said, get the 3dB model if you can.

And yes, lowering the pickups gives you more sustain and more resonance, but less output. Just turn the gain up if you need more breakup. The sound is also less compressed with the pickups lower. For me, doing this has all pros and no cons. Unless you need all the gain you can get, I think you'd welcome the change.

Good luck.


-Nick

[a.hun]

Thanks guys, all good advice. May shop around for a second hand SD pickup booster or if I happen to spot a micro amp for a good price may give it a go (though just read in Guitarist this week that the micro amp is hard wire bypassed, the most tone sucking type when not engaged)
Don't think I want to mess too much with the hight of the 'buckers on my LP although seem to recall seeing some research that showed that a lower pickup = less output but more sustain?
For the moment I'll just change the way I use the fat channel on the DT and have it set up for the LP rather than as a dirty channel which I rarely use, tend to just hit the overdrive pedal on the TT channel.
First thing is to see how the strat sounds with the new pickups which arrived today, soldering iron heating up

Yes the MXR is hard wire bypassed, but if you have a buffered pedal somewhere before it that shouldn't be an issue. People can get too hung up on 'true bypass', though usually they go the other way thinking it always means 'better'!

Yeah, Nick and I agree on a lot of things but I'd not be adjusting pickup heights just to match levels between guitars. My own feeling is that there is a perfect height / balance for each guitar / pickup / string combination which is pretty much independent of what amplification you choose. See the post from corky newman here:
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=17878" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Andy.

[fiveightandten]

Yeah, Nick and I agree on a lot of things but I'd not be adjusting pickup heights just to match levels between guitars. My own feeling is that there is a perfect height / balance for each guitar / pickup / string combination which is pretty much independent of what amplification you choose. See the post from corky newman here:
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=17878" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Andy.

Hey Andy. How have you been?

Note that i'm not suggesting he match the output by adjusting pickup height. I'm suggesting that Gibsons sound better with the pickups lower than the factory spec. As a consequence of lowering them (which i'd recommend to pretty much anyone with a Gibson who isn't a gain freak), his problem will be lessened, or possibly solved.

-Nick