Motor City Pickups 2nd Degree Black Belt Can Do Hard Rock!

[romanianreaper]

I sound like a broken record but I absolutely love the 2nd Degree in the bridge of my LP! Just hot enough, balanced, clear. No spiky weirdness or hollow mids like some SDs sometimes give me.

Totally agree.
I have a slightly underwound 2nd Degree BB Set in my Edwards LP tuned to Drop C and it's the best that guitar has ever sounded.

And I've tried some very reputable bridge pickups in that thing including Duncan Distortions, various BKP's (Aftermath, Abraxas, Emerald, Black Dog & Miracle Man), a Suhr Aldrich and a few other models I can't remember.

These pickups just have something in there that lets you know it is not off an assembly line. There are certain frequencies and tones in there that just seem to separate it from a "stock" pickup. I love all types of pickups but this has a certain mojo that you can hear. I'd like to try an Afwayu but wonder if it would not be as versatile as this.

I also hear a certain mojo in Wade's creations that's missing from other pickups I've tried.
For what it's worth, the Afwayu bridge can be setup further away from the strings to sound a lot less compressed and more like Wade's lower output models.
But it doesn't fall apart or lose it's focus. It just gets tight and crunchy and still has loads of punch.
I didn't like the Afwayu much until I tried this. It was way too compressed and round-sounding for my tastes.

Your video was one of the ones that swayed me to buy the BBs!

 

[metalmaniac93]

Most of Wade's pickup's are awesome!!! The 2nd Degree BB, T-wrecks, Detroiters, and Angel Dust are killer!!! The Afwayu is also awesome in the right guitar particularly a bright guitar!!

 

[hammered]

I was playing my mahogany strat loaded with a 2nd degree bb thru my Friedman SB and I was in hard rock heaven. Totally nails that Warren D / George Lynch tone

 

[romanianreaper]

I was playing my mahogany strat loaded with a 2nd degree bb thru my Friedman SB and I was in hard rock heaven. Totally nails that Warren D / George Lynch tone

 

[HilltopExplosion]

From your clip it sounded like it nailed the Van Halen sound and Guns N Roses sound.

Oh yeah. I have a custom Van Halen "Kramer" with an EVH "Frankenstein" pickup and this thing sounds very similar when I have my VH preset going. I have never heard the Slash pickups in person but I imagine they would be like these. Has those mids and that good "clank" sound.

I can tell you guys, I've always been more of a lower mids guy but this pickup sounds so good that I'm utilizing the higher mids to my advantage.

These pickups just have something in there that lets you know it is not off an assembly line. There are certain frequencies and tones in there that just seem to separate it from a "stock" pickup. I love all types of pickups but this has a certain mojo that you can hear. I'd like to try an Afwayu but wonder if it would not be as versatile as this.

Hate to take you away from your jammin' But have to ask, I have a frankie pup, along with a wolfgang. The Frankenstein sounds great through my amps, and I'm going to replace some EMG ZAKK's in my guitar.. how much difference is there between the 2nd degree, and the EVH's.. I have a BE100, EVH 5153 100 watt, and a 6505+. From what I'm hearing these seem a little tighter on the bottom end, have a good clarity, but still have a mean growl. What cha' think between the 2?

 

[thefyn]

It's in my main guitar. Love them.

 

[romanianreaper]

From your clip it sounded like it nailed the Van Halen sound and Guns N Roses sound.

Oh yeah. I have a custom Van Halen "Kramer" with an EVH "Frankenstein" pickup and this thing sounds very similar when I have my VH preset going. I have never heard the Slash pickups in person but I imagine they would be like these. Has those mids and that good "clank" sound.

I can tell you guys, I've always been more of a lower mids guy but this pickup sounds so good that I'm utilizing the higher mids to my advantage.

These pickups just have something in there that lets you know it is not off an assembly line. There are certain frequencies and tones in there that just seem to separate it from a "stock" pickup. I love all types of pickups but this has a certain mojo that you can hear. I'd like to try an Afwayu but wonder if it would not be as versatile as this.

Hate to take you away from your jammin' But have to ask, I have a frankie pup, along with a wolfgang. The Frankenstein sounds great through my amps, and I'm going to replace some EMG ZAKK's in my guitar.. how much difference is there between the 2nd degree, and the EVH's.. I have a BE100, EVH 5153 100 watt, and a 6505+. From what I'm hearing these seem a little tighter on the bottom end, have a good clarity, but still have a mean growl. What cha' think between the 2?

No problem man! I'm thinking about doing a quick clip and just basically swapping guitars with the same amp settings to compare because I really can't tell. The Les Paul is obviously beefier so wonder how much influence that will have on the tone. I love my Frankenstein pickup as well so it would be an interesting comparison. I'll try to do something like that soon. I think it would be interesting to hear!

 

[HilltopExplosion]

From your clip it sounded like it nailed the Van Halen sound and Guns N Roses sound.

Oh yeah. I have a custom Van Halen "Kramer" with an EVH "Frankenstein" pickup and this thing sounds very similar when I have my VH preset going. I have never heard the Slash pickups in person but I imagine they would be like these. Has those mids and that good "clank" sound.

I can tell you guys, I've always been more of a lower mids guy but this pickup sounds so good that I'm utilizing the higher mids to my advantage.

These pickups just have something in there that lets you know it is not off an assembly line. There are certain frequencies and tones in there that just seem to separate it from a "stock" pickup. I love all types of pickups but this has a certain mojo that you can hear. I'd like to try an Afwayu but wonder if it would not be as versatile as this.

Hate to take you away from your jammin' But have to ask, I have a frankie pup, along with a wolfgang. The Frankenstein sounds great through my amps, and I'm going to replace some EMG ZAKK's in my guitar.. how much difference is there between the 2nd degree, and the EVH's.. I have a BE100, EVH 5153 100 watt, and a 6505+. From what I'm hearing these seem a little tighter on the bottom end, have a good clarity, but still have a mean growl. What cha' think between the 2?

No problem man! I'm thinking about doing a quick clip and just basically swapping guitars with the same amp settings to compare because I really can't tell. The Les Paul is obviously beefier so wonder how much influence that will have on the tone. I love my Frankenstein pickup as well so it would be an interesting comparison. I'll try to do something like that soon. I think it would be interesting to hear!

Yeah! That would be cool!

 

[romanianreaper]

It's in my main guitar. Love them.

Holy crap! That sounds great man! Lots of nice articulation there. Sounds great with that boost in there too!

 

[romanianreaper]

Yeah! That would be cool!

Here you go man!

So in the description you'll see that I did the riffs with Frankenstein, then BB. At the very end I did some noodling to see if folks can guess which pickup that is. Don't mind the playing. I have a thumb infection and can't press my right hand down like I usually do.

https://soundcloud.com/romanianreaper/e ... -degree-bb

 

[thefyn]

It's in my main guitar. Love them.

Holy crap! That sounds great man! Lots of nice articulation there. Sounds great with that boost in there too!

That is what is special about Motor City pickups: Articulation.

Keeps you honest too...Every mistake amplified, literally.