ToneNerd Roxy & Psykes

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MxLx

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I’ve been checking out both the Roxy & Psykes in my Les Paul Custom, and wow, these things rip! It’s a tough choice on which one to leave in there, I wish I could have them both :) Everyone out there who’s using either one, where did you end up setting their heights? And what neck pickups are you running them with? The 490R that I have in there now doesn’t feel like it matches up too well.
 
MxLx said:
I’ve been checking out both the Roxy & Psykes in my Les Paul Custom, and wow, these things rip! It’s a tough choice on which one to leave in there, I wish I could have them both :) Everyone out there who’s using either one, where did you end up setting their heights? And what neck pickups are you running them with? The 490R that I have in there now doesn’t feel like it matches up too well.
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My suggestion would be amp.dependent. For an already high gain modern amp, the Roxy will keep it nice and tight and cutting. The Psykes I think can be over the top in a modern high gain amp unless you back off the gain. The Pyskes excels in pushing an that could use it. It will work great up to SLO level but I'll let others chime in on how it works with higher gain than that.


I recommend starting at 1/8 of an inch from the top of the plastic bobbin and the bottom of the strings. Do not fret the string. Measure naturally. Start with the bass and treble side the same distance and adjust to ear.
 
Thanks Scott, I think that’s right about where I’ve been with them. I recently picked up a MOAB, it really doesn’t need the extra push :) I’ve had the Roxy in there for a good while now, and I’m loving it. I just keep wondering if the grass is greener…
 
I’d get the pickups up fairly close and then experiment from there, going back down..you’ll find the perfect spot quickly.
 
I just went and checked, I have them a bit higher than 1/8”. Will experiment further!
 
MxLx said:
I just went and checked, I have them a bit higher than 1/8”. Will experiment further!
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When I played the Psykes through the MOAB, I had the diodes turned almost all the way off for a more raw sound. Like Scott said, the Psykes really comes into it's own when pushing a crunchy amp that's not dialed in for super hi gain. Currently, it's my fav pup going into a Friedman Phil X. The Roxy, well it just rox. Doesn't matter what it's going into. Same with the Whiskey and Wicked 8. Ugh.

FWIW, I use these Suhr setup #s as a starting point on all my guitars:


"SUHR ACTION SPEC-

•NECK RELIEF: while pressing on the D & G strings on the 1st and 17th fret, the relief should measure .005” (0.127mm) at the 7th fret. A capo can be used on the 1st fret.
•ACTION: Open strings should measure: 4/64” (1.587mm) at the last fret
•Gotoh 510 Bridge Plate: Approximately 3/64” (1.190mm) above body

-SUHR PUP HEIGHT-

• ALL SINGLE COILS: LOW E 8/64” (3.175mm) HIGH E 6/64” (2.381mm)
• NECK HUMBUCKER: LOW E 7/64” (2.778mm) HIGH E 6/64” (1.587mm)
• BRIDGE HUMBUCKER: LOW E 6/64” (2.381mm) HIGH E 5/64” (1.984mm)
• S90’S: LOW E 8/64” (2.778mm) HIGH E 6/64” (2.381mm)
*(Make sure strings are depressed at the last fret when measuring)

IMPORTANT: Please measure and set specs in the playing position."
 
The Roxy was the first pickup I was going to put into my Les Paul and then was going to get a Sunset Strip but Scott sold me on getting a Whiskey and was a great decision! I know I would have dug any of the Tonenerd pickups.
 
I even back down the gain a tad when using the Psykes into a Superlead. It’s in my LPC because I felt like a black LPC should have lots of muscle a la Sykes. And my CSB Standard has hot PAFs because that’s how I think of ‘bursts a la Greeny and Page’s bursts.

To me it sounds like you need another guitar so you can have both. :rawk:

EDIT: I always start at 3mm from the bobbin and go from there. Bridge gets adjusted first then the neck is mostly set to balance that. Both Lesters have Pat No pickups originally in the ‘80 LPC. They’re both 7k6 and sound killer.
 
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I’ve got two Roxy’s in Super Strat style guitars . I can’t give you exact measurements, but one of them is fairly close to the strings. The other is in a direct mount so it’s a bit further away from the strings and I just adjusted the pole pieces to taste . Both sound killer thru my Splawns and SLO pedal thru a Blackstar Amp 1. I was jamming on the guitar with the direct mount earlier today, boosting it with a Buxom Boost and it sounded glorious
 
The Roxy or sunset is gonna be in my want list for my R8 Les paul... I can't stand the current pickup on the stock (burstbucker) bridge being too loose on its bass response needed a pickup that can be tight either feel and sound...

I don't know if the roxy pairs up well on the Burst bucker neck or I do need a 59s kinda pup but less boomy less bass with same sweet thick tones
 
Some fresh of the farm Psykes riffage. The Psykes takes some dialing in of the amp, but its such a fun pickup
 
Some of you are wimps...backing off the gain, c'mon ya'll :no: lol.

In all seriousness though my gain on my amp is where it always is with my Psykes or any of my guitars and pups, if I want it to clean up a bit just roll back the guitar volume, which I've always done anyway.

As for pup height , visually all mine look the same. High enough but not where it "strings" out...how's that for measurements.

As @SpiderWars said, buy another guitar for the other pup.
 
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LPMojoGL said:
When I played the Psykes through the MOAB, I had the diodes turned almost all the way off for a more raw sound.
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SpiderWars said:
It’s in my LPC because I felt like a black LPC should have lots of muscle
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After a bunch of back & forth, this is exactly where I settled. I love the bounce on the Psykes, and decided to keep it in there once I figured out to dial out the diodes. I’m absolutely loving the raw grind with that combo.

Thanks for the replies, everyone.
 
MxLx said:
Sounds awesome! “Fun” seems a weird word to describe a pickup, but it’s true ?
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I say that because it's far from the most versatile pickup, but it does what it does like no other.
 
Hey Scott, would I be able to use the Gibson pickup covers with one of your pickups?
 
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