Ultimate guitar/pickup for Friedman Brown Eye

[chawonkey]

I know everyone has a different answer on this one but I'm just curious. What guitar/pickup do you like best with this amp? Wondering on lower output vs high, humbucker vs single coil pickups. Maybe it is perfect with everything! I'm asking cause I'm thinking about going with a motor city pickups 2nd degree black belt pickup set in my PRS custom 22. Thanks!

 

[AndyK]

I say medium to lower output pickups let the natural sound of the guitar come through when you crank the gain. The also clean up much better. Depends on the sound you want though.

 

[romanianreaper]

I'm using a Les Paul Standard with a Suhr Aldrich in the bridge and a Charvel San Dimas with a JB in the bridge and both sound killer. I think I like the sound of the Aldrich better between the two.

I honestly think anything would sound great thru a Friedman, especially with the Fat, Sat, and C45 switching options. I think a Fat switch would do wonders with a Strat.

 

[guitarmike]

I play old Kramers, the Sambora models have SD screaming trembuckers in the bridge and 59's in the middle. I use dimarzio evo's on the bridge of my Pacer and an old Charvel I have. They all sound great through my Friedman modded Marshall.

 

[fickle]

I use a Marsha with v30s and charvel/superstrat guitars.. Some pickups I didn't work so well with that combo.. But now Im using Kinman single coils which are great with that amp.. And for a bridge I use a Duncan JB and a custom custom.. Both sound great.

 

[ericsabbath]

I love the BK riff raff in my mccarty
had an afwayu and a 2nd degree black belt in my 73 les paul custom, but the BK cold sweat set sounded way better
I don't have a friedman, but I do have similar voiced amps

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

Well I use a 2nd Degree Black Belt in a les paul style gtr to voice the amps.

 

[jmgman69]

I played an Edwards with a Jerry Cantrel proto from Wade in the Marsha and it killed

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

With the 2nd degree play with the height a lot to find the sweet spot. The pickup might be lower then you think.

 

[chawonkey]

Will do... Is your pickup covered or open? Will it really make a difference?

I took the covers off of some pickups over the year and yes I think an uncovered pickup will give a slightly more open and clearer tone. Just my opinion. However I think motor city uses nickel/silver covers and are way more transparent than chrome, etc. On that note I just ordered a set of 2nd degree blackbelts uncovered black. Can't wait the regular blackbelts are my favorite pickups ever!

 

[LP Freak]

Will do... Is your pickup covered or open? Will it really make a difference?

I took the covers off of some pickups over the year and yes I think an uncovered pickup will give a slightly more open and clearer tone. Just my opinion. However I think motor city uses nickel/silver covers and are way more transparent than chrome, etc. On that note I just ordered a set of 2nd degree blackbelts uncovered black. Can't wait the regular blackbelts are my favorite pickups ever!

I think uncovered pup's sound better.

 

[romanianreaper]

I cranked my Friedman a little louder than usual tonight and found that the Suhr Aldrich in the Les Paul sounded better than the JB in the Charvel. Both sounded good but the Suhr/Les Paul combo just had that "oomph". I still plan on getting some different speakers (currently playing thru the Marshall 4x12 with the G12-T75s).

I'm just loving the Friedman!

 

[James Lugo]

We've used a ton of guitars with an array of pickups with the BE, they all sound good. For the more traditional Les Pual sounds the WCR Godwood is pretty hard to beat IMO. It has a perfect top end and drives the BE just right. For me I liked the Detrioter the best of the MCP camp. Unfortunately the pickup company WB is so whacked, cause their Fire sounds killer with the BE, best for the heavier rock stuff. I have a Rebel Yell in one of my Pauls and that sounds really good too. Honestly the BE mod sounds so good any pickup is gonna be good. The thing I would stay away from are super high output pups, stay on the lower to middle range and let the amp breathe as you drive it harder.

 

[se7en]

Will do... Is your pickup covered or open? Will it really make a difference?

I took the covers off of some pickups over the year and yes I think an uncovered pickup will give a slightly more open and clearer tone. Just my opinion. However I think motor city uses nickel/silver covers and are way more transparent than chrome, etc. On that note I just ordered a set of 2nd degree blackbelts uncovered black. Can't wait the regular blackbelts are my favorite pickups ever!

The 2nd Degree BB pickups are amazing. You'll love them.

 

[chawonkey]

I just got a set of second degree blackbelts and they are killer! However I also got a set of custom Detroiters with alnico 4 magnets those are my favorite pickups I have tried yet by anyone and I have tried many! Nice thick mids with a lot of chunk and clarity.

 

[romanianreaper]

We've used a ton of guitars with an array of pickups with the BE, they all sound good. For the more traditional Les Pual sounds the WCR Godwood is pretty hard to beat IMO. It has a perfect top end and drives the BE just right. For me I liked the Detrioter the best of the MCP camp. Unfortunately the pickup company WB is so whacked, cause their Fire sounds killer with the BE, best for the heavier rock stuff. I have a Rebel Yell in one of my Pauls and that sounds really good too. Honestly the BE mod sounds so good any pickup is gonna be good. The thing I would stay away from are super high output pups, stay on the lower to middle range and let the amp breathe as you drive it harder.

James, I dig the tones you guys get on the amp shootouts. Just a nice, tight, Les Paul grind.

 

[chawonkey]

So just to clarify I have the second degrees in a prs custom 22 and the alnico 4 detroiters in a mccarty and they are both a perfect match. The second degrees are super clear and have a nice open crunch where the detroiters seem to be a bit tighter and hit you in the gut harder with thicker, sweeter, warmer mids. Not sure how the detroiters with the alnico 5 compare though.