VH4, Guitar and Pickup questions....

[Sigma.Xiria]

So, for a little back info, my main guitar is a little ESP LTD Viper that I received from my girlfriend as a birthday present ( mahogany body with set maple neck. Rosewood fret board and upgraded bridge and tuners) that guitar originally had some EMG actives, but I swapped out for some passives. I went with, cause I love the sound, a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a Jazz model in the neck. Now, after some time with the JB pickup, I noticed that it is not very clear on the gain channels... the guitar is tuned down to drop C# (C#G#c#f#a#d#) with a set of 11 to 52 gauge strings (D'Addario). So, please excuse my lack of musical theory haha, but when I play some chords on the lower strings through channel 3 (capital C# representing the 6th string and lower case c# represents the 4th string) like:

c#---7--- ---7--- -------
G#---8--- and ---10-- and ---3---
C#---7--- ---7--- ---2---

they just aren't clear at all and sound like a mess. It is weird though cause on the recording ( those chords are from a song I am covering by the Band Dir en grey ) you can hear those chords very clearly. Even live. So they aren't edited to sound better in the studio haha. Their guitarist uses the VH4 as well... I also know that, for a while, he was using the JB in the bridge as well...

I don't know what it is, but I know it is not my VH4 haha and I know that the update Jen's will be doing to her will help with stuff like that, but swear I think it has to be the pickups.

I love Seymour Duncans, but maybe the JB doesn't quite agree with my VH4 or something is wrong with it... like not set up correctly or bad wire... I don't know haha.. or maybe it could be that it is a higher output pickup?

Anyway.. enough of my rambling.. what do you guy's think? Should I wait till I get my update from Jen's and see how the JB sounds after that or do you think the JB doesn't agree with my guitar? What bridge pickup would you suggest? (Limited funds, keep in mind haha) suggest whatever you think I should know... I love to expand my knowledge haha.

Sorry for any spelling and grammatical errors....

 

[Sigma.Xiria]

Shit. Let me fix those chords for you....

c#---7---
G#---8---
C#---7---

And

c#---7---
G#---10-
C#---7---

And

c#--------
G#---3---
C#---2---

They are strumed, but I wouldn't know how to type out that pattern haha...

 

[Sigma.Xiria]

Additional note: this is concerning channel 3 for the chords.

 

[i.ak]

I hated my LP with JB for each and every tone I was looking from the amp. The Jazz in neck was decent. Changed them and no mush anymore.

P.S. I tune this guitar to drop-C

 

[angelspade]

I guess, I don't know how to respond to this. In my opinion the Duncan JB is a great match for the VH4 and I have had no clarity issues...Even when tuning down using the JB. Adam Jones uses a Duncan JB in the bridge position with chan. 3 of the VH4 with (I think we can all agree) OUTSTANDING tonal results...I think something wrong is going on here. Just my opinion.

 

[RaulTx]

Sigma, maybe it could be useful if you post the settings you are using on Ch.3 and Master/Deep/Presence.

 

[Sigma.Xiria]

Sigma, maybe it could be useful if you post the settings you are using on Ch.3 and Master/Deep/Presence.

The stettings are currently changing a lot, but here is a picture that is pretty close.

Master is around 10 to 11

Presence and deep are usually noon, but deep is usually backed off a little (10) and presence can sometimes be pushed to about 1 or so.

Playing in my bedroom currently cause I feel that my regular practice space is too cold this season.

 

[i.ak]

I guess, I don't know how to respond to this. In my opinion the Duncan JB is a great match for the VH4 and I have had no clarity issues...Even when tuning down using the JB. Adam Jones uses a Duncan JB in the bridge position with chan. 3 of the VH4 with (I think we can all agree) OUTSTANDING tonal results...I think something wrong is going on here. Just my opinion.

I don't know, but I even remade the wiring in that particular guitar. The problem can be a combination of various things (picking technique, dialed tone, cabs, volume, bad taste, etc.). But immediately I changed those pickups the situation improved significantly.

 

[racerevlon]

EQ looks fairly flat but channel volume looks REALLY low...

 

[Ventura]

Low output pups with the VH4, that's all I can say. I'll read this more when time avails.

Mo

 

[shadow070]

i would use a lower master volume and a higher channel volume, but than again thats just me, but def. worth trying

 

[Sigma.Xiria]

Ok! So just an update I spent about 30 minutes to an hour setting up the JB pickup ( adjustingg pickup height and pole height ) and now it sounds wayyyyyyy freaking better, but still it could sound a little more clear... however I think that has to do with mabye how my amp settings are set up... according to racerevlon's post (up there ^), my EQ seems pretty flat? I don't know, but suggestions please

 

[angelspade]

Ok! So just an update I spent about 30 minutes to an hour setting up the JB pickup ( adjustingg pickup height and pole height ) and now it sounds wayyyyyyy freaking better, but still it could sound a little more clear... however I think that has to do with mabye how my amp settings are set up... according to racerevlon's post (up there ^), my EQ seems pretty flat? I don't know, but suggestions please

Obviously keep playing with the EQ and master/channel volume...But in my experience the Duncan JB is a good match with the VH4.

 

[luxxtone]

Low output pups with the VH4, that's all I can say. I'll read this more when time avails.

Mo

This....

Something like a Motor City 2nd Degree Blackbelt would just be HUGE in a VH4.