What are you using in your Flying V's?

Fiesta Red said:
I have a Gibson V I love but can't seem to find the right pickup for. I didn't like the stock BB 3 (it's the current Antique model). I tried a Suhr SSV which was too dark and woof, and currently have a Gibson 60s Bucker with is okay. I don't play the heavier stuff like most of you -- rock, blues, harder rock. I could put a 500T which I don't think is versatile enough. Perhaps the same with a Duncan Distortion. I'd like to go from Schenker to Scorpions to early Metallica with it.

What are you using in your V?
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Taste differs from one guitarist to another .
I had the Classic EMG 81 / 85 combo, but it was too compressed for my tastes.
So I switched to Schaller Actives , much better for me .
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Speeddemon said:
Mine has a Super Distortion Bridge and a Breed neck.

The SD could be improved upon, but the Breed neck is pure bliss and a match made in heaven. The right amount of beef, push, clarity and character.
Volume pots are push-pull for coil-splits.
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Today I took out the Super Distortion, since I had a different Super D put in my Charvel So-Cal, which in turn freed up an F-spaced Norton.
I put the Norton in my Flying V...

So far,
the good:
-awesome harmonics (as expected)
-nice 70's/80's crunchy kerrang
-good character
-splits a lot better than the Super D, since it has noticably more output when split. The Super D becomes really thin and wimpy then.

the less good:
-it's quite tight and lean on the low-end. I wish it had a more beefy low-end. The Super D was a tad better here.
-it could do with a slight thicker, smoother high-end as well. But maybe I'm hoping for the impossible; a thick, Les Paul tone from a Flying V...

Before y'all start recommending BKP, Lollars, Suhr, etc. I want to stick to DiMarzio for this guitar.
Maybe an AT-1 would work, although I wonder if I'll miss those awesome harmonics that the Norton gives me.
And I don't expect the ToneZone to do it for me, since I took it out of the Charvel because of the slightly flubby/wooly lows. I like a big, but tight low-end. Like the Duncan Custom 5, but that one is too polite I think.
 
Speeddemon said:
Today I took out the Super Distortion, since I had a different Super D put in my Charvel So-Cal, which in turn freed up an F-spaced Norton.
I put the Norton in my Flying V...

So far,
the good:
-awesome harmonics (as expected)
-nice 70's/80's crunchy kerrang
-good character
-splits a lot better than the Super D, since it has noticably more output when split. The Super D becomes really thin and wimpy then.

the less good:
-it's quite tight and lean on the low-end. I wish it had a more beefy low-end. The Super D was a tad better here.
-it could do with a slight thicker, smoother high-end as well. But maybe I'm hoping for the impossible; a thick, Les Paul tone from a Flying V...

Before y'all start recommending BKP, Lollars, Suhr, etc. I want to stick to DiMarzio for this guitar.
Maybe an AT-1 would work, although I wonder if I'll miss those awesome harmonics that the Norton gives me.
And I don't expect the ToneZone to do it for me, since I took it out of the Charvel because of the slightly flubby/wooly lows. I like a big, but tight low-end. Like the Duncan Custom 5, but that one is too polite I think.
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I think the Tone Zone would be a good choice, actually. Yeah, they can be tubby, but a V is naturally less mass, and less boomy sounding than a Charvel. I have an ash body Ibanez Prestige with one, and it's nice and beefy/tight. Had one in a Basswood Ibanez, not so good. I'd try it for shits and grins. It's a lot like the JB - magic in some, shit in others.
 
skoora said:
Air Norton or Norton maybe? Aren’t they what Page Hamilton uses?
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Uhm...ya might wanna read my post again 🤣. There *is* a Norton currently in there.

@napalmdeath you might be onto something. With the ToneZone I would at least have the harmonics still there... Although I fear I may want more output too. I have the Norton raised quite high @ 3mm (1/8") from the strings to get the desired output, also given that the Breed neck is quite loud.
 
Speeddemon said:
Uhm...ya might wanna read my post again 🤣. There *is* a Norton currently in there.

@napalmdeath you might be onto something. With the ToneZone I would at least have the harmonics still there... Although I fear I may want more output too. I have the Norton raised quite high @ 3mm (1/8") from the strings to get the desired output, also given that the Breed neck is quite loud.
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I wasn’t replying to you 😎
 
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