What pickups for Charvel San Dimas are best?

  • Thread starter Thread starter guitup too
  • Start date Start date
G

guitup too

Well-known member
So I started with the JB/59 combo and that sounded good. Now I have a PV Wolfgang pickup in the bridge which sounds good also. I think I prefer it to the JB in the bridge. Just wondering what pickups ya'll have tried and loved in the Charvels. I don't play metal, usually looking for
early VH to AIC tones in terms of heaviness and gain. I definitely like clarity with my gain if that makes any sense and the ability to roll back the volume to clean the sound up.
 
Talk to wade at Motor City Pickups. My other guitarist just put an underwound Afwayu in his. It will nail the AIC tone.
 
what are the differences between underwound afwayu's and regular afwayus?
 
Can you describe the Dimarzio 36th sound to me? Are you talking about the 36th that is interchangeable between neck and bridge position or the hotter bridge model?
I would also like to know the difference between an Afwayu and underwound Afwayu. My only reservation about the Afwayu is I have read they can be overly bassy.
 
I believe the underwound version is what was supposed to be the Jerry Cantrell sig. I had both in LP type guitars and really didn't jive with the underwound version. However it sounds pretty good in the Charvel especially for AIC stuff.
 
I am with you on this one too Dave for metal the old Distortions are hard to beat. Easily my favorite pickup. I have one in my Carvin V and it is my main axe. The only guitar I gig with. The underwound Afwayu does nail the AIC tone in the Charvel tho..
 
Chris O":1vq2eafg said:
The ones they came with.
Click to expand...

Yeah, like I said I think the JB/59 combo sounds good. Just wondering about some other options that RTer's have tried and liked.
 
if you're all about clarity in your gain, and aren't focused primarily on metal tones, the Holydiver from Bareknuckle would be one to check out IMO. They almost sound like a lower output pup because of the clarity and headroom, but you can really change the sound with your pick attack and how you dig in. It adds a bit of girth in the low mids, rolls off some topend, and brings out a serious snarl in the mids. They clean up great with the volume control, and take really well to coil tapping. The bridge can breathe fire with a high gain amp, and the neck pup has a real vocal quality to the sound. It's become one of my favorite pups for the alder/maple wood combo.
 
I recently put a Duncan Distortion in my So-Cal that sounds pretty good.

I want to try a Duncan Custom though. Any comments on the Custom in a Charvel?
 
I've had the following bridge pups in my charvel's-

Seymour duncan's: JB, Blackout 3, Invader, EVH (custom shop), Custom 8 ( a custom custom w/ an A8 magnet)
Dimarzio: TZ, Super Distortion, Super 3, PAF Pro
Motor City: Nuke
Suhr: Aldrich

As far as Duncan's and charvel's go, My favorites are the Blackout 3 and the custom 8. the C8 has crazy output, especially if you play hard and has nice note definition and it sounds good in single coil mode. The AHB-3 Blackout is a great pu and can cut really hard and is really responsive to pick attack. However if you're playing AC/DC and VH stuff, I'd look at a Custom Custom TB-11.

Dimarzio's...The TZ is my favorite PU. I can play everything on it from rhythm to leads and everything sounds superb! The super 3 isn't bad either and might work for the non-metal vibe.

I didn't like the nukes at all. Also, I'd check out the Aldrich by suhr. It wasn't my cup of tea, but some folks love em'.
 
veji":29qib8no said:
what are the differences between underwound afwayu's and regular afwayus?
Click to expand...


I know my guitar is not a Charvel, I just put a set of underwound Afwayu's in my Carvin Bolt T+ (Alder Body/Maple neck) and they smoke. One of my favorite pickups so far and I have tried many. Wade suggested I get a slightly underwound set based on my like's/rig since I did not want too much bass because I play mostly through high gain amps and the underwind reduces some bass/mids from the standard Afwayu while being a little more open/clear sounding while still retaining the massive low end!!! These pickups can be simply described as mean and massive!! Will they get you the VH sound? Well probably not, but they will get you the AIC sound for sure!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top