AT1 Pickup - Thick Pick up

[Doughboy]

I have a chambered warmoth strat with a mahogany top & neck that sounds REALLY thin & high endy. I have no idea how mahogany can sound this way, but it does, even after switching pickups.

I need something to thicken up the tone & cut the high end, so I was thinking of the Dimarzio AT1, which is the Andy Timmons model.

Has anyone tried this pickup or can recommend something to help with my problem?

Something with a fat thick thight bottom end, overall dark sound but with clarity.

 

[Cagey]

Maybe it's your amp or effects chain. Does anything else sound right through it? Or, have you tried playing your Strat through something traditionally grungy, like a Marshall JCM series (pick any one) w/ a 412 bottom?

That DiMarzio AT1 pickup sounds good on the site clips, but it's not you playing, not your guitar and not your amp, so I'm not sure what that's worth.

 

[Doughboy]

Maybe it's your amp or effects chain. Does anything else sound right through it? Or, have you tried playing your Strat through something traditionally grungy, like a Marshall JCM series (pick any one) w/ a 412 bottom?

That DiMarzio AT1 pickup sounds good on the site clips, but it's not you playing, not your guitar and not your amp, so I'm not sure what that's worth.

Every other guitar sounds find through what I'm using, so it's definitely the guitar. It lacks bass & has a ton of high end, which is surprising for an all mahogany guitar. I changed the pickups on it as well & that problem is still there so it wasn't the pickups.

 

[Cagey]

What kind of pickups have you had in it before, and how is it wired?

 

[Doughboy]

I had Dimarzio Ari Classics, then 36th Anniv PAF, then Mr Browny PUs which are PAFs with Alnico 2s & all my guitars have the SD Triple Shot system which allow you to go series/parallel/split.

When an alder strat with a maple neck & PAFs has less high end than a mahogany guitar, something needs to be done. For some reason, this guitar has a ton of highend. To make it sound better, I have to run it trough an EQ & totally cut the 16k & 8k frequencies.

 

[Cagey]

That's pretty unusual. I would tend to blame the wiring, but without hearing/seeing it I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

[dNA]

Does it sound thin or bright acoustically or is it really just when it's plugged in?

 

[Doughboy]

I think I will switch fromm 500k pots to 250k pots to try to cut the high end out, as that's what Allan Holdsworth does to his humbukers to get a smoother less trebly tone. If that doesn't work, I'll have to try to find a thick dark PU & I think the AT1 may fit the bill. Hopefully the pot switching will take care of the high end twang.

 

[Strat Avenger]

What kind of bridge?

 

[Doughboy]

What kind of bridge?

It's this guitar

 

[Strat Avenger]

It's either the Floyd, or you have a wiring problem. I just replaced my Screamin' Demon with a Tone Zone on one of my original Floyd equipped guitars because it just didn't have enough low-end (alder body/maple neck).

 

[Doughboy]

It's either the Floyd, or you gave a wiring problem. I just replaced my Scremin' Demon with a Tone Zone pn one of my original Floyd equipped guitars because it just didn't have enough low-end (alder body/maple neck).

Most of my guitars have floyds & none sound this thin, even the ones made of alder or ash & I checked the wiring many times & it's always been fine.

I'm going to go with 250k pots & see what happens. if it's still thin, I'll try the AT1s.

 

[pabloman]

Flip the pickup around. Put the poles further away from the bridge. :dontknow:

 

[Strat Avenger]

It's either the Floyd, or you gave a wiring problem. I just replaced my Scremin' Demon with a Tone Zone pn one of my original Floyd equipped guitars because it just didn't have enough low-end (alder body/maple neck).

Most of my guitars have floyds & none sound this thin, even the ones made of alder or ash & I checked the wiring many times & it's always been fine.

I'm going to go with 250k pots & see what happens. if it's still thin, I'll try the AT1s.

Something's definitely not right. A 250k pot will reduce some of the high-end, but won't add any low-end.

By the way, that's a gorgeous guitar.

 

[pabloman]

Just send that piece of junk to me. You aren't happy with it. It doesn't need to be laying aound taking up space. Nip it in the bud. I will even pay for shipping. :icon_jokercolor:

Seriously that's a beautiful guitar. :headbang1:

 

[Doughboy]

It has bottom end, but it's really loose & the top end is thin. Wierd combo.

I love they way it looks so I'm trying hard to find out what PU will make it sound good.

I think the Air Norton or the AT1 may do it... I hope.

 

[vjm]

I just built a chamb mahogany strat w/maple top...mahogany neck w/rosewood..installed AT1 in bridge and Air Norton S in the neck. It sound great. Full sounding highs with tight low end. Give it a try.

 

[Doughboy]

I just built a chamb mahogany strat w/maple top...mahogany neck w/rosewood..installed AT1 in bridge and Air Norton S in the neck. It sound great. Full sounding highs with tight low end. Give it a try.

Whoo Hoooo!!! Thanks for the info. I'm going to go for it.  :icon_thumright:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Sounds to me like a phasing problem in the wiring.

 

[Doughboy]

Sounds to me like a phasing problem in the wiring.

I assure you kind sir, that I checked the wiring MANY times, even going so far as to by pass everything & wire it directly by passing everything & the problem persist.

The bottom end is there, but very flabby & the high end is too twangy, almost like a tele. This week I will change all the pots to 250ks & see what happens. if it's still not warm & thick enough, I will have to look into an alternate bridge humbucker.