I want to boost my neck pickup humbucker when guitar soloing. How?

[dirtybluesplayer]

What can you guys suggest to increase the clarity and get the defined sound of a bluesy neck pickup from low gain to high gain sustain? My neck pickup always sounds wobble and muddy, but of course i always tweak the treble and presence, but not always to max em out both. Note: all my humbucker guitars are having the same problem. Do i need a treble booster? Or an ordinary boost? So, which is which?

[lolwat]

Try raising the polepieces of your humbuckers if they are adjustable. I've noticed a considerable effect on clarity playing with these, and the trick seems to work with even the cheaper pickups you get with budget guitars.

[dirtybluesplayer]

Try raising the polepieces of your humbuckers if they are adjustable. I've noticed a considerable effect on clarity playing with these, and the trick seems to work with even the cheaper pickups you get with budget guitars.

abit effective and my dynamics change, but what the bad thing when i did this is, it rattles and buzzes. I totally dig my clean tone on the neck pickup with clean setting, but when i engage the dirt, it was totally ngo-ngo. Nagsawa lang talaga ako sa bridge pickup kaya gusto ko na i perfect pag timpla ng neck pickup dirt sound. Can`t do a good sustaining guitar solo in the neck pickup of a humbucker, but when i`m with my strat, i have no problem with all the pickup positions, opposite nga lang ng sa humbucker na masyado dark pag sa neck position.

[lolwat]

Switch them out for new ones? Issues like these often signal the need for a pickup change. I suggest you look for bright sounding pickups since that seems to be your thing. Duncans are lauded by a lot of people for a distinct clarity that is supposedly absent in other manufacturers' models.

[dirtybluesplayer]

Switch them out for new ones? Issues like these often signal the need for a pickup change. I suggest you look for bright sounding pickups since that seems to be your thing. Duncans are lauded by a lot of people for a distinct clarity that is supposedly absent in other manufacturers' models.

already planned about replacing my neck pickup, but i'm scared that my clean sound that i dig will not be my likes anymore. Have to try many things too like treble booster, booster, etc

[lolwat]

Do you have effects pedals, in particular an EQ? A treble boost can be simulated by increasing the sliders above around 3-4kHz. For a stronger effect, reduce the lower frequency levels as well.

[thkh]

That's the nature of HB equipped guitars. I don't even like that sound of my neck pickup (single coil) cause it gets too muddy and have trouble cutting through the mix.

[dirtybluesplayer]

Do you have effects pedals, in particular an EQ? A treble boost can be simulated by increasing the sliders above around 3-4kHz. For a stronger effect, reduce the lower frequency levels as well.

only od's and multistomp(zoom ms50g), but i rarely use em, cause i like how my amp produce the dirt and gritty sound. I tried the equalizer on my multi but it gives me like a fake/plastic sound treble, maybe because it's a digital? Haven't tried an analog eq stomp ever.

[dirtybluesplayer]

That's the nature of HB equipped guitars. I don't even like that sound of my neck pickup (single coil) cause it gets too muddy and have trouble cutting through the mix.

the only problem with the single coil neck pickup is because it sounds midless, but they tend to tweak easier than humbucker IMO. Is there something about wax potted and non wax potted related in terms of brightness on Humbucker?

[Van*]

Less bass + OD.

[fizz450_03]

have you tried running a compressor sir ts? 

[Ralph_Petrucci]

less bass, increase highs, lesser gain as well. try adjusting on your amp to see if that works. if it does, get a standalone EQ pedal.

[markv]

Most neck humbucker pickups are muddy, i suggest try a Duncan SH-2 Jazz or Suhr SSV on the neck position.

[dirtybluesplayer]

have you tried running a compressor sir ts? 

i like this setup, but only with my single coils. It maintain the highs and lows, but with humbucker, it sometimes sounds like a single coil.

Less bass and od, is always great for me when i use the bridge pickup.

So what i see that i must try is either replacing my neck pickup or get along with an analog eq pedal.

[gandydancer123]

first thing that pops into my mind..

eq pedal..

[dirtybluesplayer]

Ok, no to treble booster or booster, yes to eq pedal, majority wins, so what eq pedal do you guys prefer and why?

[gandydancer123]

Ok, no to treble booster or booster, yes to eq pedal, majority wins, so what eq pedal do you guys prefer and why?

I think eq is more versatile.. Im using the boss ge-7..I have 3, 2 for guitars and 1 bass eq..hahaha

[dirtybluesplayer]

I think eq is more versatile.. Im using the boss ge-7..I have 3, 2 for guitars and 1 bass eq..hahaha

hahaha looks like the bass eq is good for fattening up. Boss GE7 talaga? Wala na iba options rather than that? Is MXR also good?

[pallas]

I know it may sound counter to what you want to achieve but after boosting your signal with effects try to set the volume pot of said pick up to 8ish. Been a fan of 7.5s to 8s on the volume pot recently.

[dirtybluesplayer]

I know it may sound counter to what you want to achieve but after boosting your signal with effects try to set the volume pot of said pick up to 8ish. Been a fan of 7.5s to 8s on the volume pot recently.

it becomes nassaly, i can only hear the volume and gain boosted, but not the treble.

[lolwat]

Pallas' advie might be sound for playing with a band - a lot of the bass content of the guitar is overshadowed by the bass/kick frequencies anyway.

[siore]

it becomes nassaly, i can only hear the volume and gain boosted, but not the treble.

If you EQ your amp with the neck volume pot rolled back, giving it a non-nasally tone, then rolling it up full on should introduce the brightness you need.

[skrumian]

try 50s wiring so the neck pick up will not be so much muddy.

[guitarwiz02]

Xotic EP booster is the way to go. 

[firemodel55]

What can you guys suggest to increase the clarity and get the defined sound of a bluesy neck pickup from low gain to high gain sustain? My neck pickup always sounds wobble and muddy, but of course i always tweak the treble and presence, but not always to max em out both. Note: all my humbucker guitars are having the same problem. Do i need a treble booster? Or an ordinary boost? So, which is which?

What guitar do you use?
What brand of pickups do you use?
What effects do you use?
What amp do you use?