Anyone running a Steve's Special?

jm1681 · #1 11-23-2006, 09:18 PM

Just curious how they sound and respond with different woods.

waylay00 · #2 11-23-2006, 09:48 PM

I've been putting off installing one into my mahogany PRS. I'll get around to it next week and let you know.

jm1681 · #3 11-23-2006, 09:51 PM

Thanx

ubertwerp · #4 11-25-2006, 08:31 PM

Steve's special sounds good distorted and clean in the bridge.

However over time the lack of midrange becomes noticeable .

This is probably why Petrucci went with a little more mids in the D sonic?

_Ube

JackButlerGOT · #5 11-25-2006, 08:50 PM

I'm running a Steve's Special in a basswood bodied/24 fret guitar at the moment.
Its got a mid scoop to it. So if you're playing an amp that has a lot of mids (say like a Mesa MKII)..it can help lessen the severity of those mids. Or if you simply like the sound of the mids being scooped out. It can be a BRIGHT sounding pup. Its very articulate even under really heavy gain. You get a lot of note to note/string to string definition and very little sludge. It'll expose any slop in your right hand.
It can also be a little ice pick like in its attack, but that said; it offers a nice agressive sound to rhythm guitar/chugging and the harmonics are nice and AGGRESSIVE.
I use it for times when I want a bridge pup with a very definite SNAP.

frankfalbo · #6 11-26-2006, 12:50 AM

I always make a public service announcement when anyone mentions the Steve's Special. Try flipping it around after you've installed it, to see if you like that better or worse. The coils are so dramatically mismatched (that's how the "mid scoop" is born) that it sounds different depending on which coil is toward the bridge.

Otherwise I agree with everything that's been said already. I would add that even if you have a guitar that's very midrangey, the SS will still sound scooped. There's no guitar that can re-insert a fat midrange sound into this pickup.

j.arledge · #7 11-26-2006, 01:45 AM

it does exactly what dimarzios says it does. it was ok but it was too smooth for my liking , i wanted something that would drive my amp a little more . I had one in an alder body ibanez and like i said it was ok but just not my thing.

Jeff - CRO · #8 11-26-2006, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubertwerp

Steve's special sounds good distorted and clean in the bridge.

However over time the lack of midrange becomes noticeable .

This is probably why Petrucci went with a little more mids in the D sonic?

_Ube

Well,my hint is quite different.Mesa amps that Petrucci used/and is using have a lot of midrange.Mesa is full of mids.So I guess Steve's Special was a great choice for him because it had that sort of midrange pulled out.
Otherwise,there would be just too much of a mids.
So,when he combined those two worlds,he got quite balanced sound.
It depends a lot on which amp is played through...
If it's a lot of mids,SS would be a great choice,otherwise it can sound pretty hollow to my ears...

Shreddy Krueger · #9 11-26-2006, 05:51 AM

I was especially impressed with the clean sound w/ the SS.
I have one in a basswood RG 550 & I think it has a unique character to it..

Not my favorite Dimarzio by any stretch, but cool in it's own right..

It really does have a DRASTIC midrange scoop, believe me..

EL-CeeDee · #10 11-26-2006, 06:32 AM

I absolutely hate it for cleans. No life, dull, etc. But distorted, it shines ! Every time I hit a (big) chord with lots of distortion I'm amazed with all the nuances that come through. Powerchords with added nines have never been nicer

pedalinbob · #11 11-26-2006, 10:06 AM

How ironic. I am considering a Steve's Special.
I love clarity and low-end tightness, with some warmth...but, that is a very hard combo to find.

I currently have a Virtual Hot PAF (after trying a PAF Pro, Tonezone, Fred, Evolution and Evolution 2), which sounds great overall, but it is actually kind of fuzzy. My non-musical wife said it sounded "unclear".
Yikes. Funny that we both liked the Evolution recorded due to it being very tight/clear...but that damn mid-spike was irritating after awhile.

I'm a pretty clean player, and love fast and complex rhythms (like Malmsteen's "Forever is a Long Time")...but some pickups are too muddy for that type of playing.

I am a bit concerned about the lack of mids with the SS, because I like mids...but, I might be able to add them back.
I also know it isn't a really warm pickup...but, My Malmsteen strat (HS3's) can be my warm axe.

If I don't like the pickup, I guess I can trade it for the D-Sonic...or the Evolution.
Might even try a Duncan Custom...

jm1681 · #12 11-26-2006, 11:25 AM

Thanx for all the replies guys

I recently put an EVO in a basswood bodied RG. Very "woofy" and bassy. The more time I spend with it, the less I mind, though I still don't think its what I'm looking for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL-CeeDee

...Every time I hit a (big) chord with lots of distortion I'm amazed with all the nuances that come through...

This sounds like what I'm looking for. I'm aiming for a more articulate crunch sound with a lot of bite and a lot of definition. So far it sounds like I'm headed in the right direction.

Any idea how an SS might sound in Ash or Swamp Ash? Being a brighter wood, I thought the EVO would suit Ash well, as the natural mid-scoop of ash with the SS might be a bit much. On the other hand, Ash with the SS could be exactly what I'm looking for...

slugman · #13 11-27-2006, 05:14 PM

Hey jm,

the SS is my favorite bridge pickup. I try other ones but the clarity and aggressive chug chug always bring me back

I tried it in my swamp ash RG and found it sounded really hollow. Fine for a crunchy sound perhaps, but way too bright and lacking mids. I swapped in an F2, which is supposed to be a paf pro/tone zone hybrid. Sounds much better, but without the aggressive attack. Still searching.

Also, if a pickup is too bassy, I always adjust the height downwards. Sometimes it looses too much power then, so I try to balance it out. If I can't get the clarity without losing all the oomph, I try the pickup in the neck position or in another wood. If I still can't get a good sound, time to sell it

jm1681 · #14 11-27-2006, 05:55 PM

Hmm...Maybe the Evo will win out for the Ash guitar?

I think when the time comes, I'll try the SS in said Ash bodied custom. If it doesn't sound right, I'll swap the SS into my RG, and the Evo into the Ash guitar

Incidentally, I lowered the Evo in my RG and it helped a LOT. Enough power that dropping it didn't hurt me, but it did lower the "boom" quite a bit