Pickups Choice? 2 Paf Pros plus ???? single?

[wandereruk05]

Ahoy hoy,

Sourcing 2 PAF pros to put in my project painting/electronics RG505 that I got from the bay... but I need a decent single?

What pickup would match? I want a nice bluesy/strat kind sound from it but not sure - most of the ones on the Dimarzio site all sound quite similar so need a good pup to go with the Pros.

Thanks all

[Algiman]

The Blue Velvet neck always sounded good to me in the mid position, so the new "True Velvet" would be a good option.

[waylay00]

I just put two PAF Pros in my RG550 along with the ISCV2 JEM single coil. It really has a nice sound to it.

The main reason I went with it though is that it was the cheapest Reverse Wound Reverse Polarity single coil model I could find from DiMarzio. Others (such as the Blue Velvet) would have required that I special order it.

[wandereruk05]

bit of a noob question but does it need to be that way? reverse wound and polarity?

would it make a lot of difference if it wasn't?

[Algiman]

Doesn't need to be, and some people prefer the sounds from positions 2 and 4 of the 5 way with a stock pick up. There's a good description here:
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/faq.html#25

[jaxadam]

I really like the FS-1 the most, but the True Velvet sounds like a pretty cool option.

[jallen]

I had a VS-1 in my RG with PAF Pros. It sounded great- this was the pickup they would throw in the USA Customs when a single was needed (often blended with PAF Pro's). Not the quietest thing ever, but neither are the PAF Pros. They are not the easiest ones to find, but they are still used in the Steve Morse model, so they're out there.

I'm down to only HH guitars now, so I don't need it, but it sounded so good I haven't been able to bring myself to sell it yet!

[ken_r152]

The Area '61 pickup would give you a vintage bluesy Strat sound and would offer some versatility for other types of music.

[waylay00]

Originally Posted by wandereruk05

bit of a noob question but does it need to be that way? reverse wound and polarity?

would it make a lot of difference if it wasn't?

Well I'll put it this way. Pretty much all stock HSH setups have middle single coils that are reverse wound reverse polarity.

You can always switch polarity by swapping the ground and the lead, but you can't switch the way its wound. When it's not reverse wound, you get hum in positions 2 and 4. When it IS reverse wound, you don't get hum.

[wandereruk05]

Originally Posted by waylay00

Well I'll put it this way. Pretty much all stock HSH setups have middle single coils that are reverse wound reverse polarity.

You can always switch polarity by swapping the ground and the lead, but you can't switch the way its wound. When it's not reverse wound, you get hum in positions 2 and 4. When it IS reverse wound, you don't get hum.

Really bad hum or just a bit? Would a Noise Supressor stop that?

[Algiman]

It would hum just like any other non-humbucking pickup, but yest a noise suppressor would help.

[wandereruk05]

hmmm

choices - if it doesn't make overly much difference i'm not too bothered, but if its gonna save me some money then i might just go reverse everything on it - thanks for the help all.

hmm now to wire it all up

i sense a new thread on the way

[Crazy_Guitar]

HS-2 is perfect for me in the middle position.

[Lee Carlson]

Originally Posted by waylay00

I just put two PAF Pros in my RG550 along with the ISCV2 JEM single coil. It really has a nice sound to it.

That is what I would choose as well...