Lowering neck pick up on ASAT Classic - boomy bottom

[KenS]

I am getting a serious boom from my bottom E string - even though the pole pieces appear to be completely lowered. It is my understanding that the neck pickup itself cannot be lowered - is that correct? If so it appears that my options are to try an EQ pedal or change pickups. I've never used an EQ pedal - is it likely to help with a problem like this? I play finger style and I'm sure that is contributing to the problem. I play jazz chord melody, so I really need that neck pickup to get the tone I'm looking for.

Ken

[Elwood]

An EQ pedal might be the ticket if you can't lower the pickup any more.
I find one very useful and have discovered tones hidden in my signal that would
be hard to achieve by changing other things (amp settings/tubes/speakers/strings...).

For rock tones, I like to trim the 3.15 khz a bit to soften the ring up there.

Have you taken the pickguard off yet? There might be some rubber tubing that could be
trimmed to go lower .

[louis cyfer]

the neck pup can be raised or lowered.

[KenS]

Thanks, Louis. I assume by the normal way - side screws?

I noticed in another post that you liked to take MFDs to pick guard level. Are you still of that opinion?

Ken

[louis cyfer]

depends on the guitar, generally i find lower pup = better tone. within reason of course. yes, it's 2 screws, have to take the pg off though.

[KenS]

I'm actually thinking about an alternative route as well: having a Seth Lover put in the neck. I rarely use the bridge pickup on this particular guitar anyway - but assuming that it doesn't blend well, any recommendations for an aftermarket bridge pup to go with the Seth?

Ken

[Submersible]

If you don't like the neck pickup, and you don't use the bridge pickup, and your preferred neck pickup is a humbucker, I'd be considering selling the ASAT Classic and buying something else.

[Lefty]

If you don't like the neck pickup, and you don't use the bridge pickup, and your preferred neck pickup is a humbucker, I'd be considering selling the ASAT Classic and buying something else.

+1 - Sell it and get a Bluesboy!

[KenS]

Because I like using a Tele body for chord melody. the only thing I would change it for would be a Blues Boy - the guitar has everything (semi hollow Tele) I want except for the humbucker. I'm not saying that I will NEVER use the bridge pup - just rarely on this guitar. I like having the flexibility. I actually acquired this guitar with the die of making this change in first place.

Selling a guitar in my area is a PITA. I'm better off taking a guitar that I like and making a few changes - at least IMHO.

[KenS]

I have taken a bath every time I have sold a G&L. I prefer to keep this guitar and make the mod.

k

[louis cyfer]

i could not get along with the seth lover, i tried a few bridge pups. so i changed it to bkp p90.
i would first try adjustimng the pup height, putting a humbucker in there requires quite a bit of routing.

[KenS]

I'm backing off from the rout/humbucker idea. If I do a pup swap at all, I might go with a Lollar Charlie Christian. But - we'll see.

[Submersible]

Hopefully pickup adjustment helps. Once of the things I like about the ASAT Classic neck pickup is that it is very useable all on its own in ways the traditional chrome tele pickup isn't. I think it's very jazzy with the tone rolled down, but still has a punchy sound.

[louis cyfer]

I'm backing off from the rout/humbucker idea. If I do a pup swap at all, I might go with a Lollar Charlie Christian. But - we'll see.

that would require a rout too.

[KenS]

hmm - I was of the impression that the Lollar was a drop in for Tele style guitars. Couldn't be much of a rout as it is a SC. But if I can get the results I want without a rout, then it's worth doing bait more research - assuming I make a switch at all.

k

[louis cyfer]

hmm - I was of the impression that the Lollar was a drop in for Tele style guitars. Couldn't be much of a rout as it is a SC. But if I can get the results I want without a rout, then it's worth doing bait more research - assuming I make a switch at all.

k

i think the neck mfd in the classic is different shaped than a standard tele pup, but i may be wrong, but the charlie christian single requires at least a pg route and often a body route, lollar even warns about it, although that would be a much smaller job.

[KenS]

I see that now - the Tele Lollar pup comes with a routing template. I imagine that even a Tele would require a rout - although not an extensive one.

At any rate, I've decided to hold off on the replacement. I have the pup down to pick guard level and had some cap work done to tame it a little. The result is a big improvement. I am going ahead with getting an EQ in hopes that will help as well.

Ken

[louis cyfer]

I see that now - the Tele Lollar pup comes with a routing template. I imagine that even a Tele would require a rout - although not an extensive one.

At any rate, I've decided to hold off on the replacement. I have the pup down to pick guard level and had some cap work done to tame it a little. The result is a big improvement. I am going ahead with getting an EQ in hopes that will help as well.

Ken

i would recommend the detox eq by homebrew electronics.

[zapcosongs]

I'll drink to that! ;+) - ed

[KenS]

Actually I was thinking of giving the Danelectro mini a try. It gets rave reviews and is supposedly very quiet (a must for me). I was interested in the MXR until I read one too many stories about them being noisy. The Danelectro has the advantage of being cheap (obtainable for $30) as well.

[KenS]

The good news is that the pup lowering did the trick regarding the crazy bass. I'm really liking the MFD at pick guard level - it's giving me a much richer tone than my Tele neck pickup (which isn't bad at all). I still want a tele style body with a humbucker however so the Fender is now the candidate for that. I listened to an SD Hot rails pup in a Nocaster last weekend and it sounded interesting. Easy to split so you get a lot of sounds from it.

Ken

[Lazer]

Ken, does the output seem a lot lower now?

Cheers
L-zr

[louis cyfer]

The good news is that the pup lowering did the trick regarding the crazy bass. I'm really liking the MFD at pick guard level - it's giving me a much richer tone than my Tele neck pickup (which isn't bad at all). I still want a tele style body with a humbucker however so the Fender is now the candidate for that. I listened to an SD Hot rails pup in a Nocaster last weekend and it sounded interesting. Easy to split so you get a lot of sounds from it.

Ken

i have a few hotrails, i am not very impressed. the personality is missing. certainly nothing like an mfd or a nice humbucker. they are hot though.

[KenS]

Lazer,

Some decrease - I don't know that I would call it "a lot." It got rid of most of the bass boom and I'm getting an even response which works for me. I'm still using the same volume setting on my amp - any adjustment is being made at the guitar. I can't say for sure how much I'm raising it there - I just raise it until it sounds right (never all the way).

Ken

[Lazer]

Thanks Ken, I may try that. I don't have bass boom problems, on the contrary I think the low end is awsome,
but I would like a little more mid/high range sweetness.

Cheers
L-zr

[KenS]

I think the reason I am getting the unbalanced bass is that I play finger style and my thumb ia a bit heavy from years of playing acoustics. But I am definitely getting a nice sound across the board since I made the change.

Ken