Re: Parallel Axis PATB-1 trembuckers
"Kaz Kylheku" <kkylheku@gmail,com > wrote in message
news:02e9718f-7fe7-4346-842f-3e917e7ddb9f@l17g2000pri.googlegroups,com ...
On May 2, 6:24 pm, "Jack Dotson" <jdot...@stx.rr,com > wrote:
> Any of you guys have these or have experience with them? Lot's of
> recommendations on the Seymour Duncan forum as a good fit for my Tele HH
> so
> I put a set on order, but have never heard them.
What? Not even the sound samples on the Seymour Duncan website?
Actually, I did listen to the samples and liked what I heard. However, when
I said I ordred them without hearing them I menat in a live setting. I
don't put much stock in those five second sound clips played through two
tiny computer speakers.
Why would you orders pickups that you've never heard?
Because if you want to try something other than EMG's, JB's, Jazz, Custom's,
etc., then it's hard to find a guitar with them installed. Most guitars
that come with SD's come with pretty much the same combination of PU's.
Most of the time it's a JB or Custom Custom in the bridge, etc. Not to
mention I'm trying to find something that will match well with the woods of
my guitar which are very bright (Alder body, maple top, maple neck, ebony
FB)|.
If you go by the tone Charts on the SD website I'm fairly limited to what
will work well with this guitar. And I like a warm tone, don't like ceramic
PU's, etc., so this also narrows my options.
> I like that they're different. Maybe I'll get lucky.
I have an original model (bought before Duncan introduced variants)
which supposedly corresponds to the PATB-1 Original. Bought it in
maybe 1990 or 1991. Real muddy piece of crap. Absolutely useless for
anything clean, and no bite or dynamics under distortion. I finally
got rid of it just two months ago, some seventeen or eighteen years
later. Well, not rid; it's collecting dust in some jar along with
various junk.
The trembucker is definitely NOT ``great for country, pop, classic
rock, jazz, blues, funk nor heavy rock'', as advertized. To lay claim
to such versatility, the pickup needs, like, this stuff called treble.
This pickup has next to none.
Under gain, it wouldn't produce a good, crispy, resonant, palm-muted
thump! Not good for heavy, not good for clean, and quite useless for
in-between ``crunch'' type sounds either which require lively dynamics
and clarity.
Damned, by your description it's not good for anything. Was it at least
balanced as they said?
The guitar that I finally rescued from this bad pickup is now
completely revitalized with a bright 5.7kohm Humbucker from Hell from
DiMarzio. (Now with /that/ pickup you can cover country, pop, classic
rock, jazz, blues, funk and heavy rock).
And what guitar would that be? Also, curious why you kept it for 17-18
years when you hated it so bad. When I really dislike a PU I get rid of it
ASAP.
The Blues Sarasceno PATB-3 sounds vaguely promising, that's about it.
I'd change your order to that one, if possible.
That model is only good for the bridge and it has scooped mids. I play
rhythm and was looking for something a bit more balanced which the PATB1 is
on paper.
I'm listening to the sound samples for these pickups at:
http :// www .seymourduncan,com /support/audio-samples/humbuckers_and
I definitely recognize that sound. So you don't have to take my word
for it that the 1 and 2 are nasty, muddy junk. The 3 is better, but
nothing special. There are not many pickups on that page that are
worse than all of these.
I listened to those and liked what I heard. Curious if your guitar has a
mahogany body/neck, etc. It almost sounds like you tried this in a dark
sounding guitar which it's not supposed to work well with? By description
they were designed to tremolo/Floyd rose (Fender) type guitars and are said
to restore the bass and give them a nice fat tone.
Oh well, there's enough people who like them on the SD site that I should be
able to resale without taking too bad of a beating if they don't work for
me.
Thanks so much for you opinion and response. I appreciate it.