[sroux]

..so, in the eternal quest for different tones, I am thinking about changing out my neck pickup (TV Classic) for either a Supr'ton or a Magnatron.

I know some folks are running this combo.
I'd like to have your thoughts on which one works better with the TV Classic in the bridge.

[sroux]

Aha....

Hmm, that Magnatron sure sounds like a single coil pickup!

[polishbroadcast]

Originally Posted by sroux

Aha....
Hmm, that Magnatron sure sounds like a single coil pickup!

As a huge fan of both Dynasonics and DeArmond pickups i have to say: sorta. I had a Magnatron in the neck of a few guitars but eventually grew tired of it. It has this heavily compressed sound which i didn't like (though i loved it for a long time). Someone mentioned it as a "stacked strat" sound which i think is right. Strats also have that very compressed sound when clean.

I've since gotten guitars with HS Filtertrons and GFS Surf 90's and while they sound somewhat different, they have a woody, open sound that you want from a single coil. To me the MagnaTron was almost like a Strat-PAF mutant-hybrid-baby: like it has the texture of a PAF that has been EQ'd to sound like a single coil. That wasn't meant to be pejorative.

The SuperTron sounds like a fatter Classic so if you are looking for a dramatic shift that isn't it. A dramatic shift would be a Dynasonic or T'Armond (or Surf 90's). I don't have any input on mixing them with the Classic in the bridge.

[Lizardkinged]

Keep in mind the whole video sounds super compressed to my ears... From TV's samples I think they sound nice. but I havn't played them to say.

[polishbroadcast]

Originally Posted by Lizardkinged

Keep in mind the whole video sounds super compressed to my ears... From TV's samples I think they sound nice. but I havn't played them to say.

Not sure if you were responding to me but i've owned all the pickups i mentioned. You're right though: there is compression on the sound in the video which makes it hard to make out what it really sounds like. That compression is separate from what i was mentioning.

[Lizardkinged]

Ahh right on.

[TV the Wired Turtle]

I have a supertron in the bridge of my gretsch spectrasonic, with an ever revolving selection of neck picks.. first the powertron, then the classic plus, then the magnatron, then a T-90 neck... now I just ordered a TK smith CC style neck pkup for it. The magnatron was too freakin bright for the thin body of this guitar, so I'm thinking fat and spanky is in order for this.

[Synchro]

I've thought about the same pickup myself. My 6120 DC loses a lot of definition on the bridge pickup probably because of the placement of the pickup above the mute. I like the sound of the guitar overall but for the lower notes just don't cut it. If a Magnetron would help in that area the guitar would be perfect.

[TV the Wired Turtle]

IT would definitely give you definition but in the bridge it is REALLY twangy like a dual strat pickup. The supertron bridge has a hammer like focus without being overbearing.. in the neck its a littler too gibson for the nashvilles, in my opinion. One of my favorite mismatched filters was in my 04' tangerine hotrod. I had a magnatron in the neck and supertron in the bridge.. I had plenty of twang'o fest gretsch tone but the second I stomped on the barber burn unit, I could lay down a killer Clapton lead sound in the neck position and if I eased off the volume, a really fake sounding SRV was there too

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by TV the Wired Turtle

IT would definitely give you definition but in the bridge it is REALLY twangy like a dual strat pickup. The supertron bridge has a hammer like focus without being overbearing.. in the neck its a littler too gibson for the nashvilles, in my opinion. One of my favorite mismatched filters was in my 04' tangerine hotrod. I had a magnatron in the neck and supertron in the bridge.. I had plenty of twang'o fest gretsch tone but the second I stomped on the barber burn unit, I could lay down a killer Clapton lead sound in the neck position and if I eased off the volume, a really fake sounding SRV was there too

TV's site shows the Supertron as being darker than the TV Classic which is what I have in the bridge currently. That's why the Mag' appeals to me, I need some twang from the bridge. I really like the sounds from my G6122-1959 but I don't think that pickup combo would work in the DC. The DC is dark by nature. Sometimes I just leave it on the bridge pickup even for rhythm.

[sroux]

I think I'm leaning toward the Super'Trons.
Just love the tone here...