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Throbak SLE-101 or SLE-101 Plus? Help!

Reza

New member
Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Messages
68
Hi All,
For those of you who have multiple throbak pickups (lucky dogs :peace2 ), I am looking for advice. Basically I want a neck that isn't too muddy and a bridge that isn't too thin for everything from low gain blues to medium gain rock (allmans, AC/DC).

I have a 2002 R8 and run this through a Fulltone OCD into a Dr. Z remedy with 4X12 cab mix of greenbacks and 12H30s. Our band plays a wide array of classic rock/blues tunes (Allman Bros, Zeppelin, AC/DC, Eagles, Aerosmith) and I am partial to tones of players like Warren Haynes, Page, Derek Trucks, Angus Young, etc...

I currently have Wolfetone Dr. Vintage neck and Marshallhead Bridge. I really like the neck because it cleans up beautifully and is very touch sensitive/expressive, but it can be muddy. I really like the bridge because it has some nice bite and honk without getting thin and too trebly, but there is too much of a mid bump on it so it gets too nasal.

Current thoughts on Throbak pup choices:

SLE-101 Plus: I like the idea of the SLE-101 plus bridge (because of the extra bite and honk) but am a touch concerned about getting into nasal tone territory with higher K pups. I am also concerned that the SLE-101 plus neck will be muddy.

SLE-101: So that leads me to the standard SLE-101 for a lower output neck, but I am concerned that the bridge will be too thin and not work well with my 95% of the time overdriven tone. I rarely play truly clean.

DT-102: Honestly I don't even really know what the DT-102 would sound like. Would this pup set give me my articulate warm (but not muddy) neck and a nice round bite (but not nasal) in the bridge?

Thoughts? Experiences?
 

Red Rocket

Active member
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
2,422
No direct experience, but maybe I can point you in the right direction. LPF member "Swankmotee" has tested these extensively - he is a great player with a lot of LP experience and you can trust his ears. I would try to contact him.

Good luck, the search if half the fun :jim
 

reswot

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Messages
3,295
Here's a quick MP3 comparison -- it's not about my horrible playing, but the sound of the pickups. The clip is 5+ MB, so it might take a minute to load...

This was done around a year or so back using a POD X3, as I thought I'd get more consistency. I was goofing off and trying to play some different stuff for comparison. The settings are the same for each comparison, except for the second little ditty, as I forgot to turn the chorus off for the second version.

In each case, the SLE 101+ Ltds are first and the SLE 101 Ltds are second. These are both the pre-MXV versions, but it should give you a comparison. The 101+ pups were (are) in my R9. The 101s were in the R7 that I later sold to Pete Cage (who found a gorgeous flame top underneath!). The guitars were nearly identical-sounding when played acoustically, and very close with the pickups, too.

LINK
 

Triburst

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
4,353
I wanted exactly the same thing you described -- the great bridge tone of a hotter PAF, and no mud on the neck. I talked with JG about it before I ordered. He suggested the short A5 in the bridge 101+ and the long A5 in the neck 101+. Just to be sure, I also bought a few extra magnets at the time I ordered (extra A5's short and long, and a pair of A2's.

I haven't changed them because they sound great as they are. :2zone
 

Red Baron

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
6,774
Reza, I've tried several combinations and although they're all very nice, I like the DT-102's the best. I've also swapped magnets around a fair bit and I've settled for A4's (neck and bridge) although I do really like Jon's short A5's. I've got absolutely no mud in the neck - although that's a combination of guitar and amp and I also use a treble boost that I leave on most of the time.

It's a hard decision but at the end of the day you really can't go wrong with any choice, they're all good.
 

Humbuck

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
4,489
Personally I would keep the pickups you're running...excellent choices.
 

Macleod

New member
Joined
Sep 30, 2002
Messages
514
Reza, it's been a while!
We should be able to solve a bit of these problems with a little magnet re-arrangement. A higher charged mag in the DrV should reduce some of the mud you're getting, and a slightly degaussed mag in the Marshallhead should reduce the upper-mid bark a bit, while shifting that mid bump a bit lower in the range.
 

Reza

New member
Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Messages
68
You are, as always, the man Wolfe.
Hey just to clarify folks, the pickups I'm running right now are the best I personally have ever played. Otherwise I wouldn't have kept them in my main axe for many years. I think I'm just in a tinkering mood. Wanting to do something different.

A magnet swap may be in order!
 

Gold Tone

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2002
Messages
6,825
I've got many sets of Throbak now (dozen or so).

For my taste...SLE101+ with A2 magnets.
 
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