Like I said, with the lower output set of 57/08's, the bridge pickup volume drops off a little when I switch from the neck pickup to the bridge pickup. I don't like that.
With the newer sets of 57/08's, when I switch from the neck pickup to the bridge pickup it actually gets slightly louder. I DO like that!
This, of course, isn't advice; you don't need my advice, you're you, and that's great.
I just feel like sharing.
This is my playing M.O. regardless of the instrument I'm playing. It works for piano, electronic instruments, and guitar, and as far as I know, for every other instrument, except instruments without performance dynamic control, like harpsichord.
How I learned this: I studied classical piano with a concert pianist who was conservatory-trained in Europe. Her teacher's teacher was a pupil of Czerny. Czerny was a 19th C. master who was taught by Beethoven.
So there's a direct transmission line of musical philosophy from master to master, and it works for me, even though I'm not even close on any of their exalted levels. Nonetheless, I find it's all a matter of degree, and the more this is followed the better my playing sounds.
Every acoustic instrument I've played (except harpsichord) gets brighter (to a point) with harder strikes, plucks, breath, etc., and gets less bright at softer volume. This is something that's manipulated by the player.
The electric instrument player has the advantage of making changes in volume and brightness with the electronics controls, in
addition to picking dynamics. What a great thing!
But if all the controls are maxed out all the time, there's 'nowhere to go'. Yes, picking dynamics still matter, but some of the potential is missed. There's no 'fifth gear' to take the listener when the game needs to be upped or brought down. And the infinite shadings possible via the use of the guitar's controls alone aren't taken advantage of.
My own conclusions (YMMV):
1. Musical performance is usually better if attention is paid to volume and dynamics.
2. Music ideally manipulates tonal shading and nuance.
3. If one's banging people over the head all the time with volume, brightness, and banging the notes (as I did when first playing for my teacher) the result isn't very musical. It's tiring. The listener's emotions aren't fully brought into the piece - that's done with nuance and manipulation of dynamics.
4. You have to leave yourself 'somewhere to go' with volume, tone and dynamics. The more easily this can be done by the player, the better.
In the context of electric guitar, I set my amps up to get my base clean tone with the guitar volume around 5-6, and then I can roll the guitar volume up for gradual breakup, and down for that clean tone.
I also don't run my guitar pickup tone controls full-up. Usually they're about 7-8, so I have 'someplace to go' when I want that little bit of extra zing during a take, etc.
If the pickups are slightly imbalanced and they each have their own volume and tone controls, the fix is pretty simple. Adjust the damn knobs!
If needed for a particular tone, I compensate for any high frequency loss experienced when lowering the volume on the guitar (as compared to volume full-up) using the controls on the amp, and/or I use a Pettyjohn EQ pedal that consistently blows me away with how fantastic it sounds (sadly, no longer made).
But it's rare that I need the EQ.
Most of the time my guitar volume runs 7-8 even at edge of breakup, tone controls on 7-8, and that's where I live 90% of the time.
I think a lot of players miss out on all this stuff. I've heard Robben Ford talk about it in person. I've seen Bonamassa talk about it in videos. I've heard it on the records by favorite players.
There are players lots of other folks love that I consider 'bangers'. The tone/dynamic doesn't vary much during the entire song.
That's great at times and in the right context, but it's good to be able to do more than one thing, if so inclined. Since I'm so inclined, that's how I roll.
