NGD: SE Custom 24 7-String

[garrett]

The Sentient I like but it's not exactly 'my style/tone', it's got a single-coil-like characteristic which is cool, but I tend to prefer higher output neck pickups with more punch and saturation. Ultimately, the pickup is great, but I prefer a different style for my neck pickups.

I really like the Pegasus overall, worlds more than the HFS-7. The Pegasus is interesting because most 'metal' guitarists prefer higher output pickups with a lot of aggression, etc. The Pegasus is not that at all, it is medium output and 'polite,' so the Pegasus becomes a love/hate for a lot of 'metal' guitarists because it's not what many are expecting. It has a fair amount of harmonic richness and clarity, which is great for 'prog-rock/metal', but it's also great for most any other style as well, in my opinion. The midrange is also prominent but not too pushed, so you get a nice rich midrange that is clear and audible without getting any honkiness. The lower-mids can be a little grunty though at times (this can be good/bad, depending on taste) when you get into the lower notes, but if you up the gain a little the pickup will saturate a little more and it will lose that grunty quality.

Thanks! That is super helpful info. Sounds like exactly what I'd look for, actually.


I had some time today, so I did the rest of my mods.

I don't think I gained anything with the magnet swap in the VB.

The A5 definitely made an impact on the HFS, however. It took out that grating midrange of the ceramic and tightened up and boosted the low end a bit. I think it also added some high end. I lowered the whole pickup and now it is like a compressed PAF type sound. Sounded good for Sabbath and Down riffing.

I used polished A5, so I think unoriented A5 would get the job done better. Ultimately, it's still not my thing. I'd like a more open, musical sounding pickup.


I did my rewire. The split positions are markedly better with the resistors in place. Still quite bright, though. These pups don't seem to split very well, but the sounds are usable. I'm liking split neck with bridge HB. Has a nice scooped sound to it.

Core PRS volume, CTS single pole push/pull tone, Super Switch, and .022uf Orange Drop.

Everything is better with lampshades.

And for good measure, a better shot of the neck satin treatment.

 

[shinksma]

Yikes! What happened to the top of the your back?! It looks sanded down to very stripey plywood! Did you lose control of a hand sander?

I keed, I keed - it is just the reflection of your deck or house siding or something, I assume...

Also: Nice job on the mods, and thanks for the report on the pup magnet changes.

 

[garrett]

Yikes! What happened to the top of the your back?! It looks sanded down to very stripey plywood! Did you lose control of a hand sander?

I keed, I keed - it is just the reflection of your deck or house siding or something, I assume...

Also: Nice job on the mods, and thanks for the report on the pup magnet changes.

Did I forget to mention the belt sander relic job?

 

[bodia]

Did I forget to mention the belt sander relic job?

giggle!

 

[Ovibos]

Thanks! That is super helpful info. Sounds like exactly what I'd look for, actually.

You might like the Holcomb Alpha/Omega pair. They're very clear, sound pretty when clean, split nicely, and handle lots of gain with panache.

 

[BWV548]

I'm not a 7 string guy, but sweet horn and nice work!

 

[alantig]

You might like the Holcomb Alpha/Omega pair. They're very clear, sound pretty when clean, split nicely, and handle lots of gain with panache.

Yep - I put a set in mine earlier this year. They sound really good in there.

 

[garrett]

I'm concerned the Alpha/Omega would be too aggressive for my taste. How do they compare to the HFS/VB combo?

Been having so much fun fooling around with this thing the last few days, my regular 6 string necks feel reeeaally small and round now. I had to put the SE7 aside so my 6 strings can feel normal again ahead of my gig on Saturday. I'd love to get the SE7 versatile enough to cover the type of stuff I do, which ranges from country to blues to rock, but it's not quite there yet.

 

[garrett]

I've been having such a blast playing this guitar. I'm really taking to the 7 string landscape and it's inspiring me creatively from jazz to funk to blues to prog. Playing the root of 7th chords on the low string tuned to A is an immensely satisfying sound, makes the chords sound more harmonically rich. Making chord inversions in standard tuning is fascinating me as well. It's amazing how much the character of a chord is changed when you move the high B note of a root 6 barre chord down to the low B.

When not playing, I've been obsessing over pickups.

I've been tinkering some more with the HFS. I performed the DiMarzio style "half air" mod, in which you remove the keeper bar from the screw coil and place the magnet directly against the screws. This creates a gap between the magnet and the slugs on the other coil, which reduces output and sweetens the tone. I used a piece of wire insulation to keep the magnet from shifting.

I also did another magnet swap, this time to a normal 2.5" length alnico 5. It was just long enough to reach from screw to screw. These changes had a huge impact on the HFS. Power was reduced even more than with a simple long A5 mag swap, the ugly honk in the mids was gone, and the tone was brighter. I was totally digging the humbucker tone. The drawback was the split sound was also a lot brighter, as were the combo positions with the neck pickup. There was also an imbalance with the neck pickup now, with the neck sounding much fuller.

So I then swapped back in my Mojotone long alnico 5 mag, keeping the half air mod. The output was back to being a good match with the neck pickup, but some of the mid honk showed back up and it still sounds too thin split and in the combo positions. The good thing though, is the pickup sounds much tighter and clearer than stock. I'd liken the tone to more of what I'd expect out of a hot A2 based PAF style pickup.

I guess I could try out a 2.5" A5 in both pickups and go from there. I think I've had enough of dismantling, swapping, and tuning, though. I've been enjoying learning about the impacts of pickup construction on tone, but it's time to try a readymade set that suits me better. I'm still enamored of the Pegasus/Sentient set from SD, but I just grabbed a set of DiMarzio PAF 7 in used but like new condition. I've been interested in these since I first started looking into 7 strings a while back. I think they should have a sweetness and clarity to the tone that I'll like.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

I've been having such a blast playing this guitar. I'm really taking to the 7 string landscape and it's inspiring me creatively from jazz to funk to blues to prog. Playing the root of 7th chords on the low string tuned to A is an immensely satisfying sound, makes the chords sound more harmonically rich. Making chord inversions in standard tuning is fascinating me as well. It's amazing how much the character of a chord is changed when you move the high B note of a root 6 barre chord down to the low B.

When not playing, I've been obsessing over pickups.

I've been tinkering some more with the HFS. I performed the DiMarzio style "half air" mod, in which you remove the keeper bar from the screw coil and place the magnet directly against the screws. This creates a gap between the magnet and the slugs on the other coil, which reduces output and sweetens the tone. I used a piece of wire insulation to keep the magnet from shifting.

I also did another magnet swap, this time to a normal 2.5" length alnico 5. It was just long enough to reach from screw to screw. These changes had a huge impact on the HFS. Power was reduced even more than with a simple long A5 mag swap, the ugly honk in the mids was gone, and the tone was brighter. I was totally digging the humbucker tone. The drawback was the split sound was also a lot brighter, as were the combo positions with the neck pickup. There was also an imbalance with the neck pickup now, with the neck sounding much fuller.

So I then swapped back in my Mojotone long alnico 5 mag, keeping the half air mod. The output was back to being a good match with the neck pickup, but some of the mid honk showed back up and it still sounds too thin split and in the combo positions. The good thing though, is the pickup sounds much tighter and clearer than stock. I'd liken the tone to more of what I'd expect out of a hot A2 based PAF style pickup.

I guess I could try out a 2.5" A5 in both pickups and go from there. I think I've had enough of dismantling, swapping, and tuning, though. I've been enjoying learning about the impacts of pickup construction on tone, but it's time to try a readymade set that suits me better. I'm still enamored of the Pegasus/Sentient set from SD, but I just grabbed a set of DiMarzio PAF 7 in used but like new condition. I've been interested in these since I first started looking into 7 strings a while back. I think they should have a sweetness and clarity to the tone that I'll like.

Awesome!
Hopefully the PAF 7's work out for you. Be sure to update us on them!

 

[alantig]

I'm concerned the Alpha/Omega would be too aggressive for my taste. How do they compare to the HFS/VB combo?

It's been a while since I made the swap, but from what I recall, the Alpha/Omega set is clearer, a bit better defined. They do have more bite, but they also clean up very nicely.

 

[garrett]

Awesome!
Hopefully the PAF 7's work out for you. Be sure to update us on them!

Argh, the PAF 7's don't fit! Turns out DiMarzio 7 string pickups have a longer base for some reason. The holes don't match up to the rings, and more problematic, they're too long for the pickup routs. Not so sure I want to hack up a nice set of mint condition pickups and I'm definitely not hacking up the guitar. Maybe it's a sign to just buy the Pegasus/Sentient? (Their size measurements match up to the G&B's.)

 

[Dusty Chalk]

(sympathetic) Argh!

Hey, I have several HFS/VB-7 sets, I could probably spare one HFS7 if you still want to try them in both positions.

 

[garrett]

(sympathetic) Argh!

Hey, I have several HFS/VB-7 sets, I could probably spare one HFS7 if you still want to try them in both positions.

I do think a VB would be great in the bridge, but I find myself wanting a bit more clarity out of the low strings in the neck position. Maybe I'm being greedy? I'm still learning what that lower register is capable of sounding like. Regardless, I said heck with it and bought a Pegasus/Sentient set.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, I'm sympathetic, I crave clarity in the lower strings as well. A lot of that has to do with overhead down your chain. The first time I plugged into a 4x10, I accidentally banged the guitar, and I could hear every individual string, and in my head I said to myself, "that sound, I want that sound". It's one of the reasons I play mostly clean -- I even had to adjust my playing practice so that I could get levels repeatably consistent. I think I might even look at modifying the electronics in one of mine.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Argh, the PAF 7's don't fit! Turns out DiMarzio 7 string pickups have a longer base for some reason. The holes don't match up to the rings, and more problematic, they're too long for the pickup routs. Not so sure I want to hack up a nice set of mint condition pickups and I'm definitely not hacking up the guitar. Maybe it's a sign to just buy the Pegasus/Sentient? (Their size measurements match up to the G&B's.)

Before I upgraded the pickups on my SE-7 I messaged people who I saw had swapped pickups to Dimarzio's and they all said they had to do routing to get them to fit. This is one of the man reasons I went with Duncan pickups because I heard they fit without any modification. I didn't want to have to deal with any routing so the Dimarzio set (Illuminators) I had almost purchased (used but near-new for a great price) I decided to let go. However, when a local tech was installing them for me he had to very slightly route the legs on the edges (only like 1 mm, hardly anything) to get them to fit, but otherwise they fit without issue.

I do think a VB would be great in the bridge, but I find myself wanting a bit more clarity out of the low strings in the neck position. Maybe I'm being greedy? I'm still learning what that lower register is capable of sounding like. Regardless, I said heck with it and bought a Pegasus/Sentient set.

Hope you enjoy the Pegasus/Sentient set!

 

[garrett]

I hereby declare this guitar A BEAST.

The Pegasus and Sentient are in and I don't think I could be more pleased. They remind me of the 85/15's with their clarity, balance and just-right output level. All this translates into a dynamic, expressive sound for me. I can happily cover any genre of music on this guitar now.

They fit the routs with literally zero room to spare. I had to wiggle them into position, the ends of the screw tabs rubbing the sides of the routs.

I decided I wasn't liking the little Core pickup ring screws. They looked too small, so I got some screws advertised as being for Gibson back plates and pickguards. Perfect fit.

I also found out that Hipshot tuner buttons and screws are a match for the SE tuners, so I got some pearloid buttons to take a little weight off the headstock and to class it up a bit.

Now that this thing looks and sounds the business, the final stop on the mod train will be a new nut and a pro setup to get it playing its best, too.

 

[garrett]

Yeah, I'm sympathetic, I crave clarity in the lower strings as well. A lot of that has to do with overhead down your chain. The first time I plugged into a 4x10, I accidentally banged the guitar, and I could hear every individual string, and in my head I said to myself, "that sound, I want that sound". It's one of the reasons I play mostly clean -- I even had to adjust my playing practice so that I could get levels repeatably consistent. I think I might even look at modifying the electronics in one of mine.

At home I generally play straight into the amp through a low-capacitance cable. Usually light gain, or clean for jazzy noodling. For split, I'm running the Sentient through a 1k resistor and the low B (or A) has the more piano-like ring to it that I was hoping I could achieve.

On both pickups, the tightness in the low end and overall improvement in clarity is night and day over the HFS/VB.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Glad to hear that you're happy with the pickups!
Yes, this set offers a night and day difference against the stock pickups for sure. I'm not sure but I've seen some special run builds for new SE-7 strings (through dealers) that offer new finishes, and a 26.5" scale length. Supposedly they come stock with 85/15 S 7-string pickups as well; curious to see how those compare to the sentient/pegasus.