Members hellion_213 Posted January 21, 2018 Members Share Posted January 21, 2018 Specifically Entwistle pickups. Anyone have any experience with them? I've read they are super articulate, clear, and offer next level clarity and definition, but have never tried any. I did just order a Dark Star ND for the bridge of my Evo Dragster, but am still curious what to expect before it gets here. I don't believe it will quite live up to the hype at $35, but hopefully it's at least comparable to GFS, which is way better than the crap stock pickup. I don't put much faith in YouTube reviews, they either sound like they were recorded on a phone or have been mastered, both of which kill the actual review, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hellion_213 Posted January 23, 2018 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2018 Well, that's pretty much always the case, lol. Otherwise, we'd all be using PAFs or TexMex singles, lol. It arrived today, Quick shipping! Looks like Duncan quality, and heavy, not like an ArcTec or other cheap pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted January 23, 2018 Members Share Posted January 23, 2018 If you like hot pickups and your amp isn't driven into mud territory by them it's a win. Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted February 1, 2018 Members Share Posted February 1, 2018 I don't know about the pickups you are talking about, but I do have experience with Q-Tuners, which are probably the first neodymiums. Beside having a set in my bass I did some copywriting work for Q-Tuner so I got to understand what they are all about. It's a different type of technology that yields a different type of tone. The Q's are super articulate, snappy and full range with tons of power. I think they work best for clean instruments such as bass, jazz guitar, surf, etc. They don't seem to work, from what I've heard, well as a normal humbucker replacement yielding a "different" type of tone than most distortion-loving guitarists are looking for. So if your application is for distortion you might be disappointed. For all else neos are a ray of sunshine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hellion_213 Posted February 12, 2018 Author Members Share Posted February 12, 2018 thats awesome, the work with Q-Tuners! i have installed the Dark Star neo in my Evo Dragster,and it is Super Articulate, and snappy. Its definitely different. Not in a bad way, just different. Run into a dirty amp, its bright and slightly harsh, still extremely articulate though. theres definitely no hiding with these, lol. so far, ive only plugged into my KFK Marshall practice amp, we'll see what happens with the 6505 later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted February 17, 2018 Members Share Posted February 17, 2018 The thing with Q's is they don't work the same way regular magnetic pickups work. It took quite a bit to get my head around what Erno designed as it's very esoteric. Here's a paraphrased version going from memory. The long and short of it is that, unlike normal pups where the metal inside the string creates a broad swath of electrical current by moving back and forth over the magnets, Q's use a type of zero-point to transfer the signal to the pup. Think of it like a mirror where what's going on at the string is instantaneously appearing at the pup with nothing in-between to cause interference. It's best understood in the theory you need to understand to make the necessary "pole piece" adjustments. Adjusting height/pole-pieces on a regular pup moves the string closer or further away which creates a stronger or weaker signal. On Q's what you are doing is "tuning" the pickup to each string's zero-point similar to tuning in a radio station. In this way the zero-point on the string is transferred to a corresponding point in the pickup instantaneously making about as pure a signal transfer as you can get. Moving a Q-tuner pup away from that point, either up or down, doesn't make the signal stronger or weaker, it brings it in or out of focus. That is why Qs are so clear, crisp and articulate - there is nothing getting in the way of the signal transfer. And it also explains why they sound different. Humbuckers, OTOH, use a far more barbaric signal transfer method that is prone to signal loss, interference and other noise, which is why they distort so well. It's just a messy signal making more of a mess as it distorts tubes and speakers. I'm not saying it's bad - just different. And it explains why neos don't lend themselves well to distorted applications. The signal is just too pure. Erno, the designer behind Q-tuners, is one of those Asperger geniuses. He struggles with many things in life but is an absolute marvel at designing neo pickups. Unfortunately the world hasn't quite caught up to him on that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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