Seymour Duncan Set lover - SH-55N & SH-55N

[ubiuankenobi]

Hello everyone. I have a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top with the Set Lover pickups. I am trying to create a preset on the Helix Floor that has a useful sound for different styles of music (pop, rock etc). I have purchased several IR's but unfortunately I can't sweeten the sound, the pickups are too "bluesy" and it comes out very closed and muffled. I also tried to use the acoustic simulator in the Helix but you can hear too much "buzz". Can anyone recommend more flexible and less bluesy pickups? Or is there a way on the Helix to manage the sound? My amp is a Marshall Valvestate 2000 Celestion cone. Thanks to all

 

[rd2rk]

The problem is not your pickups.

 

I don't have your ears and have no idea what "the sound in your head" is, but pickups like that have been used in Les Pauls on thousands (millions?) of recordings in every genre from jazz to djent. Jumping down the pickup swapping rabbit hole will not solve the problem.

 

Personally, I'd start with the amp. Marshalls sound like Marshalls. Any preset you make that you send through a Marshall will be heavily Marshall colored.

EDIT: Using IRs through a speaker cab usually doesn't sound great.

 

You're looking for a one-size-fits-all preset and that means FRFR.

Since there's no such thing as true FRFR, this is yet another rabbit hole.

Which "FRFR" do you prefer the color of?

 

My recommendation is to start with a decent set of studio monitors. At LEAST 6" for decent bass response.

Get your presets sounding good at a decent volume - <>80db, with your head in the "sweet spot" (RTM).

 

While you're working on that you can research the wide world of FRFR.

On the forums, keep in mind that everybody has an opinion. You know what they say about opinions, right?

Try as many as you can get your hands on. Preferably NOT on the main floor at GC!

 

I'm currently using KRK Rokit6 monitors. Not the best or cheapest. Good quality home studio grade.

 

I have a PC212+ for performance. That has full range coaxial speakers, can be used stereo or mono (you probably want mono for gigs, but the stereo is amazing for ambient sounds!) and has both speaker emulations and FRFR mode with on-board IR storage. It can be controlled/configured per preset using L6 Link from your Helix and has XLR direct outs for FOH. It's frelling LOUD! I think it sounds great. Many others say they suck. Many others say everything that's not a tube amp sucks. Opinions. YMMV.

 

I also have a tube amp, Eganater Tweaker15-112 combo. It's essentially a Fender style amp (3-12ax7/2-6v6, custom Celestion GH50 speaker) with lots of voicing possibilities (Fender-Vox-Marshall). It sounds great in 4cm for most styles this side of heavy metal and is plenty loud for small to medium rooms with bands that play at reasonable levels.

 

To sum up: It's a great time to be a guitarist. The possibilities are endless. Anyone can find the "sound in your head". There's no such thing as FRFR or a one-size-fits-all solution. 

 

Your pickups are not your problem.

 

EDIT: If you haven't tried them yet, York Audio IRs are great. Mix 01 (57/121) is usually as far as I need to dive to find a good sound. I have Marshall, Mesa and Fender packs (not a Vox guy, but Vox guys seem to like the Vox packs).

[rvroberts]

Hi, the above answer is good and I'm only wanting to clarify.

Amp models and cabs are intended to be used with FRFR (Full Range Flat Response) systems.

An amp and cab - any amp and cab will not work well for that as they are reducing and EQing the frequency range on purpose.

The full range of a guitar needs this - Guitar amps and suitable speaker cabs remove bottom and lots of tops and this make a tone we like to hear.

If you run an Amp sim and a speaker simulation (IR) through an amp and cab - you are repeating this process - doubling up - so you are taking out even more top and bottom and probably doing other stuff like creating harmonics etc.

This results in a muffled sound.

If you liked the sound of your Marshall - use Helix products as pedal boards - no amp or cabs - just effects. (note - the Valve state is a mostly solid state amp - some just aren't great pedal platforms!)

If not - probably you need to think about going FRFR - definitely if you want to change amps for different songs etc.

Oh, agree totally - don't change those pickups  - excellent humbuckers - unless you want to sound like a strat! - in which case get a strat!