Pickup Selector: Using What When

[A Gruesome Discovery]

Hey folks,
I'm curious as to which pickup positions people are using for what applications, and if anyone's got some neat tricks they use as far as mixing it up a bit. Is there a widely-accepted norm as far as the pickup switch releates to rhythms, shredding, and solos? I generally stick to bridge setting for rhythms and neck setting for leads [EMG 81(n)/85(b)], and I'm happy with the sound, but also curious as to what works for you guys, and if anyone has some neat tricks for combining different sounds.
Thanks!

 

[Fragle]

no hard and fast rules....do whatever you want.
but other than that...i use the bridge pickup for rhythm, and for 60% of the leads. i only use the neck pickup when i want to get a really smooth lead sound, like for sweeps or uber shredding.

 

[jamesboyd]

yeah same as fragle here.

a cool thing to do for cleans though is the second position on a strat (second from the front) panned left and right (2 different takes) and then the second to back position down the middle.

using the back or second to back pickup position on a strat works really well blended in a with double tracked acoustics to add a bit of shimmer

 

[Carrier Flux]

I use the bridge pickup for everything, at all times. Ibanez S540 - EMG 85. Fender Esquire GT - DiMarzio X2N.

I also don't do much clean-tone wise. and don't play any leads.

 

[JeffTD]

Bridge pickup for everything dirty besides some leads, as Fragle said, sweeds and some shredding stuff, when I want more of a slurred sound than a tight, stacatto run.

For cleans, I like a bridge pickup, sometimes split.

 

[guitarguru777]

With my Petrucci recently i been using the IN-BEWTWEEN sound alot....

I use my neck when Sweeping or Really fast stuff, I use the imbetween for id say about 50% of my lead playing now.

The pickups are wired:
Bridge pickup standard wireing and the neck is wired in series and oout of phase with the bridge so i get that cool scooped mid sound.

All rythm playing is bridge pickup.

 

[A Gruesome Discovery]

Nice; thanks folks. I'm interested in jamesboyd's suggestion; I pretty much use one clean tone for everything and never really think about it, and it's time I started trying cool stuff like that.

 

[Flat Fifth Fury]

For heavy rhythms it all bridge pickup. For the rest: experiment and use your ears. If it sounds good it is good.

I will ad this: for layering harmony lines it's nice to use the bridge pup on one track and the neck pup on another to broaded the sound.

 

[KeithRT99]

sometimes i use the neck pickups for a real grungy sound. but its mostly what the others are saying.

 

[Nitronium Blood]

Bridge = METAL. \m/
Neck = Clean.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

neck pups are for shredding... as many have said... you do not want to do wicked palm ripperchunks on your neck pup.

i wear out toggle switches all the time from constantly flicking betwixt.