I need a new pickup for my Eastman AR803

[jorgemg1984]

The problem is in the amp, I would say. That's just a very dark amp, in the Polytone vein. I'm usually all for the eq pedal solution, but in this case just try a fender blackface type amp, it should solve the problem.

[sgosnell]

The Little Jazz isn't all that dark, especially with the treble above 12 o'clock. The tone controls are very effective, and only need a slight adjustment to make a very noticeable difference. With an 8" speaker, it can get bright very quickly. But one of its characteristics is that it's greatly affected by position. Moving it a few inches away from, or nearer to, a wall makes a big difference in sound, as does tilting or elevating it. If you're playing through a Little Jazz and you think your sound is muddy, move the amp. Get it up off the floor, or tilt it way back by putting something under the front edge. I usually tilt mine, but not much. Getting the front up an inch, two at the most, gives me the sound I want. And because it's rear ported, it needs to be a foot or so away from any obstructions behind it.

[Irez87]

I've tried tilting it and getting it off the floor. I also have the treble at 3 o'clock or past it to full open. The mids are at 10 o'clock an the bass is at 7 to almost nothing.

I tried a tweeter yesterday, thanks KirkP! At living room volumes it sounded great. When I brought it to our local jam... eeek! I dunno what it did, but it hurt my ears!

I'm headed to another Seattle local to see what he says--I won't utter his name unless he says it's kosher. But he's a tone guru himself!

[ptchristopher3]

“Tone guru”.

Check to see that any gold fillings in your teeth are still there when you leave.

[sgosnell]

I don't know what else to say. I run mine at or near flat, sometimes roll the treble back just a little, sometimes the mid up just a little, but always very near flat, and it sounds great, both at bedroom levels and at jams so loud my earplugs aren't enough protection.

[KirkP]

Check out this thread for another idea.

So someone asks Bruno how he gets his sound, and he says that he turns the amp up much louder then necessary, and then adjusts his sound from the guitar.
This is the opposite of what I do. I have always been under the impression that guitars end to sound best wide open.

So I try it and with my archtops it does sound different, and I'm beginning to find it different in a good way, at least with the archtops. Sounds cleaner somehow. I'm using a sfsr, and a boutique princeton.
Does anyone else do this, and is there any point to it with solid state amps?