Best "VH1" Pickup?

[garbeaj]

The main thing is how many of you turn a marshall on 10 just to jam every day?The real secret is Eddies style... Sunset sound and Donn and Ted...

I would say style of tuning too. Dissonant chords much less standard tuning sounds terrible through an Ed type rig. With this tone you can riff your way around the tuning issue or tune your guitar to harmonize perfectly on the D, G and B strings. I still don't get why Ted and Donn much less sunset sound is thought to be key to get this tone. Listen to the early ISO tracks, is that really a spectacular shining gem of a tone. It's pretty raw and un polished (just the way I like it). We are basically hearing the amp('s).
Oh, a wax potted Super70 with nickel cover. Having doubts again about an A2 mag these days.

I know we've been round and round about this...I KNOW you can get very close with an extremely well potted Super 70 with nickel cover wired straight to the volume knob on your Destroyer into one of your magnificent "big boy" amps.

I think Donn was really the guy making the overall production of the sound...as in he placed things in the mix, decided on reverbs, delays, positioning...and this is all key to the overall sound. This part is what I think people often mean when they say things like "The real secret...Sunset sound and Donn and Ted..." or words to the effect that you can't get the tone without Sunset Sound and Ted and Donn. But I agree with you...the TONE is there in the "raw and unpolished" tracks...not as much in the production as many believe.

As far as tuning, I'm completely with you...check out my tuning thread (again!)...It is jam packed with useful information that will get anyone much closer to sounding like Ed without even being plugged in! Well, as long as they are plugged in to a Peterson digital strobe tuner with variable cent references...

http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=42944

[Strat78]

Here are some variations of the mighty mite and DSD pickups that I have. Note how the large ceramic mags create a gap between the bobbins in the MM's, the pickup on the far right has a alnico mag and there is no gap between the bobbins.
https://flic.kr/p/q2YRgf

[EJSLPlexi]

Here are some variations of the mighty mite and DSD pickups that I have. Note how the large ceramic mags create a gap between the bobbins in the MM's, the pickup on the far right has a alnico mag and there is no gap between the bobbins.
https://flic.kr/p/q2YRgf

My 1800 is the same way but my 1400 does not have a gap.
seems MM used wider ceramics on the 1800?
I know the pu is a beast, i love it!

[dirtycooter]

The super 70 was alnico what again?? Something like A8 or some weird stuff off the wall abnormal material??

[rgorke]

The super 70 was alnico what again?? Something like A8 or some weird stuff off the wall abnormal material??

yes, A8....

[Ed_Number1]

For me, the old Duncan Customs do the trick. Although the DSD and the Custom sound very very close to each other.

Same here and i found the old duncan customs to have more tone and not so much gain.
the dsd i used was a old one but potted and it had the drive but lacked in the right EQ for VH I.
the mids were not right, the custom is all about the right mids
I was going to buy another cheap dsd just to compare one last time but i remember last time it losing out to the custom in the real "subtle" things about the VH I tone.
IMHO the custom falls right between a old PAF and DSD and that is what i hear on VH I.

I like the Custom too. The Van Halen model in the ad.