RD Pickups

[muzzer]

Well guys I have been lucky enough to get a free set of RD pickups to test and review
For those of you who dont know RD's are based on the holy Grail of Japanese pickups. The Dry Z(based on the orginal PAF)
I sure at least Mully will know of these, they are Maxon/Greco pups that only grace the very High end Grecos
While I have never had the chance to try them.They swap hands at really high prices(£300+). It was my chance to get close to them from a pick up winding company that has Guitars with Dry Z,s
I have wrote two reviews for them and would like to share
First thoughts

Dec would have liked me to Review the P3s due to my musical "every thing set to ten style" But I was hell bent on hearing the P1s to find out what Dry Z was all about, so one aged set was dispatched to me
Mr Post Office managed to Get the package to me in 24 hours, maybe they were just to hot to handle!
With hands trebling with excitment I opened the outer packaging to be greeted by the magic black box with a hand crafted gold RD logoIn itself a nice touch as it felt like I had recieved some thing expensive and classy
In the box were the two P1s, A Zebera for the bridge aand black uncovered for the neck both aged to what I would call perfection but still letting my know they are brand new and not just been scuffed up a little
In wanted to try them in an orvile Custom But after trying I found the guitars wiring to be shot so I had to bear with the suspence for another 24 hours before I put them in to my OBG 57ri, Fitting was a breeze thanks to the simplicity of braid and wire( I have only changed Pick ups around a very few times.)
A quick re-string and tune up and it,s time to see if I could find so Mojo (please bear in mind I had no fine setting of the pick ups, like the hight)
I started running them through a zoom 503 Amp Simulator with settings on Marshall stack concert hall loads of distortion and some chourus run through headphones and all pots to ten on the bridge and got to work on some power chords
My first thought was Oh my god My guitar sounds as I think It should sound, but is it MY sound I think I could say the pick ups will give me a great start to finding my sound once I have my set up the way it should be set up
On all tens on the the distortion was a creamy with clarity sound rather than that playing in a box sound I seem to get when set on ten
next the knob went all the way round the other way this gave me the twangy of trebley sound I would expect but without the harshness that puts me off closing the tone down......not anymore
i found the sweet spot stating to kick in at around 3/4 rather than 5/6 on the tone dial
next it was over to the neck some thing i am not often found doing and what better than a quick round of the intro to sweet child of mine
Wonderful It picked up the slight delay with perfection and made me sound very slash (until my fingers got themself knotted up)
I have now also given them a very quick test through my Marshall MG 15 msII stack wich by the way has never given me what I wanted sound wise
I went clean first and turned the guitar volume off to see where it would kick in,I am pleased to report that was 1/2
As I said I dont play clean very often but the P1s were very clean and clear
I wont bore you to much with the distortion again as it was pretty much the same as the Zoom but no Effects used just the overdrive channel and i think I will start enjoying using the marshall again with the P1s in place
Now the most important things:
Would I buy a set? YES without a second thought ,unless Rd pickups give me an endorsement
Would I recomend them to friends and other guitarists? yes and will be!!!!!

Second quote

I took the day off work and thought it was time to try them out through the Laney 120 watt half stack while the neigbours are at work, its amazing how quick 4 hours passed.I started at volume at 10, tone about 6 and all was fantastic
These P1,s give me so much of a Slash tone. Another song I have been trying to perfect is Y&T's mean streak, the P1,s made light work of it, Just as a test I thought I would plug in my Burny with VH4's and I have always loved the sound of them the but on the same amp settings the VH4's sounded so harsh
Next up I wanted to learn the GnR song Reckless life so for once I cut the guitar voulme knob...all the way down to 3/4 ( the neigbours dont need to hear me learning) OMG the P1'are still giving me everything.,while on the same settings . I try a few blues licks on the bridge. WOW !So it had to be over to the to the neck... perfection
As it got later I went to the the Marshall Micro stack and turned off the ffd and cut the volume to 1/2 on the guitar while keeping the metal settings and it gave me some great Frampton "baby I love your way" acoustic sounds God I even adjusted the volume knob for the lead break and that's never been done before(god some thing else to think about while trying to remember the chords)
P1s are really bring out the player I want to be

If any of you Guys are intrested take a look at
http://www.rdpickups.com/
All 4 of my Orvilles will have RD puppies but i need to try the P3s