![]() ![]() It is available with or without a cover, with or without a logo, trem-spaced or not, in a variety of colors. Like most SD pickups, the APH-1 available with or without the logo. This is a pretty wide range of instruments. However, I also use it in maple and graphite Steinbergers as well, and of course Slash used them in his Les Paul. The examples here were recorded with a Brian Moore Custom C-55, which has a mahogany body and maple cap, and a maple & rosewood neck. Since this is my neck pickup of choice, I tend to use it in many guitars. Here is a pickup demo I did showcasing the other-worldly sounds I create with loops and lots of reverb and delay: Alnico II Pro | Slash Version (APH-2) I use it exclusively when I am playing my ambient music. While we see this is a great pickup for classic styles, it is ‘neutral’ enough to get creative with it. There is also some guitar synth and looping going on here as well. Here is a piece of music that I wrote specifically to showcase the warm sound of this pickup in a song context. Of course the solo thing is what this pickup is famous for. I won’t say it sounds exactly like a single coil (no split humbuckers do), but it is a great sound that works well for cleaner styles. The APH-1 is a four-conductor pickup, which allows easy splitting as well. ![]() All of the dynamics were done with picking attack. The bonus is that unlike higher output pickups, you can play more complex chords with overdrive and it doesn’t end up a muddy mess. They say it is wonderful going into an already overdriven amp (and it is), it is also great with a good overdrive into a clean amp. ![]() Power chords? Well as long as you aren’t going for modern metal, it does classic rock to classic metal really well. I think this is probably why Slash used it as his main pickup for many years, but it does the clean jazz thing well too: ![]() I use this pickup in the neck of most of my guitars, which gives off a really beautiful slightly darker clean sound, and a buttery, vocal distorted sound. You know all those little slides and bends and dynamic changes you do with your fingers? Instead of compressing the signal like higher output pickups will, the APH-1 lets those things come through, just like you played them. Fortunately the APH-1 lets those strings ring, and the vintage output allows the players’ dynamics to come through. Stronger magnets also can influence the vibrating pattern of the strings, causing a lack of sustain. While this is great for certain styles (mostly heavier music), it isn’t so great with traditional forms. They tend to add mids and tighten up the low end too. So why would we want a weaker magnet? Strong magnets mean a stronger signal, right? Yes, they do. The Alnico II Pro comes in neck and bridge versions. I’ll concentrate on the neck model, since that’s what I have. The APH-1 is a great choice for jazz, blues or classic rock or a few other things, as we will see in a minute. Both are constructed with a weaker Alnico II bar pickup, which immediately softens the mids compared to Alnico V-based pickups. Probably the most famous with its association with Slash, it is the inspiration behind the APH-2 Slash pickup. The Alnico II Pro is currently my neck pickup of choice, because it does so many things so well. ![]()
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