Good video on floating pickup vs. Set pickup on an archtop

[PascalD]

I just wanted to share this video. I thought it gave a good sense of
the difference as it is very well recorded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23_Z3vs1rYQ&

In fact, I'm not completely sure about this. I used to have an Ibanez
105 F(floating) and if I compare it with my 175, Eastman John Pisano
(set pickups) or even Benedetto Bravo or Americana: the Ibanez sounded
thicker, not well defined. In the video, the floating are more open,
more attack, more highs, without being too harsh.
So, is it really floating vs set or is it just the type (or brand) of
the pickup ? And the guitar! And the player! And the amplifier!

Funny...

Pascal
www.exxbox-guitars.net

[sheetsofsound]

Not sure I agree with the conclusion of their evaluation. And their
comparison is flawed because they compare 2 guitars with different
pickup types. Of course the floater is brighter because it has a mini
humbucker on it.

[Bg]

Didn't sound like the Tone pot was wide open on the Fixed Pickup test.

Bg

[Mark Guest]

Yup. Set-in sounded too dark to be wide open. I think the info is not
badly misleading, they just don't touch on the fact that the
interaction between PU and guitar is not always predictable. I've had
two kinds of floaters on my Halfling guitar, a custom Kent Armstrong
that sounded great. Getting L-5 sounds was pretty easy with that PU,
though it had it's own vibe... very rich and mellow. It went
microphonic, as was the replacement, so I put on a Shadow Zollar PU.
Still very mellow and rich. No airy thinness that I often associate
with floaters. I guess the rule is "there is no rule".