Gojira guitarist and lead
vocalist Joe Duplantier favors the tonality and nuances of a vintage
PAF. Joe had specific requirements based on adjustments made in his
Silver Cord Recording Studio.
First and foremost, he wanted a
passive pickup that was vintage-sounding. For Joe, it’s all about the
dynamic; he wants people to hear what he’s doing on the strings with
his hands and the pick. He feels that’s the part of the chain that adds
the spirit, soul, and life to the sound and prevents it from being
flat.
Most of Joe’s riffs are on the bridge pickup, and he says it
needs to sound “killer.” The Fortitude™ Bridge is very precise, very
sharp, and Joe can get all sorts of percussive sounds with it.
The
Fortitude Bridge is based on the PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge with a
few modifications. The clarity of a low output humbucker allows it to
cut through with different tunings and high gain. Joe wanted the pickup
to have a boost at 160Hz of about 1.5db, a touch more low-end, and a
notch down around 500/600Hz. The Fortitude Bridge features vintage tone
with a twist.
Joe suggested calling the pickup Fortitude because “it’s simple, it’s honest, it’s straight to the point, and it’s strong.”
The
Fortitude Bridge maintains the vintage PAF quality, yet produces some
low-end muscle as you hit the strings harder. Basically, it’s a
vintage-style humbucker that can step out of the box.
Recommended For: Bridge position for all solid body, hollow, and semi-hollow body guitars.
Quick Connect: No
Wiring: 4 Conductor
Magnet: Alnico 5
Resistance: 9.54 kOhm
Year of Introduction: 2020
Color: Black
Pole Pieces: Nickel
Spacing: Standard
