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: Worn Nickel
Pole Pieces: Nickel
Spacing: Standard
