Pickup advice Ash body..

[Dan0151]

So during lock-down I bought a CORT KX-300 etched top guitar, I wanted to try the new EMG pickups (super 77's) and i loved the look of the guitar.
However when i got the guitar the pickups were not what I expected. the guitar was so loud I could not use it with the vol pot past halfway and the sound was not balanced bass was so boomy and the high strings were to thin sounding .
I tried to adjust the height of the pickups etc but could not get a good sound including adjusting amp settings, I even returned the guitar to make sure it was nothing with the electronics etc.. (it wasn't) so now I have the guitar back.

This time i decided to change the pickups..found a set of Jim Root daemonum cheap so i decided to try them..although they were better they are still not balanced.

So hear lies the problem is it the guitars construction (Swamp ash capped) or the pickups? and what should i try ?

Just so you know I love the sound of the classic EMG's.

[Darren]

It sounds like you just need to swap the pickups for literally anything as a first step toward making the guitar usable. Start with a pickup set you’re already familiar with, and tweak from there. Swap the pots while you’re at it, as well.

[playstopause]

In my experience (I own an ash Robin, which is pretty damn bright and resonant), you'll need a pickup that will tame down the highs. EMG is probably the first thing I would avoid in an ash guitar.

[Naren]

I have an ash body guitar with Fishman Modern Humbuckers in it and it sounds amazing. I have a couple songs I've recorded with it if you want examples, but it's an active high-gain pickup like the EMG but it works really well with the ash body. It also has different EQ settings per pickup (voice 1 and voice 2), so you can try different voicings of the pickup with a flip of a switch or a push/pull of a knob. Granted, Fishmans will be a lot more expensive than EMGs.

[jacksonplayer]

You might try a set of classic EMGs (81/85) in it first, since you know you like the sound of those. The Super 77 set is designed to sound a lot like a Dimarzio Super Distortion/Super 2 set, and that's a very different sound.