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Digest of Electric Pickup articles
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From: collins_jim@tandem.com (Jim Collins)
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I've experimented with a lot of pickups on different Les Pauls and LP
Customs. I've used Duncan '59 humbuckers, Duncan Jeff Beck, DiMarzio
Humbuckers from Hell, DiMarzio Al DiMeola pickups, stock Gibsons, Gibson
'59 reissues and the Gibson '57 Originals. I lean towards vintage tones,
but that isn't a strict requirement. One requirement is that the
guitar/pickup combo must sound good and strong when clean. I've always
thought that it is easier to add distortion, if that is desired, than to
take it away.
I don't really care for the current stock Gibsons, standard on Les Paul
Standards. They sound kind of boring and one-dimensional to me. They
don't necessarily have a bad tone, they just don't have the complexity that
you can hear with vintage pickups. (Clapton Bluesbreaker or Bloomfield
tones were very elusive with stock Gibsons.)
The Gibson '59 reissues were pretty good, but I don't know if I'd call them
reissues. The sound was much closer to vintage, but the manufacturing
techniques were obviously more modern. I had these on a LP Custom, which
had a Duncan '59 bridge pickup in the neck position and a Duncan Jeff Beck
in the bridge. That was how I got the guitar. I never like the Jeff Beck
pickup -- too dirty for my tastes.
The Humbuckers from Hell are outstanding. They sound like loud, high
fidelity single coil pickups, but they are true humbuckers. They could
come close to, but not exactly hit, the sound of soapbars, but with much
more output and no noise. (The name is a goofy name.)
The Al DiMeolas underwhelmed me. They were too precise, almost cold.
(Very subjective terms, I'll admit.) The clean sounds were ok, but they
did not inspire me. They do sound very good with distortion, because the
"precise" sound really comes through whatever distortion you add.
I was mostly satisfied with the Duncan '59s, but I figured that I could
never get any closer to the vintage sounds. These were sweet sounding
pickups that played quite well clean. (These on a Les Paul through a
reissue Twin Reverb were pretty darn good.) They still didn't seem capable
of the variety of tones that I've always heard on vintage Pauls.
Then I tried the Gibson '57 Originals, and I was spoiled for everything
else. These sound great clean or dirty, but the clean is the prettiest
I've heard. (That same Twin Reverb combination was even better.) These
are capable of that variety of tones I mentioned. By that I mean that the
pickups sound good at any guitar volume pot level, and at any tone pot
position. Most of the other humbuckers I've tried -- with the notable
exception of the Humbucker from Hell -- had to have a full-on guitar volume
pot to sound very good. They also didn't respond as well to having the
tone pot rolled off. They became too muddy too fast, losing definition.
The '57s and the H from Hs both responded well to tone control changes.
The tone is as close as I've found to vintage. You really need a vintage
guitar (wood age and playing time) to get just that tone, but this is close
enough for me. Cheaper than finding a vintage Paul, too.
I also have some experience with Gibson P-100 pickups, which are stacked
humbucker versions of the P-90 soapbars. Not quite the same. The 100s
have a somewhat fuller tone with higher output, though I must admit that my
experience with P-90s is limited. I will say that the neck pickup on a Les
Paul is capable of rythmn tones that will make you melt. These pickups
sound good at all levels.
I hope this completely subjective review/comparison makes sense. Sometimes
it's hard not to sound like a wine snob when talking about pickups --
complexity and all that stuff. Then again, some pickups seem to age
well...
Jimmy
--------------------------------------------------
P-90 quesions
--------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: collins_jim@tandem.com (Jim Collins)
Subject: Re: P-90 in a humbucker package?
Organization: Tandem Computers, Inc.
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 18:34:19 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This article is not the opinion of Tandem Computers, Inc.
In article <Cp76u8.6wM@ucdavis.edu>, ez004557@rocky.ucdavis.edu (George
Kaschner) wrote:
>
> I'd be interested to know if any company makes a P-90 equivalent in a
> humbucker-SIZE configuration. I know Bill Bartolini used to make a very
> sweet one but I haven't seen very many stores carrying Bartolini pickups
> in the last many years. I'd like to pop a pair into a semi-hollow guitar
> that currently has humbuckers.
>
> Thanks,
> George Kaschner
There are two, that I know of, that you can choose from. One is the
DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell, and the other is the PRS Deep Dish II. I've
tried each of these in a Les Paul. I've also got a Les Paul with P-90s in
it.
The DiMarzio and the PRS pickups are both very nice. Neither pickup
actually claims to sound like a P-90, but they each come fairly close,
though they are different from each other. The DiMarzio claims to be a
humbucker that sounds like a single coil. The performance backs up the
claim. A very bright, clean sound with a good amount of output. It ain't
going to make a Les Paul sound like a Telecaster, but it will brighten it
up considerably.
The PRS Deep Dish II (not to be confused with the Deep Dish I) is another
good pickup in that same vein. Personally, I think the PRS is a little
closer to the P-90, but it isn't exactly the same. To me, the PRS has a
more refined sound. It is also louder. And, of course, much quieter than
a P-90, which is a noisy little bugger. It is a very nice, bright pickup.
Some time ago, GP magazine did a review of each of these pickups. The
reviewer put a DiMarzio in the neck, and a PRS in the bridge postion of a
PRS guitar. His choice may have been accidental, but I think it is a good
choice, if mixing pickups is your bag. I liked the PRS in the bridge more
than I liked the DiMarzio in that postion, but I did not at all dislike the
DiMarzio there. I should note that I did not mix pickups. I had the
DiMarzios and the PRSs on the same guitar at different times, so I never
did a true A/B test.
The PRS appears like a standard humbucker with exposed coils -- slug pole
pieces on one coil, and adjustable slotted screw pole pieces on the other.
It has three conductors, plus ground, so it could be wired to switch
between humbucker and single coil. I believe this is pretty standard for
PRS pickups, but I don't have any other experience with PRS pickups.
The DiMarzio has two exposed coils, and each coil has adjustable hex head
pole pieces. It has four conductors, plus ground.
You'd probably be pretty happy with either flavor. The DiMarzios are
probably easier to find, though. I had to search everywhere for the PRS
pickups. The store I found them in had two, and they'd been sitting there
for a while. They may have to be special ordered.
Hope this helps.
Jimmy
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From tremolux@aol.com Mon Jul 11 11:58:34 1994
From: tremolux@aol.com (Tremolux)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: Re: coil tap
Date: 10 Jul 1994 16:35:01 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
NNTP-Posting-Host: search01.news.aol.com
In article <CsHLpH.4rC@acsu.buffalo.edu>, rabideau@acsu.buffalo.edu (Alan
Rabideau) writes:
A coil tap separates the two coils of a humbucker so it essentially
becomes a single coil pickup. In general, it is unreasonable to expect
both sounds from a pickup. The closest you'll come is with Duncan's
"Stag-Mag" pickup which is essentially two real single coil pickups side
by side. It sounds like a really clean humbucker in normal configuration,
and has a decent single coil sound as well.
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From nrozakis@getty.edu Thu Oct 6 12:07:48 1994
From: nrozakis@getty.edu (Nick Rozakis)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: An EASY Guitar Mod
Date: 6 Oct 1994 01:16:27 GMT
Organization: The J. Paul Getty Trust
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X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.92.6
I tried this and it works very well:
You can get a lot more gain from your pickups if you install
a 1M potentiometer in place of the 250K that are currently installed
in most electrics. Just unsolder the old volume control and
install this one right in its place.
This is great with humbuckers and hot single coils, but might
be a bit too much for vintage single coil pickups.
Nick
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From backstge@aol.com Sun Oct 16 21:12:57 1994
From: backstge@aol.com (Backstge)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: Re: Distance pole-pieces to strings for a Les Paul?
Date: 15 Oct 1994 04:40:01 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf01.news.aol.com
In article <92940010@hpcc01.corp.hp.com>, davies@hpcc01.corp.hp.com
(Douglas L Davies) writes:
The Gibson spec on pickup height setup is:
Neck - 3/32 on the trble side / 3/32 on the bass side
Bridge - 1/16 on both sides.
This measurement is made with the string fretted at the last fret and
measured from the top of the pickup pole piece to the bottom of the
string.
Try playing with the height a little higher and lower, but you should be
in the ballpark at these settings.
From bayardo@cs.utexas.edu Mon Jan 9 18:27:15 1995
Path: zip.eecs.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!gatech!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!not-for-mail
From: bayardo@cs.utexas.edu (Roberto Bayardo)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: Re: Coil-Splitting on Van Halen?
Date: 9 Jan 1995 10:03:55 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
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References: <Jerry_Loyd.229.000D56BC@hpboi1.desk.hp.com> <3eki60$mrt@peaches.cs.utexas.edu> <3erj38$rcc@hearye.mlb.semi.harris.com>
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In article <3erj38$rcc@hearye.mlb.semi.harris.com>,
Mike Porter <mgp@suntan.mlb.semi.harris.com> wrote:
>In article <3eki60$mrt@peaches.cs.utexas.edu>,
>Roberto Bayardo <bayardo@cs.utexas.edu> wrote:
>>In article <Jerry_Loyd.229.000D56BC@hpboi1.desk.hp.com>,
>>Jerry Loyd <Jerry_Loyd@hpboi1.desk.hp.com> wrote:
>>>1) Does "splitting" a double-coil pickup work well, or is it a pretty weak
>>> substitute for getting a quality single coil? Since the double-coil on
>>> the Van Halen is "custom design", it might even work worse than typical.
>>
>>Just don't expect a true single-coil sound. I speak from personal
>>experience.
>
>It depends GREATLY upon what type of pickup you're using. If you use a pickup
>whose characteristic impedance of each coil is close to that of a Strat pickup,
>then you WILL get a very good single-coil sound. But choosing the right
>pickup to do this job is essential.
Any suggestions on the right pickup? I've never encountered one that
sounded "right" when coil-split.
>>>2) Can coil splitting be done with some kind of push/pull knob, so that I
>>> can have my choice? Or is it an all-or-nothing proposition.
>>
>>Yes, yes, and no: There are 4 different "coil split" modes to choose
>>from: Either coil in isolation, both coils in series in phase, and
>>both coils in series out of phase. The out of phase sound isn't worth
>>messing with in my opinion, as it's VERY thin. This leaves 3 modes
>>that are hard to choose between!
>
>Oops; wrong. There are parallel modes to deal with as well, some supposedly
>giving you good single-coil sounds but retaining the humbucking properties.
>I personally have not experimented much with parallel coils, so I can't really
>vouch for that. The push-pull knob is my favourite way of switching coils;
>little switches all over the place become annoying and unsightly to me.
>
>Uh, the "normal" wiring for a humbucker is to have the coils in *series*,
>not parallel.
Oops ooops oops.. Yes, I meant "series" wherever I said "parallel",
and vice versa. Sorry about that.
So let's try this again in more detail.
In all, there are 6 ways to wire a humbucker:
1. Coil 1 alone
2. Coil 2 alone
3. Both coils in parallel, in phase
4. Both coils in series, in phase
5. Both coils in series, out of phase
6. Both coils in parallel, out of phase
The out-of-phase sounds (5 & 6), in my opinion, are not worth messing
with. They are NOT humbucking, nor do they have much output, and hence
sound "thin". You'll find some people that get into these sounds
anyway...
Configuration 4 is the "standard" wiring of a humbucker. It is
humbucking since the second coil is reverse wound, reverse polarity.
Configurations 1,2,3 are the worthwhile (again, IMHO) "coil-split"
wirings. Configuration "3" is humbucking, always an added
bonus. Though, configurations 1 and 2 can typically be made humbucking
when combining the pickup with other single-coil pickups in your
guitar.
>From the guitars I've seen, configuration "3" is the most common coil
split mode selected by things like a push pull pot or a single toggle
switch. This has probably more to do with the humbucking
characteristics more than the tonal characteristics though.
Roberto Bayardo
bayardo@cs.utexas.edu
From mgp@suntan.mlb.semi.harris.com Mon Jan 9 18:27:23 1995
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From: mgp@suntan.mlb.semi.harris.com (Mike Porter)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: Re: Coil-Splitting on Van Halen?
Date: 9 Jan 1995 18:33:32 GMT
Organization: Harris Semiconductor, Melbourne, Florida
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References: <Jerry_Loyd.229.000D56BC@hpboi1.desk.hp.com> <3eki60$mrt@peaches.cs.utexas.edu> <3erj38$rcc@hearye.mlb.semi.harris.com> <3ermpb$g03@peaches.cs.utexas.edu>
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In article <3ermpb$g03@peaches.cs.utexas.edu>,
Roberto Bayardo <bayardo@cs.utexas.edu> wrote:
>
>Any suggestions on the right pickup? I've never encountered one that
>sounded "right" when coil-split.
==========================================================================
Now, that's a little tougher. A *LOT* depends on what the guitar on which
you wish to stick a splittable humbucker on is made of. For instance, it
will not work worth a darn on an all-mahogany instrument (i.e., Les Paul).
I am assuming the original poster was trying to get a Strat sound using a
coil-switching option.
It helps to know the DC resistance of the pickups. This is by FAR not a
real reliable indication of a pickup's tone, but it gets you in the ball-
park. Strats have ranged anywhere from 4K to 7K, with the most common
good-sounding pickup being about 6.2 to 6.5Kohms. Good body to the tone,
as well as balance and "quack". Picking a humbucker that doubles that
figure (like the DiMarzio Dual Sound, Super II, Lawrence XL-500) has given
me pretty good results in the bridge position. Now, picking a neck hum-
bucker that is bright enough to sound good on its own, but strong enough
to yield a good single-coil sound, is tricky; here. a lot depends on the
wood of the instrument as well. Medium strong humbuckers, around 10K or
so, have given me the best results (I'm trying to think off-hand what I've
used here; Lawrence L-500, DiMarzio PAF Pro, a couple of Fender Custom Shop
potted humbuckers,...hmmm...). I've even used a Select by EMG in the neck
of one guitar that was particularly resonant and dark, with good results.
This position takes some experimenting, which is difficult to do with most
guitars. A standard Gibson humbucker is about 8 to 8.5Kohms, and can be
a little weak. Sometimes that works out in your favour, depending on the
instrument.
I have an Ibanez that has two potted humbuckers on it, that sounds
simply WONDERFUL in the single-coil modes! They did something right on
that one, for sure. If the neck wasn't so narrow, I'd play it a lot more
often (this was the style right before the Vai-style bodies and headstocks,
but after the Edge vibrato).
To sum it up, there's a LOT of variables involved, but I have always be-
lieved that to be true. Matching pickups to guitars, when no two sound
alike because of the wood characteristics, has NEVER been an exact science.
How about this "parallel humbucking" mode? Has anyone got convincing
single-coil sounds by doing this, and does it work well with the center
pickup in getting that so-called Strat out-of-phase sound? It would be
nice to retain the humbucking characteristic, considering the terrible
electro-magnetic fields we're usually required to play in.
--
---Michael...
____________________________________ ____________________________________
____________________________________BGSC____________________________________
From spangler@hpsdde.sdd.hp.com Mon Jan 9 18:27:30 1995
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From: spangler@hpsdde.sdd.hp.com (Kevin Spangler)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: Re: Coil-Splitting on Van Halen?
Date: 9 Jan 1995 11:45:52 -0800
Organization: Hewlett Packard, San Diego Division
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References: <3eki60$mrt@peaches.cs.utexas.edu> <3erj38$rcc@hearye.mlb.semi.harris.com> <3ermpb$g03@peaches.cs.utexas.edu>
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>>messing with in my opinion, as it's VERY thin. This leaves 3 modes
>>that are hard to choose between!
>
>Oops; wrong. There are parallel modes to deal with as well, some supposedly
>giving you good single-coil sounds but retaining the humbucking properties.
>I personally have not experimented much with parallel coils, so I can't really
>vouch for that. The push-pull knob is my favourite way of switching coils;
>little switches all over the place become annoying and unsightly to me.
I've done a number of parallel-coil set-ups and I really like the result.
What I typically do is put in a mini-toggle switch w/three positions, and
wire it so I can get series-coil (the "usual" humbucker set-up), parallel
coil, or single-coil (one coil simply disconnected).
I've done this on a variety of pickups (Gibson humbuckers, DiMarzio PAF,
PAF Pro, Duncan Pearly Gates, 59er, Alnico II, a few others). Typically
there is minimal difference (IMHO) between the parallel-coil and single-
coil sounds; parallel might be just a tad thicker-sounding but I've got
to switch back and forth and really A-B the two carefully to hear the tone
difference. What *is* obvious is that the single-coil mode has hum and the
parallel does not, which would make an easy decision if I could only choose
one of them. But the three-way switches let me have all the modes I want.
BTW - I agree that the out-of-phase modes are not worth having. I've done
it on several ocassions and always been extremely underwhelmed by the
result. I don't even bother trying it anymore. Also, I've experimented
with each coil in a humbucker to see if the single-coil mode changes much.
I never heard a lot of difference, although there are some humbuckers that
have coils which are intentionally made different from each other, so each
of the coils might yield a different sound. I tend to use the coil at the
extreme side of the pickup (i.e. coil closest to neck on neck pu; coil
closest to bridge on bridge pu). This takes best advantage of the pu's
location, and also tends to be the coil that has the adjustable poles.
- kevin
From ddk2@bio-3.bsd.uchicago.edu Mon Jan 9 18:31:57 1995
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Path: zip.eecs.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!ncar!uchinews!bio-3!ddk2
From: ddk2@bio-3.bsd.uchicago.edu (Daniel Kearns)
Subject: Re: Coil-Splitting Van Halen? long-ish
Message-ID: <1995Jan9.223323.3727@midway.uchicago.edu>
Followup-To: d-kearns@uchicago.edu
Sender: news@uchinews.uchicago.edu (News System)
Organization: U of Chicago, Biological Sciences Division
References: <Jerry_Loyd.229.000D56BC@hpboi1.desk.hp.com> <3eki60$mrt@peaches.cs.utexas.edu> <3erj38$rcc@hearye.mlb.semi.harris.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 22:33:23 GMT
Lines: 106
geez, maybe I should have started a new thread instead of including
all those attribute lines, but here goes.....
In article <3erj38$rcc@hearye.mlb.semi.harris.com>,
Mike Porter <mgp@suntan.mlb.semi.harris.com> wrote:
>In article <3eki60$mrt@peaches.cs.utexas.edu>,
>Roberto Bayardo <bayardo@cs.utexas.edu> wrote:
>>In article <Jerry_Loyd.229.000D56BC@hpboi1.desk.hp.com>,
>>Jerry Loyd <Jerry_Loyd@hpboi1.desk.hp.com> wrote:
>>>I love the double-coil sound in my bridge pick-up, but would prefer
>>> to have a
>>>single-coil in the neck position. I'm real reluctant to make any
changes to
[snip]
>I personally have not experimented much with parallel coils, so I can't really
>vouch for that. The push-pull knob is my favourite way of switching coils;
>little switches all over the place become annoying and unsightly to me.
[snip]
I have the opposite preference on switches vs. pppots, I think because
I rewired my guitar every couple of months, until I was finally happy,
and the pots just didn't have enough room to be sloppy with the
wiring, whereas a couple new holes in the guit. and I have all the
working area I need.
I also recommend 5-way switches, and I've heard of *7*-way switches
out there, though I've never seen them. The original 5-way on my
Charvel had double poles, which made for some really flexible wiring,
including cool things like combinations of front and rear coils. (If
you have a chance, try wiring the far front and rear coils parallel
out of phase for a groovy sound, or series out of phase, for those who
complain about not enough gain from the close proximity coils)
Eventually I decided it was too complicated to remember which switch
setting was which sound, and I settled on a pattern which I can
actually remember while I'm playing, which I will describe:
There's two humbuckers on my guitar, a five-way switch, and two
three-way toggles, one for each pickup. The five-way switches between
rear alone, front and rear parallel in phase, front, front and rear
parallel out of phase, and rear reversed (just came out that way...).
The bridge pickup toggle does normal humbucking, off, and either series
or parallel out of phase, I forget which. The neck pickup toggle does
parallel out of phase, in phase, and normal humbucking.
But how do they sound, you ask...
The normal humbucking sound everyone is probably familiar with. I
would describe it as meaty and a bit dull. (not necessarily boring)
The parallel sounds are probably my favorites. They are very round and
boingy, good for strumming parts, or for chunky-type parts because
they have a really neat attack. Perhaps my favorite combo is front
parallel out of phase together with rear humbucking. The deficiencies
of both individual settings seem to cancel out, and you're left with a
nice full humbucker sound with a good sharp attack and a nice bouncy
edge.
The out of phase settings I pretty much only use to make fun of tele
players, in moments of country twang or for dueling banjos type
things. Still though, I like to have them around.
There isn't too much difference that I can tell between parallel out
of phase, and in phase. One obviously buzzes a little more and has a
little more volume and presence, and the other is quieter and a little
bit more subdued. I usually opt for out of phase (the quieter one).
And the big Eric Johnson-ish trivia of the day.... is there a
difference between normal humbucking, and reversed normal humbucking?
My answer would have to be that some days I think there is, and some
days I think there isn't. I think of it as effectively making one coil
the 'signal producing' coil and one the 'hum canceling' coil, although
don't flame me just because it may be more myth than physics. I
believe that using the rear coil of the bridge pickup as the 'active'
coil, (meaning the one whose output goes to the tip of the cord)
actually is a little brighter and more bridgey. Then too, there is the
issue of whether current does flow more easily in one direction than
the other, of which I am a convinced fence-sitter.
The component I'm trying to track down now is whether the tone control
works differently when fed from pickups of different impedances. I
expect this will take a while.
As to whether you should modify the musicman evh, I would say go
ahead. There are myriad tonal possibilities to be gained. I don't
think I would drill any new holes into it, but pots and switches can
certainly be replaced with more flexible ones without causing too much
damage. As for replacing the humbucker with a single coil, I'm sure
that many single coils would fit into the routing of the humbucker,
especially if you are willing to slant them, which may be a good idea
anyway. The problem most likely would be in covering up the unsightly
routing from the old humbuckers. (assuming the pickups are mounted to
be flush) If you get a new humbucker with the intention of using only
one coil, I would suggest you get one with a very high output.
Certainly try splitting it parallel before you go that far though.
good luck!
-d
Dan Kearns: | University of Chicago BSDAC | (312) 702-1234
| ddk2@bio-3.bsd.uchicago.edu | X5-1154
| ace@head-cfa.harvard.edu (AXAF) | (work)
http://bio-3.bsd.uchicago.edu/Staff/dan.cgi
From collins_jim@tandem.com Sat Jan 14 13:08:38 1995
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
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From: collins_jim@tandem.com (Jim Collins)
Subject: Re: Pickup choices for Tele
Message-ID: <collins_jim-110195100742@130.252.1.131>
Followup-To: alt.guitar
Sender: news@tandem.com
Nntp-Posting-Host: 130.252.1.131
Organization: Tandem Computers, Inc.
References: <3euft7$18ve@sernews.raleigh.ibm.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 18:36:17 GMT
Lines: 65
X-Disclaimer: This article is not the opinion of Tandem Computers, Inc.
In article <3euft7$18ve@sernews.raleigh.ibm.com>, RKlinck@vnet.ibm.com (Bob
Klinck) wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm building a Telecaster, and must choose my pickups.
> I want nearly the classic Tele sound, with maybe a bit less
> glassy top end and a bit more bass. (I got a mahogany body,
> instead of alder or swamp ash, for these reasons.)
>
> I'd appreciate anyone's opinions on Tele pickups.
> Candidates (and what I've heard about them) include:
>
> - Tom Anderson (don't know anything about the pickups;
> his guitars get great reviews)
> - Joe Barden (endorsed by the late, lamented Mr. Gatton;
> expensive; TOO high output?)
> - Seymour Duncan (good reputation; reasonable price)
> - Lindy Fralin (said to go for the classic Fender sound;
> I've never heard them, or any testimonials)
>
> Thanks for any opinions, -- Bob Klinck
>
I don't know about Anderson pickups. Barden Tele pickups are excellent,
but expensive. These are bright and loud, but I wouldn't call them glassy,
nor would I say their output is too high. I really like these, because the
brightness and loudness gives me much more range on the tone control.
Though these are humbuckers, they behave like single coils (except for the
noise). I have no idea how these beauties would sound on a mahogony body.
Is your fretboard rosewood or maple? This also would make a huge
difference.
I've used a couple of Seymour Duncan Tele models. The '54 bridge and the
Vintage rythmn really sounded nice. Bright, but not brittle. Reasonably
priced. Very good classic sound.
This might be something you'd be interested in. Seymour Duncan HOT Tele
pickups, neck and bridge, but with the tapped version of the bridge pickup.
You wire this with a five-position switch to get some very nice sounds.
You get the tapped bridge, tapped bridge + neck, neck, neck + full bridge,
and full bridge. The full bridge is very beefy and hot, but the tapped
bridge is very much like the '54. The HOT bridge comes in tapped and
untapped versions. I'd make sure to get the tapped version. The full HOT
bridge, though useful, is limited if you like the twang. The two inbetween
postions with this wiring are very cool. Also reasonably priced.
I don't know about Lindy Fralin Tele pickups. I have Lindy Fralins in a
'57 reissue Strat. I like them, but I don't know how his Tele pickups are.
I had a couple of different flavors of Van Zandt pickups in a few Strats,
and I really liked them, too. The Van Zandt True Vintage Strat pickups
were brighter than the Lindy Fralin pickups. I mention this, because I had
Van Zandt True Vintage Tele pickups in a '52 reissue, and took them out
right away. Much too dark. I just bought a custom made Tele with a great
clubby, soft V maple neck. It had Van Zandts in it, too, and I yanked 'em.
Too dark. The bridge gives a nice Albert Collins bite, but not enough
twang for other type of work. The Van Zandt neck pickup was too muddy to
be of much use to me.
When you are wiring your Tele, you might come across a diagram that uses
a small capacitor, about .001 mf, as a treble boost. They put this between
the middle and outside lugs of the volume control. The idea is that at
lower volumes, more highs will be passed through, so you won't get a muddy
tone when the volume is low. I've never liked this wiring. When the
guitar's volume pot is low, it is indeed bright, and you notice a
significant difference as you raise the volume. A volume swell will be a
surprise. The tone gets nice and full as you bring the volume up. To me,
it sounds smoother without that cap.
Good luck with the search.
Jimmy
From ipu-kt@inet.uni-c.dk Sat Jan 14 13:40:44 1995
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From: ipu-kt@inet.uni-c.dk (Jim Radmer)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: strat pickup technical info
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 17:26:47 GMT
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In the guitar magazine, volume 1, issue 9 jan '92 Kent Armstrong writes
about the stratocaster pickup. Heres a short version with only the hard
facts :
>From unwinding the 73'rd strat made, he found :
- It had 8255 turns of wire
- The wire was 0,06334 mm dia equals 42 AWG
After 20 years of rewinding, Kent uses between 8400 and 8500 turns of
wire, this seems to give the best results.
The main features of a 50's strat pickup is as follows :
- The coil is 11 mm high
- Pole piece separation : 57,5 mm
- Bottom mounting plate is 2,5 mm thick fiber board
- Top plate is 1,7 mm thick
The six magnets differ in height :
- E (1'st) : 16,7 mm
- B : 15,7 mm
- G : 17,4 mm
- D : 18,2 mm
- A : 17,5 mm
- E : 17,5 mm
- All magnets are 5 mm in dia with bevelled top only
The two ends of the coil wire are tied off in the eyelets on the bottom
plate when the pickup is hot-waxed. The pickup is immersed in low-melting
point paraffin wax for approx. 2 hours. The wax replaces the air between
the layers of wire. This reduces microfonic feedback.
Since the 50' many changes were made. In the late 60' and the 70's Fender
changed the number of turns to 7600 of AWG 42 wire to give a brighter
sound.
Other models include the reverse wound and reverse polarity of the magnets
on the current American standard. The middle pickup is made this way,
resulting in a hum cancelling effect when used together with the front
or rear pickup.
'Mellowing' of old pickups is caused by magnetic deterioration. In terms
of sound it chops off the high peaks, they become less dominant and
generally the output drops in the same way as if the pickup is screwed
away from the strings.
In Kent Armstrongs opinion, if you don't have a set of vintage originals
then Seymour Duncans 'vintage staggered' pickups are as close as you get.
Thats all folks, I hope is will be of use to other than me. I just made
3 SC pickups with the middle pickup RW/RP and only 5400 turns of 0,07 mm
dia wire. I have 5 mm dia 20 mm long Alnico magnets. I haven't tried them
yet, but I will in 2-3 weeks time, when the (also homemade) guitar is
finished.
- Jim Radmer
From battle@umbc.edu Mon Jan 16 21:44:47 1995
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From: battle@umbc.edu (Rick)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar
Subject: Strat PU height setting/tone?
Date: 16 Jan 1995 18:23:31 -0500
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I have experimented with the Texas Specials on my '93 Am Strat
to get the best tone for the inbetween settings. The middle to neck
tone doesnt seem to be as sensitive. BUT, if you are off by 1 to 2/64ths
for the middle to bridge, the classic Fender ping is gone.
Here is what I use.
middle base side top of white housing to top of string 13/64
middle trebble side top of white housing to top of string 12/64
bridge base side top of white housing to top of string 13/64
bridge trebble side top of white housing to top of string 12/64
The tone I was going for is the SRV sound for Testify, beginning of the
number. I dearly love that sound. The stock pu on the Am Standard are
OK, but the Texas Specials really do it.
My question for those who have investigated such things, have you found
a relationship between pu settings and the tone gererated when using the
inbetween position of the 5 way switch? Did you use measurements, ie T-square
with 64ths so you could duplicate the results rather than just guess? Any
findings that confirm/deny what I have come up with?
I understand, not every strat is equal. However, the Texas Specials are
supposed to be matched, calibrated, and balanced for the set. So there
may very well be a difference between sets.
Any comments?
Rick Battle
Annapolis, Md.