Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

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Jondog
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Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by Jondog » Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:01 pm

Always mainly been a single coil guy. Had lots of humbuckers over the years, but I just get tired of them. I feel more articulation and expression with single coils. I’ve tried to avoid “hot” humbuckers and stuck to vintage output models. With this new Hagstrom I got, mahogony body with a maple cap, I thought I’d experiment. It comes stock with Hagstrom Custom 58 pickups, which are actually great sounding pickups, as good as any I’ve tried. Alnico 5 magnets and vintage output. 7.5k in the neck and 8.4k in the bridge. I pulled them out, played around with some pickups I had in the drawer. Finally I stuck the Hagstrom neck pickup 7.5k into the bridge slot and it sounds close to what I’m after. Very responsive, crunchy, and clear. Really having fun with it, get that “woody” sound. Resembles more of the type of sound I get with my Seymour D Twangbanger single coil (ac/dc on a strat thread).
I’ve read the vintage Gibson T tops were around 7.5k and had a short A5 magnet and they describe the sound I want, so I was a bit inspired by that. I’ve ordered some Alnico 4 magnets I may replace the 5’s with. They’re a bit weaker and will more resemble the short A5 magnet more I hope. I looked into T top replicas, but it only cost me $15 for 2 A4 magnets, compared to a couple hundred $ so I’ll try that first.
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Les Paul Lover
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by Les Paul Lover » Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:45 pm

Right.....

So you've just got a lovely guitar, and you've already messed around changing the pick ups.....

Now, you're plotting to modify the pick ups witj different magnets. It sounds very interesting...!!!

Now, you have previous history in.....


- making stomp boxes
- modding amps
- making amps - from your own adapted schematics

Jon, how long before you actually make your first pick up?
Ant

Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5


Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute

Les Paul Lover
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by Les Paul Lover » Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:54 pm

It's funny though, I sort of come from the other side. I love the fullness of humbuckers. That rich, thick warmth, the full low end.... love it.

I also have a strat type (Vigier Expert) but even that one has noiseless Di Marzio single coil (stacked humbuckers) pick ups. They still retain all the treble, but have slightly more low end than a regular strat.

And as much as i love how it sounds, I prefer vintage low output humbuckers. Especially the Gibson Burstbucker Pro in my LP. They have alnico V magnets too, and are really quite trebly.

My discovery recently has been the G&L jumbo MFD single coils. Very full sounding, almost as thick as a humbucker, but much more detail in the treble. Really great pick ups.
Ant

Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5


Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute

Jondog
Duke of Orange
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Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by Jondog » Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:12 pm

Les Paul Lover wrote:
Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:45 pm
Right.....

So you've just got a lovely guitar, and you've already messed around changing the pick ups.....

Now, you're plotting to modify the pick ups witj different magnets. It sounds very interesting...!!!

Now, you have previous history in.....


- making stomp boxes
- modding amps
- making amps - from your own adapted schematics

Jon, how long before you actually make your first pick up?
:lol: To be fair I never intended to keep the pickups stock in it. I have looked into winding my own, but with the price of kits, doesn’t seem worth all the trouble. Im not going to buy a winder/counter and I’m not really interested in counting and winding by hand. I’ve modded them in the past, potting them, swapping magnets etc...usually just a GFS pickup or similar.
It’s just in my nature to mess with stuff to get it to work the way I want. I’ve always been a mechanically and hands on driven person.
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pedecamp
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by pedecamp » Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:43 am

Jondog wrote:
Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:01 pm
Always mainly been a single coil guy. Had lots of humbuckers over the years, but I just get tired of them. I feel more articulation and expression with single coils. I’ve tried to avoid “hot” humbuckers and stuck to vintage output models. With this new Hagstrom I got, mahogony body with a maple cap, I thought I’d experiment. It comes stock with Hagstrom Custom 58 pickups, which are actually great sounding pickups, as good as any I’ve tried. Alnico 5 magnets and vintage output. 7.5k in the neck and 8.4k in the bridge. I pulled them out, played around with some pickups I had in the drawer. Finally I stuck the Hagstrom neck pickup 7.5k into the bridge slot and it sounds close to what I’m after. Very responsive, crunchy, and clear. Really having fun with it, get that “woody” sound. Resembles more of the type of sound I get with my Seymour D Twangbanger single coil (ac/dc on a strat thread).
I’ve read the vintage Gibson T tops were around 7.5k and had a short A5 magnet and they describe the sound I want, so I was a bit inspired by that. I’ve ordered some Alnico 4 magnets I may replace the 5’s with. They’re a bit weaker and will more resemble the short A5 magnet more I hope. I looked into T top replicas, but it only cost me $15 for 2 A4 magnets, compared to a couple hundred $ so I’ll try that first.
I'm an alnico 2 fan, both my Gibsons have alnico pickups in them, burstbucker 1 and 2 in my LP and 57+ and 57 in my SG, they are low gain paf style pickups in the 7-8 range nice vintage tone.
Thunderverb 50
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satchmodog
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by satchmodog » Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:56 pm

I love humbuckers, but listening to my friend outplay me and observing his style I noticed he also is mostly a so gle coil neck player, regardless of what's in the bridge. He also owns his own custom pickup company and I had him make me his metal set last fall. After months of power chords and unkachunking, I used the coil splits and now I dig that single in the neck, too. In my Egnater 88 and Rocker 32 it's articulate AF.
If anyone is interested in some absolutely amazing pups and covers, look up Dominger. I gutted all my guitars except my Led Paul and Schecter.

Hubaxe
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by Hubaxe » Fri Jun 08, 2018 6:09 am

Have you tried P90 housed as humbuckers ?
They are a good mix of both world, still articulated with grint and more beefy mids.
I found a cheap pair in UK (Axesrus brand), and they are really good.
As I have more time, I'll restart to wound pickups by myself, it's a really interesting hobby. I did quite a few in the past with mixed success :lol:
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Hubaxe
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by Hubaxe » Fri Jun 08, 2018 6:13 am

pedecamp wrote:
Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:43 am
I'm an alnico 2 fan, both my Gibsons have alnico pickups in them, burstbucker 1 and 2 in my LP and 57+ and 57 in my SG, they are low gain paf style pickups in the 7-8 range nice vintage tone.
People often forgot to experiment Volume pots values. Sometime this saves a pickup swap. If a pickup is too bright, lower the value of pots (eg 300kohm instead of 500kohm).

Burstbuckers work very well with gibson standard pots (300k), and are terrible with higher values (IMHO).
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burnsy
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Re: Finally on the right track with Humbuckers

Post by burnsy » Sat Jun 09, 2018 1:39 pm

Flipping magnets in pickups is a great way to experiment and chase the sound your after. Replacement magnets are much cheaper than replacement pickups and may give you what you are looking for.
I spent a while shuffling pickups on my Standard until I saw a recommendation on the Les Paul Forum, which suggested an A4 in the neck and an A8 in the bridge of my Classic 57's was the way to go.
Perfect balance and perfect sound for me.

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