Which pickup would you use? BIGTIME Pickup quandary

[Big_Rob]

Im assuming the higher the resistance the hotter the pickup. With that said, I want something that will sound better than that stock mexi strat pickups

The price on these pickups are unbeatable and Im going to buy a set, I just need some advice on which one.

Heres my quandary

Vintage? <- not hot enough for hard rock???
http://store.guitarfetish.com/vistsewhwobl.html

Overwound? <- possibly too hot to keep a surfy sound???
http://store.guitarfetish.com/ovstserewowh.html

 

[duhvoodooman]

Probably doesn't matter much, 'cuz even the overwound one isn't super-hot, but keep this in mind: It's easy enough to add gain/distortion through amps and pedals, but awfully hard to clean up what's already dirty! Kind of like trying to take salt out of your soup....

 

[WackyT]

Off Topic A Bit
I know this'll probably sound stupid, but is it OK to put regular right-handed pickups in my left-handed guitar? Do you just install them rotated 180° so the correct pole is under the correct string?
Back To Topic

 

[Big_Rob]

Probably doesn't matter much, 'cuz even the overwound one isn't super-hot, but keep this in mind: It's easy enough to add gain/distortion through amps and pedals, but awfully hard to clean up what's already dirty! Kind of like trying to take salt out of your soup....

I hear what your saying, Thats my quandary.

Would you think that the overwounds are comparable to the Texas Specials? and the Vintage maybe equivalent to the Fat 50s?

 

[Big_Rob]

Off Topic A Bit
I know this'll probably sound stupid, but is it OK to put regular right-handed pickups in my left-handed guitar? Do you just install them rotated 180° so the correct pole is under the correct string?
Back To Topic

I would think that you would need to get lefty pickups because of the reversed poles., I dont know though.

 

[Big_Rob]

I ordered the overwounds, If I dont like the sound they make Im only out 21.00

 

[duhvoodooman]

I would you think that the overwounds are comparable to the Texas Specials? and the Vintage maybe equivalent to the Fat 50s?

Something like that, I would expect.

I ordered a set of the overwounds myself. Couldn't pass up that deal!! The desciption said they sounded "sweet & vintagey", so they can't be super-hot.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Off Topic A Bit
I know this'll probably sound stupid, but is it OK to put regular right-handed pickups in my left-handed guitar? Do you just install them rotated 180° so the correct pole is under the correct string?
Back To Topic

Yes, just mount them upside-down. Physical orientation doesn't affect their electromagnetic polarity.

 

[WackyT]

Yes, just mount them upside-down. Physical orientation doesn't affect their electromagnetic polarity.

Thanks DVM.

 

[Big_Rob]

Something like that, I would expect.

I ordered a set of the overwounds myself. Couldn't pass up that deal!! The desciption said they sounded "sweet & vintagey", so they can't be super-hot.

21 dollars plus change is too good a deal to pass up. And like I said, If I dont like em, I can always put on my stocks

 

[kerc]

I'll just post here what my MIM Tele has right now:

Bridge

A very hot and BOLD ALNICO vintage Tele bridge pickup with TONE, TONE, TONE!! A cool and unique pickup- priced right.

I've installed a couple of these and been blown away by how full and rich they sound, and yet how damn snappy they are. You know the problem with Tele bridge pickups- you've got the "vintage" Tele bridge pickups that usually sound just a bit too thin and have just a bit too little output for modern needs- and the "Beefed Up" Tele pickups that sound more like humbuckers. I think the Hot TC Alnico strike a nice balance. Big, fat and warm, but with the kind of focused Tele intensity that really drives an amp. The copper baseplate gives you a tremendously nice balance between tele "Snap" and P90 growl- The overwound coil clocks in at around 10K, which gives this pickup a bit more OOMPH.

The "Hot TC Alnico" bridge pickup is built to rock- sweet correct vintage styled Alnico 5 magnets- flat cut polepieces, cool vintage cloth coil wrap, ultra thin vintage style copper windings, all beautifully vacuum impregnated with genuine Paraffin wax.

Neck

The World's Best, biggest, snapiest and most toneful Tele Neck Pickups!! You know the problem with Tele neck pickups- The great looking and vintage correct chrome covered pickups tend to sound dead and totally bassy- And even if you get them overwound there's still no string snap- Hey- why should the Strat players have all the fun??

Back in the 80's I used to make these by hand- I'd start with a set of Strat fiber bobbins, carefully shave them down with an exact knife- drill out the holes to accomodate P Bass polepieces, the lacquer dip em, wind with 42 gauge Formvar wire on my sweet 1/2 HP Baldor motor pickup winding rig, wax dip the whole thing and dress it up with correct vintage black cord.

The HUGE polepieces looked amazing, and my tele had the kind of string snap and presence that NO TELE ON EARTH HAD. I played all over the place with that guitar, and due to popular request I sold a bunch for $90, even sold a few to some then-famous rock stars.

15 years later I finally had the scratch to have a proper run of these made, using my exact formula- I gotta say- these are amazing! These are ALNICO polepieces, all corect vintage everything, even cloth covered wires. I promise you- there is no better tele neck pickup on the planet if you're after bg, bold tone.

As always, your mileage might vary, but I find this combination pretty cool, preserving twang on the bridge, while adding a lot of beef to the neck.

And here's a pic of my Tele just for fun.

 

[marnold]

Nice tele! Should I assume that you put the stock cover on the pickup?

 

[Spudman]

I have the Alnico Fatbody in my Tele Special neck position. It sounds more like a Strat pickup. So if that is what you want it's a good pickup for it. Otherwise, IMHO it doesn't sound Tele any more.

 

[kerc]

Nice tele! Should I assume that you put the stock cover on the pickup?

Thanks, and yup.

 

[marnold]

I was toying with the idea of getting some Fatboys for my Charvel. Any clips?

 

[Big K]

Overwound? <- possibly too hot to keep a surfy sound???
http://store.guitarfetish.com/ovstserewowh.html

the overwound set has a texas bridge (hot) and a warmed over middle with a vintage neck.... nice overall sound...

 

[duhvoodooman]

BTW, anybody know who the "major manufacturer" who makes these is? Seymour Duncan? DiMarzio? Somebody else?

 

[Big_Rob]

I sent them an email asking who it was and heres what Jay sent me back this reply

Our description on the item page is all the info we can disclose.

Jay

 

[Big_Rob]

the overwound set has a texas bridge (hot) and a warmed over middle with a vintage neck.... nice overall sound...

Sweet!!! That makes me so stoked that I bought them.

 

[marnold]

BTW, anybody know who the "major manufacturer" who makes these is? Seymour Duncan? DiMarzio? Somebody else?

If Big K or someone can tell us what the color scheme is of the leads, we can probably figure it out or at least narrow the choices down.

 

[Big K]

Red, Yellow & White Leads with Black Grounds.... (yellow is the reverse wound middle)

 

[Big_Rob]

Well, since hes got prices too good to pass up, im going to do a total electronics upgrade including pickups for my MIM Strat.

55.00 total

I was going to first just replace the pickups and use the existing electronics, but for the price hes charging I figured just to wire a whole new pickguard and leave the stock pickguard whole so I can keep the original parts together.

Electronics:
http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/costupelcoki.html

Pickguard:
http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/whssspiforst.html

Pickups:
http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/ovstserewowh.html


I cant wait to get them, Ill give everyone here my review on the parts when I get them sometime next week.

Im also prolly going to so the shielding mod when I have the pickguard off. Anyone here done that on their guitar yet?

 

[Big K]

Good Luck with the upgrade...


suggestion might be to upgrade the ceramic disk capacitors with either Orange Drops

http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/spordrtoca0f.html

or

Mojo Dijon, Mallory, Silver Mica, Sprague, Oil filled, etc.......


the others seem to be a little smoother than the ceramic disk type......

 

[marnold]

Red, Yellow & White Leads with Black Grounds.... (yellow is the reverse wound middle)

Well, according to this chart, that describes absolutely no manufacturer's normal color scheme.

Edit: OK, that page just has humbuckers. Clearly I'm an idiot.

 

[kerc]

Well, since hes got prices too good to pass up, im going to do a total electronics upgrade including pickups for my MIM Strat.

55.00 total

I was going to first just replace the pickups and use the existing electronics, but for the price hes charging I figured just to wire a whole new pickguard and leave the stock pickguard whole so I can keep the original parts together.

Electronics:
http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/costupelcoki.html

Pickguard:
http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/whssspiforst.html

Pickups:
http://yhst-50206111187217.stores.yahoo.net/ovstserewowh.html


I cant wait to get them, Ill give everyone here my review on the parts when I get them sometime next week.

Im also prolly going to so the shielding mod when I have the pickguard off. Anyone here done that on their guitar yet?

I have those pups in my old Hamer Strat clone and although they're not made by GFS, they's pretty good, lotsa balls and good Strat tones. You'll be happy.

 

[Big_Rob]

I have those pups in my old Hamer Strat clone and although they're not made by GFS, they's pretty good, lotsa balls and good Strat tones. You'll be happy.

Sweeet!

 

[F_BSurfer]

I purchased a overwound set a few months back and for the money they are really decent......... neck pup in my set is muddy but middle and bridge is real nice

 

[Dauntless]

I put a set of these http://store.guitarfetish.com/sttalstpiset.html in a '70s Stat and have to say that I am very much pleased with them.
Thinking, at some point I may go for the '70s non staggard gray bottoms.