Low Wind Imperials in a Superpro?

[Whoismarykelly]

I've got a slightly custom Monaco Superpro (ebony board is the only change to the formula I think) that I really like the feel of but I think the higher output Custom Custom/Custom configuration is making it more of a big rock guitar than I need. It would prob be better off with a bit less output and low end from the pickups because of how fat the inherent sound of the instrument is. Has anyone put Lollar Low Wind Imperials or another similar pickup in a Superpro?

[django49]

 

Mine is a bit more customized I guess. Korina body and neck, f holes, upgraded binding, etc....All from the factory, not aftermarket, aside from the MaryAnn/Ginger poker chip. It has the regular wind Lollar Imperials, not low wind. A great match. YMMV, of course. Of the very many Hamers I have owned, this is probably the last one I will ever let go.

To extent DCR is meaningful, the Custom Custom is around 14, while the Imperials are designed to be "PAF style", at around 7.6 and 8.4, with the low winds being a bit lower. 

I am inclined to think the low wind might be less desirable, though they are touted as being a good match for hollow and semi hollow guitars.

I have multiple guitars with the Imperials and never have been disappointed. FWIW, a more recent acquisition has the high wind in the bridge. In that guitar I think it works great, though I might add each pickups has a 3 way switch to go from series to parallel to single coil. In that case, I think the higher wind gives more versatility, as you can dial back the output.....But you most likely do not want to mess with adding holes to yours for mini-switches. 😉To be clear, this guitar does NOT have any such switching, just the regular 3 way.

 

[Whoismarykelly]

Much appreciated! I have regular Imperials in a Collings City Limits and they are lovely bright punchy pickups. I've had the high wind bridge/regular neck in another guitar and I thought the high wind was barely different. Mostly been looking at the low winds because of their use in the Collings semihollows and other instruments where the chassis is darker and doesn't need a bunch of low end from the pickup. 

DCR aint everything but Ive always found the "middle hot" Duncans to be overly chunky and from an era when the amps didn't necessarily provide all the gain/low end you could want. With this guitar I find Im trying to get the brightness back where the Duncans just feel cloudy in that real low mid area. 

[Jakeboy]

My recently-acquired Monaco Monaco has SD Seth Lovers which are a low wind and they sound fab in this guitar. I usually change out stock pickups,  but not this time. The guitar is bright, articulate, and  very sweet sounding. I say go for it. I think the spruce top benefits from a lower output pickup. My Newport did as well.

[kizanski]

55 minutes ago, Jakeboy said:

My recently-acquired Monaco Monaco has SD Seth Lovers which are a low wind and they sound fab in this guitar. I usually change out stock pickups,  but not this time. 

Seths wouldn't be stock for a Monaco.  If they're original it must have been  a custom order.

[Jakeboy]

I believe it may have been a custom order cause the wiring looks original. The first I noticed sonically was that the pickups were unpotted and beautifully bright. Sure enough, Seth’s.

[RobB]

2 hours ago, Jakeboy said:

I believe it may have been a custom order cause the wiring looks original. The first I noticed sonically was that the pickups were unpotted and beautifully bright. Sure enough, Seth’s.

I installed a pair in my Navigator Explorer. Perfect match, albeit a bit microphonic if I stand too close to a raging Marshall.

[duncans]

I've had a set of Gravelin Low Winds in a 25th Anniversary Artist that sounded pretty darn good. I've since sold both in my never ending quest for whatever it is I'm looking for.

[Disturber]

The problem with the Super Pro is that it is missing the center block. It's totally hollow under the bridge pickup. Low output pickups, (to my ears - and it drove me nuts), makes it sound like a big acoustic guitar with a humbucker innit. It sounded fine when played at moderate levels.

I've tried many bridge pickups in my Super Pro. Never satisfied with the tone when the guitar was loud. But since I stuck a 1970's JB in there I am satisfied. And an old Duncan Custom in the neck. I had the Duncan/Fender EVH humbucker in the bridge for a while. It is similar to the original Custom Custom, but with an Eddie twist. It also sounded good, but not as good as the JB with the A5 mag, which makes it tighter. I had a 10K Slammer in there and the 17K Slammer as well. 10K sounded acoustic, the 17K worked. But not as good as the old JB.

I find that hot pickups works best with the Super Pro construction. Hamer put hot pickups in there for a reason. They absolutely knew their shit when they constructed these guitars and choose the pickups for it. 

If I want to rock out I usually have the volume on 8-9 on the bridge, and most often at 10 on the neck volume. I bring the bridge volume down even more for a more Paf-like Gibson LP type of tone. Works like a charm. The openess of the body needs a hot tight pickup to balance it out.

The only guitar I have that I think benefits from a compressor pedal is also the Super Pro, to dial out that nasty feel of an acoustic guitar. Just a tad of compression, but the guitar likes it for a good hard rock tone. Not necessary, but it brings in some extra mojo and focuses the tone. Especially the low E-string can ring like on an acoustic guitar, very hard to dial out. 

When I play the Super Pro through a Deluxe Reverb, or similar, with a clean tone or slightly over driven, I just roll the volume down to perhaps 5-6. Then I get the output of a weaker paf. But It still does not sound so damn acoustic, like it did when I've had weak pickups innit. It just sounds way better with the old JB and the volume down to half than with a 7,5-8k paf style humbucker.

The only paf-style humbucker that I thought sounded good in the SP was an old busted up Gibson Burstbucker in the bridge, and it was the best Keef sounding guitar I've heard. (I should have kept that humbucker in a drawer, damn fool to sell it, so dirty sounding). But as soon as I plugged the guitar into my Marshall and turned up the volume I sounded like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. 

So hot pickups is where it's at for the Super Pro, take my word for it.
edit:  I also adjust the pickups much farther from the strings than I would on a solid body. Use your ears. They should sound and react more like paf's, even if they are hot. That is when you hit the sweet spot.

Btw, I also put a small piece of cloth - like the size of a small sock - inside the guitar at the top side of the block that is under the bridge. It dampens the guitar just a tad. I tried different sizes and one, or more pieces in different places in the guitar to dampen. To much kills the tone so I just have a very small cloth in there to keep the air from moving all around the bridge. You might like it, you might not. But I can be worth a try. It's a cheap way to mess with the tone of the SP.  

Edited 1 hour ago by Disturber