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Newport Pups


FGJ

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I'm sure this has been covered here ad infinitum, but I'm too lazy to look it up, so I'm jst going to start from scratch:

I really like the Phat Cats in my Newport, but every time I see a guitar with TV Jones I get a hankerin' to try them out. Thing is, I wouldn't try replacing them myself and the time and cost of getting it done just to be disappointed prevents me from taking the plunge. So what say you? Phat Cats or TV Jones? I realize they're very different, but what do most people prefer in a spruce top Newport?

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Also interested in trying TV jones. I never bonded with the Phat Cats. Just to shrill and metallic sounding. Have humbuckers in it now. Much better. Been thinking of trying a set of 57 Classics too, or to go down the TV Jones route (Powertrons), just because....

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The thing is, I do like the Phat Cats a lot. My obsession with the Jones is pretty lame because it's more that they look so cool, I'm just wondering if they sound great in the Newport. 

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I had a newport with seths in it.  Great guitar.  I've had guitars with p-90s, DDs and phat cats too.  All good ... somewhat different flavors.

If you want to try that tron sound without busting the budget, try the GFS versions.  Are they as good as what josh will wind for you or the jones version - no.  But they are in the ballpark.  They'll help you decide if the sound you're hearing through your guitar, pedals and amp are for you.  Then you can decide if it's worth it to take the plunge.  

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I left the Cats in my Newport for a year. Sounded fine, but they weren’t P90s. The cool thing to me is that they were DESIGNED for the Newport. 

That said, I had Aaron at Rumpelstiltskin Pickups wind me a set of vintage wind Rumpel’trons, his filter clones. I had them in my Artist and loved them so into the Newport they went.

They aren’t coming out. More versatile than the Cats and just sound right, clean or nasty. They do Malcolm Young to Brian Setzer to Tom Petty and anything else. The Newport is my #1 blues guitar at the moment with those pickups. Contact Aaron and tell him Mark sent you...or Josh...or TV. 

Oh, and yeah, they do look cool. 

 

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I *love* tinkering (it's what sent me down the slippery slope to building), but TBH I don't think switching from Phat Cats to Filtertron-type PUs will be all *that* big a change. I had Phat Cats in my old Newport and Classics in a MIM 60s Strat I hacked up, so not an apples-to-apples experience, but there are definitely some similarities in the voicing of those PUs. Classics might have a bit more top and bottom end to them, if I had to guess. They do look cool, though, so whatever makes you happy. Lollar makes a HB-sized Filtertron-type PU, FWIW.

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Personally, I'm very fond of both Phat Cats and TVJ Classics.  I'd vote for going with TVJ Classics just to change things up.

Have you considered having the rewired guitar set up so that a subsequent swap won't be difficult?  I've wired quick disconnect connections into guitars, and have been happy with it.  My tech told me they should be shielded, but I never noticed an issue.  I suppose one could wrap the connections in shielded tape.

FWIW, I think the fine print of the TVJ Classics User's Agreement requires you switch to a wound G.

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19 hours ago, jim777 said:

P-Rails?

What I was asking in a thread last week. I'm still considering trying them out.

I'd prefer, 'cause they look fancy, to keep the original metal pickup surrounds. But the Triple Shot pickup surrounds might be nescessary to bring out the best of the P-rails... That is a bummer.

 

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Best way to go certainly is to have a Newport die any kind of pickup in question. B)

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@FGJ, what did you end up going with?

FWIW, this thread inspired me to: (1) put Phat Cats into a Studio and (2) put Filter'trons (actually, Lollar'Trons) into a Newport Pro. 

I'm very pleased with the Phat Cats in the Studio, so far, despite the pickups being only roughly set-up.  The 'Trons haven't yet arrived.  This will be my first attempt at swapping pickups in a hollow-body; somewhat nervous about how that can go awry.

 

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MichaelB, let us know how you dig the Trons once installed.

I used the “Dan Erlewine Method” and simply cut the wires at a nice length, and soldered “hooks” together on the old wires and the new pickup wires, securely wrapped them in tape, tied it off and called it a day. This way I didn’t disturb the original solder joints on the pots. Worked for me and was way easier than removing the entire harness assembly. When soldering wires together, using hooks or some other mechanical connection just prior to flowing solder creates a very secure connection.

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5 hours ago, Jakeboy said:

MichaelB, let us know how you dig the Trons once installed.

I used the “Dan Erlewine Method” and simply cut the wires at a nice length, and soldered “hooks” together on the old wires and the new pickup wires, securely wrapped them in tape, tied it off and called it a day. This way I didn’t disturb the original solder joints on the pots. Worked for me and was way easier than removing the entire harness assembly. When soldering wires together, using hooks or some other mechanical connection just prior to flowing solder creates a very secure connection.

Makes sense.  Of course, my inclination is to always do things the hard way.  Maybe, I'll show some sense this time.

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On 10/25/2018 at 3:28 AM, FGJ said:

Perhaps it's just late and I'm sleepy, but I didn't understand that sentence. What is meant by "die any kind of pickup"?

I'm thinking it's a bit of German sneaking through.

I'm no speaker of German, but die is the article for "the", so I'm thinking Gorch was saying it's great to have a Newport with any kind of pickup.

 

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20 minutes ago, Toadroller said:

I'm thinking it's a bit of German sneaking through.

I'm no speaker of German, but die is the article for "the", so I'm thinking Gorch was saying it's great to have a Newport with any kind of pickup.

 

Oh yes, that was an iPhone autocorrect effect. I meant it’s worth to have a Newport FOR any kind of pickup in question. Exactly, they way our own Belgian made it. I think he has the most wonderful collection of Newports around. He actually understood the sentence and liked it.

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On 10/19/2018 at 7:35 AM, 0054 said:

Phat Cats were too hot for my taste in my Newport. As much as I liked the guitar it didn't sound right to me, it was not a P90 sound for sure. At low volumes it wasn't sweet and cranked it took character away from the guitar. I got a set GTrons from Josh, very vintage, very low output. Sounds amazing.

Talk to Josh.

Tell it, Brother. Tell it. Amen.

I too am not happy with the stock pickups in my Newport. I don't know if they're Phat Cats or what as I don't have enough confidence to pull my guitars apart.

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