Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

Just one more set of pickups...


bubs_42

Recommended Posts

I told myself. LOL I bought my R8 and the pickups were horrible. They were burst bucker 2 in the neck and a 3 in the bridge and I didn't care for them at all. So I swapped them out for a pair of 1987 Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro's and was disappointed, they were great, but not for me. Not enough point on the attack and the low strings didn't have enough punch. Then I bought the Hamer Phantom and it had an early 90's 57 Classic in the bridge. I pulled it out and put it in the bridge of the R8. Now we were getting some where. @murkat hooked me up with a wiring harness so I could take out the crap OEM harness and we were really really close. I searched for an old 57 classic for the neck, finding one on Ebay. I bought it and put it in and WOW, that neck pickup was warm and clear with detail. It sounded so good it made the bridge pickup sound like shit. 

So I thought about it, and the bridge pup had a cover and the neck pickup didn't. I didn't want to remove the cover, so after a while I decided to buy a completely different humbucker set. I dropped as set of Dimarzio Master Paf's (Full Vintage Treatment) and the bridge was clear and had bite, but even though the neck was ok, it wasn't that 57 Classic. So after a couple of weeks, I said I'm putting the 57's back in and i'm going to remove that cover from the bridge pickup. So tonight I did just that, and when I pulled that cover off I found that the cover wasn't sealed to the top of the pickup and I had a full 1/32 to a 1/16 of wax between the top of the pickup and the cover. I removed all that wax, left the cover off and popped the pickups back in the guitar. BAM! there was that tone I was looking for, all the bite in the high strings, the punch in the low strings. The middle position is tele'ish  and the neck is beautifully clear from the bass notes to the treble notes. 

So for at least another two or three days, I'll be satisfied. LOL 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But seriously, folks. Your comments don’t bode well for my new set of uninstalled PAF Masters. I’ll have to let my own ears decide. They’ve gotta be better than the overwound, OEM ceramic monsters in my LP Classic. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, bubs_42 said:

I told myself. LOL I bought my R8 and the pickups were horrible. They were burst bucker 2 in the neck and a 3 in the bridge and I didn't care for them at all. So I swapped them out for a pair of 1987 Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro's and was disappointed, they were great, but not for me. Not enough point on the attack and the low strings didn't have enough punch. Then I bought the Hamer Phantom and it had an early 90's 57 Classic in the bridge. I pulled it out and put it in the bridge of the R8. Now we were getting some where. @murkat hooked me up with a wiring harness so I could take out the crap OEM harness and we were really really close. I searched for an old 57 classic for the neck, finding one on Ebay. I bought it and put it in and WOW, that neck pickup was warm and clear with detail. It sounded so good it made the bridge pickup sound like shit. 

So I thought about it, and the bridge pup had a cover and the neck pickup didn't. I didn't want to remove the cover, so after a while I decided to buy a completely different humbucker set. I dropped as set of Dimarzio Master Paf's (Full Vintage Treatment) and the bridge was clear and had bite, but even though the neck was ok, it wasn't that 57 Classic. So after a couple of weeks, I said I'm putting the 57's back in and i'm going to remove that cover from the bridge pickup. So tonight I did just that, and when I pulled that cover off I found that the cover wasn't sealed to the top of the pickup and I had a full 1/32 to a 1/16 of wax between the top of the pickup and the cover. I removed all that wax, left the cover off and popped the pickups back in the guitar. BAM! there was that tone I was looking for, all the bite in the high strings, the punch in the low strings. The middle position is tele'ish  and the neck is beautifully clear from the bass notes to the treble notes. 

So for at least another two or three days, I'll be satisfied. LOL 

All you had to do was ask josh to make you what you heard in your head and you could’ve saved a bunch of time...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I discovered years ago I like pickups without covers!! They seemed to feedback quicker and didn’t have the “Cut” I liked to hear! 

I’m glad you found some winners!!! Pickups can be a very frustrating and expensive Rabbit Hole!!  And no covers looks cool to me...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Travis said:

All you had to do was ask josh to make you what you heard in your head and you could’ve saved a bunch of time...

Then what the hell would I do with all my time, the stuff i'm actually supposed to do? WTF? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@django49 , bigger pickups = bigger tone?  

My next two Shishkov's will have pickups of different flavors that I am used to using. Its super hard for me to ask Josh to wind me pickups to match a guitar, we did talk one about meeting up and doing a pickup on site. If I change pickups out of any of my Shishkov's they will be Gravelin's and we may just have to sit down and do it together. 

Personally I love to tweak, to my detriment, and sometimes I eventually come all the way back around to where I started. Pickups and Speakers are a weakness they are easy to swap, I can do it myself, and it makes a huge difference in tone, and feel of a guitar or amp. 

Pickups are getting  easier because I stick to certain perimeters or close to them.

Speakers, I have worked through enough of them to know where my baseline is and now I try to work around the variations of that speaker.  

Pots, don't even get me started. I have one set of pots in one guitar that are just the most amazing set and they are no longer made. I have been slacking on contacting the manufacturer about ordering some direct. I'll get around to it someday. 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

bigger pickups = bigger tone?  

Bigger? Better? All subjective. The Ronin "Foilbuckers" are rather unique. A modern take on the old gold foils from inexpensive guitars way back when. These are humbuckers that can be split, so they are very versatile. More of a clean and, maybe, "airy" tone than a modern HB. I really like them. The newer Lollar Gold Foils appeal to my ears a bit more....As in, a bit "more" there. OTOH, the Ronins are more versatile. How much of that is due to the typical Ronin guitar with a body of "ancient redwood" is a question, but I do think the pickups are a great option. Though probably NOT for a guitar you already have specced out for something more traditional.

Def worth trying if you ever get a chance. And there are some decent demos on You Tube.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Secret to covers for me? Screw wax-  carpet tape is the way to go.  Crazy strong adhesive, all it takes is a thin strip down the middle, clap 'em fo a minute or two and the seal is fantastic with no gap to promote microphonic nonsense. A little dab of solder on each side per usual and Bob's yer uncle.  Oh, and nickel is the only way to fly...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/29/2019 at 2:32 PM, svl said:

Secret to covers for me? Screw wax-  carpet tape is the way to go.  Crazy strong adhesive, all it takes is a thin strip down the middle, clap 'em fo a minute or two and the seal is fantastic with no gap to promote microphonic nonsense. A little dab of solder on each side per usual and Bob's yer uncle.  Oh, and nickel is the only way to fly...

Yep. Carpet tape or a thin bead of caulk. Done. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/28/2019 at 9:42 PM, bubs_42 said:

@django49 I played a Supro Guitar with Gold Foil style pickups and I really liked that guitar. I still have nothing here with Gold Foils or Filtertrons. 

I have a set of Rumpel vintage wound unpotted filters in my Artist right now....I love them but they are quirky...like 2 sets of pickups in one.,,.the treble strings sizzle and have zing while the wound strings have more of a thud....the combo produces that famous filter growl. Very different that a paf. A cool, different flavor. Listen to AC/DC tunes where Angus and Mal play identical parts...the filters have a Kerrang, but they do not sustain like the paf bucker types Angus uses. Not better or worse..,just different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jakeboy said:

I have a set of Rumpel vintage wound unpotted filters in my Artist right now....I love them but they are quirky...like 2 sets of pickups in one.,,.the treble strings sizzle and have zing while the wound strings have more of a thud....the combo produces that famous filter growl. Very different that a paf. A cool, different flavor. Listen to AC/DC tunes where Angus and Mal play identical parts...the filters have a Kerrang, but they do not sustain like the paf bucker types Angus uses. Not better or worse..,just different.

I'd rather sound like Malcom than Angus anyway of the week. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...