Isn't It Funny How A Pickups Tone Seems To Change...

[Bloozcat]

I decided that I wanted to try swapping out the humbuckers in my Agile 2800 DLX LPC (Les Paul Copy) last week, for another set I had in it before.

The pickups that I just swapped out were a Highorder set. They started out as an A-2, 7.8k neck, and an A-2, 8.5k bridge set. After experiencing some pronounced "boominess" with the A-2 neck pickup, Jeff at Highorder sent me an A-3 magnet to try (along with an A-4 as well). Well, this seemed to correct the boominess alright, and I was happy. The guitar had a very PAF-like tone that would nail that Dickie Betts, Allman Brothers type lead tone well. Trouble is, when I'd pick the guitar up to play some ZZ Top, Joe Walsh, Aerosmith type leads, that tone was a little lacking...as you might expect from pickups like these.

So, I dug out my set of Rio Grande Genuine Texas/Texas BBQ humbuckers and wired 'em in. Well, I don't know what I had missed before when I had these pickups in this guitar, but man, do these suckers sound great now! Thick, fat, crunchy lead tones that sweeten right up with a slight volume roll off. I remember that the reason I removed them in the first place was because I thought they were too muddy sounding. Now, my hearing must have changed very dramatically since I last played these pickups, or there was a small miracle that happened with these pickups as they sat in the dark cabinet with all the other orphaned pickups there.

I tried to retrace the chronology of events that had led to the removal of these pickups a few years ago. After much thought, all I could come up with was that when I had installed these pickups the first time, it was before I swapped out the stock pots for CTS, all of which were in the +520k range, and the installation of a pair of Mallory 150, .022mf caps (along with a Switchcraft toggle switch & input jack, plus better wire). It had to be that, I thought. It surely couldn't be that my ears are getting better as I get older.

Maybe it was the wiring. Maybe it was full moon the night I put these pickups back in that guitar. All I know is the rock tones haven't ever been as thick and edgy, and the blues tones haven't ever been as warm and fat as they are now from this guitar with these pickups.

And the really cool thing about this is, I didn't have to spend any more money than I already had for this to happen. Serendipity? Kismet? I don't know, but something happened....

[M29]

Sounds like that might have been it Bloozcat. I love it when a mod comes together. It is kind of like peaches and cream...or acquire and fire or...well...you know what I mean:

M29

[Bloozcat]

Sounds like that might have been it Bloozcat. I love it when a mod comes together. It is kind of like peaches and cream...or acquire and fire or...well...you know what I mean:

M29

[ZMAN]

I don't mod my guitars but I have read many tutorials, and forums on pickups, including how to's and reports that sounded similar to your experience.
The key to all of them was that the people who gained the most satisfaction changed all the electronics, to a proven combination, and it improved the sound drastically. I guess it would be like putting a 500 horse motor in a car and only having low gear!

[Bloozcat]

I don't mod my guitars but I have read many tutorials, and forums on pickups, including how to's and reports that sounded similar to your experience.
The key to all of them was that the people who gained the most satisfaction changed all the electronics, to a proven combination, and it improved the sound drastically. I guess it would be like putting a 500 horse motor in a car and only having low gear!

I've modded all of the guitars I currently own, or have built them from scratch using the better components. This was really kind of a (dumb) fluke that I originally tested the Rio Grande pickups before I re-wired the guitar. When the Highorders arrived was when I changed out all the rest of the electronics.

Once I figured out the chronology of events, it wasn't really hard to understand why the Rio Grandes now sound so much better than when first tested. These pickups really like pots that are at least 500k (some use 1m pots with them in darker sounding guitars). The new CTS pots that I had installed, were in the range of 50k-75k higher than the pots that came with the guitar, And the Mallory 150 caps that I put in are certainly better than the "mystery" caps that came stock.

I was just a little giddy to hear the difference, though. As I was playing the transformed guitar, smiling like a Cheshire cat, I kept repeating to myself, "you duma**, you didn't re-wire the guitar before you tested these pickups last time". :

[Kazz]

I was just a little giddy to hear the difference, though. As I was playing the transformed guitar, smiling like a Cheshire cat, I kept repeating to myself, "you duma**, you didn't re-wire the guitar before you tested these pickups last time". :

This is why everyone should have at least 2 of each type of guitar :-)


Just trying to help the GAS around here....Don't hate me cuz I'm wicked smart or beautiful LMAO

[Bloozcat]

This is why everyone should have at least 2 of each type of guitar :-)


Just trying to help the GAS around here....Don't hate me cuz I'm wicked smart or beautiful LMAO

Funny you should mention this, Kazz. I was thinking the very same thing after I found myself with a perfectly good (no, great actually) pair of Highorder PAF type pickups and no guitar to put them in. Since I have several Strat clones, it's only right to have at least two LP types as well...

As I always say...GAS is like Malaria. Just about the time you think you're free of it, it comes back again with a vengeance...

[bigoldron]

Blooz, you might want to try a Washburn Idol 64 to stick those pups in. The 64's are not terribly expensive, have set necks and are sweet players. You'll probably want to rip out the VCC (if it has it) and replace the pots with CTS 500k ones, but it'll be worth it. Good luck!

[SuperSwede]

Above post is reported.


*edit*
Ok its deleted now.

[Algonquin]

Above post is reported.


*edit*
Ok its deleted now.

Thanks SS... I did the same