WCR Jim Wagner Crossroads Pickups?

[connor117]

Has anyone played these in an ES175/ES335 style guitar?

The pickups are supposedly a low output vintage style.

He gets rave reviews on other forums…..
just seeing if there’s some jazzers with experience
thank you !

[Doug B]

Never heard of them before, but judging by the sound clips, they sound more suited to blues rock.

Doug

[yebdox]

I have a pair in a '95 335 dot. Can't say I've been impressed with them, they certainly don't sound like the sound clips on his website, and are a bit thin for a standard archtop tone. It may be something else in the signal chain, but the burstbuckers in my 2002 goldtop re-issue sound markedly better, and the LP is obviously a different build, but has much more usable tone for jazz, even with 10's on it.

I have been too lazy to try something else, but will probably get around to trying some other aftermarket buckers when I have time.
I didn't like the stock 57's it came with, awfully muddy. These are not that, but the neck pickup is a bit thin and upper mid rangey. Not the fat, classic 335 I would like to hear. Again, maybe they would sound better in a different guitar, so take my experience with a grain of salt. Wagner gets lots of positive reviews. If swapping pups in a 335 wasn't so tedious, I would have something else in there by now, just to compare.

[DawgBone]

I didn't like the stock 57's it came with, awfully muddy. These are not that, but the neck pickup is a bit thin and upper mid rangey. Not the fat, classic 335 I would like to hear. Again, maybe they would sound better in a different guitar, so take my experience with a grain of salt. Wagner gets lots of positive reviews. If swapping pups in a 335 wasn't so tedious, I would have something else in there by now, just to compare.

I yanked a set of Seth Lovers to put the '57's into my ES copy. Lower 'em down in the rings, raise the pole pieces, voila, no mud. Rich and creamy on top with decent definition even using LaBella flatwounds.

[yebdox]

I yanked a set of Seth Lovers to put the '57's into my ES copy. Lower 'em down in the rings, raise the pole pieces, voila, no mud. Rich and creamy on top with decent definition even using LaBella flatwounds.

I would try that on a solid body, but swapping out pups in a 335 once in a lifetime is enough for me I probably was not exploratory enough at the time. Kudos to you for being more adventurous!