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Hi, I currently have a Yamaha SA2200 that I probably won't sell. I would like to know if it is possible to get a more traditional, warm, full Jazz sound? I would like to try replacing the neck with an alnico 5. What do you recommend to get a fuller, warmer, softer, sweeter sound? I have heard a lot about Ducan... Thanks
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11-05-2024 06:35 AM
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I believe a warmer sound comes from A2 magnets. I like a Gibson 490R.
Originally Posted by Karlos
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Yes, replacing the pickup from the stock pos will give you a better sound. And yes, A2 is generally warmer, softer, sweeter than A5. There are several good Duncans to choose from for jazz. Some come stock with A2 and some you can swap A2 in for a better jazz sound. I recommend a bridge 59 in the neck with an A2 swapped in.
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If I only change the neck humbucker, do I also have to change the potentiometers, capacitors, etc? My Yamaha has splittable pickups, what happens if I put Duncan Love?
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No, you don't have to change anything. You can if you want. If you're happy with the way that everything works you could drop the new pickup right in. I like to adjust pot and cap values because they also contribute to a jazzier sound but you don't have to.
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Fralin Pure PAF pickups:
Pure P.A.F. by Lindy Fralin - Vintage PAF Tone, Boutique Craftsmanship
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Before going to the expense and difficulty of switching pickups in a semi-hollow I’d recommend lowering the pickups and experimenting more with tone and amp settings. Changing pickups (or magnets) is going to yield a fairly subtle difference. It’s still going to sound like a semi-hollow no matter what pickups you put in it. Originally Posted by Karlos
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+1 John Originally Posted by John A.
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If you’re brave enough to do it yourself. Try replacing the actual magnets themselves. Remember there are several variations of each type of Alnico ( short and long ) And make sure the magnets are oriented correctly with each other. So as to be in phase with the other pickup.
I had done this on a Gibson Historic 1958 ES-335 bridge pickup. I put in long Alnico 5 to replace the Alnico 3. It gave it a bit more oomph and cut.
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I don't want to risk doing any damage.
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I had mine changed: SD Jazz for neck and SD JB for bridge. The jazz sound got mellower but the coil split became useless. Never needed the bridge PU. How about just lowering the existing neck PU?
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It's really tough to beat a set of Gibson 57 classics in a semi hollow. I've had the Seths, the 490r, the Duncan 59 all in the same or similar guitars. The 490r is pretty good but the 57's are a go-to for a reason. Fat and warm with good clarity.
The Seth's are a great disappointment in a semi IME. I had always wanted to try a set but they are pricey. I bought an Edwards semi thinking it had a SD jazz neck and Custom 5 bridge not realizing it was a special edition made for a Japanese guitar store. I wasn't satisfied with the sound at all so I went to replace them with 57 classics. When I pulled them I discovered they were Seth's. Thin, kinda shrill on the top end. Usable, but not ideal. It makes sense that they would work great in a big full hollow which will impart a richer, deeper sound to the notes naturally. I would prefer an Epi Probucker to a Seth quite honestly. It's a good pickup and cheap....
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It's just my opinion but I wouldn't do it. It's a top guitar and to my knowledge the great players who've used it didn't change the pickups.
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The Yamaha pickups have alnico V magnets in them already. For the most part, a PAF is a PAF, unless they're way overwound or have wacky magnets. With A2 magnets, the attack is maybe a little softer and the output a little lower, but what you've got is a good all-rounder pickup in a good all-rounder guitar. Easy to get into diminishing returns.
Echoing what's already been written, I'd recommend playing with pickup height adjustment and twiddling the knobs first- it's free and can be highly effective. And this is from a guy who's happy to break out the soldering iron to mess with things.
Also, experiment with technique. For example, I pick over the end of the fingerboard rather than near the bridge pickup for tonal and ergonomic reasons, but many rockers pick by the bridge. Try different picks- the D'Andrea Pro Plec picks tend to offer a nice, smooth, dark tone. I also like the sound of the "Dawg" mandolin pick. Personally I use a Fred Kelly Bumblebee thumbpick and fingers these days.
Also, what amp are you using? That's the other half of the equation. An amp with a mid-scooped tone stack (a la most Fender) is going to sound a bit thinner because of the lack of mids.
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Ime, a stock pos pickup absolutely will NOT sound as good as a nice aftermarket pickup of your choice. You can get them to sound fine, and improve things by tinkering, but the +/- 100 or so bucks are always well worth it to me for a big upgrade. But it's up to the op what he wants to do.
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Lots of great ideas/options!
I've been partial to Bareknuckle Pickups lately, both humbuckers and humbucker-sized P-90s; if you're not sure which model would work for you, contact them -- they've always been helpful for me!
Happy hunting!
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The aftermarket pickups which are almost all designed to try to duplicate ca. 1957 stock pickups? Originally Posted by Bobby Timmons
Now, I enjoy picking up a soldering iron and modifying circuits, swapping pickups, etc. It's entertainment to me. Occasionally, I've made a guitar sound better to my ears than it was stock but frequently it just sounds a little different, but not significantly better. In 45 years of playing, literally no one has ever said to me "you sound really good tonight, did you change the pickups in your guitar?"
If you're just sitting at home playing to yourself in your living room, you might notice those differences; if you're playing music with other people in jams, rehearsals or gigs you're not going to hear those differences. The sound of the horns, piano, cymbal wash, etc., is going to overwhelm. If someone's thinking "I wonder if a different pickup would sound better?" they have another set of problems going on- they're not paying attention and listening to the music, they're just paying attention to themself.
My archtop with a floater went through five or six pickups before I found the one that I'm actually content with; on the other hand, I see no reason to replace the stock pickups on my Ibanez GB10 nor my Gibson ES-175. They already sound great. All of my solid body guitars are partscasters so they already have boutique pickups (I really like Bill Lawrence/Wilde pickups). I did fart around with a previous Squier Tele and put Demarzio Area Ts in it, although that was for noise rather than tone; they did sound good for jazz and arguably a bit better than the cheap Asian pickups it came with. No one in the band noticed a difference in tone, although they did remark on the absence of buzz.
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You really need help.
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With what?
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You're not allowed to spend a little money on a new pickup that will make your guitar nicer to you because the audience won't hear the difference? The audience can't tell the difference between a guitar and a bass guitar. And it's ok to spend 5k on a Gibson guitar but you can't spend $100 on a pickup? Breh.
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What's it like? If you buy a branded guitar, does it have incorrectly selected pickups?
Yamaha SA2200-I think it is a professional guitar with great sound potential.
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Thanks for all the info you gave me. All helpful.. For now I'll try with setup, then we'll see. I'm considering buying a new guitar (NASDAQ is soaring)..
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Most of our playing is spent practicing, that's many hours of listening to our guitars, so get your guitar to sound good to you. Originally Posted by Karlos
A good sounding guitar can inspire your playing. (IMHO)
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Don't forget the strings and the pick, other cheaper-to-modify options to alter your sound.
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It is also difficult for musicians to find differences. Originally Posted by Bobby Timmons
Especially since the same guitar sounds different in the hands of different musicians.
Some people say that "sound is really in your fingers".
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