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I've been playing an Epiphone Sheraton II Pro for a few years now, and want to upgrade the sound. Based on some research, it sounds like Lollars are the way to go. I've also been told I really only need to replace the neck pickup (I don't really use the bridge pickup anyway).
What I'm struggling with is: which pickup to choose? The Lollar website has so many to choose from, it's a bit overwhelming.
Any recommendations, either for a specific Lollar pickup, or a way to determine which one is right?
I see the Charlie Christian is pretty popular. Charlie Christian Pickup for Archtops | Lollar Pickups.
Would this fit in an Epiphone Sheraton II Pro?
Thanks as always!
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06-19-2025 09:03 AM
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I would consider a Stew Mac Parsons Street Alnico 2:
https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/...5576827c26cf46
Unfortunately, the prices are a lot higher than when I got a set for my Epiphone JP about a decade ago, but they're still cheaper than just about any other major brand out there, including Lollar.
I have no experience with Lollar. I did put some GFS top shelf Tele pickups in a Tele I built recently, and was very impressed with the quality. They sell an Alnico 2 that is quite a bit cheaper than the Stew Mac.
KP - GFS "Classic II" Alnico 2 Vintage Wound Humbucker Nicke
Anyway, good luck. Look forward to hearing all the recommendations from the expensive seats.
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BTW I am also interested in hearing if you all would install this the "hard way"--remove the wiring harness and solder or the "easy way"--cut the wires to the current pickups and solder the new wires to the old.
I did remove the wiring harness for installing the pickup in my Epi JP, and of course it was a pain to reinstall. I imagine the Sheraton 2 being semi-hollow would be even more challenging.
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I have owned a Sheraton II Pro and the factory Probuckers are the first Epiphone pickup I found to be completely acceptable out of the box with basic pickup height and screw height adjustments. Other than the crappy switch and pots it was a really killer guitar with the stock pickups.
What don't you like about the pickups? Have you tried experimenting with those pup height and screw height adjustments? If so, and aren't happy, what are you looking for in a pickup? Just a charlie christian?
Honestly my go-to pickup in a couple different semi hollows now, has been the 57 classic Gibson. Rich, fat, and warm with acceptable levels of clarity while retaining a sweet top end when your height adjustments are right. The 490r Gibson is slightly different but in the same ballpark. If you wanted brighter then Seth Lovers but I def wouldn't put a brighter pickup than a 57 classic in a Sheraton, having owned one so if it's Lollar or bust I would avoid the low wind humbuckers. I can say both Lollar in general, and their CC pickups are absolutely good stuff but I don't know if they have a humbucker sized unit or not.
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If you are pulling pickups out of an Epiphone, unless it's a new Inspired By Gibson model I would def replace the pots and switch as part of the cost of doing business since you are in there already. I had that switch fail on my lightly used Sheraton at a gig in pretty short order, and every Epiphone I've had has lousy pots and the same cheap crap switch. I guess if you aren't gigging it's not so critical but I just factor any pickups I want and new guts into just about any guitar I buy since I want something good sounding and reliable.
Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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I would highly recommend the Lollar Imperial low wind for the neck. Certainly a lot more clarity than the ‘57 Classics.
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Ah, another reason why I love this forum! No, I've not tried adjusting those. I'll give that a shot first. Essentially I'm looking for a deeper/wood-y-er tone than I'm getting at present. I'm not sure how much of that is in the pickups vs just the guitar overall. Originally Posted by DawgBone
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Take your time adjusting them, playing, and fine tuning. It might pay off. If you want more clarity, lower them down in the rings. If you want more rich/fat tone then raise them. My usual method is to lower the neck pickup just about even with the ring and then raise the pole pieces until I have a balanced volume across all the strings. Since you are looking for deeper/woody it might pay to raise them up in the ring, and then screw the screws in more. There is no "right" way other than what your ears like. It's worth a shot to experiment and can save you some bucks cause F-hole guitars without a back plate aren't cheap to have a tech change everything out. I always spend a lot of time adjusting them, and sometimes wind up coming back for small tweaks as I deem necessary after spending some time with it. Originally Posted by Maroonblazer
I will mention that having owned an ES333, an Edwards E-SA, an Epi 335 Pro, and a Sheraton II Pro the sheraton has a slightly brighter, more strident/forward and less woody/thunky voice than the Gibson or Edwards. I think part of it is the five piece neck, which is a thing of beauty when you realize how stable it is compared to most guitars when there are seasonal weather changes. Good luck and let me know what you find.
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My early 90ies Sheraton did not like more clarity in the pickups at all! The guitar is inherently a bright instrument, being all maple (although the center block seems some type of mahogany-ish wood). A Seymour Duncan 59 made it sound way too thin. I settled for a StewMac Golden Age humbucker at the neck (those are now replaced by the Parson Streets?) and now the sound comes very close to my Gibson ES-333 with Classic 57s. Classic 57s are great pickups imho.
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