Neck pickup suggestions - single coil, humbucker-sized

**ruger9** · 10-03-2014, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo

Please post your impressions of the surf90 when you can. I have stock Dynas on my 6193 Country Club which sound great but I've always wondered if the surf 90 would be an improvement. I prefer a deadened sound over a bright one which the stock seems to provide.

I probably would have popped for the TVJ T'Armonds (they are real dynas), but he does not currently offer them in an "english" (humbucker) mount. The Surfs are kinda' ugly, especially in the gold/creme version, which is what would match my hardware and pickup surrounds/knobs. While the Surfs probably don't sound like the Dynas/Dearmonds, the demos I have seem certainly put them in the ballpark, and would tell me if I was at least heading in the right direction.

**sparkhall** · 10-03-2014, 04:22 PM

Don't give up on the Bare Knuckle Manhattan. Really pleased with mine - absolutely transformed the sound of my humble Epiphone Joe Pass.

**ruger9** · 10-03-2014, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by sparkhall

Don't give up on the Bare Knuckle Manhattan. Really pleased with mine - absolutely transformed the sound of my humble Epiphone Joe Pass.

You know, funny you should say that- I was indeed re-considering them last night, and if for some reason the Twangmaster isn't what I'm after, I WILL try the Manhattan. I was just trying to find an "off-the-shelf/readily available" pickup for a "normal" price.... that ship has sailed. I called Lindy Fralin today, unfortunately I got voicemail, an no one ever called me back....

On this same subject:
I was unaware that they make rings to allow MINI-humbuckers fit into a regular humbucker cavity..... this might open up my options considerably..... my question is, because I cannot find any, does anyone know if TALL, CURVED BOTTOM, (in other words, for a big archtop- not a les paul) adaptor rings are made? I've searched, and can find only short curved bottom ones (for les pauls)

**D.G.** · 10-03-2014, 06:18 PM

I think it's unlikely you'd be happy with minis. If, like me, you're looking for piano-like bass strings, I have yet to meet a humbucker which does it. I put chromes on my mini loaded Sorrento, and it just "barely" gives enough midrange support to the low E string.

Strangely enough, my band mate brought in his Ibanez Scofield model (used from GC) to rehearsal last night and it has proper support all the way down to the low open E with a fairly dark amp setting. Never heard a humbucker do that before.

**ruger9** · 10-03-2014, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by D.G.

I think it's unlikely you'd be happy with minis..

I guess I was thinking floating-mini-Johnny-Smith, lol.

Doesn't matter, no one makes the necessary adaptors, and I'm certainly not going to fabricate something. Not when I have Twangmasters and Manhattans at my disposal. (also, if TVJ ever gets around to it, he is supposed to be offering a humbucker mounting option for his T90s and T'Armonds...)

**LtKojak** · 10-04-2014, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by ruger9

[keep in mind, these "results" are from THIS GUITAR- a dark sounding, 17" laminated spruce top full hollowbody Epi Broadway]

Phat Cat = FAIL

It honestly doesn't sound much different than the Mean 90. A little more refined maybe, does better at going from "clean to mean" with pick attack, but in this guitar, maybe 10% less dark than the Mean 90. If I wanted that "warm jazz tone" alot of people seek, this would be a nice pickup for it (but then so was the Mean 90).

I think my next stop will be the Fralin Twangmaster, 8000 winds.

If you're willing to magnet swap, an A3/A4 mag combo, (installed so the A3 will face towards the neck) into that Phat Cat of yours will get you pretty close to the kind of tone I think you're looking for.

Don't forget to set the p'up to the right height, though. The "sweet spot" should be in the 3.5mm-5mm zone in the 6th string, about 1mm less in the 1st string.

HTH,

**ruger9** · 10-04-2014, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by LtKojak

If you're willing to magnet swap, an A3/A4 mag combo, (installed so the A3 will face towards the neck) into that Phat Cat of yours will get you pretty close to the kind of tone I think you're looking for.

Don't forget to set the p'up to the right height, though. The "sweet spot" should be in the 3.5mm-5mm zone in the 6th string, about 1mm less in the 1st string.

HTH,

Nah, I'm kinda' done modding stuff... I'm getting more to the place where something either works for me, or it doesn't. I'll sell the Phat Cat and look at options designed to get more of what I'm after.

**DRS** · 10-04-2014, 04:24 PM

I sure like the humbucker sized Biltoft CC Rider in my chambered Tele

**ruger9** · 10-06-2014, 06:33 PM

GFS Surf 90 in da house. Alnico 2/7.2K. While I don't think this is my end spot, (I am still ordering the Fralin Twangmasters and Bare Knuckles Manhattans), this is MUCH more in the direction I was thinking. Which means I will probably also try the TVJ T'Armonds,when/if he ever develops the "english" (humbucker) mount for them.

SD Phat Staples are tempting, but just too damn much money, especially after the uber-botched custom shop ordeal I recently went thru....

**entresz** · 10-06-2014, 06:58 PM

You could see if Pete Biltoft makes any HB sized P90s with Alnico poles. that would get you into the Phat Staple territory.

**ruger9** · 10-06-2014, 07:39 PM

Well, if/when I call Pete, I'd probably at that point be looking at a set of custom HB-sized CCs.

I can't over how incredibly warm (for better or worse) this guitar seems to be... even with the Surf 90, which some people review as "too bright"... it is still not what I would call a "bright" pickup, in THIS guitar! And that's with 500K pots even (GFS recommends 250K)

**Top of the Arch!** · 10-16-2014, 06:14 PM

Try a Duncan Phat Staple! Its the most dynamic and responsive 90 Ive ever played. Its not a one trick pony. You may like it. Bob

**ruger9** · 10-16-2014, 09:04 PM

Just ordered a Fralin Twangmaster today. Have been really liking the Surf90 tho.

Phat Staple is just too expensive, and IMO, unnecessarily so.

**Para** · 10-17-2014, 04:56 AM

I'm waiting for my Lollar CC for humbucker rout to arrive.

**ruger9** · 10-17-2014, 07:49 AM

Just saw in Vintage Guitar, GFS is now making gold foil pickups... in humbucker size. Interesting. They aren't on the website yet tho... I don't think ANYBODY makes a gold foil in humbucker size, so they would be the only game in town for that.

**ruger9** · 10-17-2014, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by Para

I'm waiting for my Lollar CC for humbucker rout to arrive.

Nice!! Be sure to check back in with a review!! CCs are something I always wanted to try in this guitar, and will go that way if I end up not liking the Twangmaster or Bare Knuckles Manhattan.

**Top of the Arch!** · 10-17-2014, 09:13 AM

The Phat Staple is a bit more involved in the build compaired to say a regular P90, its like 6 tiny pickups in one for lack of a better description. I had a good friend who was a Gibson dealer and I asked him to order me one. The dealer price was $600 . That was about five years ago, needless to say the $225 for the Duncan was a good deal for me as IMO, theres nothing that sounds like it. The CC is a pickup Ive always wanted to try but never had the luxury of doing so. Ill be watching to see what Pars thinks of his. Bob

**ruger9** · 10-17-2014, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Top of the Arch!

The Phat Staple is a bit more involved in the build compaired to say a regular P90, its like 6 tiny pickups in one for lack of a better description. theres nothing that sounds like it.

Well, actually, the original Dearmond Dynasonic was VERY MUCH like the Staple... since the staple was Gibson's attempt at copying it.

And other pickups with alnico rod magnets... like Fralin's Twangmaster, are also supposed to be similar tonally, altho they don't have the complicated pole magnet raising/lowering mechanism.

Cult Coils: Lesser-Known Vintage Pickups | Premier Guitar

**GNAPPI** · 10-17-2014, 10:09 PM

I wonder why nobody has mentioned the Gibson P94? The p94 is at @ 7.7 k. I think they're worth a look unless you already have and didn't find your sweet spot?

**ruger9** · 10-18-2014, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by GNAPPI

I wonder why nobody has mentioned the Gibson P94? The p94 is at @ 7.7 k. I think they're worth a look unless you already have and didn't find your sweet spot?

A P94 is still a P90. P90s have a mids-forward tonal signature, that is a part of the way P90s are designed and function, that I am trying to get away from. I need something almost mid-SCOOPED for this particular guitar, for the tone I am after.

**GNAPPI** · 10-18-2014, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by ruger9

A P94 is still a P90. P90s have a mids-forward tonal signature, that is a part of the way P90s are designed and function, that I am trying to get away from. I need something almost mid-SCOOPED for this particular guitar, for the tone I am after.

Hmm... I have P94's in two guitars (an ES-195 and ES-335) and the several real P90's I have (ES135, ES330, Casino) and a few others (solid and full hollow) sound nothing at all like the P94's.

**Top of the Arch!** · 10-19-2014, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by ruger9

Well, actually, the original Dearmond Dynasonic was VERY MUCH like the Staple... since the staple was Gibson's attempt at copying it.

And other pickups with alnico rod magnets... like Fralin's Twangmaster, are also supposed to be similar tonally, altho they don't have the complicated pole magnet raising/lowering mechanism.

Cult Coils: Lesser-Known Vintage Pickups | Premier Guitar

You are correct, Les Paul actually had dynasonics in his early goldtops ! The stapletop was Gibsons take as they couldn't have Les playing Gretsch pickups. If you look at certain pics. of Les from the early 50s you can actually see the p90 cover has been altered to cover the Dyno. Bob

**Top of the Arch!** · 10-19-2014, 10:32 AM

I have several guitars with different versions of the P90 and find the Stapletop has the perfect tone for me. I use no effects just a bit of reverb at times and the Staple has the most variable tone of any P90 Ive tried. The key with the Stapletop is to not have the mags too close to the strings. Bob

**ruger9** · 11-11-2014, 05:09 PM

OK, the TwangMaster neck has arrived. Going to try to get it in over the next day or two.... then, based on my findings, I'll either keep it or not, but unless I fall in love at first hear, I'll most likely be ordering the Bare Knuckles Manhattan as well.

The TM has 8200 winds, which tests out at 6.9K, which was Lindy's recommendation when I told him what I was after and what guitar it was going in. The Manhattan neck is supposedly 6.6K. By comparison, the Surf 90 neck is 7.2K .... so they're all kinda' close (yes, I know DC resistance is not the "whole story" when it comes to the output/gain/tone of a pickup)

[INSTALLED]

OK, now it's TOO clear and bright... especially on the plain strings (I'm using TI 11s, because I play more of a jump bluesy-jazz and I like to bend, like a horn does).... Damn. OK, well, since the Manhattan is an actual P90, it should be thicker all 'round.... I actually prefer the Surf 90 to the Twangmaster in this guitar.

Anybody who has been interested in trying a Twangmaster (gold, Gibson lead- hot and braided shield), drop me a line, I'll make you a deal LOL