Lollar or Zoller floater?

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 03:25 PM

I'm thinking about trying a different pickup on my newly acquired Hofner Jazzica. The only Zollers I can find are in England. Does anyone have any experience with Lollar's floaters?

**mr. beaumont** · 05-13-2016, 03:40 PM

First, what do you not like about the stock pickup, and what sounds are you trying to get?

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 03:48 PM

here you go-

http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Electro...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

zollers are epoxy potted...no microphonic feedback coming from pickup

cheers

ps- i love jason lollars pups, but his floater is voiced like a mini humbucker/firebird pickup...thats gonna have strong upper midrange peak..if youre already having trouble with feedback, that voicing might not help

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 03:51 PM

It's not so much that I don't like the Diamond PU, it's that some notes on the high E string sounds very muffled---almost dead sounding, with very little sustain. I've made sure that it's not the guitar as I've listened very closely to the E string acoustically and it sounds fine. In fact all of the strings are nicely balanced both acoustically and plugged in, with the exception of those particular notes on the high E string when amplified.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 03:53 PM

Thanks Neatomic! How did I miss that one? It never came up when I Googled and Binged.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 03:54 PM

Also, I missed what you said about the Lollar. I definitely do not want an upper midrange peak.

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 03:55 PM

are the strings positioned over the polepieces properly?...did you try raising the high e pickup polepiece?...changing the string might help too

cheers

**mr. beaumont** · 05-13-2016, 03:58 PM

Hmmm...I almost wonder if there's something wrong with it, then...

I find the Hofner diamond pup in a floating format to sound much more like a standard, set humbucker than a floating mini humbucker. I feel like the recordings I've heard of Zollers are also along this line (which is why, perhaps, Hofner has used Zollers on their guitars in the past)

Actually...it's a Zoller pup on a Hofner that produces the best clean jazz tone of all time IMHO.

**NoReply** · 05-13-2016, 04:04 PM

I love the sound of the stock pickup in mine. I talked to a guy who did testing and consultant for Hofner and he big fan of the Jazzica's. He said the pickups were made by two different people the one I can't remember the name of, but that's the one he said he didn't like. The others were made by Kent Armstrong for Hofner and he said that is the pickups you want.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

are the strings positioned over the polepieces properly?...did you try raising the high e pickup polepiece?...changing the string might help too

cheers

Yes, E string is positioned properly and I raised the polepiece and it sounded the same but with an added harshness. It's strung with new D'Addario Chromes, but I have a set of TI flats that I was planning to put on soon.

Mr. Beaumont, between you and Neatomic advising me on the Zoller, it appears I have no choice---you guys have backed me into a corner!

As for the guitar, I'm blown away by the exceptional playability of this gem. Plays like a dream.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 04:27 PM

Man, I love me some Jimmy Raney! So that's a Hofner on But Beautiful? Sounds delicious! And I thought I only liked him on his 50s recordings with the ES150, although I love the sound he got on the album with Jim Hall and Zoot Sims. Do you know what guitar he was using then?

**Cunamara** · 05-13-2016, 04:30 PM

The Zoller pickup is a great pickup with a somewhat different structure than most, although the flat out BS in the marketing stuff annoys me- "most widely used pickup," "most top jazz players use it," etc.

But you can't *hear* that stuff- just listen to Jimmy Raney's wonderful tone on "But Beautiful." I've been listening to his early recordings (A, Paris, etc.) and he did not sound anywhere near as good as he does here. His playing is also- for my tastes- much better. Jimmy just kept improving over the years. This is some of his best playing and his best tone. Sublime.

jb, if you get 85% of that tone you should be a happy guitarist!

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 04:39 PM

jimmy r still had the es150 in 1964 when he cut two jims and zoot

Lollar or Zoller floater?-db56f43e34b7b11f06e0c6737c5c0b8f-jpg

cheers

**goldenwave77** · 05-13-2016, 04:39 PM

Who makes the Attila Zoller p/u today (or one similar to it) ? (I wouldn't want to have to rampage across Europe to get one of these nowadays....course one might have to, to "get a head"....wink, wink, nudge, nudge....say no more....say no more.)

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 04:46 PM

He's definitely my favorite of the post Charlie Christian bebop guitar players of the 50s, Tal being right behind him IMO.

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 04:46 PM

still made, as always by shadow electronics of germany

Shadow Electronics - Technology With Performance

cheers

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

jimmy r still had the es150 in 1964 when he cut two jims and zoot

Lollar or Zoller floater?-db56f43e34b7b11f06e0c6737c5c0b8f-jpg

cheers

Interesting. Perhaps he had been influenced by Jim Hall as Jimmy's playing on that recording displays a certain depth and sensitivity in his phrasing that wasn't entirely in full bloom in the 50s.

**Max405** · 05-13-2016, 05:21 PM

Jimmy Raney in my opinion is one of the greatest improvisors of all time.

He is who I will listen to Extensively in order to become more creative on the neck.

Thanks for bringing him up.

JD

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 05:21 PM

the two jims--raney & hall- were tight since the 50's...when they cut the street swingers in '57 with bob brookmeyer....raneys solo discography was scant in that period.. the street swingers with hall and brookmeyer in '57...then long lapse till two jims and zoot (with hall again) in 64...then another 10 years till momentum in 1974!!!

Lollar or Zoller floater?-the_street_swingers-jpg

Lollar or Zoller floater?-the_street_swingers-jpg

great interview of jim hall by jimmy raneys son -jon raney..at his great jim and doug raney site

Jim Hall | The Raney Legacy

cheers

**Franz 1997** · 05-13-2016, 05:46 PM

I tried a Zollar pickup once -still have it in the pickup box somewhere. I believe it's a centre-pointed HB design - i.e. very stringy and acoustic- sounding. Somewhat similar to the Heritage pickups without pole pieces that came on AAs at one point.

If you're looking for an acoustic sound, I imagine you'll like it - although it sounds rather unbalanced with a flat wound G. If you're looking for a fat mainstream jazz sound, you might not.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 05:51 PM

How could I be unaware of other collaborations between these two seminal figures? I suppose my wife is right; I don't know everything!

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 06:00 PM

hall's raney day

cheers

**mr. beaumont** · 05-13-2016, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by jbucklin

Interesting. Perhaps he had been influenced by Jim Hall as Jimmy's playing on that recording displays a certain depth and sensitivity in his phrasing that wasn't entirely in full bloom in the 50s.

Jimmy got better with age.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco

Jimmy Raney in my opinion is one of the greatest improvisors of all time.

He is who I will listen to Extensively in order to become more creative on the neck.

Thanks for bringing him up.

JD

Creative on the neck like this?

**neatomic** · 05-13-2016, 06:17 PM

cool clip..he always remained a true bopper...bird was his primordial king..amazing soloist

and factor in he had severe hearing problems by then..virtually deaf!

zoller/hofner combo in evidence too...more clarity than smoke

cheers