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Originally Posted by frankhond
Now of course, if you want that midrange honky thunk, that's different issue.
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09-15-2020 12:34 PM
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zoller pickups were designed to have a very even/flat and extended frequency response...they don't emphasize certain frequencies like most pups do...
thats why they get the "acoustic" tag...but they don't make your guitar sound like an acoustic...they just have a broad frequency range
with zollers it's all about your guitar v&t controls and amp settings
you have to dial in your tone...but the skys the limit
cheers
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As we gently drift off topic into how pickups sound rather than installation....
I have never played a Zoller. Not to put words in your text but seems you feel it sounds a bit sterile and who wants that?
When I run an Armstrong 12 pole through an acoustic rig, it does sound more acoustic. Not as much as a acoustic pickup like a Sunrise and strings matter. When I run the Armstrong through a guitar amp it has a rich jazzy sound. I can get something in between using good EQ and a full range acoustic set up. And then there's the question of the modeler in the mix.
If you want that jazzy electric archtop sound (e.g. Gibson L5 and 175) you might consider either a Bartolini or mini humbucker to start. Not sure but thinking you might be able to use the same holes as your Zoller. Also you might pitch the whole idea for a bit while you try different strings and amplification settings. Or maybe an amp modeler as they get cheaper.
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The best sound I got out of the Zoller was with the DI amp in NeuralDSP's Archetype Cory Wong, it's some king of Neve console simulator. With my amp I couldn't really dial in a good tone. Maybe an acoustic amp, or some kind of flat response solid state jazz amp would be the ticket... but I'll take my chances with a different PU.
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FYI, the way that pickup is *supposed* to be mounted is to either glue or screw the tab to the pickguard. I know it sounds scary.
BTW, Kent offers a version without the tab, with a bracket for neck mount like your Zollar.
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Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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Anyway, I cleaned of that foam and it had reacted really badly with the nitro finish.
So I give up... and submitted the guitar to a trusty luthier at TLL guitars. He’ll fill that up and mount the pickup.
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And the guitar is back. The finish repair is all but invisible unless you know exactly what to look for. And the KA sounds great, the guitar has a huge warm tone that becomes more woody/acoustic-ish as you roll off the volume, exactly how I want it. Happy ending :-)
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Originally Posted by frankhond
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Originally Posted by frankhond
I have temporarily replaced it with an Ibanez, supposedly from their (budget) AF84E on my Fenix FAE8, EER lookalike. I like the idea of the KA 12 pole but I've also thought about the RC1000.
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If the pickup is close to the strings, a very small change in pickup height can make great difference in string-to-string balance and attack. I have a Kent Armstrong HJGS-1 Smooth Sam which is a Johnnie Smith type pickup with no adjustable pole pieces. It sounds good, but it’s always bugged me that the top two strings are noticeably louder than the wound strings, especially the jump between the G and B strings. I realized that the treble side of the pickup seemed unusually close to the treble side of the pickup. Unfortunately, with the pickup glued to the pickguard the only way to correct that is to lower the pickguard.
I realized I could experiment with this by removing two screws attaching the pickguard to the neck and push the pickguard toward the top while playing it (a tricky maneuver). The string balance and attack were much improved. The bass side of the pickup rests against the guitar top, so the height of that side of the pickup wasn’t affected.
I wanted to fix the pickguard at a lower height without filling and drilling the screw holes in the neck, so I elongated the holes in the pickguard mount to allow the pickguard height to be adjusted when the screws were loosened. Unfortunately, even a small change in pickguard height required a very slight change in the bend angle of the metal bracket to get the pickup realigned with the end of the neck. I’ve highlighted the two places I had to adjust below.
This very slight lowering of the pickguard made a very significant improvement in the balance of the top to strings to the lower strings with exception of the G string, which is now a bit too low in volume. I can live with that for a while, but I really want adjustable pole pieces so I can get it right. (Athough I wonder if lowering the treble side of the pickguard a little more might help improve the G vs. B balance—maybe I’ll try that.)
I’m trying to decide between replacing the pickup with a Johnnie Smith style pickup with pole pieces or a reissue DeArmond RC1100. I already have an RC1100 on a Gibson L-7 and really like it, but I wonder if I’d be happier sticking with a more modern humbucking pickup on the Eastman. Decisions, decisions.
Edit: After posting the above a played it a bit more and it’s really pretty close to acceptable. I think I should try lowering the pickup just a bit more before I make a decision. My wife asked if I thought anyone but me could hear the difference. I said probably not, but it’s kind of like having a pebble in your shoe. Maybe no one else will notice, but I sure do.Last edited by KirkP; 10-03-2020 at 05:21 PM.
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Originally Posted by Woody Sound
The KA actually doesn't honk much on my Heritage - that guitar is x braced and has a "wide" sound, which translates to a huge tone that I can thin out and shape with my amp by rolling down the bass, or using a different pick.
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Originally Posted by garybaldy
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Originally Posted by frankhond
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Originally Posted by frankhond
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Originally Posted by KirkP
This is a nice video where you can hear that the dearmonds are perhaps more related to the Zoller than the KA.
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Originally Posted by frankhond
That’s a cool video. I’m surprised how much different the two pickups sound there. In previous videos I’ve seen I thought they were closer. That RC1000 is pretty nice. I went for the RC1100 because I wanted adjustable pole pieces, but the RC1000 sounds very balanced without them.
Here’s the comparison that convinced me to go with the RC1100.
Last edited by KirkP; 10-04-2020 at 10:53 AM.
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Originally Posted by KirkP
16" 1920s/30s L5
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