Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

[BrianS.]

Just bought an old Aria Pro II RS series guitar built in 1985. Still not sure what I'm going to do with it, but I've got it torn apart right now. Did a little research on the pups, some like, some not. Just curious if anyone here has any kind of opinion.

Personally, after only a little play time, I think they are decent sounding pups. Nothing too exciting, but not bad. Surprisingly decent clean tones, not quite as articulate as I like with some overdrive, but I can see where a lot players would like them. Apparently they are unpotted, which must give them some mystical mojo of some kind.

Anyway...

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

Some years ago I bought a Vantage Flying V with those pickups in it. Personally, I like them. Duncan makes much better pickups, of course, but when it's all you got, they're really not as bad as some other OEMs.

They're not really hight output, obviously, but if you've got the ones with the 2 rows of allen screws, you can have a lot of fun with them. I had the pickups as close to the strings as I could get them (angled neck, tuneomatic bridge, so you know there's about 2" from surface to strings), but later I lowered the pickups way down and raised the coil screws considerably. Had maybe 1/8" to 1/4" of the coil above the pickguard and 1/2 of the coil screw visible. It didn't take much effort for the string to get caught in the screw threads if I pushed on it.

Complete tonal change for the better!

Basically I was using the coil screws to focus the tone of each string, and the articulation improved greatly. By playing around with various heights for each pair of screws for each string, I could influence the overall EQ curve of the pickup - add bass by raising all 6 poles of the E,A, and D, or reduce it by having 3 of those lower than the other 3.

Again, they're not phenomenal pickups, so you're not going to go from Raging Metal to Tele-Twang by adjusting the coil screws, but that's true for any pickup, really.

[LtKojak]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

I've bought several Matsumoku-made Vantage guitars through the years, most of them came with MMK45 p'ups.

I just couldn't take'em out fast enough.

I couldn't save anything from them, except for their ceramic magnets which hold notes on my fridge. All other components were unusable.

YMMV.

[Adieu]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

so you're not going to go from Raging Metal to Tele-Twang by adjusting the coil screws, but that's true for any pickup, really.

...HUUUH???!?

OK, more like "not going to go from Raging Metal to Tele-Twang " that drew the huuuh??, and I'm thinking you outta have left those polepieces be. Me, I've got a Matsumoku Quest Atak 6 (Explorer 25.5 scale), and I was 90% sure my pups were MMK45s, make that 95% once you mentioned poles - look like DiMarzio Super Distortions, 12 hex screws per pup right? Pulled mine once, unlabelled unfortunately...

But, anyways, that NOT GONNA part it threw me absolutely - cuz my Quest has this nifty lil push-pull coil tap, that, in my own words from years go describing it to ppl "goes from raging 80s metal to veeeery serviceable tele twang". Rly. Exactly how I described that axe. And I'd had to do it often, cuz thanks to the plain boring fonts on the headstock and the unfamiliar name, everybody always goes "Dude, what the heck is this POS?", and it's my go-to guitar for lugging around like amp shopping etc. cuz she's versatile and hot, but I'm not freaking out over every potential ding or scuff or risk or whatever like I do with my LP Custom. Everybody asks, I bet everybody that it's a decent Explorer in its own rights, AND a way-better-than-MIM Tele at the pull of a knob - everyone always goes HEEEEELLL NO, CUT THE BULL, and then 2 mins later everybody's apologizing, cooing over the tele tones out of an Explorer shape, scratching heads at how it also manages to simultaneously do the Explorer part right, and offerring me half a grand or so for her. Every time... So, am I wrong about them being MMK45's? Or did you just never touch them coiltapped?

[DonP]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

These have been discussed before. I have MMK45's and an MMK53. I like the tone. Then again, I'm not any particular pickup brand "fanboy". They have taller bobbins that aren't fat and wide, so the tone is a bit clear for an 11K - 12K pickup.

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

...HUUUH???!?

So, am I wrong about them being MMK45's? Or did you just never touch them coiltapped?

Never tapped them.

[Adieu]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

11-12k? Measured them or just going on perceived output or what others have claimed? Strange.. my presumed-MMK45s measure 8.something.

[LtKojak]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

11-12k? Measured them or just going on perceived output or what others have claimed? Strange.. my presumed-MMK45s measure 8.something.

All of mine were between 10.8K-11.4K, screw and slug bobbins, chromed brass covers, short-legged brass baseplates, steel keeper, polepiece spread 47.2mm neck (smaller than gibson), 50mm bridge, double-thick ceramic magnets.

HTH

[BrianS.]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

I think I'll probably just ebay this set. The guitar is going to be heavily modded so no need to keep it original.

[Adieu]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

"SCREW AND SLUG BOBBINS"? Wait, then what's the Matsumoku early 80s pup with the 12 hex polepieces, super distortion-style?

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

That's the ones I had, with the 12 hex poles. Can't find them ATM, but IIRC when I measured them a couple of years ago they read in the 11K range.

I'm wondering now if I may have gutted them for their mags.

[T.M.A.]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

Hey there peeps. I know this thread is a little old, (well, not too old) but I'm actually looking for some used MMK 45 pickups. So please get a hold of me if you're interested in selling. Thanks! Peace.

[LtKojak]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

Hey there peeps. I know this thread is a little old, (well, not too old) but I'm actually looking for some used MMK 45 pickups. So please get a hold of me if you're interested in selling. Thanks! Peace.

Make yourself and that instrument of yours a BIG favor and install good p'ups in it.

Why go all the length to restore it to "original", when it sucked the big one and then some? Do you think it will raise the value? Well, it won't. Take it from me, that I've been repairing Matsumoku-made instruments since 2006.

[T.M.A.]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

Make yourself and that instrument of yours a BIG favor and install good p'ups in it.

Why go all the length to restore it to "original", when it sucked the big one and then some? Do you think it will raise the value? Well, it won't. Take it from me, that I've been repairing Matsumoku-made instruments since 2006.

RIGHT ON MAN! You got any suggestions? I actually happen to like the way the pickup in my Spectrum St sounds right now, but they could use some more power and articulation, so I figured if an MMK 45 is more output, then it might get right where I need to be. See I'm downtuning and I'm not much a fan of pups with special personalities ie. invader, etc etc. I'm actually thinking about modding a JB for downtuning. -My stuff has gotta have hex poles. I've tried the Full Shred -Too gainy and compressed -highs and lows are too reigned in. Custom 5 -bigg bassy mess in my rig and the 59/custom hybrid -uninspiring Frankenstein tone. So far the Full Shred was the best as far as solid tone and note separation, but it just got too compressed for me, so, I put in the cheap Japanese 6.5 output humbucker with hex poles and go on my merry way... So yeah suggestions are welcome MR. KOjak. LIke I said I like the sound I'm making -it just needs more power and note separation...

[RaulRiera]

Re: Any fans of the Matsumoku MMK 45 pickups?

I have a Vantage Les Paul from the 80s which kicked some bottom for many years. I retired her for a custom Agile because the frets were too worn. I swapped the MMK45 on the bridge for an Alt-8 and it was the best thing ever.

The Alt -8 went to my new LP and just installed last night that bridge MMK45 in the neck position of my Ibanez RG. Well, it sounds very unlikely for a superstrat neck, but I couldn't be happier. Suddenly I have a pointy axe that does the Tool trick, goes all the way surf, and plays the best cleans I have.

That MMK45 had only two wires (red and white) and bare. I soldered bare to ground and the red and white to vol. Both coils are working but maybe it's parallel because it sounds full but has a vintage vibe to it. Neck and bridge are off phase too. So it's all like a lucky accident. Last night I had a torn apart superstrat, today I feel I have a Jaguar.