MiniHumbuckers

[Zombiwoof]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

Is this a reissue Firebird?. If so, the pickups in those are very high output ceramic magnet pickups (around 23k), that sound nothing like the vintage Firebird pickups, and are not constructed the same. They make them to sound more like a regular humbucker. There are a number of good replacement vintage-spec Firebird pickups around that are better if you want the original Firebird sound.

Al

"It currently has the stock Firebird bridge (only) minihumbucker in it"

[jeremy]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

right, thats what i wanted to know. if its a "classic" firebird pup thats one thing, if its the high wind thing gibson uses then its a much different beast. obviously wasnt clear in my question

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

right, thats what i wanted to know. if its a "classic" firebird pup thats one thing, if its the high wind thing gibson uses then its a much different beast. obviously wasnt clear in my question

It's cool man. Not too many people can tell me about this guitar and I've even worked at the Gibson showroom in new york.

I bought the guitar new in '96 and if by "high wind" you mean over wound...then no...it is definitely anything but beefy or full in any way.
The Firebird I is marked Gibson Custom Shop on the back of the headstock so any "stock" pickup they put in may not really be stock at all.

This pickup is the sickly little brother of most other pickups and not in a tonally pleasing way. I don't think it is damaged or dying though, I just think it is voiced really thin and twerpy. :/

[jeremy]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

do you have a multimeter? if so check the dc resistance of the pup. you can do it without opening up hte guitar.

plug a short cable in, put all the controls on the guitar full up, then put one lead from the meter on the tip of the cable and the other on the sleeve. you should get a reading like 6k or like 20k but who knows what youll actually come up with

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

If you're looking for mini's but trying to keep the Strat flavor, Firebirds by their nature (magnets right at the strings) sound more Fendery than Deluxe style mini's.

I have a blacktop strat I modded with a Rio Texas in the bridge (250k load) and 2 of Zhang's Firebirds (6.2k wind middle, 6.7k wind neck) neck and middle (500k load on those). Texas goes into parallel mode when in parallel with the middle firebird.

Sounds very stratty but with a little more of something going on in the low end. A very interesting and satisfying alternative if you already have SSS or HSS guitars. It was an experiment but I like the results. Plus it looks damn cool.

Minis would be too dark to quack right, but Firebirds, in spite of their looks, sound pretty much like a noiseless single coil and quack just fine. They also make a really good neck pickup in your guitars routed for buckers, you can get adapter rings for $7.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

right, thats what i wanted to know. if its a "classic" firebird pup thats one thing, if its the high wind thing gibson uses then its a much different beast. obviously wasnt clear in my question

Sorry. I get you.

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

do you have a multimeter? if so check the dc resistance of the pup. you can do it without opening up hte guitar.

plug a short cable in, put all the controls on the guitar full up, then put one lead from the meter on the tip of the cable and the other on the sleeve. you should get a reading like 6k or like 20k but who knows what youll actually come up with

Thank you man.

I don't have a multi-meter....yet

Any excuse though.

I'll check it out.

But back to my original question:

Is my guitar sickly sounding because of the pickup or is that the way Firebirds sound?

[jeremy]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

firebirds arent fat sounding guitars by nature but neither are many teles or strats and with the right rig they sound big and awesome

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

firebirds arent fat sounding guitars by nature but neither are many teles or strats and with the right rig they sound big and awesome

Okay then, so putting a higher output pickup in my Firebird I will be similar to putting a high output pickup in a Strat...which has always worked great for me.

I still think it is just a thin sounding guitar...and not like a tele or a strat but I get your point.

Thank you Holmes.

[jeremy]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

you may already have a "high output" pup in there. gibson has been throwing these high wind pups in the firebirds for a long time but they arent all that fat sounding to my ears

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

The other pickup you should consider is the DiMarzio Vintage Mini (DP240 neck, DP241 bridge). They sound like a cross between a firebird and a PAF, with looks like a Firebird. They don't get dark or thin with gain like some minis do. Tight low end that never gets muddy, articulate highs that are somewhat like a firebird but with PAF fatness thrown into the mix.

The magnet is ceramic but don't let that put off the "purists"; if they claimed it was A5 I'd never question it, it doesn't sound or feel like what you think of when you think ceramic pup. The Firebird cover hides mini PAF construction.

They work great in guitars where Firebirds don't cut it due to the guitar being dark; Firebirds seem to need a brighter sounding guitar to do their thing right.

All in all, the best mini I've heard from anyone, and I've heard quite a few that cost 2-4 times as much. They are what I wish a neck PAF sounded like, i.e. fat articulate highs and no mud in the lows, and not thin at all. I like them enough that they are in my Hamer USA Mahogany Artist semi hollow and my Gibson CS356 semi hollow, after having replaced the stock Duncan/Gibson pups and some high dollar boutique custom winds that preceded them.

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

I'm leary about going back to DiMarzio.

I mean...sure...it's been 20 years....I just still have that taste in my mouth from those PAF Pros that came with my Jem and My USA Custom. They just never got me where I wanted to be.

One day I dried a JB and a Jazz and they got me closer...then an Invader and it wasn't quite right....Now I've been using Distortions for about 10 years and I'm pretty happy. I'm not sure I'm willing to modifiy the Firebird yet, but I'm willing to do a little research on all the above suggestions.

[speed2dirt]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

The Rio Grande Baby BBQ Bucker & Baby Texas Humbucking look like they'll add the beef. I have no experience with Rio Grande's pickups at all, but thought I'd pass along a set I've been eyeing.

http://www.riograndepickups.com/scar...ame=MINIBUCKER

[Meard]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

Hi,
I have just an hour or so ago put SD Hot Rails for strat in the bridge position and it sounds amazing, so i would vote for this mini HB,
I was concerned about losing the strat sound of a single coil and also installed a 3 way toggle switch so i can still utilize it as a single coil,
best decision ive ever made.

good luck with your search, do let us know what you decide on

[ErikH]

Re: MiniHumbuckers

The Hot Rails in NOT a Mini Humbucker. It is mini, yes, it is humbucking, yes, but that is it. It's more of a 'Lil 'bucker like the 'Lil '59 and JB Jr., just with rails instead of poles.