Vigier Ultra Blues pickup options - warning, it's a long one!

[andyg_prs]

Hi,

I have a Vigier Ultra Blues which I love. I'm about to get it professionally altered for two reasons.

1. Cosmetically, although it is beautiful, I'm not so keen on the amber burst which is a bit cherry red for me - I prefer natural finishes or perhaps some kind of tobacco sunburst.
2. Although I absolutely love the Dimarzio Virtual Vintage DP415 in the neck - it's my favourite sound on the guitar - I also miss the classic humbucker neck sound.

Now, I probably would have started with just popping in some kind of single coil sized humbucker to see how it sounded...but the route, as you'll see from the pics, doesn't have the trapezoid/flange bit on the bottom, so it really limits which pickups would fit. *now I should say here that I've since seen that SD do more single coil sized humbuckers than Dimarzio, so info on those would be great, e.g. how they sound and how they split*



Also, even if I could fit a single sized humbucker in there...it would be unlikely to split well. Btw, Dimarzio suggested the Satch track DP425 as a single/humbucker compromise, or a Pro Track DP188 as a more standard humbucker sound. They do an up-charge "no flange" version of their pickups....but it'd get expensive by the time I got it imported to the UK. I normally get second hand, or bargain deals online when I am experimenting with pickups.

Of course, getting the top re-finished, I can get the neck route changed to whatever I want.

The nicest looking thing would probably be to get a standard humbucker route (it'd take some filling as single coil routes are longer - but the tech is very very skilled) and choose a nice humbucker that splits well. Of course the downside is that you never get a true single coil tone from a humbucker. That doesn't bother me...I have or have tried plenty of HH or HSH guitars and been satisified with the tones...but as I say, this Vigier has particular mojo in the neck.

A weird idea that appeals to me is to leave the DP415 single coil where it is, and have a route right next to it to accommodate a single coil sized humbucker. My logic there is that I keep the single coil sound I had, and then I *should* be able to get a nice humbucker tone from the single coil sized humbucker. I'd then use some clever wiring so that I could choose between the true single and the single "hotrail" in the neck.

I've done a bad mock up of how it might look (the flange is probably over done)...... The logical thing would be to pick up another Vigier that is already HH or HSH, but they are not the most common of guitars and the price for them is a bit crazy at the moment.



Anyhow, I'd be fascinated to see if anyone has ever wired anything along the lines of what I am suggesting, or what your ideas might be?

Thanks,
Andy

[JB_From_Hell]

First off, awesome guitar. Always loved Vigier.

A single sized humbucker can sound fatter than a single, but is not really gonna sound like a full size humbucker.

My PRS has a setting that puts a coil from each of the humbuckers in series, giving a virtual middle humbucker. Before you carve up the top of that, I’d recommend giving that a shot. Your middle pickup and neck pickup in series won’t sound exactly like a neck humbucker, but it will allow you to keep your favorite sound on that guitar, and seems like it might be a good compromise.

[Teleplayer]

I'd suggest a cool rails neck. Its close to the satch track specs, but a bit brighter. Cool rails does not have the same triangular flange as other strat pickups, so I think its going to fit your guitar. The important thing is to ensure the mounting arrangement allows it to be positioned close to the strings.

[ArtieToo]

For what it's worth, (if you have, or can borrow, a Dremel tool), it's not that difficult to route out the space for the "triangle" base. You don't even have to mess with the top. I just did this for a customer a few months ago. (They didn't upload in the proper order.)

[andyg_prs]

Artie Too that is really interesting - particularly not having to route the top at all...but I can't make out the route for the flange in any of the photos?

[ArtieToo]

Artie Too that is really interesting - particularly not having to route the top at all...but I can't make out the route for the flange in any of the photos?

You have to look carefully at that first photo. When I took the photo, I wasn't really thinking in terms of posting it in the forum. It was for the customer. There's about an 1/8" of wood untouched on the top. You can just barely see the "wedge" routed out underneath.

My photography skills fall far behind my wiring skills.

[andyg_prs]

You have to look carefully at that first photo. When I took the photo, I wasn't really thinking in terms of posting it in the forum. It was for the customer. There's about an 1/8" of wood untouched on the top. You can just barely see the "wedge" routed out underneath.

My photography skills fall far behind my wiring skills.

Ah, so the flange is towards the neck? Cool to know....probably beyond my skills / confidence levels not having the dremel or the router attachment. I'm leaning towards a Satch Track without the flange currently.....but would happily consider other single coil sized stacked/humbuckers too

[jeremy]

id say a red devil neck and use a switch to put it in parallel. fat bucker tone in series and a very nice brighter sound in parallel

[Mincer]

The neck Little 59 is a good neck humbucker sound, and also sounds great in parallel. Keep in mind that through a dealer, any single coil sized pickup can be ordered without the flange from SD.

[andyg_prs]

Another slight concern is that you really can't adjust the height of single coils in the direct mount route in the Vigier. The current neck pickup is as loud as it needs to be.....are the single coil humbuckers any taller? I'm concerned about the neck volume swamping the other pickups in combination.....the bridge pickup hasn't got much further up it can adjust...

[jeremy]

i mean, if the pup you are going to swap is your favorite currently, i dont know if id mess with it. i can check the difference in height when i get home tonight

[GuitarStv]

Another slight concern is that you really can't adjust the height of single coils in the direct mount route in the Vigier. The current neck pickup is as loud as it needs to be.....are the single coil humbuckers any taller? I'm concerned about the neck volume swamping the other pickups in combination.....the bridge pickup hasn't got much further up it can adjust...

Can't you just put a piece of foam under the pickup? That way it will push the pickup higher/lower depending on how low you screw the pickup (like a Jazz Bass)

[Mincer]

Can't you just put a piece of foam under the pickup? That way it will push the pickup higher/lower depending on how low you screw the pickup (like a Jazz Bass)

Yes, this. You have to experiment with foam. Currently, outside of the FU Tone grossly overpriced Pickup Mounting System, this is the way you adjust the height for wood mounted pickups.