warm, middy humbuckers for a semi-hollow

[freefrog]

For the record, AS73 "CH" stock pickups vaguely remind a SH4 + a SH1 with ceramic mags...

Bridge Ibanez PU= 15.4k and 7.8H of inductance.

Neck Ibanez PU= 8.3k and 4.1H.

Brass baseplates.

Their specs and core tone make me think that AlNiCo mags in these HB's would make them a bit too bassy.

But IME, the mentioned guitar model can be improved by other components than pickups - like another bridge... FWIW.

[Mincer]

The mid peak of A2Ps is lower than the Seths. The Seths are still scooped, with a generally PAF-y profile. The A2Ps are the reverse of that.

[GuitarDoc]

I think that the main thing you don't like about your current pups is due to the ceramic magnets. If you want to try some magnet swapping you could probably get very close to what you want (A2 in the neck pup, UOA5 in the bridge).

If you don't want to swap mags, then that 59/Custom hybrid that you rejected would probably be a great bridge pup for you (plus this pup splits extremely well and has some terrific tones...just change one of your pots to a push/pull pot to split it). The perfect pup for the neck (and, yes I mean perfect) would be the Alnico 2 Pro (A2P, or APH-1) bridge model. Yes the bridge A2P in the neck has lots of really, really great mids and will give you singing, sustaining, violin-like lead tones.

You say that this guitar isn't your favorite and you don't play it much, but with these pups in it, that might just change drastically. This could end up being your favorite most played guitar.

[veil]

I think that the main thing you don't like about your current pups is due to the ceramic magnets. If you want to try some magnet swapping you could probably get very close to what you want (A2 in the neck pup, UOA5 in the bridge).

If you don't want to swap mags, then that 59/Custom hybrid that you rejected would probably be a great bridge pup for you (plus this pup splits extremely well and has some terrific tones...just change one of your pots to a push/pull pot to split it). The perfect pup for the neck (and, yes I mean perfect) would be the Alnico 2 Pro (A2P, or APH-1) bridge model. Yes the bridge A2P in the neck has lots of really, really great mids and will give you singing, sustaining, violin-like lead tones.

You say that this guitar isn't your favorite and you don't play it much, but with these pups in it, that might just change drastically. This could end up being your favorite most played guitar.

Haha well, I'm not sure it would depose my Duo Jet (absolutely in love with that thing), but I agree better pickups make any guitar much more inviting and fun to play!

Thank you very much for your suggestions, I would not have thought to put a pickup designed for the bridge position into the neck position! Cool idea. To be clear, I wasn't so much rejecting the SH-16 59/Custom Hybrid as I was taking it off my short-list just to simplify and focus my options. Coincidentally, I always wanted to try an SH-5 Custom back when I played heavier music, but I think you're onto something with the suggestion that ceramic magnets might be the factor I'm not getting along with. So maybe the 59/Custom might be the way to get mids with clarity, and some spice in the output level.

The magnet swapping is also an interesting idea. I just watched a video tutorial and I think even an oaf like me could manage it without breaking something. I would need to pay a tech to install pickups, as I've never done it for a semi-hollow and after watching a demonstration I don't think I trust myself to try haha! Anyway, what I'm saying is it sounds like the cheapest/easiest way to change up the sound. Where do you guys like to buy magnets?

[skelt101]

For magnets, I'd look here:

http://addiction-fx.com/gallery1.htm

https://www.philadelphialuthiertools.com/bar-magnets/

https://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/pickup-parts-and-kits/bar-magnets

[Clint 55]

Sorry for dragging this thread out. But A2P neck and CC bridge will really be the only combo that will be 'warm.' Any of the other pups are kind of spiky with more or less combos of warmth vs spike and color. All are (or seem) nice tho.

[freefrog]

Anyway, what I'm saying is it sounds like the cheapest/easiest way to change up the sound. Where do you guys like to buy magnets?

Mag swapping is always interesting and might please you BUT... without discarding in any way what others said, I'll insist on my statement in the answer 16: I "think' that AlNiCo mags in the stock PU's of an Ibz AS73 might make them a bit too bassy.

My reasons to tell this are extremely simple:

1)I've upgraded an AS73 by changing its PU's and bridge. I've also compared it directly to a handful of other semi-hollow guitars at disposal in the shop (Epi Dot, Hagstrom Viking, ES339... non limitative list).
Its material, shape and structure make the AS73 naturally bassier than other semi-hollow's. It needs "tight" PU's IMHO and IME.

2)I've still the stock pickups on the shelf here: for the fun, I've changed the baseplate of the neck PU and... stuffed both PU's with AlNiCo mags (polished A5 in this case).
With an A5 mag, the neck AS73 PU makes a passable bridge PAF clone but it's rounder sounding than other PAF clones because of its coils and magnetic alloys. I'd avoid to put it back in the neck slot of an AS73 because of this roundness...

Generally speaking, AlNiCo mags instead of ceramic (ferrite) increase the inductance and weaken the magnetic field, making pickups warmer and softer sounding. The stock AS73 hb's have been voiced for ceramic and are already soft souding as such. EDIT - And the stock covers make it worse: they are not "magnetically transparent" AT ALL. So, a first way to improve the stock pickups without changing their mags would be to ditch their original covers.

Now, maybe you'll be pleased with AlNiCo mags in them. Every guitar is different. Everey player too. Only you can tell. At least you know my own experience with some stock AS73 PU's. :-)

[hamerfan]

The warm and middy tone while still cutting tone does not come from pickup or a tone pot.
IMO it comes with nylon or string saver saddles. I use a resomax bridge from Tusq.

[veil]

Mag swapping is always interesting and might please you BUT... without discarding in any way what others said, I'll insist on my statement in the answer 16: I "think' that AlNiCo mags in the stock PU's of an Ibz AS73 might make them a bit too bassy.

My reasons to tell this are extremely simple:

1)I've upgraded an AS73 by changing its PU's and bridge. I've also compared it directly to a handful of other semi-hollow guitars at disposal in the shop (Epi Dot, Hagstrom Viking, ES339... non limitative list).
Its material, shape and structure make the AS73 naturally bassier than other semi-hollow's. It needs "tight" PU's IMHO and IME.

2)I've still the stock pickups on the shelf here: for the fun, I've changed the baseplate of the neck PU and... stuffed both PU's with AlNiCo mags (polished A5 in this case).
With an A5 mag, the neck AS73 PU makes a passable bridge PAF clone but it's rounder sounding than other PAF clones because of its coils and magnetic alloys. I'd avoid to put it back in the neck slot of an AS73 because of this roundness...

Generally speaking, AlNiCo mags instead of ceramic (ferrite) increase the inductance and weaken the magnetic field, making pickups warmer and softer sounding. The stock AS73 hb's have been voiced for ceramic and are already soft souding as such. EDIT - And the stock covers make it worse: they are not "magnetically transparent" AT ALL. So, a first way to improve the stock pickups without changing their mags would be to ditch their original covers.

Now, maybe you'll be pleased with AlNiCo mags in them. Every guitar is different. Everey player too. Only you can tell. At least you know my own experience with some stock AS73 PU's. :-)

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's very insightful! My impression of the AS73 is the same as yours: even acoustically it is a bass-heavy instrument. I guess with that in mind, you're right--I should be looking at pickups with a tight bass and a focus on the upper midrange and treble. Maybe a '59 Custom Hybrid bridge and a Full Shred neck?

Did you find the bass response was improved by changing the bridge hardware, like hamerfan suggests? I'll dig out the soldering iron this weekend and pop the covers off, see if that helps too.

*Just to be precise, I think the pickups are Classic Elites instead of ACHs, since it was made in 2015. The listed DCR (9.5k neck/11k bridge) is a little different from your measurements of the ACH, but it's still a darkly voiced pickup. For all I know Classic Elites are just a relabeled ACH, but there isn't much info to go on.

[freefrog]

Did you find the bass response was improved by changing the bridge hardware, like hamerfan suggests?

Albeit I didn't use the same parts than Hamerfan, I've found the acoustic resonance clearer and harmonically richer after an upgrade from the stock bridge to a Gotoh one...
Now, it was not only a question of materials in my case: the original saddles were not cut with care and it affected how strings were vibrating.
But nylon saddles are something to try, for sure. :-)

*Just to be precise, I think the pickups are Classic Elites instead of ACHs, since it was made in 2015. The listed DCR (9.5k neck/11k bridge) is a little different from your measurements of the ACH, but it's still a darkly voiced pickup. For all I know Classic Elites are just a relabeled ACH, but there isn't much info to go on.

Ah, OK, thx for the info. Yep, different specs. Not sure covers are better on more recent pickups, though. Let us know if pulling them off changes the sound...:-D

[GuitarDoc]

If you are concerned about too much bass in your guitar, I still recommend the A2P bridge for the neck. If it sounds too soft/loose/bassy, put in an A5 magnet. That makes it a Jazz bridge pup (Jazz and A2P have the same wind, just different magnets). The Jazz bridge with A5 is my favorite neck position pup in just about every guitar that I own (over 50 of them).

[GuitarDoc]

The stock 59/Custom has an A5 magnet which gives it a mid scoop effect. It has strong bright highs and articulate bass. If you need it to sound warmer and fuller you can put in a UOA5, A2, or (my favorite in this pup) A8. The A8 gives it a warmer feel, more mids, slightly softer highs, and strong but not overbearing bass, and a bit more output which works great in the bridge position. This pup with A8 is amazing in the bridge and splits to the Custom coil magnificently.

[veil]

Very cool, thanks Doc!

I was watching the Keith Merrow pickup comparison video (I wish I had this resource 15 years ago when I was in a metal band!) to compare the 59/Custom with the Full Shred. Surprisingly, the 59/Custom gave me the impression of having a greater emphasis on treble and upper midrange (over 2kHz). The middy-midrange (somewhere between 300-600Hz) focus of the Full Shred was very nice too, as was its slightly tighter bass. I feel like I could make either work in the bridge position with some EQ futzing, though I lean towards the Hybrid for the upper harmonic sparkle.

Interesting stuff, much to consider...