Steinberger Spirit Pickups

[CarlosG]

Hi!
I have Steinberger Spirit Pro. It has cheap humbuckers, but sound great to metal, has strong and tight low end and very good cleaning when volume pot is down.
Both has ~9,5k. I don't know what magnet type, so I think is ceramic, because are cheap.
I want to buy something like this to my other guitar, but good quality (duncan, dimarzio...etc).
Can you help me with find this?

 

[freefrog]

Steinberger Spirit HB's are passive PU's close to EMG HZ models: their coils are drowned in epoxy instead of being screwed on a baseplate. They have most probably ceramic magnets. Their inductance is of 5.25H according to my archives and anecdotically, their parasitic capacitance is pretty high (because of the epoxy potting).

For the same kind of specs in a more qualitative product, I'd go for Bill Lawrence Humbuckers. Not the "USA" ones but the "Bill and Becky" option... Their L500L should fulfil your needs. Their DCR is around 12 or 13k but their inductance is just 1H stronger than with the Steinberger HB's so they are in the same ballpark. If you want more power, consider the XL. Less power? Select the C or R.

Duncan sells a Dimebucker (SH13) designed in the same way and whose inductance is close to the value of the L500L but whose tone is tighter.

I leave aside active EMG's: they look similar to the Spirit HB's but sound different.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[CarlosG]

, their parasitic capacitance is pretty high (because of the epoxy potting).

So this is maybe why has low DCR 9,5k and ceramic sound sound big and fat in mix with tight low end because capacitance lowered resonance peak,
Normally 9,5k with ceramic magnet would seem to sound bright and thin.
So epoxy potting adds much capacity?
I like it with 9,5k, volume pot works great I can clean my sound better on distortion than hotter pickups.

 

[CarlosG]

I leave aside active EMG's: they look similar to the Spirit HB's but sound different.

Yes, and has compression which I don't need, I need dynamics.
It seems to me that the volume will not work as well as in passive ones

If you want more power, consider the XL. Less power? Select the C or R.

​I like output Steinberger pickups, I don't want hotter, which I should buy?
And what with EMG HZ?
Earlier when Steinberger made high-end guitars used EMG, so steinberger pu are probably cheap coppy.
I noticed that Steinberger Humbuckers are something like mini humbucker in full humbucker size cover, because when I I'm scratching cover with metal screwdriver, olny half pickup makes sound, but it's humbucker not split coil.

 

[freefrog]

I like output Steinberger pickups, I don't want hotter, which I should buy?
And what with EMG HZ?
Earlier when Steinberger made high-end guitars used EMG, so steinberger pu are probably cheap coppy.

To me, Steinberger Spirit PU's are effectively "like" rebranded EMG HZ's.

Regarding the Bill Lawrence models, I'd go for the L500L in both positions. If memory serves me, they are the "6H" model inductance wise, while the XL measures 9H and the two others, 4H and 2H respectively. So, the closest to your original Spirit HB's are the L500L (measured here @ 6.39H with the meter used to measure 5.25 on the Spirit HB's... Inductance changes with frequency so it's not abnormal).

FWIW, I've already mounted such Lawrence PU's in a Steinberger Spirit HSH... A neck HB measuring 6H is not too beefy in a 24 frets guitars whose body is reduced to a stick. ;-)

 

[CarlosG]

And what with EMG HZ?
Which will be similar to Steinberger HB?
H4 and H3 looks similar, but has more dcr.

 

[freefrog]

And what with EMG HZ?
Which will be similar to Steinberger HB?
H4 and H3 looks similar, but has more dcr.

Steinberger are between H2 and H3, apparently.
According to my archives, H2 measures 8.4k and 4.5H (with ceramic) or 4.9H (with AlNiCo).
H3 are at 7.4H (Ceramic) and 7.67 (AlNiCo) for 13.65k.

To me, they would offer just clearer or hotter shades of the same things than the Steinberger Spirit HB's so I'm not sure the change would be interesting. YMMV.

 

[Aceman]

Well, this was all very interesting. Great Question. Thanks Frog!

 

[CarlosG]

Thanks! I think, Has anyone had problems with these pickups on stage? At home sound great, they are cheap, but sound good.
Who makes this pickups?
And which pickup will be closest to Steinberger HB, H3, H2 or L500L?

 

[Masta' C]

Who makes this pickups?

They are made by Boo Heung. They are typically labeled "BHC" or "BHK" on the bottom. "C" is for their China factory, "K" is Korea. They made similar passive "EMG style" pickups for Jackson and B.C.Rich, as well as more traditional humbuckers for many mfrs over the years (Epiphone, Dean, etc) and a few different active models for Charvel, Mighty Mite, etc.

I think the EMG "HZ" H2 or H3 is a solid alternative, as long as you are not paying "new" prices for them.

 

[CarlosG]

Thanks! I saw two types EMG passive pickups, older is EMG-HZ logo and it's name EMG HZ H3 and newer has only EMG logo and it's name EMG H3.
Is this exactly the same?
Do neck and bridge is different or the same?

 

[CarlosG]

I think the EMG "HZ" H2 or H3 is a solid alternative, as long as you are not paying "new" prices for them.

Why? They are more cheaper than other passive pickups.
Why people doesn't like passives emg? For me they sound better than active emg.

 

[Mincer]

I had Hi Z EMG passives in my Steinberger GL in the early 2000s and hated them. They were thin with no bottom end...great if all you did was 80s hair metal I guess, but I wanted to play other stuff. My Steinberger Synapse came with active EMGs, but those weren't my thing, either. They were replaced with an Alnico II Pro, and a CS MJ-wound double screw 59/Custom Hybrid. Now I am happy.

 

[freefrog]

Why? They are more cheaper than other passive pickups.
Why people doesn't like passives emg? For me they sound better than active emg.

I know the question was not for me but as I'm among people who don't like passive EMG ( which doesn't mean that I dislike them)... To me, they are cheaper than other big name products for the same reason why people don't like 'em much: generic designs involving generic materials and giving a tone with less character than well known models.

H2 = P.A.F. alike DCR / inductance but without PE insulated wire, milled keeper bar and other vintage correct parts.

H3 = similar to a Super Distortion but without double thick magnet nor double thick hex screw poles, etc.

Such pickups have their place: for people without much money or refusing to spend too much in transducers, I've mounted my share of generic ones (not rarely way cheaper than Hz's when made in China). Users were satisfied.

So, if you like the sound of EMG Hz's, buy 'em: nobody will blame you for your choice and tastes, AFAIK.

Footnote: have you tried to simply find a pair of 2d hand Steinberger Spirit HB's?

 

[freefrog]

And which pickup will be closest to Steinberger HB, H3, H2 or L500L?

BTW, I've told you the Steinberger HB's have a high parasitic capacitance, shifting down their resonant frequency. That's the reason why I've evoked the L500L: it has an inductance higher of 1H but is not especially capacitive, so it should be in the ballpark when it comes to resonant peaks. H3's should sound hotter and darker, given their noticeably higher inductance. H2's would probably sound a bit thinner, conversely.