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  • clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

    I've just purchased an Ibanex AX120 as a "first project" guitar. It's factory stock w/ two Ibanez hums and LP-style tone & vol controls. I had planned on replacing the neck with a PAF-type hum, and the bridge with a P90 type pup ( perhaps the Phat Cat offered by Duncan, but I've not yet heard it). A few questions, it I may ...

    1) Is there anything inherently stupid in my plan ? If so, your elaboration requested and appreciated.

    2) I've heard and was impressed by the Jazz pup soundclip on the Duncan page. Any feedback available from users ?

    3) I had planned on replacing the pots in the bridge with 25's to match the P90's single-coil properties. Any feedback ?

    4) Am I missing any crucial step or idea ?

    Your help in this matter is most appreciated. I'm new to the DIY thing. I'd very much like to avoid turning this halfway-decent guitar into a pile of painted kindling.
    <----- another experiment in rewiring turns tragic.

  • #2
    Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

    welcome to the board

    it might help us to know what kind of music you will be playing with this guitar and what kind of tone you are looking for

    i do not know enough about the p90 to comment, but on first blush i'd think you'd want to investigate output balance between the pups if you intend to blend them .. if you can withstand a drop in output when switching between pups, balance isnt as crucial ...

    there is a bunch of feedback on the jazz pup in the vault .. check it out!

    i do not know what '25s' are ... did you mean 250K pots? ... either way, matching the pots to the pup is not a bad idea at all :-)

    good luck
    t4d
    gear list in profile

    "no seymour - no tone ... know seymour - know tone!"

    Is it not the glory of the people of America that, whilst they have paid a decent regard to the opinions of former times and other nations, they have not suffered a blind veneration for antiquity, for custom, or for names, to overrule the suggestions of their own good sense, the knowledge of their own situation, and the lessons of their own experience?" - James Madison - Federalist #14

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    • #3
      Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

      T4D :

      Thanks for your reply. I had considered balance between the pups, but thought that I might be able to compensate via the tone & vol controls onboard. Am I off base ? At what point does the lack of balance become noticeable ( i e at what differential between Hz values of the pups) ?

      The 25's to which i erroniously refered are, indeed, 250k pots.

      As for style of music ... well, I must admit that I'm all over the place. I envisioned this guitar as a bit of a "roots music" guitar ... blues, old kicker country, etc. For said reason, I did like the clarity of the Jazz pup ... though that it might be easier to add "grease" to a tone than attempt to remove it.

      Thanks for your reply.
      <----- another experiment in rewiring turns tragic.

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      • #4
        Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

        i suppose to a certain extent, one could turn down the volume on the louder of two pups to achieve balance .. but that could tend to sacrifice 'dynamic range' on the 'turned down' pup ... i am not sure that either resonant freq or DC resistance would be a direct indicator of balance

        i think you are right about adding 'grease' vice removing it ... give a listen to some of the neck pups with alnico 2 mags to see if the clarity suits you ...

        i am sure that guys with more direct experience can chime in with their 2 cents

        cheers
        t4d
        cheers
        t4d
        gear list in profile

        "no seymour - no tone ... know seymour - know tone!"

        Is it not the glory of the people of America that, whilst they have paid a decent regard to the opinions of former times and other nations, they have not suffered a blind veneration for antiquity, for custom, or for names, to overrule the suggestions of their own good sense, the knowledge of their own situation, and the lessons of their own experience?" - James Madison - Federalist #14

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

          Keep in mind, that if you have two volume controls, and they're both 500k, the p'ups will "see" them as one 250k.

          If you make one 500k, and one 250k, the p'ups will "see" them as one 167k pot.

          IMHO . . . I'ld keep them both 500k.

          Edit: And one more thing, because of the way the AX120 has its vol's wired, they will always interact. That is, turning down one, will turn down the other. (P'up, that is.)



          AX120 wiring diagram
          Last edited by ArtieToo; 06-30-2004, 05:29 PM.

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          • #6
            Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

            I have a P-90 guitar with 450k pots. I think that you would do fine with a 500k pot for that pup. on the other hand, having a 250k should be fine too. To be honest, I like the neck pup as a p-90 more than I do the bridge. It gives such a nice blues tone to have a growling p-90 neck. I would recommend the 59 over the jazz though. It's a much more PAF sounding pup, and has a lot of nice warmth to it without getting muddy.
            Fender Twin w/ Weber Speakers, keeley ts-9, RMC2 wah, EB MusicMan Axis Sport w/ p-90's, Heritage Les Paul (HC150) Custom Order w/ AIIpro/Custom shop bridge, various accoustics

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            • #7
              Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

              Welcome to the board! :::steps back into the wings:::
              ~Sid

              "If you play a Nickelback song backwards you'll hear messages from the devil. Even worse, if you play it forward you'll hear Nickelback." ~David Grohl

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              • #8
                Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

                I'd agree with Kaknight as far as the neck going with the P-90, and the bridge either a 59 or a Custom or one if it's derivatives for more or less "heat".

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                • #9
                  Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

                  Neil Youngs black 50s LP has a mini humbucker in the bridge and a P-90 in the neck. A Seth Lover/Phat Cat loaded LP style guitar would be very cool indeed. I'd probably put the Seth in the bridge but either way would work.

                  500k pots.
                  www.soundclick.com/failedgrace
                  www.myspace.com/robert_sherman
                  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1513342220

                  T4D got a new gig!

                  (Please send sig worthy material!)

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                  • #10
                    Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

                    Thanks to all for their most gracious input and tech tips. Well, I shall keep the pots as-is for now .... The pups are another story.

                    I've thought about the P90 neck & hum bridge combo ... it seems to be a standard setup for modifications. Is there a good technical reason not to do the hum neck/P90 bridge ? I'm not challenging your taste or tone, but rather wondering if such a setup just isn't done, and for good reason.

                    Me, I'm thinkin' Keith Richards with Micawber. You may be visualizing the idea and imagining Donald Duck on crank. Please feel free to set me on the right path if I've strayed. I'd also appreciate any factors that I've missed being thrown at me.

                    Again, my thanks.
                    <----- another experiment in rewiring turns tragic.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

                      There is no reason not to put the Phat Cat in the bridge position and the Seth in the neck.

                      A regular P-90 will take significant alteration to the top of the guitar. P90s are a different size and shape than humbuckers. Other than that, you should be good to go.
                      www.soundclick.com/failedgrace
                      www.myspace.com/robert_sherman
                      http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1513342220

                      T4D got a new gig!

                      (Please send sig worthy material!)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

                        Robert S :

                        Thanks for your reply ... but is there a reason not to put the p90 at the bridge and the hum at the neck ?

                        Thanks to you & all who have posted.
                        <----- another experiment in rewiring turns tragic.

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                        • #13
                          Re: clueless newbie ...your help appreciated.

                          Robert S :

                          Well, you answered me the first time. Sorry !
                          <----- another experiment in rewiring turns tragic.

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