banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

    Hi, all - I'm new to the forum and I'm curently rebuilding a mid-80s Lado II superstrat style guitar that was made right here in Canada (i'm outside Toronto). The guitar came with Schaller pickups originally but when I got it in the mid-90s, it had what I've determined to be an older SH-5 Duncan Custom in the bridge position. The pickup has no labels or engraving on the backplate - only a "DC" label on the plain unengraved backplate. Looks like the label was printed crooked - I can see what may be the tail of a "J" on the right side of the label which I understand would ID who at Seymour Duncan wound the pickup.

    So since the Schaller single-coil in the neck is pretty much shot and never really matched well with the SD pickup - I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to a single-coil Seymour Duncan that would be a good match and balance sound and output wise for the SH-5 in the bridge position?

    PS just tested the SH-5 and it's at 14.1k.

    Thanks!
    Last edited by Malmishka; 04-09-2020, 09:42 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

    ssl6 is what i would use if you want a real single coil. do you know what value pots you have in the guitar?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

      Thanks for the recommendation, Jeremy! Guitar only had a volume pot - looks like whoever put the SH-5 in also substituted a coil tap or phase switch in place of the tone knob. THere's a really gnarly solder over the rating on the volume pot and my meter wasn't reading precisely but I'd guess at 250k.
      Last edited by Malmishka; 04-09-2020, 12:20 PM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

        A Classic Stack Plus should also blend well if you want to have a clear high end in the neck pickup. It has more output than a standard Strat pickup so the balance should be better. If you want more even closer output match, the Hot Stack is a great choice, but it does have more lows and mids than a Strat. It is like a single coil pickup is coated in butter and deep fried. I like using hum-cancelling single coil-sized pickups with humbuckers, especially if you use a lot of gain.
        Administrator of the SDUGF

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

          Thanks for the suggestions, Mincer - I was definitely looking for some good high end response so the Classic Stack Plus sounds like a great option. Especially with the hum cancelling. Great food for thought.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

            A classic match for a hotter bridge humbucker is the Quarter Pounder.

            Cool that you've got an older "DC" or "DCJ". If "J", then it was wound by the famous Maricella Juarez, aka "MJ", before she became head of the Custom Shop.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

              The stk6 is also a consideration. Would be like the ssl6 but hum cancelling.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                Yeah, but you won't get a snappy high end with a Quarter Pound or an SSL-6.
                Administrator of the SDUGF

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                  I guess it depends on what he means by "good high end response". If Strat-like is what he wants, then Mincer's suggestion is solid. If "balance sound and output" to the SH-5 is what he wants, then the Quarter Pounder or SSL-6/STK-6 are great.

                  My top choice for a neck single with a hotter bridge pickup is currently a Kinman Big-Nine-O. Essentially a single-coil sized, noiseless P-90. I have one paired to a Bill Lawrence L90XL bridge pickup in my Super-Tele and a DiMarzio Virtual Hot PAF in one of my Super-Strats, both H-S configuration.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                    Originally posted by jeremy View Post
                    ssl6 is what i would use if you want a real single coil. do you know what value pots you have in the guitar?
                    I just swapped out the SSL6's in my HSS Jackson Soloist SL3. Put in 2 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. Couldn't stand the piercing strat tone of the SSL6's. The Quarter Pounders (SSL4 I believe) are much fatter and smoother. More output as well I think, but for neck and bridge that's a whatever IMO. Plus they look sweet with the massive pole pieces lol. (Note: Neck is regular, Middle is RWRP).

                    I think if I had to do it again, would maybe just go stacked coil or mini-humbucker in the neck.

                    Click image for larger version

Name:	B5330BFD-97E8-450C-A577-622F87A7E19D.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	70.3 KB
ID:	5818698
                    Last edited by mi_canuck; 04-10-2020, 05:39 PM.

                    --------------------------------------------------------------
                    '19 Charvel DK24 HH - Chlorine Burst / '19 Jackson SL3 - Chlorine Burst / '20 Charvel San Dimas HH - Gloss Black
                    Marshall JCM800 20W head + SC212 cab / Mesa Boogie Mark V:25 1x10 Combo + Thiele 1x12
                    --------------------------------------------------------------

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                      Decide if you want a true single coil, stack, or single coil size humbucker. True single coils have the most glass, stax emulate the sound of true single coils but are hum cancelling, and single coil size humbuckers sound like a mix between a hum and a single coil because they're physically the same size as a single but have 2 coils in series next to each other.
                      The things that you wanted
                      I bought them for you

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                        I wanna see a pic of this Lado super strat. I remember Iron Maiden using Lado guitars, but don't know much about them.
                        Administrator of the SDUGF

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                          Originally posted by mi_canuck View Post
                          I just swapped out the SSL6's in my HSS Jackson Soloist SL3. Put in 2 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. Couldn't stand the piercing strat tone of the SSL6's. The Quarter Pounders (SSL4 I believe) are much fatter and smoother. More output as well I think, but for neck and bridge that's a whatever IMO. Plus they look sweet with the massive pole pieces lol. (Note: Neck is regular, Middle is RWRP).

                          I think if I had to do it again, would maybe just go stacked coil or mini-humbucker in the neck.

                          [ATTACH=CONFIG]104121[/ATTACH]
                          i wouldnt say the ssl6 is piercing at all but different rigs give different tones. youd hate a vintage single coil the qp is fatter and hotter than the ssl6 to my ears. the qp look badass in the guitar by the way. i assume you have 500k pots in there

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                            Originally posted by mi_canuck View Post
                            I just swapped out the SSL6's in my HSS Jackson Soloist SL3. Put in 2 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. Couldn't stand the piercing strat tone of the SSL6's. The Quarter Pounders (SSL4 I believe) are much fatter and smoother. More output as well I think, but for neck and bridge that's a whatever IMO. Plus they look sweet with the massive pole pieces lol. (Note: Neck is regular, Middle is RWRP).

                            I think if I had to do it again, would maybe just go stacked coil or mini-humbucker in the neck.

                            [ATTACH=CONFIG]104121[/ATTACH]
                            Some advice when running singles with a bucker in the bridge you will split with the single in the middle. Always RUN THE RW/RP PICKUP IN THE NECK AND THE STANDARD WIND IN THE MIDDLE!! That way the bridge split in the conventional way will be humbucking with the single in the middle. Have both my Washburn MG 120 and my Kiesel DC 135 set up where the bucker auto splits in pos 2 when used with the single in the middle like this. This way only pos 3 and 5 on the way are not humbucking.
                            Guitars
                            Kiesel DC 135, Carvin AE 185, DC 400, DC 127 KOA, DC 127 Quilt Purple, X220C, PRS Custom 24, Washburn USA MG 122 proto , MG 102, MG 120.
                            Amps PRS Archon 50 head, MT 15, Mesa Subway Rocket, DC-5, Carvin X50B Hot Rod Mod head, Zinky 25watt Blue Velvet combo.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Suggestions - neck single coil to match 80's SH-5 Duncan Custom bridge pickup

                              Originally posted by Ascension View Post
                              Some advice when running singles with a bucker in the bridge you will split with the single in the middle. Always RUN THE RW/RP PICKUP IN THE NECK AND THE STANDARD WIND IN THE MIDDLE!! That way the bridge split in the conventional way will be humbucking with the single in the middle. Have both my Washburn MG 120 and my Kiesel DC 135 set up where the bucker auto splits in pos 2 when used with the single in the middle like this. This way only pos 3 and 5 on the way are not humbucking.
                              I just kept it as the same config as stock, which is listed here (https://www.jacksonguitars.com/gear/...mah/2914322521), unless it's wrong? When I took out the originals, the stickers were under foam that was glued to the back of the pickups, so I couldn't confirm which was which. When I removed the foam, the stickers were trashed and illegible.

                              As I have it, the only position that has single coil hum is in position 5 (ie. neck only).

                              Here's how the switching is set up in this Jackson:

                              5-Position Blade:
                              Position 1. Bridge Pickup
                              Position 2. Inner Coil of Bridge and Middle Pickup
                              Position 3. Neck and Bridge Outer Coil
                              Position 4. Neck and Middle Pickup
                              Position 5. Neck Pickup

                              --------------------------------------------------------------
                              '19 Charvel DK24 HH - Chlorine Burst / '19 Jackson SL3 - Chlorine Burst / '20 Charvel San Dimas HH - Gloss Black
                              Marshall JCM800 20W head + SC212 cab / Mesa Boogie Mark V:25 1x10 Combo + Thiele 1x12
                              --------------------------------------------------------------

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X