Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

[prg435]

Hello. New to the forum. Just got a Fender American Deluxe HSS. Great guitar but am thinking of replacing the DH-1. My question is has anybody does this before and how complicated is it with the s-1 switching? Also, any recomendations? I was thinking JB but am curious if anybody with that guitar has experimented. Thanks!

[jeremy]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

welcome to the forum!!

the s1 switch isnt a big deal.

what tones are you after and what dont you like about the dh1

[prg435]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

Hey there. It's not that I don't like it totally. It's a bit more compressed than I normally like. I've used lots of PU's before and tend to like the ones a bit more 'open'. I had Bill Lawrence L-500's in a LP before and loved em. But they don't fit right into strat pickguards. If I had to pick an alltime favorite guitar sound it be Warren DeMartini.

[Fusion1]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

Jb!

[itbepopples]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

I also have the DH-1,SCn,SCn setup. I've found the S-1 switch to not really make any sounds I couldn't live without so I basically don't use it. The pickups have many useful sounds but I find the pickups (basically just the SCn's) lose a ton of treble as you roll the volume down...which is a big problem if you play with a moderately rated tube amp that you want to control with just the volume on the guitar. Also, I've found that the DH-1 sounds too boingy and springy and not like a solid lead pickup. This is cool because the bridge/mid position sounds fantastic but the bridge alone isn't very useful. I'm interested in seeing what pickup(s) you can get to work for you as that would make my search for a good set of replacements a lot easier. Also, I've found that selling the whole assembly will get you more cash than trying to rework the S-1 switching with new pickups.

[Gamera]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

Note that from a specs standpoint the Fender DH-1 and the Duncan JB are identical. If you do a search on the FDP Pup Tent you'll find a few posts someplace that outline the DH-1 specs and compare those to the JB specs listed on the Duncan website: identical.

[prg435]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

Interesting about the JB/DH-1. Anybody know if Fender collaborated with Duncan on it? Thanks!

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

The DH-1 was initially designed by Bill Lawrence quite some time ago. Since then Fender has tweaked it.....ALOT. Also be careful matching other pickups w/ the Lawrence Designed pickups as there tends to be some phase issues that arise.

[Gamera]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

The DH-1 was initially designed by Bill Lawrence quite some time ago. Since then Fender has tweaked it.....ALOT.

Depends on whom you ask.

Bill Turner over at the FDP, someone whom until recently worked making pickups for Fender, claims it's a 100% original Fender design.

Some BL fanatics over on Bill Lawrence's board claim Bill designed it years ago. And they point to some extremely obscure mention of it in BL's notes as evidence. This may be true. But then they further claim that BL must've designed it because it matches so well with the BL-designed SCN pickups that Fender offers in their HSS guitars. They seem to forget that the DH-1 was first introduced in 1996, whereas SCNs debuted in 2004.

I personally agree that it probably originated as a BL design but it's been so drastically revised over the years that there's really no BL left in it. At this point I'm willing to believe it's 100% Fender.

[gOgIver]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

Note that from a specs standpoint the Fender DH-1 and the Duncan JB are identical. If you do a search on the FDP Pup Tent you'll find a few posts someplace that outline the DH-1 specs and compare those to the JB specs listed on the Duncan website: identical.

Don't know what the specs are on the DH-1 but you can check out the specs on the Atomic vs. the JB.


Seymour Duncan JB
D.C. Resistance: 16.4k
Magnet: Alnico 5

Fender Atomic Bridge Humbucking Pickup
DC Resistance : 16.4K
Magnet : Alnico 5

[Gamera]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

Actually I believe the Atomic is the same as the DH-1. Just marketed differently depending on the guitar it goes into.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Fender DH-1 Pickup Replacement

The C-5 is similar to a JB, but it's more open sounding and has a tighter low end.
The way you're describing the move you want to make, it sounds like a Duncan JB trem would be closest to what you have, then the C-5 trem, then the 59 trem. All A5 pickups moving from more compressed to more open.

If you run into a phase problem....
swap the neck for the middle, and also do the same thing at the 5 way.
Install the Duncan with the black/silver as ground, and the green as hot, if the phasing isn't right when you wire it normally.....black hot, green/silver ground.