Custom Shop or no?

[Link8417]

I was planning on purchasing a Seth Lover neck and a Whole Lotta Humbucker bridge for my ?Gibson Les Paul and was wondering if I should get my WLH custom shopped to be unpotted and made with the same materials as the SL for a more "proper" vintage tone combination. What do you think?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Interesting idea. If it's worth it to you. I'd bet the custom whole lotta could be made to sound better on its own and match better with the Seth that way.

If I had the money, I'd get almost all my pickups from the custom shop. But I don't, and affordable options exist, so

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

What do you think?

I think it's your $ and you should do what you want to with it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Welcome to the forum!

That is a cool idea, and certainly worth pursuing. If you decide to do this, report back here and let us know how it turns out. I'd be curious of such a creation.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Hello,
On the WLH I just put in (it is GREAT) - I had MJ in the CS make mine unpotted. I love my Seth also, but like to use a rough
Cut A4 or RCA5 to give it some more "grit" and aggressiveness. This matches my new WLH really well. I have 2 stage guitars that are set. But I have 5 other guitars I have been swapping mags, etc. The WLH is in one of my 2 stage ready guitars.
I am in small company about potted/unpotted pickups. I swear I hear a difference, a little more sweet and airy, but many of
the very smart people on this forum that I trust say they can't hear any difference. My .02 cents
Steve Buffington

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

I am in small company about potted/unpotted pickups. I swear I hear a difference, a little more sweet and airy, but many of the very smart people on this forum that I trust say they can't hear any difference.

Most people should definitely hear a difference between the same pickup potted and unpotted. I'd imagine you are probably in the big company of people.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Yeah, most people should hear it. However, I am not sure if I could tell by the time it takes me to switch a pickup out. I'd probably hear it if both examples are recorded, though.

 

[Link8417]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

I imagine it's like a pickup cover, there is a clear difference of a covered vs uncovered, but it's subtle enough you wouldn't be able to tell unless you listened side by side. This might not be the case with all pickups however. But the reason I'm thinking of doing this is to more accurately represent the original overwound Seth Lovers from the 70s that the Whole Lotta Humbuckers are based off of.

 

[bldrst]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Sidebar: I'm getting ready to put covers on my SD '78 (bridge) and WLH (neck) on my LP Custom first time with these pickups, curious about the difference.

 

[Link8417]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Sidebar: I'm getting ready to put covers on my SD '78 (bridge) and WLH (neck) on my LP Custom first time with these pickups, curious about the difference.

The 78 is a much more powerful PAF rewound pickup that has more of the EVH tone than standard Classic Rock. The WLH is closer to a Seth Lover, but it still has higher output and clearer overdriven sounds than a Seth Lover. In terms of cover/uncovered, the cover just slightly muffles the tone, but not so much that it's noticeable unless you hear a side-by-side comparison. I like a covered neck and an uncovered bridge for this reason.


I'm kinda contemplating whether or not I should go with my WLH/SL combo, or if I should order a WLH neck, but with the same materials (excluding magnets and coil of course) as a Seth Lover to better match the WLH custom. I've heard that Jimmy Page currently uses a similar combo in his #1, with his stock (now a replica) Seth Lover PAF in the neck, and a WLH in the bridge, so I'm sure it won't be a bad combo...

 

[bldrst]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

The 78 is a much more powerful PAF rewound pickup that has more of the EVH tone than standard Classic Rock. The WLH is closer to a Seth Lover, but it still has higher output and clearer overdriven sounds than a Seth Lover. In terms of cover/uncovered, the cover just slightly muffles the tone, but not so much that it's noticeable unless you hear a side-by-side comparison. I like a covered neck and an uncovered bridge for this reason.


I'm kinda contemplating whether or not I should go with my WLH/SL combo, or if I should order a WLH neck, but with the same materials (excluding magnets and coil of course) as a Seth Lover to better match the WLH custom. I've heard that Jimmy Page currently uses a similar combo in his #1, with his stock (now a replica) Seth Lover PAF in the neck, and a WLH in the bridge, so I'm sure it won't be a bad combo...

Good to know, however, I mostly prefer the A2 mags over the A5's in the WLH. Interesting about Page's setup because I've considered getting the bridge WLH to even out the set.

 

[Link8417]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Hello,
On the WLH I just put in (it is GREAT) - I had MJ in the CS make mine unpotted...

you think it sounds good? Have you noticed any undesirable amounts of feedback due to the unpotted coils, or do they hold up pretty well in a live setting regardless? This is really the main thing holding me back is the balancing between a PAF and an overwound PAF (the more I think about it the less of a problem I think it would be) and the feedback from the amp. I think I'm going to go ahead and give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen?

 

[SJ318]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Thanks - darthphineous and Mincer. I guess I am not as alone as I though!!!
Link8417 - the worst that can happen is you will desire more, and that is expensive. Really, the worse is if you would rather have it potted, you can do it yourself, or find a luthier to do it for you.
I have 7 bridge Duncan unpotted, uncovered in all my guitars. From a lower wind - 7.5, all the way up to 11 or so with my 59/Custom. Also S.Lovers, 1 antiquity, 1 Jazz bridge (very bright, but very useful in an HSS situation) 1 S.Lover with a RCA5,
and 1 S.Lover with a RCA4, very versatile.
So I say get the WLH (as I was told to do) and I couldn't be happier! I have had no feedback issues ever, on any high or low wound pick ups. I think also holding that kind of power takes some practice either turning down so fast it can't be seen, or holding the strings so they cannot feedback. It is instinctual to me now. Make sure to say unpotted and bridge a couple times, say this guy Steve, who is OCD, told you too. Also if you want zebra, make sure they know. It come four wire, but if you don't want that, they can do standard Gibson "pushback" 2 wire. Also, on the Seth Lover bridge, if you do it, can be changed to rougher or flat EQ sounds with cheap magnet swaps.
Well, bedtime, so good pu'p hunting.
Steve Buffington

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Now I am curious at trying unpotted pickups in my next guitar. Great. Thanks.

 

[Link8417]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Now I am curious at trying unpotted pickups in my next guitar. Great. Thanks.

Weren't you the guy that did the article on the Seth Lovers? I could have sworn it was the same profile pic attached to the soundcloud bits lol

Well, it looks like I'm getting an unpotted "VOS" Whole Lotta Humbucker as well as a Seth Lover. I'll be back once I order it and it gets here, but I might need a reminder so maybe we should keep talking ��

 

[SJ318]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

I think you are making a good choice. 1 thing, I don't care for A2's very much, but that is just me. If I had a WLH in the
Bridge, I would use the the SL with a RC A4 or RC A5, to help tighten up the bass strings, I believe and have tried it - and it
is my opinion that in the neck especially a SL with the mag swaps would help even out and pair up those two p'ups just
great. My real life 2 cents
Steve

 

[Link8417]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

I like the contrast between the A2 and the A5, gives each one a little more of a unique tone. I've been really picky about having distinct tones in each pickup since my first Epiphone. Both pickups sounded exactly the same, and as far as I knew, the selector switch could have been poorly wired. After that I decided I needed a guitar without master volume or tone, and with a contrasting pickup combo. From my experience, an A2/A3/UOA5 pickup in the neck with an A3/A5/A8 in the bridge sounds best, especially with Rough Cast magnets. Alrighty, I think I'm going to order them!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

Weren't you the guy that did the article on the Seth Lovers? I could have sworn it was the same profile pic attached to the soundcloud bits lol

Well, it looks like I'm getting an unpotted "VOS" Whole Lotta Humbucker as well as a Seth Lover. I'll be back once I order it and it gets here, but I might need a reminder so maybe we should keep talking ��

Yeah, that was me...but I was talking about the standard 'potted' models specially unpotted. I haven't tried many of those yet. The Antiquities and Seths I have used a lot.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

I say do it. It won't fall under custom shop prices and will instead be a production floor custom option. May still cost a bit more but won't be anywhere near the prices from the CS.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom Shop or no?

This is the official list of what falls under Shop Floor Custom options. They are significantly cheaper than full Custom Shop.