Difference between '78 and IM-1?

S

Silver

New member
If I wanted to get that early Van Halen tone, which is two would get me closest?

When the '78 came out it was my understanding that it was 'unofficially' supposed to be a replica of the pickup used on the VH-1 album (released in 1978).

And of course, the IM-1 is 'unofficially' supposed to be a replica of the pickup used in the recreation of the frankenstrat. The recreation in question is of the red/black/white incarnation of said guitar, which happened in 1979 after the release of VH-2, and therefore suggests the tone copped is from the 1979 era onwards (Women and children first).

Is my rationale accurate?

If so, then it seems as though the '78 is the one to go for if you want the VH-1 and VH-2 era tone.




By the way; I'm not actually chasing this tone. I'm just curious when company's release multiple products aiming to do the same sort of thing.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

VH-1. T-Top or 59.

1984 - Custom Custom.

The pup is not most of the equation.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

I've had the '78 and the IM1 in the same guitar.

yeah. the '78 will get you the earlier VH. it will sound better in a brighter guitar.

the IM1 will get you early-mid-80s to mid-80s VH. it has the degaussed A5 and will be a little more forgiving with the wood it's in. put a normal A2 in there and you have the Frankenstein model.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

My understanding is that the IM-1 is based on the pickup that is in the Frankenstrat now and while the Frankenstrat did get it's last paint job around the time of VH-2 the pickup got changed quite a few more times.

Please note, this is only what I picked up on forums and such and might very well be wrong...I have no interest in VH tone so I've never really followed it.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

the guy who invented fire said:
My understanding is that the IM-1 is based on the pickup that is in the Frankenstrat now and while the Frankenstrat did get it's last paint job around the time of VH-2 the pickup got changed quite a few more times.

Please note, this is only what I picked up on forums and such and might very well be wrong...I have no interest in VH tone so I've never really followed it.
Click to expand...

maybe I can put it like this. I was told that if you put an A2 in it, that it'd be the pickup that was made for Eddie. as far as which one during which era, I don't know. I'm also not a VH clone, so my command of what he sounded like on which record with which tone is not as exact as the people running around with striped guitars and flush-mounted Floyds.



Silver said:
The website says it has an A2 already?
Click to expand...

there are lots of problems with the Duncan website(s). MJ has told me again and again that the IM1 is a degaussed A5. call her and ask her. or believe what you read online put there by someone that doesn't make them. whatever floats your boat.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

darthphineas said:
MJ has told me again and again that the IM1 is a degaussed A5. call her and ask her. or believe what you read online put there by someone that doesn't make them. whatever floats your boat.
Click to expand...

I have an IM1 sitting in front me (well, the pup itself is in a Charvel behind me)...the box says AL II, DC resistance is 14.8K, made 6-27-13, with MJ initials...I won't tell Ed if you don't!

For early VH stuff, the '78 is the best pup...in a super strat it is VH1. I have one of those as well. Regardless of EVH or Van Halen, these pickups are awesome. I really think the '78 is the ultimate PAF.
 
Difference between '78 and IM-1?

Oh, she will make it with the A2. She'll put whatever you want in a pickup. That's what the custom shop is about.

All I'm saying is that she flat out told me that the degaussed A5 is intended for the IM1. I asked her about the A2, she said she wanted to send it to me that way the IM1 is meant to be...and said it would be the degaussed A5.

Seems like someone not doing their job properly sure is behind a bit of confusion. Unless someone wants to tell me MJ is wrong and misled me.


And if its the Charvel I'm thinking it might be, you'd want the one with the A2 if you were going for a degree of accuracy.
 
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Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

darthphineas said:
Oh, she will make it with the A2. She'll put whatever you want in a pickup.
Click to expand...

The A2 was not a request, I just asked for an IM1...I got A2.

I remember back when there was a lot of buzz around the Franky replica and the pups, I remember it being said that IM1 was going to be degaussed A5 too, apparently it is A2 now.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

interesting concept, as I just grabbed one around last August, which is when I had these conversations with MJ.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

Hmm, after reading this my gut tells me the original IM-1 stats eventually morphed into the frankie stats. I remember it being degaussed A5 in the beginning....very strange.
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

Yeah. I ain't trying argue with anyone here. But this seems to be another one of those inconsistencies happening in Santa Barbara.





edit:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?157432-EVH-Frankenstein-Humbucker/page3

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?154431-The-quot-78-quot-AKA-EVH-pickup/page3

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/sho...ender-25-000-frankenstrat-duncan-pickup/page2


maybe something has changed in the years the IM1 has been available. but those threads have 3 people from pretty high levels at Duncan pretty much saying the same thing and/or backing each other up.
 
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Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

Fact #1-Seymour Dunacn can and will change specs as they see fit. Remember all those discussions on the various changed in the JB, Jazz, 59,etc...

Fact #2-If MJ feels that you are sniffing too close to something she doesn't want you to know much like EVH or BFG she'll spin some tall tale to send you the wrong way...she's done it to me more than once!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

At the end of the day the 78 and IM-1 use different winds completely...

The 78 is right 9k while the IM-1 is just shy of 14k so there is a lot more to it than the magnet which FWIW is currently listed on the SD CS page as alnico II.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Difference between '78 and IM-1?

darthphineas said:
Oh, she will make it with the A2. She'll put whatever you want in a pickup. That's what the custom shop is about.

All I'm saying is that she flat out told me that the degaussed A5 is intended for the IM1. I asked her about the A2, she said she wanted to send it to me that way the IM1 is meant to be...and said it would be the degaussed A5.

Seems like someone not doing their job properly sure is behind a bit of confusion. Unless someone wants to tell me MJ is wrong and misled me.


And if its the Charvel I'm thinking it might be, you'd want the one with the A2 if you were going for a degree of accuracy.
Click to expand...

Funny the Custom Shop website magnet option IM1 is only for a degaussed A2. Could it be that they cannot sell the exact same pickup as the EVH Frankenstein (degaussed A5),so they have to use a degaussed A2? see the link..
http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/im1/
 
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