Duncan Vintage Blues Set mods and PAF on budget hunt...

[z*z*z]

After my previous thread and idea of replacing set of '59 for Antiquities or Seth Lover, or some other boutique set of PAF type of pickups I've deicided to play around with idea of do some modding of Duncans Vintage Blues Set - I am generally satisfied with stock sound, its very versatile set - I got some pickups from Gibson LP Studio, and I didnt know that they sport roughcast alnico 2 in neck position, so Ive swapped magnets and voila - '59 neck bass became less prominent and mids came alive also highs were pretty much the same... So, I came up with another (not really original) idea... How about removing excess wax from both pickups? I know it will not make them unpotted but if it will add a dimension, why not? And few more questions - what is general pickup height recommended for '59s and should I play with polepieces height?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Duncan Vintage Blues Set mods and PAF on budget hunt...

the wax that matters most is the stuff soaked into the coils and you cant easily remove that. cleaning up excess wax outside the coil wont hurt anything but i doubt itll make an audible difference.

everyone has different advise for pup heights and pole pieces since they will tell you what they do and what works for them, but there is no "correct" way to do anything. i like to set my neck pup with the pole pieces just above the bobbin, i like to set my bridge pup with the poles flush with the bobbin top. i adjust the height of the bridge pup first and do it by ear to find the sweet spot, then i adjust the neck so it balances with the bridge. i play it like that for a bit and make adjustments till i have good balance across the strings and between the pups. if i need more high end from the neck pup, ill lower it a bit and raise the pole pieces a touch. if one string isnt as loud as the others ill raise that pole piece pup till it balances.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Duncan Vintage Blues Set mods and PAF on budget hunt...

I agree here. The wax that matters has penetrated the coil, and I don't think you can successfully remove that. As far as heights of the pickups and poles, I never measure (most techs don't). It is trial and error, really. I generally start with the poles mirroring the radius of the fingerboard, with the lowest being flush with the cover. But I've heard all sorts of methods that work to think there is no standard way to do this.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Duncan Vintage Blues Set mods and PAF on budget hunt...

what is general pickup height recommended for '59s and should I play with polepieces height?

I like the following starting points, taken with my own A3/A2-modded '59 set.
Fretting @ the last fret,
* Bridge p'up: first string: 2.0 mm. sixth string: 2.0 mm
* Neck p'up: first string: 3.6 mm. sixth string: 4.0 mm



That's the way the polepieces should look like on the neck p'up. You can use the same pattern, but a lot "flatter" on the bridge p'up.

If you ever need bar magnets for your pickups, PM me. I'm in Italy, so you can pay in Euros, fast shipping and no customs.

HTH,

 

[z*z*z]

Re: Duncan Vintage Blues Set mods and PAF on budget hunt...

Thanks everybody for advices, opinions and suggestions.
Ill consider your offer for more magnets, thanks Lt.Kojak