EVH Wolfgang Pickup Routes and replacement ideas

[Ray NC]

Hi All,
Looking to replace the pickups on my EVH Wolfgang Special (Japan). Would like to do it without altering the route. Just a home player that gets dirt from pedals and play blues on the neck and AC DC, Sabbath, Metallica type rhythm on the bridge. Looking to get into a more vintage PAF type of pickup that doesn't crap out with distortion... Anyone have experience/thoughts on the following?

1. Seymour Duncan Custom Shop: Have been told that they can do a pickup with the right baseplate through the custom shop. Tech support recommended the 59 model. Assume that going this route could work.
2. Dimarzio with PCB baseplate: told that I could custom order anything with a pcb baseplate for a $7 surcharge. A cheaper option. Anyone ever tried to go this way?
3. Used Duncans from a "San Dimas". These look like they have the same sort of baseplate. Anyone know if they do?
4. 1 Meg pot on Wolfgang pups - anyone ever do this with success on the Wolfgang? I cut the tone knob out and that improved it a little. Wonder if going to 1Meg pot would brighten it up a bit.
5. Any other pickups that have a compatible baseplate.

Thank you all for your thoughts.

 

[Hsb]

Welcome to the site, another option, depending how good you are with an iron, is swap coils with another pickup and just use the EVH baseplate. Just have to be careful removing the coils from baseplate to another and not break the ground wire.

 

[ErikH]

Anything you do will require some sort of modification somewhere.

You can get away with DiMarzios with their stock baseplates that have the rounded tabs. If anything you'd have to drill a hole for the mount screw since the EVH pickups use two screws each side.

The Charvel San Dimas pickups are either DiMarzios or Duncans with their stock baseplates.

A 1Meg pot will add brightness but will also add to the output. Kinda opposite of what you're wanting there (more Vintage PAF type pickup).

Disconnect the tone pot (which is 250K). That will take the load off and it'll be old-school 500k volume only. This is a no-cost option you can try immediately.

You can also add brightness by adjusting the tone controls on your dirt pedals / amp. A little more presence goes a long way.

 

[Ray NC]

Also, I added a treble bleed and disconnected the tone pot and that certainly helped. The bridge isn't the worst thing in the world but the neck is just not very usable for me now.

This is the used one from a Charvel that looks a lot like the EVH baseplate. https://stratosphereparts.com/usa-s...ker-pickup-tb4-bridge-guitar-zebra-san-dimas/

 

[ErikH]

Also, I added a treble bleed and disconnected the tone pot and that certainly helped. The bridge isn't the worst thing in the world but the neck is just not very usable for me now.

This is the used one from a Charvel that looks a lot like the EVH baseplate. https://stratosphereparts.com/usa-se...bra-san-dimas/

That's a stock Seymour Duncan trem-spaced baseplate. Not the same as the Wolfgang's (where the tabs are more rounded). The outside holes on the Seymour Duncan are not threaded at all either.

Is the neck pickup simply too hot? You can insert a resister in-line with the pickup hot to the switch to lower the output. A couple alligator clips will help make the change quick until you find one that works for you.

 

[Ray NC]

Anyone ever do this? https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/mod-squad-muddy-sounding-neck-pickup

 

[ErikH]

I actually did do that demud mod a while back. Sadly, I can't remember which pickup I did it with. It certainly is something worth trying. A couple alligator clips to hold it in place while testing out different cap values.

 

[Mincer]

I think the SD Factory can alter the baseplates to fit your guitar. I'd send them a message or give them a call...it might not be a Custom Shop thing.

 

[GuitarDoc]

If you removed the tone pot, putting a 1 meg pot in won't make it brighter than that. It will be brighter than the 250k pot though.

 

[Ray NC]

Thank you for the comments. Ended up ordering a set through the Duncan Custom Shop. Now the wait begins.

 

[PDC]

FWIW - Jalen offers all of their various winds with EVH base plates. I’ve got Jalens in both of my EVH guitars and they are a direct drop-in replacement.

 

[Ray NC]

Good to know. Did you get a more PAF-leaning pickup as a replacement?