Favorite clean humbucker?

Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

DreX - here's CTN's video on mag swaps. For a pickup without a cover , it's really simple to do.

 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Chris of Arabia said:
The Jazz was my default choice for the neck slot for many years. Only the WLH has come to challenge that thinking since its release. The Jazz is great clean pup, but is capable of a lot more besides. Just reading Demanic's post above though, I'm wondering whether a UOA5 in a Jazz would be worth a try - hmmm...
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Couldn't hurt to try. If you don't like it, you can just switch it back. Another mag I've developed an interest in is the UOC8. Supposed to have the ceramic edge but with more of an A5 type field.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Demanic said:
Couldn't hurt to try. If you don't like it, you can just switch it back. Another mag I've developed an interest in is the UOC8. Supposed to have the ceramic edge but with more of an A5 type field.
Click to expand...

Now I've got myself wondering about a UOA5 Hot Rodded Humbucker set - though there's a line of thinking that says, yet more mids in a JB might not be wise...
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

DreX said:
Do the slugs pop out of the bobbin easily / without destroying the coil? If so, I'd be interested in buying gold slugs and screws and and popping in a JB / '59 set I have in a parts drawer.
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Yeah you can just unmount the bobbin then push them out with a screw driver or something.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Another question out of the blue, perhaps a bit harder to answer, why don't we see A3 and A4, let alone other alloys, as much as A2 and A5? Are they just cheaper? Are they really that much better for pickup design than A3 and A4 more often than not?
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

DreX said:
Another question out of the blue, perhaps a bit harder to answer, why don't we see A3 and A4, let alone other alloys, as much as A2 and A5? Are they just cheaper? Are they really that much better for pickup design than A3 and A4 more often than not?
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Keep in mind that guitars are a tiny part of the magnet industry as a whole. A3 and A4 were earlier formulations but not as stable as others particularly to outside electromagnetic interference. Interest waned enough that probably 15 years ago there were NO foundries producing A4. The A4 you find now are proprietary formulations. Only on the oldest spec sheets from the magnetic materials producers association from the 1940's do you find A4.
At that time people didnt care about what magnet was in a pickup as long as it had a magnet. So the manufacturers went with what was easy to get and caused the least amount of warranty returns. When the aftermarket makers started in the 70's they went with what was the most easily available also.

It was until the internet with its love of all things minutia and people chasing after the tiniest detail to make the most correct PAF they could that the interest in it revived.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

I think of EMG's for super cleans... I'm not a fan of "pristine clean" and prefer my Gibson Ceramic humbuckers with clean tones, slightly aggressive cleans.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Demanic said:
Another mag I've developed an interest in is the UOC8. Supposed to have the ceramic edge but with more of an A5 type field.
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I'm the only one (that I know of) selling this magnet in the European market.

Pros: tone-wise, it's like an A5 with no "mid-scoop" and a non-shrill and/or brittle high end. It shines in PAF-ish winds and particulary good in the neck position. The bass is tight, immediate and the lower strings sound piano-like.

Cons: it's a weak-ish magnet; Gauss-wise's going in-between A2 and A3.

HTH,
 
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Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Here's an idea, assuming you're in the USA. Buy the pickup of your choice, and if it's not 100% to your liking, exchange it during the first three weeks for another pickup. Once you have the one that's closest to the sound you're looking for, try magnet swaps, if you like, until you have the tone as dialed in as much it's going to get.

Then sell it and order the exact same thing from the Custom Shop with the cosmetics you like.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Evan Skopp said:
Here's an idea, assuming you're in the USA. Buy the pickup of your choice, and if it's not 100% to your liking, exchange it during the first three weeks for another pickup. Once you have the one that's closest to the sound you're looking for, try magnet swaps, if you like, until you have the tone as dialed in as much it's going to get.

Then sell it and order the exact same thing from the Custom Shop with the cosmetics you like.
Click to expand...

Man, I wish we had that opportunity in europe! :)
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Dahla said:
Man, I wish we had that opportunity in europe! :)
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Some countries do have the 21 Day program. Check with your local distributor.

HALENisking said:
Do you sell properly functioning returns for a discount?
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Not really. Most of them go to established artists when they want to try out a pickup. Or they get recycled.

But around once every decade or so, SD does a parking lot sale where they'll unload b-stock, returns, customs that were never sold for whatever reason, prototypes, obsolete items, etc. Also sold are instruments that were lying around not being used as well as old components like tubes, footswitches, etc. And whatever else SD wants to get rid of.

Sorry for the hijack.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

DreX said:
Do the slugs pop out of the bobbin easily / without destroying the coil? If so, I'd be interested in buying gold slugs and screws and and popping in a JB / '59 set I have in a parts drawer.
Click to expand...

Yes, they do. I've swapped all my humbuckers to gold slugs and bobbins. One word, though: don't go cheap on the parts!
One time I picked up some inexpensive gold slugs and screws from an eBay seller. No matter what magnet I swapped into this Jazz/59 Hybrid neck pickup, it was dull and muddy. Finally I realize that the slugs and screws might be the problem and robbed some Duncan screws out of a factory gold Alt 8. Problem solved: clear and bright pickup now! I've had good luck with the gold screws and slugs from Mojotone.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

Seth is my favorite unpotted neck humbucker, pearly gates is my favorite potted neck humbucker.

For an absolutely clear, clean sound though you're best going with either a true single coil (if you can have one wound to fit under a humbucker cover) or a low/sub 7k humbucker with a4, but that's in my experience. I'm sure there are other ways to get there though (including but not limited to the aforementioned active pickups)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

I have Seths and Pearly Gates in other guitars, they're both remarkable in their ability to do clean and dirty exceptionally well, absolutely zero compromise on either front. I think that can also be said of the '59 and maybe a few others as well.

I put in an order for unpotted Jazz pickups with A3 bars and the right aesthetic touches for this guitar.
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

I've never tried the Seth neck or PG neck, but often felt the need to. I have a set of ’59s and they get the job done on both clean and dirty tones and seem to do both well. I don't experience any loss of mids or being too scooped sounding with the neck '59 because my fav. tube amp's speaker puts those mids back into the mix. Everyone once in awhile I fancy a bit brighter neck tone and that's when my e.q. Pedal comes into play. Someday I may go with either the Seth or Pearly Gates neck pickups. I haven't made my mind up as to which one as yet.

Studioplayer
 
Re: Favorite clean humbucker?

There seems to be a lot of support for the Seths around here. Makes me want to piece together another guitar to throw a set of Seths into as I have never tried them. I love my Jazz set and I love my Allnico II Pro set (so those aren't going anywhere) but I want to try some Seths now.
 
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