Full Shred mod

[STLMTLHD79]

Over the years, i have done a ton of mods to SD Full Shred humbuckers. I am one of the few that actually likes them however, I DO wish they had a bit more low end at times. Hence, why I modded a few with a row of fillister screws.

I dont want to take a bunch of my pickups apart, however I would like to experiment with putting hex screws into a vintage SD Allan Holdsworth to maybe brighten and tighten it up a bit. I could do a direct swap from one guitar to the other in this one case.

Does anybody know what the actual specs are on the fillister screws that SD uses? amazon link?

 

[jeremy]

i dont think they are the same size, but i dont have any here to check

 

[STLMTLHD79]

i dont think they are the same size, but i dont have any here to check

They actually are the same. I used screws from a dead 59 and put them in a Full Shred-worked perfectly.

 

[Despair]

They actually are the same. I used screws from a dead 59 and put them in a Full Shred-worked perfectly.

Can confirm, you can swap Full Shred allen heads for stock screws, as I have done for the low 3 strings on my neck JB with A3 magnet in one guitar.

A fun pickup, not loud, but sounds fat, but doesn't fart out or get congested, and has a sparkle I've never heard from an A2 or A5 JB when clean. And that's as a neck pickup! Not for all tastes, there's even more mids than a stock JB, and the searing upper mids, while not gone, are much tamer. I also have it flipped so studs are closer to neck, and bass side screwed way in, with screws raised to keep volume even, because I like fat high strings and tight low strings. Looks odd, but it's exactly the sound I wanted.​

Back to the original post, I don't know. Different screws use different alloys, I don't think Seymour Duncan has disclosed their specs. Different alloys have different magnetic properties, so it's unfortunately not as simple as just matching the length, diameters, thread ratio, and head.

 

[jeremy]

good to know!

 

[Clint 55]

If you want more bass, use a double thick magnet.

 

[Teleplayer]

I’m getting confused when you say you want more bottom end from the Full Shred, but also hoping for a tighter version of the Holdsworth pickup. Aren’t those two completely different objectives?

Which version of the AH pickup do you have. Aren’t the later versions wound to less than 8k?

If you want a heavier sounding version of the Full Shred, I’d keep the hex screws and put an A4 magnet instead. Must be the best of both worlds to have one pole of hex screws for power, and the Filisters on the outside for extra sizzle!

 

[jeremy]

clint, make me a double thick a2 please

 

[idsnowdog]

I use an alnico 8. It gives the Full Shred the tight bass I'm looking for.

 

[ehdwuld]

clint, make me a double thick a2 please

Wouldn't that be as simple as putting 2 magnets on top of each other?

Or are you jesting with Clint?

 

[STLMTLHD79]

I’m getting confused when you say you want more bottom end from the Full Shred, but also hoping for a tighter version of the Holdsworth pickup. Aren’t those two completely different objectives?

Which version of the AH pickup do you have. Aren’t the later versions wound to less than 8k?

If you want a heavier sounding version of the Full Shred, I’d keep the hex screws and put an A4 magnet instead. Must be the best of both worlds to have one pole of hex screws for power, and the Filisters on the outside for extra sizzle!

I have an old AH1BJ in a 1999 Epiphone MIJ Les Paul Standard that is a 16K based on the JB. I could swap one row of its fillisters with the Full Shred in my Charvel DK24. I do love most of the things about the Full shred, but just would like it to sound a bit more bold and fat. The FS1BJ from the 80s seem to sound a bit more round and without some of the harsh highs. Maybe its the aged magnets?