Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Use

NegativeEase

NegativeEase

New member
Fellas, I have a Vintage Gretsch 1977 TK-300 (the post modern hockey stick guitar) that I will never get rid of -it has some historic miles on it and was used on some records that some of you serious metal heads might actually know of -that are important to me.

So being that it will always be around, I want to put some new pickups in it that are useful, as the EMGs in it currently have some major issues from extensive road abuse and honestly thats not the pickup I'd prefer anyways -so I want to make the guitar a nice versatile aggressive solid body studio instrument for the studio, with pickups that have medium/high output and a good voicing to match with an all maple guitar. Not interested in active pickups for this application either -also prefer Chrome or vintage look for this guitar, but I know that getting the right pickup is more important and I don't see too many options anyways.

I'm thinking a darker pickup would probably match with maple better. Standard Invader Maybe (that's about as hot as I would go)? As a JB would probably be way too bright as would most of the high output pickups..... if I went medium output -maybe a 59 as it's more mellow on the highs. -All of these modern high output pickups I see on SD and Dimarzio etc often don't interest me because they are scooped or super bright.

Thoughts?

Here's the guitar:
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Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

Nothing wrong with Invaders. Or maybe an Alternative 8 paired with a Distortion neck.

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Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

Demanic said:
Nothing wrong with Invaders. Or maybe an Alternative 8 paired with a Distortion neck.

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Hadn't thought of Alternative 8 -will look up.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

Those things come with a shorter scale length of 24.5", if Google is to be believed, so that will help counteract the brightness of the mostly maple construction.

I think it would be pretty cool if you put a set of TV Jones Duo-Trons or another Filtertron style pickup (SD Psyclone Hot?) as an homage of sorts to the traditional Gretsch aesthetic but with higher output and hotter tone to better suit the solid body. The Universal Mount should allow the Duo-Trons to fit in that route, but I cannot speak from experience.

If you want to go the pure humbucker route, I second the Alt 8 for the bridge (or Crazy 8 if you want to get a little spicy) but with an A4 Saturday Night Special for the neck.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

Chistopher said:
Those things come with a shorter scale length of 24.5", if Google is to be believed, so that will help counteract the brightness of the mostly maple construction.

I think it would be pretty cool if you put a set of TV Jones Duo-Trons or another Filtertron style pickup (SD Psyclone Hot?) as an homage of sorts to the traditional Gretsch aesthetic but with higher output and hotter tone to better suit the solid body. The Universal Mount should allow the Duo-Trons to fit in that route, but I cannot speak from experience.

If you want to go the pure humbucker route, I second the Alt 8 for the bridge (or Crazy 8 if you want to get a little spicy) but with an A4 Saturday Night Special for the neck.
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That's a really interesting idea -didn't consider the Filtertron route -even though it's a Gretsch -I love the trons!

as this guitar has only been used for metal that I know of

juanmontoya.jpg
 
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Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

I like the idea of filtertrons - you may also want to check out Railhammers.


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Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

A pair of Demons would work.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

I think in all maple, I'd go with the Black Winter set. The EQ is right, and it is certainly aggressive.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

NegativeEase said:
Would Demons work well in an all maple setup?
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If you were to go with Demons, I might consider swapping the stock magnets for double thick A5s to slide the EQ curve down a bit, or go with an OG El Diablo (the overwound Demon) in the bridge.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

I think Lynch was using the Distortion, or probably a Distortion Lite when he was using all maple guitars. The Demon came out when on the Haji guitar (the one with the Wicked Sensation artwork), that one has an alder body.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

devastone said:
I think Lynch was using the Distortion, or probably a Distortion Lite when he was using all maple guitars. The Demon came out when on the Haji guitar (the one with the Wicked Sensation artwork), that one has an alder body.
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I'm like 99% sure that he was using Demons in the Kamikaze era maple ESP's, but I could be wrong.
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

Benjy_26 said:
I'm like 99% sure that he was using Demons in the Kamikaze era maple ESP's, but I could be wrong.
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Maybe they switched at some point, but the Demons didn't exist when the Kami's originally came out. I owned one of the Kami IVs back in the day (ESP, not the LTD RI that's nothing like the original), don't remember what it had it in, pretty sure it wasn't a Demon, but I could be wrong, it was years ago.

FWIW, the new ESP and LTD Kami's come with "The Hunter" bridge pickup which is a Distortion-type pickup - http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/george-lynch-hunter/
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

I know the Beast came with two Dimarzio Super Distortions. Certainly not too bright, and I think they are versatile, at least in the bridge. I hear maple, though, and I think Tone Zone.

But some filtertrons (Psychlones, anyone?) would be awfully cool for gettin your Malcolm on...
 
Re: Going to add new Pickups for this baby -Need nice aggro versatility for Studio Us

I had an A2 JB in a hard maple body/neck 1 direct mount hb strat with floyd and it sounded great, one of the best sounding guitars I remember (of course, you know how old memories are for us old guys).
 
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