Hi all,
Minis are cool, but their output is quite low. My tele is more beefy. Maybe it is the pickups (stock ones from 1976).
Shall I think of conversion? Not my favorite option... still it is feasible.
Or p90's? Or p90 size HB's from the custom shop?
Thanks in advance.
B
In fact, I cannot decide. I love the tone of the minis and sorta am thinking that I am stupid to swap them out instead of turning up the vol on the amp a bit more and/or using some clean boost pedal.
On the other hand, the guitar sounds great and alive you know... Here are two clips with them minis (first the bridge, the second the neck and no pedals... Just a plexi clone with JCM800 channel):
Excuse the shabby playing, the second one has some intonation issues...
B
Hi all,
I decided to pot the covers and the mags of the original mini HB's in my 1976 Gibson Deluxe. I liked them, but they were a bit microphonic. Hence, the operation... But to make matters worse, the height adjustment screws of the neck pickup were stripped. So first I had to deal with them screws. And having had no idea about the details of the routing... well it was sorta interesting endeavor to say the least.
I did do the potting thing. I also have taken pics of the magnets and inside of the pickup. Here they are:
And here is how it looks now:
B
Leave it be. Turn up. Play harder. Use fatter strings. Raise the pickups. Etc. Those pickups aren't THAT quiet. They can get plenty filthy IME.
There have been enough Deluxes modded or butchered over the years. Get one of those if you don't like mini hums. Sell the stock one to someone who wants a stock one.
Not a fun guitar to do swaps in either. The whole stock pickup/spacer/mounting ring is a soldered together assembly, which you have to break open even to swap in a hotter mini bucker. Those guitars stock with original orientation and original solders are getting harder to find. They'll be 50 years old soon, and aren't going to get any less rare or desirable in future years. Even if you go to P90's, which fit the routs, you have to modify the guitar to mount them, by adding holes in the cavity.
I had a Deluxe of that era. Minis killed in my JCM 800, and were quite nice in my Twin also. Of course, that's me, YMMV, and all that, but I'd really think it through before dumping them.
Keep the neck, put a P90size Super Distortion into the bridge
I love minis and there are some great options out there. The Duncan Antiquities are really nice. If you want more output, I'd check the options from Rio Grande. The Baby BBQ is about 12k and they will make a Baby Buffalo (about 10k) if you want one that isn't as hot. I have Lollars in my Kauer Banshee (Firebird) and they aren't bad at all.
Something like an RC booster or TC Spark that gives you some EQ control, in addition to the clean boost is a cheap option and can confirm if you can live with the current pickups or need to make a swap.
I don't think there is a compelling enough reason to switch. They sound great. Maybe just get some sort of boost pedal when you need it.
Clean boost.
Bill
Hey Barlo, how about a mag swap. I like my A8 minihumbucker.
https://www.cermagmagnets.co.uk/alnico---metric-sizing---polished-surface-finish-2-c.asp