Making super 70s clones

vinnie1971

vinnie1971

New member
I have some humbuckers that are Korean but made to this formula:

PAF type specs as follows:-

Resistance - Bridge - 8.1k (+/-10%), Neck - 7.4k
Inductance - Bridge - 3.78h, Neck - 3.48h

Magnets = Alnico 3

Scatter wound with Formvar coated wire

So as they stand they are very Vintage and pretty bright and airy.

Looking at the specs- that’s pretty darned close ( or even dead on ) to Maxon super 58s. The only difference as I understand between super 58 and super 70s is that super .70s used alnico 8. So, just So I’ve put alnico 8s in but it’s not quite there, more alnico 2 on steroids. A pretty good sound. Though. Much better than I’d hoped for.

Now I’ve got a set of El Maya Maxon super 80s ( although they could be the later super 70s when they switch her to double sized ceramic ) but they follow the same construction as Dimarzio Super 2 ( although the Maxons use formvar coated wire), but I’ve never seen a real one super 70....

Chatting to Craig at axesrus I’m advised I need double sized alnico 8 for a brighter top end and more of everything else. So as they sell those I’ve got them in order.

Fingers crossed these should sound great!


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Making super 70s clones

If you want to copy the real thing, humbuckers are never scatter wound or use formvar... I assume you mean heavy build. Humbuckers are single build, usually poly or plain enamel on older pickups. And are machine wound.


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Re: Making super 70s clones

I took apart a Super 70 from a Westminster-badged version of an Ibanez bolt-on LP (it's the distinctive zebra bobbins half-covered around edges variant seen in Ibanez catalogs, so it's definitely the same pickup), iirc it had a wooden spacer in there.

Although the diagram doesnt show it

ibanez_super70.jpg
 
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Making super 70s clones

Adieu said:
Oh here we go
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/79263/oil-city-ibanez-super-70-repair


Just as i remember it

+1 om the totally UNpotted thing btw

View attachment 91393
View attachment 91394
View attachment 91395
Click to expand...

Perfect, thanks. It that an oversize magnet?
It might be the angle but it looks thicker.

Is that a nickel base? I always thought they were brass ( I’ve actually got a spare pair of brass ones to try if that makes it closer to original)

Great rebuild by the way!

I’ve currently got rough cast alnico 8 in the bridge and polished one in the neck - I don’t know if it’s true but I wanted a warmer bridge and brighter neck, some other forum information suggested that would work.

My pickup which I think is meant to be like a super 58 has minimal potting[emoji1360]

I can’t wait to try it with oversized alnico 8.




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Re: Making super 70s clones

Thats not me thats just something i googled up but seems to match my recollections...as to the base, lemme go look in my parts bin

Hmmm... My half-covered zebras (like No.2386-70 in the documentation above) have brass 3 screw base and the black gapcovers are also brass under the peeling paint
 
Re: Making super 70s clones

Ok, I’ve received my oversized roughcast alnico 8s and what I thought might be a mediocre result has actually been pretty successful. They aren’t as thick as I thought they’d be, they’re 5mm so they’re not double sized.

The tone of these is now great! The thicker magnets give slightly more bass and it hit more brightness.

Overall the tone is less alnico 2 on steroids it sits between my Dimarzio super distortion and my Maxon pickups which are very similar sounding to Dimarzio super 2.

It may not be exactly like a super 70 but I’ll bet it’s not far off.

Success !




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Re: Making super 70s clones

I was just going to ask if I read that yellow portion of the Super 70 diagram correctly, where it said Alnico 8. That certainly was an unusual choice for the time, but it sounds like it works well. Really cool.
 
Re: Making super 70s clones

Last Winter I got a set of double thick A8s to mellow a DD set. They're sweeter and less fizzy/less aggressive now. More touch responsive and much better cleanup. Still loud as hell though.

I've been thinking about doing the same to an old SH-7 Seymourizer that's a bit harsh for me with thick ceramic, and have considered trying regular size A8 in a 9K PRS McCarty bridge that presently has an A4.
 
Re: Making super 70s clones

Or, buy a SUperDistortion...


But cool and noble project. Can't wait to see/hear how you do. The Super 70's were good sounding pups
 
Re: Making super 70s clones

Jeff_H said:
I was just going to ask if I read that yellow portion of the Super 70 diagram correctly, where it said Alnico 8. That certainly was an unusual choice for the time, but it sounds like it works well. Really cool.
Click to expand...

Apparently the original Super 70 from the '70s had Alnico 8 magnets. By the mid '80s, they had switched to ceramic.


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Making super 70s clones

Aceman said:
Or, buy a SUperDistortion...


But cool and noble project. Can't wait to see/hear how you do. The Super 70's were good sounding pups
Click to expand...

Have super distortion in my LP- great paired with a PAF pro ( you told me off about that - not choosing a super D or super 2 for the neck a year or so ago! Haha ) great pickups


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