More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

[jeff90125]

I'm new to the forum but not new to Duncan pickups and wiring. I've found the members here to be more knowledgable than I am. That's a good thing. It means I can learn a lot here.

I have a 1980's Gibson "The Paul" Deluxe Firebrand. I bought it a few years ago used. Used is an understatement. It's well used and beat. I say it has a lot of character. I didn't/don't feel guilty modifying it.

Shortly after I got it, I had a set of Gotoh's put on (cured the tuning problem quick) and I was having a "Spin-a-Split" or dial-a-tap mod done. I was talking with the guy and I jokingly said, "Then why don't we just route it out and put a pickup in the middle?" He said," We can do that." so we put a Duncan Jazz in the middle and the "Spin-a-Split" mod on the stock pups.

This was great. Running the stock pups in single coil mode sounded more "Strat-Like" than a Strat. Very thin and twangy. Loved that sound. However, when I turned on the jazz pup, it made the stock pups sound terrible in comparison. I HAD to replace those. I put a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a '59 in the neck position. I had a very wide palette of sounds to choose from. I now refer to this instrument as "The More Paul" The problem now is that tapped, none of the three pickups has that nice thin strat-like sound.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. My wife, (I love her very much) ordered me an Epi Dot Studio for Christmas. It should be in any day now.

Here's my thought, pull the Jazz Pup and '59 out of the More Paul, put them in the Epi Dot. Put the Duncan Distortion into the middle position of the More Paul and either put the stock pups back in or put something else in. What I'm looking for is that very strat-like sound when tapped but I would like to get a better sound than the stock pups if possible. Maybe a pair of Stag-Mags?

Thanks for listening to my story.

 

[Thunder]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

You might want to try the JB in the bridge. The guys @ SD said it splits nicely for single
coil sounds.

 

[jeff90125]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

I do recording on the weekends and I would like to have as wide of a variation of sounds available to me. For guitar I have the aforementioned "More Paul." I also have a custom made guitar I call "The Forecaster." it's shaped like a strat but with a carved top and HSS pickups. In it is a Duncan JB (So I have one already) a Hot Stack and a Vintage Stack. I also have the Epi Dot Studio coming in. I'd like to get that jazzy semi-hollow sound from that.

The Forecaster's Stacks give me a nice single coil sound but it isn't quite as thin and chimey as I had hoped. Possibly because I don't have a single in the bridge position. That's my thought anyways. Also, the Forecaster doesn't have a pickguard mount. It's mounted right to the wood.

Maybe somebody can shed some light on why the '59 and the jazz pup split don't sound so strat-like.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

Not to sound like a commercial, but it sounds like you're describing a P-Rails guitar. In your case, you could install three, or two with a Stag Mag in the middle.

As for the "reasons" why your current pickups don't have a true Strat chime, there are too many to list. Some include the magnetic stucture, coil geometry, your guitar construction and wood type, bridge style, etc. They are all smaller reasons when considered alone, but cumulatively they add up. You can overcome one or two of them, but it's difficult to overcome all of them.

 

[Aceman]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

That guitar is NEVER going to have strat chime. Not even close. Wrong wood, wrong scale. The end.

However - I like the P-rails suggestion. 59 in the neck, Prails middle, and JB bridge maybe...

 

[Sanford]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

Running the stock pups in single coil mode sounded more "Strat-Like" than a Strat. Very thin and twangy. Loved that sound. However, when I turned on the jazz pup, it made the stock pups sound terrible in comparison.

Herein lies the problem. The original pickups sounded fine when split, but side-by-side comparisons to the Jazz diminished the perceived aural quality of those pickups. I would suggest re-installing the originals, wired the way you like them. As for the middle pickup, put in what sounds good and keep in mind that when you switch between the originals and the middle that there is going to be some sonic distinction. It might just be better to use the middle pickup on some songs, the originals on others and try not to switch between them in the same song.

 

[Thunder]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

On the 'Forecaster' putting in vintage style singles might help there, and also getting the JB to split would help.

 

[jeff90125]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

The original pickups sounded fine when split, but side-by-side comparisons to the Jazz diminished the perceived aural quality of those pickups.

That's exactly what I wanted to say only better.

I was thinking of putting the stock pups back in, wired the way I want ("spin-a-split"). Then I'll put the Duncan Distortion pup in the middle. That will give me the ratty powerful tone with just the middle pup on, plus the stock sounds and the thin split sounds.

Then, I will take the '59 neck and the bridge Jazz pup and put those in my new Epi Dot. I have a feeling that the pups in the Epi are going to be somewhat lacking. This should give that instrument a very full and rich tone. The Jazz pup in the bridge should also give it some great clarity. This should sound great clean and distorted.

I'd like to add that with my "Forecaster" I can get some good single coil sounds out of it. I do have to work at it a bit. I use a Line 6 POD for recording and I reallly have to dial it in to get those tones. If I set it for Tweed Blues or a Black Panel I can really bring it out.

I am sure there are all sorts of variables that contribute to getting that strat sound. Some contribute to a greater degree than others. The pup used is of course a major influence more than the wood, scale length and fingerboard among other factors. They do all add into the final result. Naturally to get a genuine strat sound one must play a strat. Here, I am just looking for a strat-like sound, not the genuine article. I'm just looking for thin, chimey, twangy, bell tone and quack. However you describe it.

 

[Thunder]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

The Strat sound you are looking for can be gotten with the SSL-1. Classic Strat tone.

 

[jeff90125]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

I think what I have in the Forecaster right now is an STK-S4 and an STK -S2. I can get some of the strat tone but they don't seem to sing like the JB in the bridge position. I ws chalking that up to the fact that they were mounted in the wood rather than a plastic pickguard.

I just had a thought. Maybe I should play with the spacing from the strings. Any advice where they should be?

 

[Thunder]

Re: More Paul, Epi Dot, Musical pickups

I think what I have in the Forecaster right now is an STK-S4 and an STK -S2. I can get some of the strat tone but they don't seem to sing like the JB in the bridge position. I ws chalking that up to the fact that they were mounted in the wood rather than a plastic pickguard.

I just had a thought. Maybe I should play with the spacing from the strings. Any advice where they should be?

Stk's won't sing like the JB. Different animals.