Mystery humbucker ID?

[ndc]

Hi all, I've found a mystery pickup and wonder if this is a known beastie around these parts ...

SH-sized humbucker, four conductor wiring, short legs, flat-head screws on BOTH coils.





The discolored area on the back kinda looks like there was a sticker there but it's long gone, and it's the older-style silkscreening for the logo on the front, doesn't look like the current ones. DCR measures 16.39k, so ... what am I looking at? If it weren't for the screws I'd be assuming it's an old JB. Was this ever a production thing or is this somebody's custom job that somehow made its way into a junk box?

Would love to hear any and all theories ...

Thanks
Nick

 

[Hsb]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

Im thinking its someone's custom job but I could be wrong. More importantly, how does it sound? If unsure of how it sounds, install it and let us know. This could be someone joined two different coils or someone replaced a different type of pole piece with screw head ones.

 

[Bowtomecha]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

Wasn’t there a Holdsworth model with these specs years ago?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

Wasn’t there a Holdsworth model with these specs years ago?

Yup!

Looks like it is most likely an Allan Holdsworth model. Top logo means 1989 or later. Essentially a JB with dual rows of fillister screw poles. Very cool!

 

[ndc]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

I'm gonna stick it in an old Les Paul and compare it to a few things today so we'll see shortly ...

Holdsworth, okay, interesting, I want to say I only ever saw those with the longer legs back in the day. I guess the DCR is in the neighborhood if they're like the current custom shop ones?

To be continued ...

 

[Mincer]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

Funny, I don't know if he ever used his signature pickup! But he did stick with double screws for other pickups he used.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

I guess the DCR is in the neighborhood if they're like the current custom shop ones?

~16.4K is solidly within the expected range for an older Holdsworth. I've owned a few, some from when they first came out. ~16.5K is very common. MJ tends to wind the Custom Shop versions a tad higher, but not always.

 

[ndc]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

So I'm a little confused, were there various SD Holdsworths at different times with different magnets? I see conflicting info, some people say alnico 2, some say 5, current custom shop page says 5. If there were Holdsworths made with alnico 2 and this configuration, I could be convinced that's what this is. In the LP I think it's a little too gentle to be a 5. My immediate reaction today is that it doesn't behave like a Jeff Beck at all. More like a kinda chilled out Custom Custom. It's wrong for this guitar, the low end is totally out of control, but I'm gonna try it in some other things. It strikes me that it might be amazing in a brighter superstratty thing. This Gibson is just out-of-control bassy in general.

Really appreciate the info here!

Nick

 

[Mincer]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

Well, thing is, it depends on what era. For the past several years of his life, he was using a double screw neck 59 (A5) in the bridge. That is a much different pickup than what is marketed as the Metal Fatigue or his 80s signature pickup. I don't think he used very hot pickups for very long, or at all.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Mystery humbucker ID?

So I'm a little confused, were there various SD Holdsworths at different times with different magnets? I see conflicting info, some people say alnico 2, some say 5, current custom shop page says 5. If there were Holdsworths made with alnico 2 and this configuration, I could be convinced that's what this is. In the LP I think it's a little too gentle to be a 5. My immediate reaction today is that it doesn't behave like a Jeff Beck at all. More like a kinda chilled out Custom Custom.

Rumor of an A2 version was simply forum misinformation spread from those who didn't know diddily squat about these pickups

The Holdsworth has always been an A5, the roundness comes from the dual rows of fillister screws vs. the classic screw/slug combination (slugs make a huge difference in response and punch).

For comparison, look at the Suhr DSH/DSH+ vs the SSH/SSH+, which you can find plenty videos of. Same construction, same magnet, different poles, different characteristics.

Additionally, who knows what your particular pickup has been through. The magnet is aged some for sure and could even be slightly degaussed depending on what it's been near (amp speakers, etc) or how it was stored (near other pickups, etc)

Like you said, in a brighter super-strat, it probably sounds awesome!