need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

[leftyjay]

i bought a couple vintage stack bridge pups for my tele projects. i tried a SM-2 in the neck position and it over powers the vintage stack bridge pup. by that, i mean, the 3way switch middle and neck position sounds exactly the same. i really dig the vintage stack (by itself). and i like the sm-2 (by itself). but i would've thought the middle position would give me something in between. i've fiddled with the height of the sm-2, but still cant get a happy middle position sound.

i tried to coil split the sm-2 to make it weaker, but then the hum comes into play.
i am looking to keep this guitar noiseless.

should i have got the sm-1?

 

[AlexR]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

If the volumes of the two are about equal, then this is simply the individuality of the middle position - sometimes it sounds really good, sometimes it sounds quite lacklustre.

But even vintage minis can overpower a vintage bridge singlecoil. Typically with a neck pickup you'd be going way weaker than the bridge pickup - not stronger as you have gone.

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

Leftyjay,

I paired a SM-1n with a Broadcaster lead in my Tele and it was much louder initially when my tech first installed it, but backed the height down about a half turn on each side and it balanced out well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[jeremy]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

i think the sm1 is a much better fit. the sm2 is a pretty hot firebird style neck pup. the antiquity II mini humbucker is another great option. the vintage stack is a fairly low output pup so im not surprised you had balance issues with the sm2

 

[leftyjay]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

i have an SM-1n on the way. i was hoping i could use the coil splits in the vintage stack and the sm-2 to give me some variety. there are a few venues that really hum. i am only able to use my humbucking guitars at those places. guess we'll see in a few days how the sm-1n matches up with the vintage stack.

i guess i'll save the sm-2 for another guitar where it will be the bridge pickup

 

[jeremy]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

the sm2n will be pretty bright and not overly powerful as a bridge pup so keep that in mind when you match it with other pups. with some height adjustment the sm1 neck should match the vintage stack bridge well

 

[dystrust]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

I have a SM-1n in the neck position of my Tele along with a Hot Stack in the bridge. I've tried a bunch of neck pickups and it's definitely my favorite.

 

[chadd]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

I went with the Dimarzio mini in my tele and was pleasantly surprised. I had been hoping to find an antiquity

 

[leftyjay]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

is the hot stack bridge pup hot enough to play well with the sm-2? or is there another pickup to consider? i have 2 tele projects i'm working on. i bought a broadcaster set and a twang king set originally. then i decided to go noiseless in one for those hum filled venues i run across from time to time.

i'm receiving my sm1 this weekend, so i will know soon how well it plays with the vintage stack.

 

[dystrust]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

is the hot stack bridge pup hot enough to play well with the sm-2? or is there another pickup to consider? i have 2 tele projects i'm working on. i bought a broadcaster set and a twang king set originally. then i decided to go noiseless in one for those hum filled venues i run across from time to time.

i'm receiving my sm1 this weekend, so i will know soon how well it plays with the vintage stack.

A Hot Stack might be hot enough to balance with a SM-2, but it isn't super hot. I haven't played a Vintage Stack, but I'd say the Hot Stack for Tele is roughly equivalent or slightly more than a PAF in terms of output. It rocks for playing Zeppelin, but likely wouldn't be enough for metal tones.

 

[Synapsys]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

I have a Hot Stack and an A2Pro HB on my Tele, and they balance just fine.

 

[leftyjay]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

received the sm1 today. going to replace the sm2 sunday. but i'm not sure if it is worth it after gigging with the guitar.

i took the tele to a gig this weekend that is known to be bad for 60 cycle hum issues. the only guitars that dont hum is my les pauls and my gretsches with filtertrons. i was confident that this tele would be quiet as well. its been shielded with multiple coats of shielding paint. the grounds were double checked for great contact on the pots and switch. it was dead quiet at home, even with some drive added.

but after plugging the guitar in, there was still some hum issues in all 3 positions of the switch. even on the clean settings Hmmm???? if i turned my body different directions, i could lessen the hum, but it never was hum free. even with no drive pedal added. the pickups acted like plain old single coils. i've used a noise gate, but thats basically for when i really drive the guitar.

i bought a hum debugger for that venue, but that pedal really sucks the life out of a single coil guitar.

does anybody have any suggestions?
i was hoping a vintage stack and a SD mini humbucker in the neck would solve my hum issue in that venue. i had to go back to my les paul.

 

[AlexR]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

Is there a connection for the bridge ground??

 

[dystrust]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

Is there a connection for the bridge ground??

+1

Sounds like a grounding issue with the wiring. First place I'd start would be to verify continuity between the bridge and primary ground with my multimeter.

 

[leftyjay]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

there is no hum at any venue except the one i mentioned above. i dont have a hum issue anywhere else. but the hum in that place is really bad. forget a single coil guitar in that place. only my les paul and gretsch can be played there with no hum.

yes, there is a ground to the bridge. the solder joints has been gone over multiple times to make sure its making a good connection. the body has been shielded and a wire is connected to the shielding. i even disconnected the wire, but it still hums at that venue.

i was hoping by using the mini hummer and the stack, that it would cure the hum issue, but i'm still looking for an answer.

i have plugged my amp in every outlet of that building, and the hum is present everywhere. i've complained to the owner, but he says, "nobody else complains about the hum".

 

[leftyjay]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

just an update about the SM1.

I replaced the SM2 with the SM1. Its a little better in the middle position, but there really isnt that much difference between the middle position and the neck position. i lowered the SM1 to almost level with the pickguard and there now is a different tone in the middle position. i dont think i should have to lower that pickup so low.

my opinion is, the vintage stack is quite a bit weaker then any of the SD mini hummers.

going to end up buying the vintage stack neck pickup and forget the mini hummer in the neck

 

[leftyjay]

Re: need a mini HB that works well with a vintage stack pup in my tele

well i combated the problem. (the problem being the neck pickup is too hot). i rewired the guitar with separate volumes and one tone knob. i made a new pickguard and didnt make a slot for the 3way switch. just 3 pots. (just like a fender bass). problem solved.

its really not that difficult to adjust the knobs on the fly. i'm now able to dial in the neck pickup volume to just the right amount needed. dont know why there arent more guitars setup this way. if you have a 3way switch, what you get is what you get. plus the hum/noise is eliminated. i'm quite please with the outcome.