Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

[bAngiel01]

I recently picked up a beater guitar (Hamer ST-1), and it was loaded with a SH-4b and a Duncan Designed HB103n. I like the neck a lot, but I absolutely hate the bridge--wayyyy too bright and harsh.

So my question is: which magnet will even that out?
-I need less treble, probably more bass
-If I end up with a magnet with a lower output, I don't mind

Thanks!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

have you thought about just chaning out the pickup altogether? since that neck is essentially a Distortion neck, what about a Distortion bridge?

but if you're really wanting to swap magnets, maybe an A2

 

[bAngiel01]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

Concerning changing out the pickup: I only spent $100 on the guitar for a beater. I don't really want to sink another $70 into it if I can avoid it.

Concerning the SH-6: I had a bad experience with Ceramic magnets. Essentially, everything I hate about the SH-4 (bright, harsh, brittle) I experienced with the Ceramic magnet in my SH-5 before putting in the A8 magnet. I'm afraid an SH-6 would be terrible for my tone tastes.

Concerning the A2: I was thinking something like that--warm and whatnot. Thanks.

 

[Flint Stone]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

You know that the HB103n is a ceramic magnet???

 

[blueman335]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

JB2's are warm and full sounding, more civilized, no more of the usual nasty JB quirks. Some guys like A8's in them, which is not quite as warm as a JB2, but more aggressive.

 

[atreidesheir]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

JB2's are warm and full sounding, more cvilized, no more of the usual nasty JB quirks. Some guys like A8's in them, which is not quite as warm as a JB2, but more aggressive.

How did I know...^^^^^^^^^^^^^

JB with alnico 2 is more vintage, rounded, and still rocks. It is as full or vintage as you need with a mere volume knob adjustment. UOA5 does the same thing with a little more raw edge to it. Magnets can bring out a lot of variation in pickups!

I have a charvel with JB2 and it will never change!

 

[copperheadroads]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

How did I know...^^^^^^^^^^^^^

JB with alnico 2 is more vintage, rounded, and still rocks. It is as full or vintage as you need with a mere volume knob adjustment. UOA5 does the same thing with a little more raw edge to it. Magnets can bring out a lot of variation in pickups!

I have a charvel with JB2 and it will never change!

If you find an A2 a little too vintage ,try an uoA5

 

[Aceman]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

Let's talk about my new good buddy, the JB-8

More booty, tighter booty.
Less mids, but still lots of mids.
Nice highs, manageable highs.

Bass+, Mids - , Highs - That pretty much balances out the eq! And sporty power still! Thick, even, hot. Mmmmm.

It's got a SuperDistortion sort of vibe about it. I dig it.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

since that neck is essentially a Distortion neck

The HB103N is NOT even close to a Duncan Distortion neck.

It's a vintage-voiced, mid 7K neck p'up which takes alnico mag swaps pretty well. (hint, hint)

The HB103 set is listed as having ceramic p'ups, but the set I got out from my former fellow bandmate's Squier JAG II, surprisingly, had A5 mags in it, new from the factory. :werd:

HTH,

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

Let's talk about my new good buddy, the JB-8

More booty, tighter booty.
Less mids, but still lots of mids.
Nice highs, manageable highs.

Bass+, Mids - , Highs - That pretty much balances out the eq! And sporty power still! Thick, even, hot. Mmmmm.

It's got a SuperDistortion sort of vibe about it. I dig it.

I felt the JB8 had more mids, it's just that honky upper mids were shifted down to more middle and low mids, so instead of banshee wail, it's more of a grizzly roar.

 

[DeanSweden]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

a magnet with a lower output

???
Oh no you didn't

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

I think that if you want it to be aggressive, it's hard to get more aggressive than JB8. If not, you have to try Alnico 2, although I don't think that will add bass. It should definitely take away some highs, though. I think the JB8 is a very unique pickup. When I had it in my Les Paul, it was super-tight, just ever-so-slightly less than the Distortion, but it didn't have enough growl for my tastes. I never did try the A2, because I went on to a different wind.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

The HB103N is NOT even close to a Duncan Distortion neck.

It's a vintage-voiced, mid 7K neck p'up which takes alnico mag swaps pretty well. (hint, hint)

The HB103 set is listed as having ceramic p'ups, but the set I got out from my former fellow bandmate's Squier JAG II, surprisingly, had A5 mags in it, new from the factory. :werd:

HTH,

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/duncan-designed/cutting-edge-2/hb103/

The Duncan site claims "The HB-103 was patterned after the SH-6 Duncan Distortion™ set. It uses ceramic magnets and powerful coil windings to deliver a high output tone with lots of crunch and harmonics. The bridge pickup is Trembucker-spaced.".

 

[Aceman]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

The HB103N is NOT even close to a Duncan Distortion neck.

It's a vintage-voiced, mid 7K neck p'up which takes alnico mag swaps pretty well. (hint, hint)

The HB103 set is listed as having ceramic p'ups, but the set I got out from my former fellow bandmate's Squier JAG II, surprisingly, had A5 mags in it, new from the factory. :werd:

HTH,

WHY TF won't SD reveal the secret of this pup? What is the big secret? Don't make me call Evan!!!!!

Is it voiced like a DD neck? Does it or ddoes it not have ceramic mag? Would it be a DD neck WITH a Ceramic mag?

WTF?

Too many guys chime in a 7k - but so what. All that means is 7k. Could be cool, hot whatever...

 

[Aceman]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

I felt the JB8 had more mids, it's just that honky upper mids were shifted down to more middle and low mids, so instead of banshee wail, it's more of a grizzly roar.

I am perhaps not describing it well. Bottom line, I find the whole thing more evenly voiced.

I think of a JB as a 5/8/7, with a harsh quality to the highs unless in a Floyded superstrat. JB8, IMO is kind of 7/7/7 without the harsh.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/duncan-designed/cutting-edge-2/hb103/

The Duncan site claims "The HB-103 was patterned after the SH-6 Duncan Distortion™ set. It uses ceramic magnets and powerful coil windings to deliver a high output tone with lots of crunch and harmonics. The bridge pickup is Trembucker-spaced.".

That's my point. The HB103N is NOT modeled after the Distortion neck. The Duncan Distortion neck is wound with AWG 43 wire, around 12K. The HB103N is wound with AWG 42, the ones I've had in my workbench measured 7.58-7.68K.

OTOH, the HB103B is, though.

HTH,

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

I think of a JB as a 5/8/7, with a harsh quality to the highs unless in a Floyded superstrat. JB8, IMO is kind of 7/7/7 without the harsh.

Agreed.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

I think of a JB as a 5/8/7, with a harsh quality to the highs unless in a Floyded superstrat.

To my ears, stock JB's are more like 5/7/9, with a 'harsh quality', not unlike a dentist's drill.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

That's my point. The HB103N is NOT modeled after the Distortion neck. The Duncan Distortion neck is wound with AWG 43 wire, around 12K. The HB103N is wound with AWG 42, the ones I've had in my workbench measured 7.58-7.68K.

OTOH, the HB103B is, though.

HTH,

the Duncan site does not give any indication that the description applies to only the bridge or only the neck or both. since there is nothing specific as to what HB-103 is being referenced, we have to believe it is both. the same applies to HB-101 being like the '59, the HB-108 being like the Invader, the HR-101 being like the Hot Rail and so on. there are bridge and neck models of both... the descriptions at http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/duncan-designed/all/index.php?page=all do not say that a HB-xxxB is any different in descrption or approach than a HB-xxxN.

no one is doubting the specs of what you've had at your workbench. it also wouldn't be the first time that a company has not been thorough in what they put on the website. but since I'm no more a SD employee than the other 99% of the people on this forum full of end users, I just try to be careful not to speak in any official capacity. maybe if I do, I can put vice-president under my name as a title for a position I don't have. lol!


but.... what regular Duncan neck models would fall into the category of AWG 42 wire and measuruing at about 7.6k with an A5?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Not liking the SH-4...Looking for Magnet Swap

the Duncan site does not give any indication that the description applies to only the bridge or only the neck or both.

That's always baffled me.