Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

[Lewguitar]

Ordered a Custom Shop version of the Jerry Donahue and a Custom Shop Tele neck pickup that MJ says will sound as bright, bouncey and strong in output as a vintage Strat neck pickup. She's going to do the Antiquity aging process on them as well and I plan to try them first in my James Burton test Tele and then, if all goes well, install them in my old '54 Tele. I'm really looking forwrd to trying these! I'm also going to call MJ today and order the Tele bridge pickup she recommended to me as the one Seymour uses. It's an a2 Tele lead pickup that is tapped for vintage output or a little more output when I throw a switch. I'll probably installa new tone pot on my James Burton Tele with a push/pull switch. I think Curly might have one of these. Curly: is that the pickup MJ wound for you? If so, what did you think of it? Thanks, Lew

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

I think Curly might have one of these. Curly: is that the pickup MJ wound for you? If so, what did you think of it? Thanks, Lew

Lew,
I assume it is, since I asked the question "what's Seymour like in a tele?"
I didn't know it was an A2, but that makes sense, since he uses those for the Ants ... so that's a good thing!
that's my set that's going in my tele project :
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=6221

I see you're notching up the "Ultimate tele tone"! .... if this works out well, we'll be askin' for the "Gypsy Blue" Specials, or something like that

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

That's a good-looking piece of wood you got there Gary. She'll sound superb when that day comes.
Sounds like Lew's going to have a great sounding Tele as well.
Gives me g.a.s. reading what you guys are talking to each other about.
It'd be great to hear some sound-clips of Lew's Tele with those pickups.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

I don't have any way of doing sound clips, but I might be out Curly's way again in the fall and maybe we'll have some time to do a little recording together. We were going to try and do that this spring but all of my time in the San Diego area was totally booked up. We were only able to spend one morning together...but we did manage that at least. As far as the Ultimate Tele Tone goes...I think I'm getting very close! At least for what I'm after: the tone of my '51 Tele (that's the CS Jerry Donahue) and a Tele neck pickup with the tone and output of a vintage Strat (I'm hoping that's the custom shop neck pickup MJ is winding me). The Fralin Blues Special Tele neck does the trick, but it can't be made with a cover. I want Duncans and I want the aged cover on my old '54 for the stock look. Lew

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

That's a good-looking piece of wood you got there Gary. She'll sound superb when that day comes.
Sounds like Lew's going to have a great sounding Tele as well.
Gives me g.a.s. reading what you guys are talking to each other about.
It'd be great to hear some sound-clips of Lew's Tele with those pickups.

I'm just following the trail of those who know teles!

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

well i don't know teles as well as some people here, but that looks like it will be a very nice guitar and those pickups sound killer. I like the idea of an over wound antiquity like pickup that is tapped. What are some of the specs on those pickups guys?

 

[Dime59hum]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

Sounds cool. Good luck.

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

What are some of the specs on those pickups guys?

if I remember, I'll try to put the meter on mine ...

Lew, one question ..

does a vintage strat pickup have more output than the AIIPro neck at 8.2K?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

Real vintage Strat pickups, like those in my '63 Strat, usually measure around 6K. I have never seen a vintage Strat pickup from the 50's or 60's measure much more than 6.1K.

That's just my experiance...there may be hotter ones out there, but generally, all three will measure close to 6K.

However, DC Resistance isn't a measurement of output...it's a measurement of how much resistance the wire wrapped around the coil has. Longer lengths of the same wire gauge will have higher resistance, just as the longer a garden hose is, the more "resistance" it will have and the more water pressure would be needed to squirt water out of the end of a 100' hose vs a 25' hose with the same force.

Also, I believe vintage Tele neck pickups use, at least, 43 gauge wire which is thinner than the 42 gauge wire used in vintage Strat pickups.

Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

After I tried the JD, I found my jaw on the floor. :lol: Now if I were to contact the custom shop my list is ready:

1. a strat sc sized JD! with parchment tele style bobins (BTW I have to admit, I liked the JD way more than strat ant custom, which is great tho. I liked the fralin tele lead more as well, but afterall that might not be a fair comparison. :saeek: )

2. a JP set!

B

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

So what is different about a Custom Shop JD vs. a production JD?

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

So what is different about a Custom Shop JD vs. a production JD?

If I read Lew's post correctly, his JD is just cosmetically aged like an Ant. - it's the neck that's wound more custom, plus they'll both smell and taste old

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

So what is different about a Custom Shop JD vs. a production JD?

Well, since I want to put mine in my '54 Tele (never did love the stock bridge pickup...kinda weak.) I wanted the JD aged like an Antiquity and I'm hoping it has just a little extra magic over the stock version.

Maybe a little more complexity and sparkle...we'll see I guess.

If it sounds just like the stock model that'll be fine too as I've decided that's my favorite Duncan Tele lead pickup...followed closely (and maybe even beat out somedays!) by the Antiquity Tele lead.

Lew

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

However, DC Resistance isn't a measurement of output...
Lew

then I have a very stupid question: how do you measure output?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

then I have a very stupid question: how do you measure output?

I don't know. If you strike the strings soft you get one output...hit 'em harder you get more output! So I don't know how you'd figure out a "standard" output. I guess it would be measured in mili-volts tho.

Lew

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

I don't know. If you strike the strings soft you get one output...hit 'em harder you get more output! Lew

haha ... I knew that was a stupid question! :sad:

I did look at the spec sheet, though, and it just shows that bar for output ... and I wondered ... there must be a way to measure it, electronically ..

and yeah, I figured the output was relative to the input!

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

If I read Lew's post correctly, his JD is just cosmetically aged like an Ant. - it's the neck that's wound more custom, plus they'll both smell and taste old

Ah....thanks Gary...... I downloaded all of the Tele pup samples last night and I keep coming back to the JD and the '54 neck. Lew is right on about the JD. But again that's just through my computer speakers so real world, who knows. Anyone have or try out the '54 neck? Good, bad or otherwise?

 

[Curly]

Re: Ordered some new Duncan's yesterday from MJ...

What are some of the specs on those pickups guys?

mrfjones,
I put a meter on my pickups, and got 9.4K/ 6.6K tapped on the bridge, and 7.6K on the neck pickup. I'll take Lew's word that they're probably Alnico 2, and that makes sense to me. I added a few more pics here:
http://www.bluestheater.net/projects.html