Hi all, I hope you're all well. I've been hovering around a long old while and reading/searching older threads for help.
Anyway I've got a few questions that I'm hoping you can all offer some experience and advice to help me out please?
First confession is I've bought some pickups to replace my current humbuckers, and unfortunately they aren't SD's (I know, I know, in my defence I was considering some!).
So I own a custom Wolfgang style guitar I bought used with 2 direct mount pickups in it (made by Sin Pickups), I really like them and they are very similar in DCR (can't remember exactly but somewhere around 16k neck and 14k bridge) and sound/tone to the actual EVH Wolfgang Pickups I had in my EVH Wolf before I sold it, I actully prefer them I think as they have minimal potting and ring clearer. The guitar has a solid alder body, maple neck and rosewoood board, and of course the pickups are direct mount with the controls same as the EVH.
In recent months however I've been lusting for lower output PAF style pickups in there and had lowered my search to a number of SD's (Zep Style set, Slash, Seths etc.) and also the Suhr Thornbuckers or Thormbucker+. After pricing things up and making final checks I stumbled by accident on Porter Pickups and then shortlisted the Blender set and also the Anthem set. I managed to get a great deal on a nearly new set of Blender Pickups from eBay which was great, if they don't work out then I can always move them on and try something else.
So the first problem I have is that the pickups are direct mount currently and shaped a la the EVH with the triangular tabs and the ones I've won have the the square tab style baseplate. I've read that using a Dremel style tool is the best way to trim them, is that correct? Is their a cheaper way I can do it that won't damage the pickup? (Don't have a Dremel!). Should I wrap the pickup in tons of tape to prevent metal cuttings getting in the winds? Would it be better to change the baseplate instead? Any other advice welcome please!
Second, I'm going for a slightly altered setup when I rewire them and will be using a Free-Way switch to achieve this, I'm a basic solder jockey (cable repairs only so far) so how difficult is it to wire that switch in? Should I consider lots of practice or farming the job out to someone else?
Setup wise I have 1 Vol, 1 Tone, and was looking at 2 wiring options:
Normal 3,2,1, : Bridge HB/Both Parallel HB/Neck HB
Then positions 4,5,6, : Series + Out of Phase Bridge & Neck HB/Neck Coil Split Slug and Bridge Coil Split Screw in Parallel/Bridge Coil Split Screw
Or Normal 3,2,1,
Then 4,5,6,: Neck Coil Split Slug/Series + Out of Phase Bridge & Neck/Bridge Coil Split Slug
I'm leaning towards the first option as more useful and more flexible with more tones available, also I can't see me using a 8k neck pickup split much although I'm open to thoughts. Any idea what kinda sound the Coil Splits in Parallel wound sound like?? Tele middle position like I'm hoping or similar to a Strat in the in-between positions possibly?? I play stuff from Classic Rock/Metal, to Indie/Shoegaze type stuff also I do play cleanish a lot too hence the need for some single coil tones occasionally.
Any advice any one can offer would be gratefully received, I have attached a few pictures and stuff below that may help. Thanks all!
Anyway I've got a few questions that I'm hoping you can all offer some experience and advice to help me out please?
First confession is I've bought some pickups to replace my current humbuckers, and unfortunately they aren't SD's (I know, I know, in my defence I was considering some!).
So I own a custom Wolfgang style guitar I bought used with 2 direct mount pickups in it (made by Sin Pickups), I really like them and they are very similar in DCR (can't remember exactly but somewhere around 16k neck and 14k bridge) and sound/tone to the actual EVH Wolfgang Pickups I had in my EVH Wolf before I sold it, I actully prefer them I think as they have minimal potting and ring clearer. The guitar has a solid alder body, maple neck and rosewoood board, and of course the pickups are direct mount with the controls same as the EVH.
In recent months however I've been lusting for lower output PAF style pickups in there and had lowered my search to a number of SD's (Zep Style set, Slash, Seths etc.) and also the Suhr Thornbuckers or Thormbucker+. After pricing things up and making final checks I stumbled by accident on Porter Pickups and then shortlisted the Blender set and also the Anthem set. I managed to get a great deal on a nearly new set of Blender Pickups from eBay which was great, if they don't work out then I can always move them on and try something else.
So the first problem I have is that the pickups are direct mount currently and shaped a la the EVH with the triangular tabs and the ones I've won have the the square tab style baseplate. I've read that using a Dremel style tool is the best way to trim them, is that correct? Is their a cheaper way I can do it that won't damage the pickup? (Don't have a Dremel!). Should I wrap the pickup in tons of tape to prevent metal cuttings getting in the winds? Would it be better to change the baseplate instead? Any other advice welcome please!
Second, I'm going for a slightly altered setup when I rewire them and will be using a Free-Way switch to achieve this, I'm a basic solder jockey (cable repairs only so far) so how difficult is it to wire that switch in? Should I consider lots of practice or farming the job out to someone else?
Setup wise I have 1 Vol, 1 Tone, and was looking at 2 wiring options:
Normal 3,2,1, : Bridge HB/Both Parallel HB/Neck HB
Then positions 4,5,6, : Series + Out of Phase Bridge & Neck HB/Neck Coil Split Slug and Bridge Coil Split Screw in Parallel/Bridge Coil Split Screw
Or Normal 3,2,1,
Then 4,5,6,: Neck Coil Split Slug/Series + Out of Phase Bridge & Neck/Bridge Coil Split Slug
I'm leaning towards the first option as more useful and more flexible with more tones available, also I can't see me using a 8k neck pickup split much although I'm open to thoughts. Any idea what kinda sound the Coil Splits in Parallel wound sound like?? Tele middle position like I'm hoping or similar to a Strat in the in-between positions possibly?? I play stuff from Classic Rock/Metal, to Indie/Shoegaze type stuff also I do play cleanish a lot too hence the need for some single coil tones occasionally.
Any advice any one can offer would be gratefully received, I have attached a few pictures and stuff below that may help. Thanks all!
