Proper pickups for electric 12string

[Peter Krasov]

Hello

I want to install two full-sized humbuckers on my Fender Stratocaster XII string instead of three single-coil.

I'd like to ask you what kind of humbuckers do you think would be proper for this instrument? Some pickups, specially with high output, make the sound of paired strings too dirty. For instance, I used JB Jr (single-sized). I need crisp sound, with rich low frequencies and sustain (as it is possible on Strat).

I'd like to achieve sound between Gibson EDS 1275, "Liverpool" Rickenbacker sound and plain strat. (Sorry for such a comlicated explanation)

thanks

 

[Akrin]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

Personally I'd try something like a 59b / Jazz

 

[Peter Krasov]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

Thank you

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

Maybe some Phat Cats would work as well.

 

[theodie]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

I am surprised nobody has said the JB???????? Apparently, the JB does rock, metal, blues, jazz, emo, grunge, hair metal, musical masterbation, elevator music, acoustic, 12 string acoustic, 12 string electric, upright bass, violin cello, banjo, mandolyn, opera, easy listening, smooth jazz, rap, gansta rap, salsa, polka, and classical better than any pickup EVER made!!!!!!! And as an added bonus, it can also make your guitar (12 or 6 string) sound like a pissed off weed eater!!!!
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

I would think something thats clean, precise, tight, low output and with a flat eq would be whats called for.

Snowdog

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

I was gonna say 59/Jazz but Akrin beat me to it. You want a classic sound rather than high-gain, and the Jazz avoid mud in the neck position.

Consider mini-HB's, too. THAT wouild be a cool axe, whether you put in 2 or 3 of them.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

I just listened to the clean sound clips and I would go with a cool rails bridge, duckbucker middle and vintage rails neck. This would give really great 2 and 4 position sounds.

Snowdog

 

[Peter Krasov]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

But what do you think about Dimebucker and Invader? I know that they are created for heavy metall, but i know they have very rich low frequencies and precise sound?

 

[Martian]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

I have a Burns of London Double Six. I use a DiMarzio Virtual PAF in the bridge position and a Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck position; both are chrome covered. The guitar sounds great and positively gets the sounds you require.

 

[John J]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

have you thought about a TV Jones Filter'Tron (Gretch) type of pickup. Regarded as the best of the best Filtertron pickup - a brighter, cleaner type of humbucker. That should get you very close to the Rick sound.

 

[BlueGuitar]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

Peter- I just got a Schector CSH-12 electric 12 string and the coil-cut switches on the tone controls are great! So whatever pickups you decide to get I'd suggest that you get them wired 4+ so that you can split the coils.

With one or both of the humbuckers split I can get some very jangly 12-string sounds (which is the whole point of playing electric 12-string- right? :smack: )

 

[Peter Krasov]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

Peter- I just got a Schector CSH-12 electric 12 string and the coil-cut switches on the tone controls are great! So whatever pickups you decide to get I'd suggest that you get them wired 4+ so that you can split the coils.

With one or both of the humbuckers split I can get some very jangly 12-string sounds (which is the whole point of playing electric 12-string- right? :smack: )

Thanks a lot, Steve! Just two hours ago I bought three pups, but not Seymour. These are DiMarzio Evolution Bridge, Red Velvet Single and Paf Pro. Also I got multiple five-way switch. Two hums will be wired 4+ for splitting coils. Also i'm going to make them sound parralleled with the help of push-pulls.:wave:

 

[BlueGuitar]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

Thanks a lot, Steve! Just two hours ago I bought three pups, but not Seymour. These are DiMarzio Evolution Bridge, Red Velvet Single and Paf Pro. Also I got multiple five-way switch. Two hums will be wired 4+ for splitting coils. Also i'm going to make them sound parralleled with the help of push-pulls.:wave:

You might run into phase problems by using pickups from different vendors, in which case you might have to reverse the leads or flip the magnets in one or more of the pickups. I'd suggest that you try clipping the leads together temporarily to check for proper phasing before soldering them up.

Good luck... and let us know how it works out!

 

[Peter Krasov]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

You might run into phase problems by using pickups from different vendors...
Good luck... and let us know how it works out!

Steve, all of these pups are from the same vendor - they are all produced by DiMarzio! These are just the name of models. And more, I was choosing them very carefully, paying attention to their DC resistance, output, type of magnets.

By the way, I'm going to make a wiring like discontinued Gibson MIII had (push-pull required). There were two regimes (see picture below). One of them works as two full-sized humbuckers guitar, the second one makes your instrument sound like classic three-single-coiled, by splitting the coils from hums.

This is an example. I'd also like to make the parallel wiring for the humbuckers.

In a week or two I'll have my guitar upgraded, so I'll tell you how this thing works.

Good luck!

 

[Frebnedzo]

Re: Proper pickups for electric 12string

On the Dimarzio website, for HSH guitars, they recommend using the
inner coils at the same time as the single in the 2 and 4 positions.

If you do some measurements and compare with a strat, then (my
theory) is that you want the midpoint between the two coils to
match the position on the string as close to the strat as possible.

For the HHH guitar I'm building, I could either use the coils near
each other, or the ones further apart, but not mixed to achieve this
effect. Using the coils near each other as Dimarzio suggested did
my midpoint trick and also put the coils closer to the strat position.

Also, there seems to be a pretty consistent opinion that the coil
away from the bridge is better, both because it has a bigger tone
coming from the string, and also because its the stud coil which
sounds a little better.