Pups for a Wilshire Pro

[GuitarDoc]

I just got a Wilshire Pro when it was a "Stupid Deal of the Day" for $199.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...ition-Wilshire-Pro-Electric-Guitar?sku=423558
Great guitar, but like all Epi's, very bad pups. So they are gonna go.

It's all mahogany and thin like an SG, has push-pull volumes for coil splitting of both pups so I want 4 conductor pups.

My first thoughts are:
neck = APH-1 (Alnico 2 Pro)
bridge = Pearly Gates(b)

I want a nice warm and smooth neck pup (I love the Pearly Gates in my Les Paul), but I want to try something different in this guitar, so I'm considering an Alnico 2 Pro (APH-1).

For the bridge I want something with pretty full tone, but with some brightness and clarity. No mud, it's got to be crystal clear. It also has to sound good split. I want to stay in the PAF range of output so I was considering a Pearly Gates bridge. I thought about maybe a '59b, but it might be too scooped for my taste. I could put in a UOA5 to help fill in some missing mids, but would it still be clear and articulate? I know the Custom8 works great in my SG and I would almost consider a Custom5 in the Wilshire, but like I said, I want to keep below 8.5k ohms so it isn't pushing my amp too much.

I absolutely love P-90's, but I've already got a couple guitars with P-90's, so I want to go a little different route here. But something that could give me a similar sound either full bucker or split.

Any suggestions for either neck or bridge?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pups for a Wilshire Pro

My '81 Hamer Special is pretty similar to your Wilshire. One of the best pairings I've had in it was the APHn/Demon combo. Don't let the 10k+ resistance reading fool you. Since it uses a thinner wire, the 10k reading on the Demon is pretty deceptive. It's about as hot as a PG+. It's also very tight, clear, and defined. That's one of my fave non-custom shop sets. Now, if you're willing to go CS, I'd do an Antiquity in the neck and an 11k S Deco in the bridge. That's what's in my Hamer now and it's fantastic.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pups for a Wilshire Pro

How does the Demon compare, tonewise, to a PG or a '59?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pups for a Wilshire Pro

It's been a while since I've played a 59b, so I'll limit my comparison to the PGb.

The Demon has more sparkle in the treble frequencies, has a bit less push to the mids, and has a deep (not big), tight low end. It's very percussive and detailed; it really forces you to clean up your playing. Overall, the frequency response is pretty balanced, with no big peaks or valleys across the spectrum.

Clean, it's snappy, chimey, and, well, bouncy, for lack of a better word.

Dirty, the low end really thumps, has lots of detail, and has a bit more push than a PGb. The lead tone is pretty vocal and has some of the bloom associated with a good PAF. The initial pick attack has a lot of the squack associated with singles. If you like P-90's, you'll probably dig the Demon.

FWIW, I tend to use mine with 12 fillisters when in the bridge and 12 hex poles when used in the neck paired with a hot humbucker in the bridge (like an El Diablo or the SH-5 Custom).

FWIW, rumor has it that the Demon started off as a request my Lynch to Mr Duncan for a tweaked PG. Having owned over a dozen PG's of various types, I can believe that story.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pups for a Wilshire Pro

Your description of the Demon sounds really good. Sounds like just what I'm looking for.

By the way, I don't "like" P-90s.....I LOVE them.

Still, my concern would be the 10k and "a bit more push than a PGb". When I'm playing clean, I don't want to get any front-end distortion in my amp from the higher output/"push" of the pup. Should this be a concern for me, or does the higher resistance not translate into higher output for the Demon?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pups for a Wilshire Pro

The resistance figures are misleading. Your average PGb sits at around 8.5-8.7k. Wound with 42awg, that's a pretty hefty amount of wire. The Demon is 10K, but I believe that it's 43awg, as there's a lot of space left on the bobbins. PM me your email and I'll send you pics of what I mean.

Besides, the Demon's response is so even that it doesn't hit any one particular frequency hard enough to drive an amp to mush. It's pretty much on par (output-wise) with a tweaked PAF, like the PG+. I can bash out clean chords with no compression or dirt on both my Bassman and on my Rivera.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Pups for a Wilshire Pro

The original Wilshire had mini buckers. The Demon is a moderate output pickup and not very pushy for a 10k pickups. The PG has more bite, but less bass. The 59 is more scooped, but much more like the PG than the Demon. I think all three would work well with your Wilshire.