SD AH-1 humbucker questions

GrooveHT

GrooveHT

New member
Folks,
This is a cross-post from a question that I posted to the Seymour Duncan facebook page, but I figure it might get better visibility from the knowledgeable folks if I post it here. I have an AH-1 custom shop humbucker that I was looking to install on a maple-topped, alder bodied strat with a roasted maple neck. I only remember a few details from when I ordered it, namely that it was similar to a JB but utilizing a double row of hex heads. Does anyone have any more detail on the construction (magnets, output, etc)? The wiring will be a little unconventional on this, due to wanting to make it similar to EBMM Axis Super Sport guitars that I've had a 10 year, ongoing love affair with. It'll also have two Custom Stack Plus pickups in neck and middle, and switch might go something like this: Neck, Neck + Middle, Neck + Bridge Outer Coil (hopefully approximating a Tele middle position), Middle + Bridge Inner Coil, Bridge (series). What are your thoughts?
 
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Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

Follow-on question: anyone know if SD will do a custom wiring diagram with a super switch?
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

GrooveHT said:
Folks,
This is a cross-post from a question that I posted to the Seymour Duncan facebook page, but I figure it might get better visibility from the knowledgeable folks if I post it here. I have an AH-1 custom shop humbucker that I was looking to install on a maple-topped, alder bodied strat with a roasted maple neck. I only remember a few details from when I ordered it, namely that it was similar to a JB but utilizing a double row of hex heads. Does anyone have any more detail on the construction (magnets, output, etc)? The wiring will be a little unconventional on this, due to wanting to make it similar to EBMM Axis Super Sport guitars that I've had a 10 year, ongoing love affair with. It'll also have two Custom Stack Plus pickups in neck and middle, and switch might go something like this: Neck, Neck + Middle, Neck + Bridge Outer Coil (hopefully approximating a Tele middle position), Middle + Bridge Inner Coil, Bridge (series). What are your thoughts?
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I have one that I've tried in mahogany and in poplar. Mine has an A5. It would be considered high output. Sounds fine in both.

It's the custom shop. If you ordered it and have any questions, it would be worth it to contact them so you can get any questions officially answered and any specs tweaked to your liking or preference (hence "custom").
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

Thanks Darth. It was a custom shop order, but it was ordered to their standard specification; no tweaks were made.
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

I have an old, production line SHAH-1 in this Fender Deluxe American Ash Stratocaster. Straightforward, series wiring. No coil mode switching. A500k volume and tone pots.

I only ever play this guitar through an overdriven valve amplifier. It does a nice, full Rock sound with the tone control at 10. It does the Holdsworth smooth legato thing with the tone control rolled right down.

image.jpg
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

darthphineas said:
What was your understanding of the AH1 before it was ordered?

And how did you place the order?
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I placed an order direct with MJ via email, back in 2008-2009 timeframe. I had really purchased it at the time due to being on a Doug Aldrich kick, but I heard it was a somewhat smoother, more midrangey JB. At the time, no one had a bad thing thing to say about it, which is to say all these years later, I still haven't.
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

GrooveHT said:
Folks,
This is a cross-post from a question that I posted to the Seymour Duncan facebook page, but I figure it might get better visibility from the knowledgeable folks if I post it here. I have an AH-1 custom shop humbucker that I was looking to install on a maple-topped, alder bodied strat with a roasted maple neck. I only remember a few details from when I ordered it, namely that it was similar to a JB but utilizing a double row of hex heads. Does anyone have any more detail on the construction (magnets, output, etc)? The wiring will be a little unconventional on this, due to wanting to make it similar to EBMM Axis Super Sport guitars that I've had a 10 year, ongoing love affair with. It'll also have two Custom Stack Plus pickups in neck and middle, and switch might go something like this: Neck, Neck + Middle, Neck + Bridge Outer Coil (hopefully approximating a Tele middle position), Middle + Bridge Inner Coil, Bridge (series). What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
The one you're looking for is the AH Metal Fatigue. It's in the Custom Shop section, so you can spec it with no cover and 4-con lead, so by adding a Superswitch and the right wiring scheme, you can have the switching just as you described.

In theory, your selection of p'ups should work OK, both tone- and output-wise if you're planning to play with gain most of the time.

HTH,
 
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Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

darthphineas said:
What have you tried it in so far?
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For about a two year period, it was in another alder-bodied strat; I remember it being good, but not really other details about it. A few notes though, it had Graphtech saddles on it at the time, and a lot of things have changed since then, not the least of which being my ears and how I dial an amp (sim), and also how I adjust pickups, so really it's like walking into a new pickup.
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

LtKojak said:
The one you're looking for is the AH Metal Fatigue. It's in the Custom Shop section, so you can spec it with no cover and 4-con lead, so by adding a Superswitch and the right wiring scheme, you can have the switching just as you described.

In theory, your selection of p'ups should work OK, both tone- and output-wise if you're planning to play with gain most of the time.

HTH,
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Lt, that's the one! I pulled my pickup out from the bin, and it is indeed two rows of screw poles. The output seems to jive with what I recall, and it is indeed 4-conductor. From the tonal description, it almost seems close to the DiMarzio Tonezone or Axis pickup, which is actually a really good thing for me. 16.8k (while I know not a direct reflection of output) and AN5 makes sense too. Predominant use would be at least mild overdrive all the way up to high gain.
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

GrooveHT said:
16.8k (while I know not a direct reflection of output) and AN5 makes sense too. Predominant use would be at least mild overdrive all the way up to high gain.
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Yeah, mine is up in the 18k range. I think I got it in around 2013, when it was already going by Metal Fatigue. It's good to see the idea of 'DCR is not output' approach spreading.

I think I posted a little something about it when I first got it. The guitar it's in is a candidate for learning more about fretwork, so I expect the pickup will be getting a lot more use soon.
 
Re: SD AH-1 humbucker questions

darthphineas said:
Yeah, mine is up in the 18k range. I think I got it in around 2013, when it was already going by Metal Fatigue. It's good to see the idea of 'DCR is not output' approach spreading.

I think I posted a little something about it when I first got it. The guitar it's in is a candidate for learning more about fretwork, so I expect the pickup will be getting a lot more use soon.
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I have never even attempted fretwork, so I'd be really interested as to how your experiments go. Thanks again for your input Darth!
 
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