SD Pickup Booster

[mgatto]

Hello!!!

Has anyone tried the Seymour Duncan SFX-01 Pickup Booster? Hers's my situation: I have a G&L Legacy Deluxe which has two single coil G&L Alnico V's (middle & neck) and a SD TB-4 in the bridge . In a band setting, when I set my overall volume to the SD TB-4, the singles are barely audible. I thought about either raising the singles or lowering the TB-4. I'd like to keep the TB-4 where it is because I love the sound. But the singles are basically useless in a live band setting. BTW, I play hard rock, blues and funk.

ANY advice would help.

Thanks

Mike

 

[Kac]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

I have the Pick-up Booster.. But you didn't really ask a question..
So my advice is use your pick-up booster, it will boost you.
Rock On :13:

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Hey mgatto! Welcome to the User Group.

If your question is: can I use the SFX-01 to boost the single coils so they match with my TB-4? The answer is yes. It would be great for that.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Hey mgatto! Welcome to the User Group.

If your question is: can I use the SFX-01 to boost the single coils so they match with my TB-4? The answer is yes. It would be great for that.

Hello Evan...Hope all is well my friend?

Evan...Have you folks dealt with any of the switch issues on the SFX-01? I want to purchase one and some of our forum members have said that they have intermittent switch problems with their units...Is it possible to get a replacement switch if and when this happens? Alot of us have seen the same problems with DPDT switches in our wahs....Thanks Evan..

John

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Hey John:

We just upgraded the switch to a Carling. So all the new units will ship with this top-shelf switch.

And, of course, we stand behind the quality of the product; so if you have one that craps out for any reason within a year of purchase, we'll repair or replace it (not including scratched paint, etc.).

- Evan

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Hey John:

We just upgraded the switch to a Carling. So all the new units will ship with this top-shelf switch.

And, of course, we stand behind the quality of the product; so if you have one that craps out for any reason within a year of purchase, we'll repair or replace it (not including scratched paint, etc.).

- Evan

That's great Evan...One of our forum members is sending me his Booster to try out and his has a funky switch....I'd love to fix that switch for him as my gratitude for letting me borrow it...I was going to use one of my own switches(I've been using the Fulltone switches) and have been pretty lucky..I can either do that or maybe have one sent to me and I'll repair the pedal...The pedal belongs to my buddy Artietoo....Thanks for the quick return Evan...Glad to still be part of such a great website..One that is just loaded with caring,great people....WOW!

John

 

[mgatto]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Thanks!

I JUST found out about the Pickup Booster a few days ago while surfing mannysmusic.com. It looks like a great solution to my problem. I'll be ordering one today!

1. Are the new units with the Carling switch now available?

2. My chain is Guitar, Boss -TU2 Tuner, Crybaby 535Q, Boss Blues Driver (w/ analogman mod), Rat 2, Boss DD6 Delay into a Fender Hotrod Deluxe. Where do you recommend I put the pickup booster in the chain?

THANKS AGAIN!

 

[Artie]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Hey mgatto; welcome to the forum.

I saw another post by Evan somewhere, where he mentioned that the Booster pedal must be first in the line in order for the resonance switch to work.

 

[stratsandaks]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Evan, is there an easy way to identify the Carling switch?

I have a booster on order with Guitar Center to replace the one I have with a bad switch. I just want to make sure I get a keeper this time.

It's a great pedal and I'm glad to see Seymour Duncan is fixing the problem.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Evan, is there an easy way to identify the Carling switch?

If you completely remove the switch (something that's not advisable), you can read "Carling" on the metal plate at the base of the shaft.

If you open the box, like you would to change the battery, the old switch had it's contacts radiating from the center in something that looks like a six pointed star pattern.

The Carling switch has two contact lugs on each end and two in the center -- six total.

I hope that helps.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Mgatto,
I have a pup booster and use it all the time. It's a great little box, more useful than any other pedal I've found. It's the only pedal I use for the most part unless I am wanting a some chorus, in which case I use it my little cheap dano pedal but it has some kind of polarity issue and can only be used with other cheap danos...oh well!

Evan,
I have one of the older pedals that has some shielding issues that I was told SD fixed that same year, is there anything I can do to keep the radio stations out of my sound? Copper tape etc?

Luke

 

[Kelsey]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Mgatto,

A booster is a useful pedal no matter what, but don't be afraid to play with pickup heights. Just get a short ruler of some sort with at least 1/32" (or similar metric) markings and measure the heights you have now before adjusting them. That way you can always return to ground zero if you don't like the changes. Measure the height from the top of the respective pickup polepieces to the bottom of the low E and high E strings while depressing each string in turn at the last fret. There are general guidelines on the SD website and at the Fender Mr. Gearhead site, but 3/32" seems like a good starting point. It takes a bit of tinkering (and don't worry about what the actual measurements are if it sounds right to you), but hopefully you can get a better balance across the pickups while getting a good tone from each one. Then use the booster as needed.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Evan,
I have one of the older pedals that has some shielding issues that I was told SD fixed that same year, is there anything I can do to keep the radio stations out of my sound? Copper tape etc?

Hey Luke:

I asked Wayne Rothermick, one of our electrical engineers, about this problem, and here's what he told me:

We have not been able to duplicate this problem, and we have an AM radio transmitter in our back yard. Some factors that can contribute to radio station pickup with the Pickup Booster:

1) Poorly shielded guitar cables. Try a different *premium* cable or two.

2) The very high gain of the Booster can push a marginal guitar amplifier "over the edge" and cause it to pickup radio stations that didn't affect it before. See if another amplifier has the same problem.

3) Poor grounding in the guitar. Does this happen with other guitars?

4) In some locations the radio station signal can be unusually strong. This is caused by the direct signal from the radio station being reinforced by one or more concentrated reflections from hills, buildings, or other large objects. This can cause the Booster itself (and other electronics as well) to pick up the station directly. Does the problem go away if you go down the street a few hundred yards? Is the station you hear on your guitar also unusually strong on an AM radio?

Hopefully, that will give you some ideas for solving the radio problem.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Mgatto,
Then use the booster as needed.

For me this means all the time!

Luke

 

[italic zero]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Do you usually use the pedal as a clean boost, or to actually color the tone

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

Do you usually use the pedal as a clean boost, or to actually color the tone

Directed towards??

I use mine to get the cranked amp sound at apartment levels, when I am able to use more power tubes more I use it as a solo boost. When I want more all around I just leave it on all the time.

Luke

 

[stratsandaks]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

If you completely remove the switch (something that's not advisable), you can read "Carling" on the metal plate at the base of the shaft.

If you open the box, like you would to change the battery, the old switch had it's contacts radiating from the center in something that looks like a six pointed star pattern.

The Carling switch has two contact lugs on each end and two in the center -- six total.

I hope that helps.

Thanks Evan,

I just picked up my replacement booster, the Carling switch was much easier to identify than I expected. The two units that I had problems with both had rather squarish blue switches with the contacts radiating from the center like you described. The newer Carling switch is more oblong in shape and black in color.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: SD Pickup Booster

I hope everything about the new boosters is good. I might consider picking one up just to see what the hype is about.