Slanted humbucker question

[jacoby75]

Hi guys,

I have a question about an Epiphone Nighthawk I just purchased. Long story short, I bought it because I wanted something "strat-y" but I am a bass player by trade with really large hands and I have a hard time playing an actual strat. When I picked up the Nighthawk, though, it felt like it was just meant for my hand with it's wider nut width and D-shaped neck. I hoped that splitting the slanted humbucker at the bridge would give me a "strat-y" sound. To a certain extent it does, but in a larger sense, it just sounds like a quieter pickup, and there is noticeable volume loss.

I am interested in possibly replacing the stock slanted bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan. Would the Seymour Duncan slanted humbucker, the JB or '59, be a better option than the stock pickup? Is either of them splittable? Would it sound anything like a single coil strat pickup when the coils are split? Or would it just sound like half of a humbucker? Is there an option like a Strat Humbucker, like those that come on the Fender HSS guitars, that is slanted and splittable?

Thanks

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

Which exact version of the Epiphone Nighthawk do you have? (Some had a big, white OBL logo on the pickups.)

The short answer to your question is, yes, an SD humbucker would be an improvement. Unfortunately, for a bunch of reasons far too long to include here, half a humbucker will not sound like a Fender single coil pickup.

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

I just bought it new, if that helps. It's technically called the Epiphone Limited Edition Nighthawk Custom Quilt, according to Guitar Center. I don't have it with me, but I don't believe there is any logo on the pickups. It's blueburst, not like the older ones that came out that were honeyburst, black, and something else.

I figured half a humbucker would never sound like a fender single coil, but I hoped it might get me close. That's why I wonder if there is a pickup made that is like the Fender humbuckers, but angled?

Thanks for the response.

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

Even if it didn't sounds "strat-y", do you think there would still be the loss in volume with the SD slanted humbucker, or is that unique to the stock epiphone one?

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

Or, and this is probably stupid, but I wonder if it would be possible to mount two single coils in its place that could be run together or split.

 

[warner-211]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

I asked that question in a guitar shop onetime and they laughed so hard. they said it wouldnt work because between bursts of laughter they said too much humming, buzzy, idk, buy a hbucker
So idk man there is nothing to lose

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

LOL. Well, yeah, I guess. But maybe I could use noiseless single coils like lace sensors or the Dimarzio Area Series.

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

I'm not a luthier at all, but maybe I could find someone willing to give it a shot for me. Or maybe it's not worth it.

 

[allstarrme]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

If you don't mind sacrificing the stock pickup, you could mount any pickup you wanted to that baseplate if the spacing is the same.

The JB sounds decent split and even better full on usually.

If you really need that strat tone look at the stag mag. You could swap it onto the baseplate for the slanted pickup and it would be ideal, or call the custom shop and ask about "the mag" on a slanted base.

 

[EDX]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

lace already sells something called the duallys, which are just 2 lace sensor pickups mounted on a bucker baseplate ready for being wired as you want, but i dunno if they have a slanted dually, maybe if you call them they can make a slanted dually (i remember reading they can do "semi-custom" orders but i'm not sure)

 

[jacoby75]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

If you really need that strat tone look at the stag mag. You could swap it onto the baseplate for the slanted pickup and it would be ideal, or call the custom shop and ask about "the mag" on a slanted base.

Yes! There it is! Now we're talking. That could be perfect. (Assuming they can make it on a slanted base) Thanks for the tip!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Slanted humbucker question

The Duncan Custom Shop could build a Stag Mag that was slanted, and that is exactly what it is- 2 singles that can be used as a humbucker if you want. Contact them and ask about it.