Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

[CTN]

Got an H103 (bridge model) for a christmas pressie today.

I know it's supposedly modelled after the Duncan Distortion - so is it a sorta hot JBish wind with a big beefy ceramic? would it sound good in the neck position?

How would it respond to mag swaps? A2? A5?

Would it be too harsh with hex polepieces?

Should I just shut up and go nuts with the experimentation?

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

The 103 is a 16K+ wind that is "copied" from the DD wind but it uses a small ceramic magnet and different parts than its USA made DD brother.
You can mag swap it anyway you wish, with a A2 it is a lot like a JB2, with a A5 it is a lot like a JB,wit a large ceramic it is very close to the original DD. etc.

 

[DonP]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

Sounds great in my KE3 Kelly that I upgraded with a DK1 neck.

You'd think after upgrading to a pricey USA neck I'd splurge on the pickups, and in fact I have boxes of pickups, but it sounds great and I'm not F'ing with it.

The neck pickup with it (both came in the KE3 body originally) sounds great too.

 

[dominus]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

I took two HB103s and made a hybrid with dual hexes. Very tight and nice sounding. Sounds good stock, and sounds great with an A8.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

According to a discussion w/ Evan, it is pretty much a Distortion with big pole pieces.

Cool pup from all I have heard. I want one.

 

[dominus]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

According to a discussion w/ Evan, it is pretty much a Distortion with big pole pieces.

Cool pup from all I have heard. I want one.

You're thinking of the HB108. The HB103 is the Distortion copy.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

I haven't tried the bridge model but I loved the neck.

 

[CTN]

Re: Tell me EVERYTHING about the HB103

So basically I think this is what I'm gonna do...

My old ibanez which I used to play in my metal band, it used to have a TB-5/SH-2n combo. It was good, but it sounded too restrained for a metal axe. I lived with it though, trying not to max out the gain.

But now ever since leaving that band and playing more blues than anything else, I figure that when I want to play metal without changing all the dials on my amp, I need higher output pickups than my blues-and-rock-only strat. So I got a TB-6. And now I have an HB103, and I'm wondering if I could use it as a neck pickup by sticking an A2 or A5 in there instead of the ceramic. Good idea?

I've never put an F spaced 'bucker in the neck before...