Well, I've finally joined the SD brotherhood (hybrid content)

[Ashurbanipal]

Since getting the Roadstar, I've been on the lookout for an appropriate neck pu, the stocker being bland, weak, and inarticulate. Briefly I had a PAF Pro in there, but it still wasn't cutting it. I did the half-air trick and it worked ok for the tone but made the bridge pu too dominant output wise.

So I thought, 'screw it, I'll do what I should've done to begin with', which is make a 59/Jazz hybrid.

Took bit of time for a used 59 with four conductor wiring to come up but I finally got one last week. So, following BachToRock's instructions, I ended up with two hybrids, the logo-less one going in the guitar. It's hooked up to a push-push pot, which goes between series and parallel.

Plugged in, smacked down the first chord: :bigeyes:; second chord: :headbang:. Easily the best neck pu I've played, even though I haven't played many. I had a Jazz in there while waiting for the 59 to arrive and it's a nice pup too - very clean and precise - but this is more my thing.

In series, it's fat yet still had that brightness and shimmer, a perfect mix of beef and precision. Now it's possible to play chords with a neck 'bucker and hear all the notes. Playing lead in the 12th position, it's still got that plummy plunk of a good neck pu but the definition is unbeatable. In parallel, it's snorting, rude, and almost piano-like (especially on the low strings) - love it! You know how they call the neck pu a 'rhythm' pu - well, this pup truly does it.

Anyway, there goes my hybrid cherry, and it's probably spoiled me for other neck pups.

 

[Artie]

Re: Well, I've finally joined the SD brotherhood (hybrid content)

Hybrids can be cool. But I'm surprised you'd hear that much difference in a 59/Jazz hybrid, as both are very close in specs and both use A5 mags. But still, if it works for you . . . :smokin:

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Well, I've finally joined the SD brotherhood (hybrid content)

I made an OEM hybrid ages ago out of some Ibanez pups I had lying around and really liked it, so it was a foregone conclusion that I'd do another out of some nicer pups. I like a pretty bright pu in the neck - if it's a humbucker, I want it to have single-coily qualities, and this does that.

Maybe I made the difference seem overly emphatic in my description, since in reality it isn't because, as you say, the pups are fairly close in spec. But, to my ear at any rate, it's enough to make me go :eyecrazy:. It's certainly a livelier and more spontaneous pu than a regular Jazz.

I suppose it also depends on the guitar, and overall rig.

It's awfully tempting to get a TB-16 now, even though the bridge pu is fine, heh.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Well, I've finally joined the SD brotherhood (hybrid content)

I really like those old Roadstars....

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Well, I've finally joined the SD brotherhood (hybrid content)

^^ I got it for dirt cheap on a whim and it's turned out to be very nice -boring black but resonant and muscular sounding with plenty of attack.

They have medium C necks with medium frets and a flattish radius, so pretty comfortable players; bridge is a PITA and better off fixed down. Great guitars - throw in some nice pups and you're set.