What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

[75lespaul]

I've got that Jay Turser doubleneck, and while the stock six string pickups sound surprisingly good, they are hot, and I think the same ones are in the twelve. They are overdriving a clean amp. I'd like to go with something really rich, but not hot at all. Unfortunately, money is a big issue, so I can't go for Ants or anything like that (not that I'd drop Ants in a Turser...). Something I can get for a good price used, or maybe some of the cheaper aftermarket ones new. These are humbuckers.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Somthing low output wiht a nice high end and good defination...

Buckers...Jazz set maybe mini buckers if possible.

Single coils...Strat or Tele style, Jazzmaster pickups are nice, lipsticks, low wind P-90's...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Just looked it up...it's set up for buckers...a set of Jazz buckers maybe even with coil taps would be great!

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

69

Oops, I meant 59

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Jazz set with triple shots for the ultimate. In parallel they'd be really glassy and clean. Another good one is the Phat Cat, maybe a nickel covered Jazz bridge, Phat Cat neck, it's all good.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Jazz set with triple shots for the ultimate. In parallel they'd be really glassy and clean. Another good one is the Phat Cat, maybe a nickel covered Jazz bridge, Phat Cat neck, it's all good.

I have been DYING to try out those Phat Cats. They're the P90 in a bucker shape, right? I love P90s.

Just looked it up...it's set up for buckers...a set of Jazz buckers maybe even with coil taps would be great!

I've never tried the Jazz pickups, and I believe this guitar may be Agathis, which is a supposedly lifeless kind of wood. Now the six string sounds outstanding for classic type of overdrive like The Who, Led Zeppelin, and great for heavier stuff like Priest, Maiden etc, but I've heard people say the Jazz can be a little bland. I just worry that with a kinda bland wood it may not be a good match. Again though, I've never heard the Jazz up close and personal.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

69

Oops, I meant 59

:haha:

That was actually my first instinct.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Me, I'd throw in a pair of EMG 60's in a 12. Clean, clear, and with a very even response all across the spectrum.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

I've seen some of the GFS series stuff like the Mean 90 or Dream 90...any opinions on whether these are good sounding pickups?

 

[eggman]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Howdy,

'59s from SD. You might consider DiMarzio Eric Johnson HBers, too. They're lower output and purportedly more trebly than '59s. Either would probably serve you well, although they wouldn't be like Rickenbacker's fabled "Toaster tops". Good luck!

Eggman

 

[gripweed]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Jazz set with triple shots for the ultimate. In parallel they'd be really glassy and clean. Another good one is the Phat Cat, maybe a nickel covered Jazz bridge, Phat Cat neck, it's all good.

+1. Humbuckers can be a little too much for twelve strings. You want something bright and articulate and the coil splits would give you a single coil like option. I personally don't get the critique of the Jazz being lifeless or bland, that has not been my experience at all.

 

[Sartori]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Sorry for bumping up a really old thread, but I've also got a 12-string related question.

I've got a 12 string electric (Les Paul copy), which I'm modding. Based on this thread, for the neck pickup, I'm thinking a Dimarzio EJ model, as recommended in this thread, but I'm facing a bit of a conundrum for the bridge.

The way I do things is, I basically use the neck pickup for cleans, and the bridge for distortion (I've got a couple 6-string guitars with the Duncan Jazz in the neck position and Duncan Distortion in the bridge position). So what I'm looking for in a bridge pickup for this guitar is something that sounds great with the amount of overdrive you'd hear in hard rock/metal. But since it's a 12-string, I also really want a pickup that will give me clarity on larger chords.

Will the JB suffice, do you think?

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Mario, the set you bought from me will do a real good job for what you need.
They are extremely articulate with great definition. they are not overly hot as the resistance would lead you to believe. they are slighter hotter than the 59's.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Lawrence L-500's. They are bright, transparent, articulate and wouldn't have any spacing issues. Also the BL USA pickups are only $35 a piece.

 

[Sartori]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

They're clear even on really heavy amounts of distortion?

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

They're clear even on really heavy amounts of distortion?

Yes they are clear under high gain.

 

[Sartori]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

What do you mean by transparent? I mean, I don't want it sounding sterile or clinical, just not muddy. Also, what do the various letters after "L-500" mean? There seems to be the L-500XL, the L-500RB, the L-500LC, the L-500XLB. Which is the one I should be looking for? I feel dumb.

They do seem fairly affordable, though, so that's good.

 

[Despair]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

L-90s are another fun option, dual rails similar to L-500s but with a bit of P-90 flavor. Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult used to use L-90s live, because P-90s were too noisy for high gain at a lot of venues.

For L-500s, I'd probably go with an L-500L bridge and the L-500C or R in the neck. Don't usually want too hot a pickup in a 12 string. I prefer the wildepickups.com (Bill & Becky), the chrome shield is a nice extra touch. The billlawrenceusa.com C & B last letters just indicate cream or black bobbins. Prices seem to be about the same new for either.

Could also do an L-500 in one position and L-90 in the other.

For a more expensive option, FilterTrons are fun, too. TV Classics are really nice. SuperTrons are a blade variant, might work nicely in a 12 string.

 

[Sartori]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Well, for the bridge, I'm definitely wanting something that gets a nice sound on really high levels of distortion. I'm going to use this guitar for a lot of stuff, including doom metal and black metal. I just still want some clarity even when the overdrive is pretty saturated.

I think I'm going with a dimarzio EJ for the neck pickup, which will be my "clean" pickup.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What would some good pickups be for an electric twelve string?

Wow, this is an oldie, lol. I sold that guitar a while back and got the BC Rich Bich doubleneck. In THAT guitar, I put the Dimarzio EJ in the neck and the A2P in the bridge and they sound great together. The A2P sounds great imo with distortion in the twelve and clean it's da bomb, lol. Hey Sartori, you may want to try using the E and A strings without the octaves, effectively making your guitar a 10 string. BC Rich says they do that because the octaves on those two strings freak out the amp when used with distortion and cause massive overtones? Anyway, the 10 string is pretty popular with guys who use overdrive and distortion.