Who has modified an Invader?

[Natman]

After doing some searches, I haven't found for sure if anyone has tried modifying their Invader pickup. Magnet swap? Rewind? Removing the little (2nd and 3rd) magnets? Coil splitting or series-parallel? I already know about the cap on the neck model, but I want to see how much versatility can be had out of them. Thanks!
:banana:

 

[theodie]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

I know a few folks have done some mods to it but, I cant remember who did them. The one thing that gives the Invader its personality is the Poles! Thats the single biggest thing that makes the Invader the Invader.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

the poles and esp also the 3 ceramic mags, Dave.

Rewinding it will make it not be an invader anymore, so that´s not really a mod but a new pickup.

More or stronger mags will give more output and stronger bass and treble response. Take a wild guess what fewer or weaker ones will do

Coil splitting or series-parallel can be done with any 4 wire humbucker, incl the invader...

Generally your best bet is just to sit down w/ a soldering iron and try some funky ideas out

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

I wonder if an Invader with 3 A5 magnets will sound like a beefed up JB?! They are rumoured to use the same coil windings...

 

[Scott Miller]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

Just remeber that with those large ceramic magnets, everything is spaced differently---so it is not as simple as swapping an A2 for an A5. Also, I don't think you will be able to find alnico magnets that are the right width to fit into the two side sections of the Invader.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

What I would love to know how those poles would affect another 'bucker like a Demon or a Custom.

 

[theodie]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

the poles and esp also the 3 ceramic mags, Dave.

Rewinding it will make it not be an invader anymore, so that´s not really a mod but a new pickup.

More or stronger mags will give more output and stronger bass and treble response. Take a wild guess what fewer or weaker ones will do

Coil splitting or series-parallel can be done with any 4 wire humbucker, incl the invader...

Generally your best bet is just to sit down w/ a soldering iron and try some funky ideas out

True but, I have talked to people that put the Invader poles in a Dimarzio (since it has 2 rows of screws instead of slugs) and the Dimarzio took on an Invader type of personality. BTW, the Dimarzio was an Evolution! If I remember correctly, JB From Hell did it????

 

[Natman]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

FWIW Fralin makes steel-poled strat and tele pickups that use the small alnico magnets in a p-90 design (they're awesome by the way). I think those would work. Anyway, I'm open to experimentation, and eventually I may even try to rewind the Invaders (which I don't have yet but are on order) and experiment.

 

[Natman]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

Hey has anybody actually bothered to rewind an Invader? The reason I ask is because some of the very best pickups I have heard were extremely low output (Filtertrons, Seths, and most interestingly: Harry Haussels that could outright ROCK but were weaker than Seths go figure)

Anywho, just wondering since many say the Invader is too dark. Thanks for the help!

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Who has modified an Invader?

Theodie, that's not entirely correct about the poles of the Invader giving it's unique tonality entirely. I sort of debunked that myth when I did a double blind study on an Invader with hex poles and a normal Invader. Most people who heard both samples couldn't tell which was the real Invader even though they both sounded similar with one sounding a little bit clearer and the clearer of the 2 had the hex poles, but still not a huge difference in sound, very subtle.