WLH or Alnico II?

M

MamaLuke

New member
Hi All:

I am replacing a JB in an Edwards Les Paul (Edwards is an ESP brand for the Japanese market). The JB is too hot and I'm looking for a more vintage sounding pickup to get more clarity and a more "traditional" LP sound. After doing a lot of reading and listening to clips, the APH1 and the WLH seemed pretty close to what I want. I accidentally ordered both and I am trying to figure out which one I should keep. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Ron
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

MamaLuke said:
I would but store won't take back an installed pickup.
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They will take back unused pickup? That's nice service. (Or is it internet store...)

For more "classic rock" tone I would go for WLH. APH-1 if you like dirtier gain.

But I'm not very familiar with humbuckers anyway, so don't put too much weight on my opinion...
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

If you purchased the pickups from an authorized dealer then send one back and make use of SD's exchange policy in the event you don't like the one you installed:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/21-day-exchange

If the exchange policy doesn't apply for whatever reason, and you can't purchase from an authorized dealer, then I'd return the APH. The WLH will most likely have a greater resale value on the used market.
 
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Re: WLH or Alnico II?

What gregory said,
I have had a lot of Duncan pickups, WLH is one of my top 3 and good to push an amp, also cleans up well. Not too hot. To me anything over 11 or so is too hot to cleanup.
SJB
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

I am not sure an Alnico II Pro will give you more clarity...it is cleaner, as it has less output than a JB. But I am equating 'clarity' with EQ and not output. For a clearer pickup, the WLH is a better choice because of the EQ (like a PAF). The A2P has a different EQ profile, which tends to push the mids (which I love, but it might not be your goal).
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

gregory said:
If you purchased the pickups from an authorized dealer then send one back and make use of SD's exchange policy in the event you don't like the one you installed:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/21-day-exchange

If the exchange policy doesn't apply for whatever reason, and you can't purchase from an authorized dealer, then I'd return the APH. The WLH will most likely have a greater resale value on the used market.
Click to expand...

Only in USA if I've understood right...
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

The 21-Day Exchange is only good in the USA. Outside of the US, stores may have their own return policy, so it is best to ask.
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

A2P is too 'colored' for what you want IMO...

Go with the Whole Lotta
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

Thanks to everyone for the helpful answers! I installed both and tried them the WLH wins, but it was close. In the process I learned a lot about the value of adjusting the pick-up height. One of the reasons I like SD pickups so much is that they seem to have a vocal quality to them and sound more "3D" than other pickups I have tried. The key to getting that sound out of them is getting the distance from the strings right. At first the WLH did not sound good at all but after I did a little research and re-adjusted the height it really came alive. About 5/32 seems to be the sweet spot, but I know that can vary based on a lot of other factors.
 
Re: WLH or Alnico II?

MamaLuke said:
Thanks to everyone for the helpful answers! I installed both and tried them the WLH wins, but it was close. In the process I learned a lot about the value of adjusting the pick-up height. One of the reasons I like SD pickups so much is that they seem to have a vocal quality to them and sound more "3D" than other pickups I have tried. The key to getting that sound out of them is getting the distance from the strings right. At first the WLH did not sound good at all but after I did a little research and re-adjusted the height it really came alive. About 5/32 seems to be the sweet spot, but I know that can vary based on a lot of other factors.
Click to expand...

Awesome! Happy you found the one that works. And you are right- height can drastically change the sound of a pickup.
 
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