1
The Pickup Place / Re: 3 New Pickups from Dimarzio: Super PAF, Muscle T's
« on: December 05, 2025, 03:54:19 AM »
That should be a great match for the Hamer. 90s Hamers are great great guitars.
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
2
The Pickup Place / Re: Quacky Neck PU for Super 3 Bridge PU?
« on: December 01, 2025, 03:57:53 AM »
If the Air Norton has too much bass in the neck spot (for me it would), LiquiFire is an option.
Cheers Stephan
Cheers Stephan
3
The Pickup Place / Re: Quacky Neck PU for Super 3 Bridge PU?
« on: November 21, 2025, 08:58:52 AM »
For a neck pickup to partner with the Super 3 I would probably go for the hottest model that still "makes sense" somehow. Super 2 with the Ray mod (remove the screws in one coil) should work well. Quacky, however, it is not.
If you want something quackier/brighter than the PAF Pro, the Seymour Duncan Full Shred neck (SH-10n) does it. It is lower output than the PAF Pro, though.
Bluesbucker is nice as well but also lower output than the PAF Pro. Its biggest asset is that the split mode does not drop in output compared to the series mode. If you already have one it does not hurt to try.
When you say "the PAF Pro feels ... a little generic" what exactly do you mean by that? What exactly do you want more or less of? That may be helpful. E.g. if you want a more singing tone, Breed neck would be it.
Cheers Stephan
If you want something quackier/brighter than the PAF Pro, the Seymour Duncan Full Shred neck (SH-10n) does it. It is lower output than the PAF Pro, though.
Bluesbucker is nice as well but also lower output than the PAF Pro. Its biggest asset is that the split mode does not drop in output compared to the series mode. If you already have one it does not hurt to try.
When you say "the PAF Pro feels ... a little generic" what exactly do you mean by that? What exactly do you want more or less of? That may be helpful. E.g. if you want a more singing tone, Breed neck would be it.
Cheers Stephan
4
The Pickup Place / Re: Which Pickup Features Which Technique
« on: November 21, 2025, 08:47:55 AM »
Agree that it would impossible on standard sized bobbins. Never seen either the bridge or the neck model and cannot judge whether the bridge pickup may have a deeper than usual bobbin.
My guess is that the neck pickup is wound with AWG PE 43 and the bridge pickup with some weird in-between gauge. I know that BKP for example use 42.5 polysol wire on some models.
Cheers Stephan
My guess is that the neck pickup is wound with AWG PE 43 and the bridge pickup with some weird in-between gauge. I know that BKP for example use 42.5 polysol wire on some models.
Cheers Stephan
5
Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Chopper/Chopper T
« on: November 21, 2025, 05:14:27 AM »
Now on to the regular Chopper. I had this in two different strats in the bridge together with an Area 58 in the middle and an Area 67 in the neck. The main difference is that in one the volume pot was 250k whereas it was 500k in the other. I prefer to run it with 500k.
Keep in mind that I am not a vintage strat pickup fan usually, and definitely not a fan of a traditional single coil in the bridge position - too icepicky for my taste. I was always looking for something beefier in the bridge but without the usual compromise to the bridge + middle position.
The set up I have now is as follows: 500k audio volume pot, 500k audio tone for positions 2-5, 500k audio tone only for position 1 (bridge only). No coil split in position 2 (bridge + middle in parallel). No series option - not really necessary with the Chopper in the bridge. 5-way 4 level switch. I use a 560k resistor to bring down the load to approx. 270k for positions 3-5. Note: position 2 keeps the 500k load.
Result: a fat but present bridge tone without any trace of icepick, very hot PAF like. Volume balance to the single coils is great. The bridge + middle position sounds excellent and does not feel like a compromise at all. The guitar also offers a setting that gives bridge + neck which sounds excellent as well.
In summary the Chopper is a great option for anyone wanting a fatter sound in the bridge position of a strat that is routed for SSS which still sounds great together with the middle single coil.
Cheers Stephan
Keep in mind that I am not a vintage strat pickup fan usually, and definitely not a fan of a traditional single coil in the bridge position - too icepicky for my taste. I was always looking for something beefier in the bridge but without the usual compromise to the bridge + middle position.
The set up I have now is as follows: 500k audio volume pot, 500k audio tone for positions 2-5, 500k audio tone only for position 1 (bridge only). No coil split in position 2 (bridge + middle in parallel). No series option - not really necessary with the Chopper in the bridge. 5-way 4 level switch. I use a 560k resistor to bring down the load to approx. 270k for positions 3-5. Note: position 2 keeps the 500k load.
Result: a fat but present bridge tone without any trace of icepick, very hot PAF like. Volume balance to the single coils is great. The bridge + middle position sounds excellent and does not feel like a compromise at all. The guitar also offers a setting that gives bridge + neck which sounds excellent as well.
In summary the Chopper is a great option for anyone wanting a fatter sound in the bridge position of a strat that is routed for SSS which still sounds great together with the middle single coil.
Cheers Stephan
6
Everything you wanted to know about .... / Chopper/Chopper T
« on: November 20, 2025, 05:35:47 AM »
Surprised that there is no thread on these yet so I will start.
Chopper T
This is probably the most versatile telecaster bridge pickup I ever encountered. With the coils in series it resembles a hot PAF type pickup - healthy output but not over the top, enough bite to cut through, solid, tight bass and vocal but not overbearing midrange. This is with a 500k volume pot. With the coils in parallel and a load of approx. 250k it resembles a powerful single coil, even though the bass is not quite as tight. It also sound quite good with just one coil in operation but of course it is no longer humcancelling then.
Comment on the strat variant to follow.
Cheers Stephan
Chopper T
This is probably the most versatile telecaster bridge pickup I ever encountered. With the coils in series it resembles a hot PAF type pickup - healthy output but not over the top, enough bite to cut through, solid, tight bass and vocal but not overbearing midrange. This is with a 500k volume pot. With the coils in parallel and a load of approx. 250k it resembles a powerful single coil, even though the bass is not quite as tight. It also sound quite good with just one coil in operation but of course it is no longer humcancelling then.
Comment on the strat variant to follow.
Cheers Stephan
7
Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Mo'Joe
« on: October 21, 2025, 11:00:54 AM »
For those interested I posted a direct comparison between this and the FRED in the FRED thread.
8
Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: FRED
« on: October 21, 2025, 11:00:10 AM »
I thought some of you might be interested in a direct comparison to the Mo' Joe, which I had back to back in the bridge position of the same guitar (a partscaster tele, poplar body, roasted maple neck w/ rosewood board, two humbuckers, two 500k audio controls for volume and tone, 3-way toggle, very simple set up).
The Mo' Joe sounded fat and good in there but a bit too dark compared to the Fralin Twangmaster in the neck so I tried the FRED as I wanted to brighten things up and to have a better balance with the neck pickup.
With the original wiring intact, the FRED sounded way different from the Mo' Joe. This was a surprise for me as the Mo' Joe was supposedly developed on the basis of the FRED but the FRED was much brighter and thinner and did not sound anything like the Mo' Joe. It was only when I added a 680k resistor from hot to ground to drop the load to about 290k, then the sound got closer to the Mo' Joe with a load of 500k. The missing midrange came back, and I reached the goal of getting a tone that is a bit brighter and leaner compared to the Mo' Joe. So from my experimentations I like the FRED with a load of 250k to 300k max. I also like the middle position so far, which got more quack than it had before.
These are only my first impressions after having installed the FRED in that guitar.
Cheers Stephan
The Mo' Joe sounded fat and good in there but a bit too dark compared to the Fralin Twangmaster in the neck so I tried the FRED as I wanted to brighten things up and to have a better balance with the neck pickup.
With the original wiring intact, the FRED sounded way different from the Mo' Joe. This was a surprise for me as the Mo' Joe was supposedly developed on the basis of the FRED but the FRED was much brighter and thinner and did not sound anything like the Mo' Joe. It was only when I added a 680k resistor from hot to ground to drop the load to about 290k, then the sound got closer to the Mo' Joe with a load of 500k. The missing midrange came back, and I reached the goal of getting a tone that is a bit brighter and leaner compared to the Mo' Joe. So from my experimentations I like the FRED with a load of 250k to 300k max. I also like the middle position so far, which got more quack than it had before.
These are only my first impressions after having installed the FRED in that guitar.
Cheers Stephan
9
The Pickup Place / Re: NGD - Ibanez JS1000
« on: September 16, 2025, 10:03:00 AM »Good thing you have a Breed Neck lying in a drawer.
BNIB + PAF Pro FTW!
I didn't see where he said that but I second that recommendation.
Cheers Stephan
10
The Pickup Place / Re: NGD - Ibanez JS1000
« on: September 15, 2025, 04:56:29 AM »
There is a substantial difference in a neck pickup in a 22 fret guitar vs a 24 fret guitar but not so much in the output. The tone will be warmer in the 22 fret guitar - all else being equal - due to the fact that the pickup is positioned further away from the bridge and picking up a different spot of the vibrating string. That tonal shift to more warmth can make the bridge pickup brighter in contrast than it would be on the same guitar if it had 24 frets.
Now - FRED and PAF Pro are about the same output. This in itself should not be a problem as in the 50s and 60s there were no calibrated sets or humbucking pickups wound specifically for bridge or neck. Nevertheless, as you said that the neck pickup is as low as it will go you might benefit from a stronger bridge pickup. Before jumping at a pickup change I would check if the wiring is correct and measure the bridge pickup's DC resistance with a multimeter to see whether it is close to the specified resistance.
I have experience with all of the pickups you listed except for the Satchur8. If the FRED is far too thin for you I would discard the Mo' Joe and the Norton as the Mo' Joe is not more powerful and the Norton can be quite bright (depending on the guitar), so can be the Super Distortion. The Tone Zone was standard on many Ibanez guitars so that would be worth considering, or the Air Zone if you don't want/need a high output pickup.
BTW I have the FRED in one HSS strat but I use a 250k volume pot with it, and it does not sound thin at all. Assuming that your volume control is a 500k audio, you could wire a 470k resistor from the switch to which the bridge pickup is connected to ground. Thus the neck pickup sees a 500k load, which is optimal for the neck humbucker, whereas the bridge pickup sees a load of approx. 235k, which will make it warmer. The "both position" will also have the lower load but usually it is fine. That would be the cheapest option to try.
Cheers Stephan
Now - FRED and PAF Pro are about the same output. This in itself should not be a problem as in the 50s and 60s there were no calibrated sets or humbucking pickups wound specifically for bridge or neck. Nevertheless, as you said that the neck pickup is as low as it will go you might benefit from a stronger bridge pickup. Before jumping at a pickup change I would check if the wiring is correct and measure the bridge pickup's DC resistance with a multimeter to see whether it is close to the specified resistance.
I have experience with all of the pickups you listed except for the Satchur8. If the FRED is far too thin for you I would discard the Mo' Joe and the Norton as the Mo' Joe is not more powerful and the Norton can be quite bright (depending on the guitar), so can be the Super Distortion. The Tone Zone was standard on many Ibanez guitars so that would be worth considering, or the Air Zone if you don't want/need a high output pickup.
BTW I have the FRED in one HSS strat but I use a 250k volume pot with it, and it does not sound thin at all. Assuming that your volume control is a 500k audio, you could wire a 470k resistor from the switch to which the bridge pickup is connected to ground. Thus the neck pickup sees a 500k load, which is optimal for the neck humbucker, whereas the bridge pickup sees a load of approx. 235k, which will make it warmer. The "both position" will also have the lower load but usually it is fine. That would be the cheapest option to try.
Cheers Stephan
11
The Pickup Place / Re: Neck pickup to go with Air Norton in the Bridge of a Les Paul
« on: August 28, 2025, 05:43:57 AM »
You cannot compare the DC resistance of the Air Norton to the 36th for output because the coils are wound with a different wire. 36th uses 42 AWG, and one of the AN coils uses 43 AWG which is thinner and has a higher DC resistance. The mV value is a better indicator.
Cheers Stephan
Cheers Stephan
12
The Pickup Place / Re: Neck pickup to go with Air Norton in the Bridge of a Les Pasul
« on: August 20, 2025, 03:28:57 AM »I have a repair tech that I've been going to for quite a while, he was the person that showed me what was going on when I complained about the fret buzz. There is a hump around the 15th fret, where the neck joins the body. My tech says he'd have to pull the frets and plane down the fret board to get rid of it. Even with the action fairly high - which I don't mind - it still frets out a smidge on the wound strings. Still playable but I don't think I'd have the work done. I bought it for $300 about 10 years ago. ( late 90's RG550)
Those are good inexpensive guitars. I agree with your tech but I appreciate if you don't want to spend as much or more for the repair than what you paid for the guitar itself.
Oh and wouldn't you know it, I have a Breed set in my parts drawer as well.
Well then - why not try the Breed neck in the bridge of your guitar first and see (i) whether you like it and (ii) if not, what you want more/less from the pickup.
Good luck
Stephan
13
The Pickup Place / Re: Neck pickup to go with Air Norton in the Bridge of a Les Pasul
« on: August 19, 2025, 04:44:33 AM »That guitar is still playable, but even with nut shims and a lot of truss rod and bridge adjustments it buzzes on the higher frets and barely doesn't at the lower frets.
Unrelated to the pickup question but that sounds like the neck has a hump or a rise and needs fretwork - best to have the guitar looked at by a qualified repairperson.
Cheers Stephan
14
The Pickup Place / Re: Neck pickup to go with Air Norton in the Bridge of a Les Pasul
« on: August 19, 2025, 04:42:07 AM »Since the AT-1 was mentioned I think it’s worth noting that The Breed set is back on the website. Personally, I would opt for the more balanced Breed Neck (DP165) in the bridge over the AT-1.
+1
Mo' Joe, Breed neck and FRED are all about the same output level.
15
The Pickup Place / Re: Neck pickup to go with Air Norton in the Bridge of a Les Pasul
« on: August 18, 2025, 07:18:38 AM »
1. Neck pickup
IMHO, Bluesbucker would be a good choice for the neck spot. To me it sounds very PAF-ish, not P90-like at all. I had it in the neck spot of different guitars, and it never was too bright. Furthermore it sounds great split with very little volume drop if that appeals to you. I had/have it paired with the following pickups: Transition bridge, Dominion bridge, Mo' Joe and Air Norton, and it balanced fine in all cases without using extreme height settings.
It is true that the Air Norton is a bit lean in the bass, which is fine with me depending on the guitar.
A FRED in the neck would definitely overpower the Air Norton in the bridge, and so would a PAF Pro.
The HFH is very bright, much brighter than the Bluesbucker, but at the same time it has a lot of low end - too much for my taste. It also has more output than the DC resistance value would make you believe so it may overpower the Air Norton nevertheless, and on top be mismatched in the low end.
2. Bridge pickup
If you want to keep the 36th neck and replace the bridge pickup for something a bit stronger, Mo' Joe is a good candidate for a hot PAF type tone, even though it is probably not much hotter than the Air Norton. Norton would be the next step up. More power and more low end compared to the Air Norton without going to the extremes. Air Zone or AT-1 would even be hotter but with much more midrange. Transition bridge or Super Distortion would still be hotter.
Cheers Stephan
IMHO, Bluesbucker would be a good choice for the neck spot. To me it sounds very PAF-ish, not P90-like at all. I had it in the neck spot of different guitars, and it never was too bright. Furthermore it sounds great split with very little volume drop if that appeals to you. I had/have it paired with the following pickups: Transition bridge, Dominion bridge, Mo' Joe and Air Norton, and it balanced fine in all cases without using extreme height settings.
It is true that the Air Norton is a bit lean in the bass, which is fine with me depending on the guitar.
A FRED in the neck would definitely overpower the Air Norton in the bridge, and so would a PAF Pro.
The HFH is very bright, much brighter than the Bluesbucker, but at the same time it has a lot of low end - too much for my taste. It also has more output than the DC resistance value would make you believe so it may overpower the Air Norton nevertheless, and on top be mismatched in the low end.
2. Bridge pickup
If you want to keep the 36th neck and replace the bridge pickup for something a bit stronger, Mo' Joe is a good candidate for a hot PAF type tone, even though it is probably not much hotter than the Air Norton. Norton would be the next step up. More power and more low end compared to the Air Norton without going to the extremes. Air Zone or AT-1 would even be hotter but with much more midrange. Transition bridge or Super Distortion would still be hotter.
Cheers Stephan