Pickup Recommendations

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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1bottlerocket
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Pickup Recommendations

Post by 1bottlerocket » Sat Oct 26, 2019 7:45 am

Hi All,
I completed this modified Jazzmaster build and put some Lollar pickups in it. While they are nice sounding I find them a bit sterile. Can you recommend a nice bridge/pickup combination to drop into this home build? I am looking for something with some vintage-like tones.

Here is the guitar. I built it as a string through design with a modified Tele-style bridge. Rosewood fingerboard with clay dots. The body is pretty light weight. Thanks!

Image

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Maggieo
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by Maggieo » Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:42 am

Nels Cline and I both use Duncan Antiquities.
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solfege
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by solfege » Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:35 am

I have a set from Pickup Wizard using Alnico II magnets, but otherwise his standard JM set (very slightly overwound bridge). They're a very cool variation on the usual thing.

There are also lots of interesting boutique winders. I just got a fabulous Tele set from Tim from Sunday Handwound on Reverb, and I know others here have had him do great work for them too.

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by Gavanti » Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:45 pm

Novak JM-V/JM-FAT or JM-V/JM-T are very good combos. I'll second the Sunday Handwound suggestion as well.

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by maxoche » Sat Oct 26, 2019 2:16 pm

I love the lollars. (I tried fender JM 65 and mojo JM pickups in the past.) but I play clean most of the time. IMO these are sort of the standard jazzmaster pickups with a tad more punch and midrange.
did you try to set different heightssettings for the pickups. ?
by the way Antiquities I and II from seymour duncan are very different sounding (I are thicker and less bright than II).

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by andy_tchp » Sat Oct 26, 2019 4:32 pm

Sunday Handwound 'woody' pair replaced the Novaks in my Jazzmaster and have remained there ever since.
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by JVG » Sat Oct 26, 2019 7:31 pm

Oh man, this is a tough game to play! So hard to know what will sound best in your guitar.

I’ll add my voice to the chorus preaching Pickup Wizard and Sunday, as these are what I have in my guitars.

J.

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by 1bottlerocket » Sun Oct 27, 2019 2:30 am

Thanks for the suggestions all. This has taken me in a new direction. The Sunday Handwounds sound like a good direction. I tend to go for the woody tone.

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by redchapterjubilee » Tue Oct 29, 2019 5:07 am

I had a pair of Tim's Woody's and didn't like them so much. They seemed a little soft on the wound strings. I like his Fat 5/2's better. I have a regular pair in one JM and a pair with an overwound bridge in another JM. They are fine. The pre-CBS style Pickup Wizards with an overwound bridge is still my absolute favorite pair of standard JM pickups I have.

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by gypsyseven » Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:47 am

I really love the Pure Vintage 65‘s...

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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by gishuk » Tue Oct 29, 2019 1:52 pm

solfege wrote:
Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:35 am
I have a set from Pickup Wizard using Alnico II magnets, but otherwise his standard JM set (very slightly overwound bridge). They're a very cool variation on the usual thing.

There are also lots of interesting boutique winders. I just got a fabulous Tele set from Tim from Sunday Handwound on Reverb, and I know others here have had him do great work for them too.
I have some pickup wizard 60s JM pickups in my 61 Jazzmaster and I've been happy with them. Don't think he ships outside the US anymore which is a shame as I'd try others from him if he did.

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Hilarion Lefuneste
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by Hilarion Lefuneste » Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:18 pm

gishuk wrote:
Tue Oct 29, 2019 1:52 pm
solfege wrote:
Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:35 am
I have a set from Pickup Wizard using Alnico II magnets, but otherwise his standard JM set (very slightly overwound bridge). They're a very cool variation on the usual thing.

There are also lots of interesting boutique winders. I just got a fabulous Tele set from Tim from Sunday Handwound on Reverb, and I know others here have had him do great work for them too.
I have some pickup wizard 60s JM pickups in my 61 Jazzmaster and I've been happy with them. Don't think he ships outside the US anymore which is a shame as I'd try others from him if he did.
If I remember correctly, Pickup Wizard is Canadian. But you're right, they no longer ship outside North America. It says so on their website.

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1bottlerocket
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by 1bottlerocket » Tue Oct 29, 2019 8:51 pm

That's too bad there is no shipping outside North America. I am in contact with the the Sunday Handwound builder and trying to wrap my head around which pickups to try. His prices seem really great and he is super responsive to my questions.

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1bottlerocket
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by 1bottlerocket » Tue Oct 29, 2019 8:55 pm

maxoche wrote:
Sat Oct 26, 2019 2:16 pm
I love the lollars. (I tried fender JM 65 and mojo JM pickups in the past.) but I play clean most of the time. IMO these are sort of the standard jazzmaster pickups with a tad more punch and midrange.
did you try to set different heightssettings for the pickups. ?
by the way Antiquities I and II from seymour duncan are very different sounding (I are thicker and less bright than II).
I have not tried adjusting the pickup height. In fact, it never even crossed my mind. I am going to give that a go tonight. Thanks for the suggestion.

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maxoche
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Re: Pickup Recommendations

Post by maxoche » Wed Oct 30, 2019 5:07 am

adjustments are free ...

a set of new pickups is not ..

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