Deposit in at MJT, looks like I've got a project to do.

[peterherman]

I have a nice Strat neck sitting around from an Electravox upgraded Offset Special. In a fit of pique I determined that this neck needs a body again, and I really need a Burgundy Mist JM. Enter MJT. Just put in the deposit on a swimming pool routed "closet clean" body.

I have a roller TOM and the stock vibrato from my Vintera also sitting on a shelf. I'm thinking those should go on this thing. But what goes IN it?

I'd love to have a WRHP powered blaster, but can't really spend more on the pickups than the body (not a philosophical statement, just a budgetary one). I do have a pair of GFS gold foil HBs in a Xaivere Tele thinline that I don't play. They sound nice. Maybe those? Goofing around in the dressing room, I like the look of a black guard on BMM. If I wanted to go really easy, of course, I'd use the Vintera tort, although I don't THINK I want this as a straight-out Jazzer.

Has anyone played any of the PAF-sized WRHPs out there and could make a recommendation on something that gets reasonably close?

[Embenny]

I'll pivot slightly from the WRHB suggestion to something I personally consider better (and more interesting) - Big Bird pickups by Mr. Fabulous (aka D'Urbano Magnetics on Reverb).

They're PAF sized but built like Firebrids with Alnico bar magnets for poles (instead of alnico screw poles like WRHBs) and steel reflector plates. Fundamentally, that puts them in the same construction category as WRHBs - two coils with alnico polepieces.

They have much more character to their tone than WRHBs to me, though. They basically sound the way I always wanted WRHBs to sound - like a super articulate and clear PAF but with that "Fendery" string attack and definition, while actual WRHBs were always too dark and generic humbucker-sounding for me to enjoy them. They're also less than half the price of any WRHB option out there, look amazing, and are handwound so Fab can customize them any way you like if you talk to him. I had him make me a pair where one bobbin per pickup was overwound with smaller gauge wire and loaded with a partially degaussed A5 magnet to take advantage of the triple shot rings in my Jaguar HH project.

I'll probably never shut up about these (and his other firebird-based pickups). They're just so good, and so reasonably priced. We are coming up on Black Friday, and he usually has a sale. I bought mine for something like 20% off two Black Fridays ago, which I believe was less than $150 USD (plus shipping) for the pair.

His pickups stand up to any of the finest and most expensive ones I've owned (Novak, Fralin, Barden, etc). I know they're less of a known quantity but more people should be taking a chance on them. They're really, really good.

[peterherman]

Those are definitely intriguing, but trans-Pacific shipping costs a grip.

[Embenny]

Those are definitely intriguing, but trans-Pacific shipping costs a grip.

Just found my order form. The pickups were $230 AUD, the discount was $46 AUD (20%), and shipping to Canada was $31AUD, so the entire order shipped was $215 AUD ($156 USD). Crazy cheap compared to any WRHB option, even if you could get free shipping on them.

[peterherman]

Thinking about these bad larrys (square pole pups):
http://hutonelabs.com/pickups/

[peterherman]

Did wind up going with the Hü Tone square poles. Listening to the clips was convincing.

I mean:

https://soundcloud.com/hugh-schick/psyc ... ckup-clean

Dang.

Bits and bobs on order from Allparts, BWB guard on order from WD. Single volume and a 3 way toggle for controls. It's gonna be a long couple of weeks until that body gets here.