New Pickups For the Spectrum DX (and the "S")

Late last year I formulated a plan to replace the pickups in some of my herd, including the DX. Since it was close to Christmas and I was busy both at home and at the shop, the projects waited. Meantime I ordered a few sets of pups from a couple of sources and put them on the shelf.

After Christmas I started thinking about the projects again.
New Year's Day I had the stroke. Things got delayed again.

Today I'm pleased to report that progress has been made and the following transplants have taken place at the the Barry Hospital for the Chronically Flipper Fingered:

• Epiphone LP Studio: replaced the stock muddy pups with a set of over wound HB's from GFS--hot and clear now!
  
• Parker PM20 Hornet: replaced the Parker Stingers with GFS Fat Pat's--fuller, warmer, and louder. Excellent!
  
• Spectrum DX: replaced the wimpy UBC's with a set of Wilkinson WHHB's--louder, richer, and clearer. Great stuff!
  

Now, the Wikie's ain't no MMK45's, but they're head and shoulders above those awful UBC's. You can hear the bloody guitar now! And they were cheeeep! And as we all know, I'm a cheap bastid.
Cost me CAD$18.50 for the pair! With shipping and exchange the total was about $32 at my door from Hong Kong!




If anyone is interested I used this excellent diagram from Seymour Duncan together with the original from our own WestoneGuitars.net.
The trick was sorting out what was what. On these Wilkies there are 4 wires, with no bare ground wire. (White, Red, Black and Yellow).
White=hot, Black=return from 2nd coil + ground. On the SD diagram the Green changes to Black, and Black to Yellow. Red and white are twisted together and soldered as in the diagram. Yellow goes to the switch.

These are not what you'd call "subtle", but then the DX is a kind of in-your-face machine so it seems to suit.
Impedence Readings: Old UBC's were 6.3/6.2 Wilkinson's are 7.5/14

Next is the Spectrum S
I am toying with the idea of swapping out he UBC's in this one with the Stingers from the Parker.
Impedence Readings: Current UBC's are 6.5/6.2 Parker Stingers are 7.7/13.7
I'm sure it would add more life to this otherwise great guitar...and it appeals to my inner cheap bastid since I don't have to buy another set of pups! Any thoughts from anyone?

Nice stuff Barry. Apart from the GFS power rails, which I would advise against (except maybe in bridge pos. on an all maple guitar), all there stuff sounds great, from what I read/have experienced.

Those wilkies sound good, might try them on day (and at that price, why not).

Now for your last remark, I would buy a new pair of pups, without a doubt. If you replaced the stingers in the first place, you can't love them all that much can you? (Maybe the ironstone HB's, not too hot, clear yet bluesy sounding...)

how about a pair of the old Dimarzio Super Distortions? I have these in a Hondo and they are just lovely, not the hottest pup in the world but they tick every box for me.

I could sell you a fabulous pair of UBC-1's....reknowned for their superior sound

Anything has to be better than those pissy UBC's

GFS do some good stuff and Wilkinsons are not frowned upon by a long chalk.

You seem a happy chappie Barry

Got to pick up an ST this weekend, keep me fingers crossed.

Yup, much happier now. These little projects have been hanging around and nagging at me it seems forever.

The Spectrum S is a lovely little axe and I don't want to tart it up too much with anything really hot and overwound. On the other hand, I only paid $150 for it so I can't really justify putting out the same again in pups. That just defeats my cheap bastid gene, ya know?

The Stingers aren't bad sounding but they just didn't deliver the full warm sound from the solid mahogany body that they were in. No idea how they'd sound in a maple body. Might be too shrill.

I'm still looking at GFS, maybe the Crunchy Pat or I might stay with Wilkinson. The PAF's look promising. And, hard to beat the price!

Sgt. Vimes wrote:how about a pair of the old Dimarzio Super Distortions? I have these in a Hondo and they are just lovely, not the hottest pup in the world but they tick every box for me.

Sarge, I'm curious. To me the MMk 45s were intended to be imitations of the Dimarzio Super Ds. What leads me to think so is the fact that they were the big pups on import guitars back in the day and that the 45s look quite a bit like them (smart reasoning eh?).
So, my question: are they similar in any way or just two completely different animals?

(my apologies Barry for borrowing your thread).

I reckon that MMk45's and Dimarzio Super Distortions are pretty similar in character. I personally would use them like for like.

Output is about the same, maybe the DM's are a little bit hotter.

To my ear, they are both pretty bright and responsive. I have never bothered to check whether magnets are Alnico or ceramic.

Hoax

At the risk of going off on a tangerine here, our buddy Mozart over at the Matsumoku Guitar Gallery forum put together a comprehensive list of Mats pickup specs.

Perhaps I'll re-post the whole thing in a separate thread if there's interest, but in the meantime:
MMK 45 (#450PF)
Diameter of Coil: 0.055
Number of Coil: 6.000
Magnet/Material: Isotropy Ferrite
Size: 58x6x10.5
DC Ohms: 10.97k
Inductance: 6.04 Henries
Impedance at 100Hz: 11.7k
Impedance at 1000Hz: 41.2k
Impedance at 2,500Hz: 99.3 k

Compare away.

Barry

Your doing again - getting all scientific!

You are much better when you just dismiss things on either a whim or a deep seated prejudice.

Stick to your strengths, Grogg (Butch Farady) is more than happy to take care of scientific queries, though he does tend to just make up the answers.

Hoax

Sorry...

Must drink more.

beavis wrote:So, my question: are they similar in any way or just two completely different animals?

Well I must point out that I cannot confirm mine are Super Distortions, though I am led to believe most of the 70's hondos had them as standard, can anyone shed any more light on this?

I have tried to compare the two (mmk45 v Dm Sd) and there are differences but they are seated in very different guitars: the Sd's in a hondo pine body strat-alike and the 45's in the spectrum ST. the 45's are indeed bright and punchy as we all know them to be, the Sd's are a tad warmer and not quite as hot, but in bridge position the warmth goes and the punch arrives. when I finish the hondo restoration (new nut and pots needed) I will do further tests.

*ahem* Somewhat back on topic...

I'm still trying to find some inexpensive pups for the "S". Any big name
brand stuff is just too pricey, especially since I'm not gigging or
anything and can't really justify it.

Still looking at GFS and Wilkinson as the likely replacements, but
that's still between $50 and $60 for what I'd like to get. I could get
another set of the those WHHB's I suppose, but I wanted something not
quite so hot in this one.

I came across this set of White Wilkinsons and I'm leaning towards those at the moment, probably with black mounting rings.
Whatcherthink?

No idea what they sound like having never tried wilkinsons, but I'm not sure about the white on white deal, my white ST now has the black hex poled mmk45's in and looks a lot better, the all black look just seems fitting with the dark stained rosweood and headstock, keeps the theme rather well.

I'm with the Sarge on the white on white debate.

Zebras might be the job though if you are looking at a different theme.

Hoax

Yeah, I'd love to have zebras, but they tend to be ivory/creme coloured. I think they'd look "dirty" against the white.

I guess I'll stick with the black.

Thanks Hoax, Sgt. and Barry for your most interesting answers! And again, sorry for the off-subject Barry.

I haven't tried irongear but they are cheap and get good reviews. They have quite a wide panel of humbuckers.

Also Ironstone pickups always are highly recommended and they offer a humbucker which doesn't look too hot, despite the resistance, and sells for next to nought. Haven't yet tried their pups either (I have ordered some recently though) so I am just tossing in names. Here's the ironstone link.

Whichever way you go, I am looking forward to reading your feedback. I am forever on the prowl for good pups.

ever try Entwistle pickups?
ebay
they have them with exposed bobbins, rails and others. (hit the 'see other items' button)

i have a PRS copy by Olson, that has the HV-58, and they have a good vintage tone, quite clear and not too heavy and hot. they sound good to me.

my guitar is not wired for it, but the pickups are splitable, with a 4-conductor, copper braid shielded cable

beavis wrote:...I haven't tried irongear but they are cheap and get good reviews. They have quite a wide panel of humbuckers...

Thanks for the link. They do sound good but I'm thinking that they could be too hot for this guitar @ around 15K. Cost is also about he same as the Wilkinsons.

gittarasaurus wrote:ever try Entwistle pickups?...

Nope. But they look interesting too, thanks for the link.

What about warman pickups...They're an ebay an quite cheap...
Have a project which i'm going to use there juryman pickups in...
Bit hotter than MMK 45's but damsite cheaper too...

Just found ironstone-pickups.co.uk which are cheap too an look interesting

Ironstone are damn good at the price

Barry, Ironstone and Irongear are two different brands, just in case I wasn't quite clear on that point.

Irongear have a wider choice. They aren't dirt cheap but these look sweet : Tesla sharks (cool name to boot)

G.A.S. man wrote:What about warman pickups...They're an ebay an quite cheap...
Have a project which i'm going to use there juryman pickups in...
Bit hotter than MMK 45's but damsite cheaper too...

I second the Warman pups range, having the single coils in my strat and had the zebra II in the washburn rs10v I was absolutely delighted with the tone and balance between bridge and neck on the zebras, I WILL buy these again, plus the silly Warman brand name on the pup itself is a sticker, easily removed!

his Stealth pup is the same as the Zebra, only covered....emg style....very neat imo
http://www.warmanguitars.co.uk/humbuckers.html

beavis wrote:...They aren't dirt cheap...

Exactly. Looking for the opposite.

Sgt. Vimes wrote:

G.A.S. man wrote:What about warman pickups...They're an ebay an quite cheap...
Have a project which i'm going to use there juryman pickups in...
Bit hotter than MMK 45's but damsite cheaper too...

I second the Warman pups...his Stealth pup is the same as the Zebra, only covered....emg style

Thanks boyz. But couldn't find much of interest there. The Stealth model is OK but I don't want covered pups, plus it ain't tap-able for coil split, so no go. And, I'm not interested in "make an offer". What's the asking price?

beavis wrote:...Barry, Ironstone and Irongear are two different brands

Yup. Irongear looks interesting but no pricing on their web site or any way to order. Ironstone also looking good but by the time postage and exchange were factored in I was cheaper off buying from GFS.

Gents, all good suggestions, but mostly missing my main criterion...cheapness! I cannot justify putting in nearly nearly half of what the guitar cost me and with which I am not gigging.

Barry wrote:. What's the asking price?

seems the zebras are out of stock...at least on his ebay listings....I think they were £18 the pair, I made an offer of £15 and he accepted right away.
worth every penny!

these are ebay listings, from a seller in Canada that i have bought parts from many times. good price, good quality, every time, on parts i have gotten. i just received a pickup set from them (humbucker/single hex poles) for a project guitar.
here's a few sets;
humbuckers
more humbuckers
pearloid humbuckers

No worries Barry, your solution is close at hand....

Sell me your "S" and I will have a nice pair of 45's installed in it promptly.

See how easy that was?...

gittarasaurus wrote:these are ebay listings, from a seller in Canada that i have bought parts from many times...

Thanks Mike. I had these guys already bookmarked for something else, but I hadn't considered them for pups. I like the fact that they're MIK so I'll give them serious consideration.

OK I bit the bullet and ordered a set of HB's from Bezdez. I was going to get another set of Wilkies but I thought I'd support my local importer instead of some Chinese business this time out.

They look good on paper, here's hoping they're not too shabby sounding.
If not, it's all Mike's fault!

locally sourced pups, very eco friendly, good work barry

Well, made in Korea...but a Canadian distributor at least.

Right, now that you've plumped for some p'ups, I'll just say that the Bareknuckle Nailbombs I heard last year in a home build were astonishing in their depth and presence; however, so they should given their price!!

They ain't for cheap bastids like us, Barry, though I have to say that if I ever do replace a pup, then I'll have to find a damned good reason not to buy one!!

I approve of the whole 'Buy at home' premise; I do try to do the same!!

Me too but Duofuzz wouldn't accept my 2 pence a pickup offer for his MMK'S..
Talk about brotherly love...

Sorry about forgetting your in Canada Barry an not factoring P+P into it...
I still love seymour duncan 59's an jazz pick ups, but it is good to try different ones to see if they are as good as the hype is....

Corsairs right too about the Bareknuckle pickups too..
There expensive but they are quality jobs..
Duofuzz has a Irish Tour pickup set in a Silver Series Strat an there very nice....

Barry wrote:OK I bit the bullet and ordered a set of HB's from Bezdez. I was going to get another set of Wilkies but I thought I'd support my local importer instead of some Chinese business this time out.

They look good on paper, here's hoping they're not too shabby sounding.
If not, it's all Mike's fault!

OK Mike, assume the position! What a friggin' nightmare with Bezdez!
I won't go into excruciating detail but the highlights are:

• The good (and only good) news: pickups arrived quickly (should, same province!)
  
• Ohm meter readings show 7.4 and 8.4 ! They were supposed to be a set of 10/12!
  
• I pulled off the green RoHS stickers on the bottom to reveal they were both stamped "N"eck and of course both off the advertised spec of 10
  
• I contacted Peter Kessler (owner) by phone who spent most of the time fretting about how Sheila (his wife) made a mistake. That was my first clue that there was going to be problems...I had to refocus him on me the customer! Even then he didn't want to believe there was an issue, and would not resolve the problem over the phone like any sensible person would. Instead he says he'll send me an email later with options!
  
• Later that day I get an email with 3 options: Return for refund / Return one Neck for a Bridge / Buy 2 Bridge pups and he'll pay shipping. I emphasize "Return" for a reason...no other conditions stated
  
• I replied that I'll return one Neck for a Bridge...I received no reply
  
• I went to the Post Office and sent the pup COD, possibly a bad choice, but at least it was trackable...cost out of my pocket was just under CAD$20! I notified Bezdez of the action along with the cost and tracking number. Still no reply. That was last Thursday.
  
• Today, Monday, he calls me to tell me that he has rejected the package and sent it back to me! Why? 'Cuz he claims he never authorized it!
  

What followed was like arguing with a drunk! First, he claims he never received my two emails sent to his business address! Then he starts arguing with me about my method of returning the pup. Remember there were no conditions other than "Return"? Bottom line, the guy was completely unreasonable and the "conversation" just went in circles, with his claim that he did not authorize that it be returned this way even though he was sent 2 emails which he claimed not to have received! And I have resent the entire email thread today.

Absolutely, the most completely, utterly frustrating and expensive transaction I have ever made online!

As I type this I am out of pocket USD$36 for the pickups + USD$4.68 HST (that's Canadian tax paid in USD! Thanks again!) = USD$40.68 PLUS another CAD$19.91 for COD and postage to return the bloody pickup which has been rejected and is on its way back to me! So it's now cost me about $60 for a pair of "cheap" pickups. And I of course still don't have a proper set!
He has offered to refund my purchase price, but after I send the damn things back to him again...more bloody shipping!

Am I pissed? You bet!
Oh, and I am banned from further purchases from Bezdez!
I get better service from GFS and friggin' Hong Kong!

Damn Barry! I feel for you m8, that seriously sucks balls!
That kind of service can only be detremental to his business, I hope he catches herpes!

that is an absolute nightmare! and what a lame-ass response from the seller.

i have no defense for the behavior of others. all i can say is my orders from them have not been any problem. but one thing for sure, this will make me not even consider using them again.


my most humble apologies for suggesting you purchase from them.

There's gotta be something else going on there, eh; that's just idiocy and commercial suicide, I'd've thought....

Bummer, Barry...

Thanks for the support fellas. Like I said, you can't argue with a drunk...the drunk always wins.
He was way more concerned with proving me wrong than fixing the situation!

Total a*hole.

Edit: Oh yeah, he even tried to tell me my ohm meter was no good!

I was just checking "My eBay" record and checking what I bought versus what he's currently showing and I see that he's now re-worded the ad for these pickups. Or, more correctly, he's deleted the previous reference to the measurements which was my reason for buying in the first place:

Bridge pickup measures about 12.6k on the ohm meter, neck pickup measures about 10.75k

This after I had verbally reamed him out for misrepresentation.

I have no idea how you sell pickups and not reference the resistance readings, but what do I know?

If you paid via pay pal/ebay take up a dispute.

You'll more than likely win as the buyer always seems to.

Sorry to read this Barry. It's frustrating particularly because you took the time to look around and think about it. But buying on the web is a roll of the dice in any case. I hope you get your money back.

If you are still after pups, and sorry for insisting, but you could try e-mailing Tony from Ironstone pickups. He is great with the customers and potential buyers. And despite the high ohm reading of his humbuckers, maybe they're not all that hot after all since he's after vintage tones.

Bezdez isn't going to be selling any merch to me any time soon!

Westbone wrote:If you paid via pay pal/ebay take up a dispute.
You'll more than likely win as the buyer always seems to.

Yeah, still mulling this one over. This has already cost me too much of my time $$$. He has no issues with refunding my purchase...provided as I said, that I ship the damn things back to him! This is after he has returned the one that I already sent him!

I want to do something to the jerk, it ain't right that he gets away with cr@p like this. BUT...I'm already in the hole for $60 PLUS more shipping back to him if I want the refund, LESS the $36 refund...I'm still losing.

I'm further ahead to keep the useless pickups, and leave a nasty rating on eBay. But then he can do the same to me, so...

Give us his Ebay name and we can all message him telling him we are all
members of many guitar forums (fora - just for you Barry!).

We can then message him and tell him that we are proposing a boycott to our members until he sorts you out in full.

ie full refund including all return postage prior to you returning goods.

Hoax

Cheers for that Graham, but this guy is adamant that he's right and I'm wrong.; he turned me into a raving lunatic on the phone.

He told me that he's been in business a long time and quoted me all sorts of eBay rules and regs. There's just no getting through to him. As far as he's concerned I was wrong in sending back the pickup the way I did without "authorization". That's the whole issue with him...despite having messaged him twice.

Oh, he did reply to my 3rd email which was a Forwarding of my previous 2 emails. So guess what? His business address does work! (sigh)

We could always order takeaway pizzas by the dozen to his address, or failing that organize a Facebook party at his place, inform the local teenage masses on FB.

Oooo, a plan. I like it.

Alright...I've bit the bullet (again) on this and ordered a set of Crunchy Pats from GFS. So, now I'm down another CAD$56.
For those keeping score at home that's now a total of about CAD$120, for a guitar that originally cost me $150!

Just what I was trying to avoid in the first place. Wish I'd never started.