Replacement pickups for my Vista Jagmaster?

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:42 pm

I feel like a change in pickups is due for my Vista Jag? I know absolutely jackshit about pickups really, so what you folks recommend?

The sound I'm going for, if I were to pick really, would be Lennon's late Beatles/Early Solo stuff (think Revolution or, particularly I Found Out/Well Well Well).

Do I need them F-Spaced, or just regular? Should I stick with 2 Humbuckers, or maybe get an h/b sized p90? Should I go for teh traditional Kurtz route of Dimarzio PAF Pro and SuperDistortion? Can't even decide which colours I want! The guitar is completely stock (White w/Tortoise).

Cheers.

broncobuster80 · Post by **broncobuster80** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:46 pm

pearly gates in neck position! (tapable) for the bridge position put just whatever

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:46 pm

It sounds like you'd like humbucker sized P90s, but I don't know much about single coils as I mainly use humbuckers. My favourite HB is the Dimarzio PAF Pro though, I've got it in the bridge position of my JJ Electra and it sounds awesome.

Sorry if that wasn't much of a help.

James · Post by **James** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:54 pm

You have an enormous amount of options here. Pretty much every manufacturer of pickups makes humbuckers and although the old school PAF is by far the standard there are so many options it's very difficult to give a worthwhile suggestion.

Do you usually play with the neck or bridge pickup? How often do you use both together? If it's fairly often then you'll want a pair of pickups that work well together, if it's never you could go for some that aren't match but can do very different sounds. To look at that a different way - what sounds do you want from the bridge pickup and what do you want from the neck? Do you want teh kurtz from the bridge and late Beatles from the neck?

A couple of youtube videos that show the sound you want quite clearly would help.

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:47 pm

I meant to put a couple of Youtube videos up just didn't have the time. Sorry, here yous go:

[youtube][/youtube] (THIS particularly)

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Dunno if the VU sounds is largely due to the low quality, but I've always thought it sounded like a damn cool clean tone.

I do quite like the idea of perhaps having one kinda sound in the neck, and another in the bridge. I do usually use them together, but it would make sense to make the guitar as versatile as possible and have 2 very different pickups, then just use the 2 seperately. Primarily, I'm looking for that Lennon-y tone above, but which would you recommend for that VU-y clean?

I don't wanna go spending stupid amounts of cash, so the more affordable the better. I play through a Tiny Terror, for what it matters. At the moment I'm kinda thinking a PAF Pro in the Bridge, and a h/b sized p90 in the neck? Or perhaps just a h/b sized p90 in the bridge, then chance the neck p/u down the line if I really feel like it? Don't really know.

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:56 pm

Also, just to check for certain, do I need to get the F-Spaced variations of the pickups, or just the regular versions?

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:13 pm

I don't want to sound like a knob but if you really want to sound like Lennon why not sell the Jagmaster and get an Epiphone Casino? I don't think changing your pickups will make your solid body sound like a hollow body guitar.

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:19 pm

johnnyseven wrote:I don't want to sound like a knob but if you really want to sound like Lennon why not sell the Jagmaster and get an Epiphone Casino? I don't think changing your pickups will make your solid body sound like a hollow body guitar.

That would make a lot of sense, but I do love how my Jagmaster looks/plays , and I'm not a big fan of hollowbodys (either looks or how they play). I just fancy a change in tone.

James · Post by **James** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:42 pm

Do the pole pieces and strings line up on the bridge pickup now? If they do measure from the low E to the high E pole pieces. It's something like 53mm for F spaced and 49 for standard/gibson but it's an easier number to find out online. If you're unsure try measuring across the strings at that point.

It doesn't matter for the neck pickup.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:36 am

if you don't want your vista tone pickups please send them to me. i love them

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:26 pm

A pair of hotter single coils like SD Phat Cats would be my first choice for your description. Think less honky P90s with a seatbelt that sound great for cleaner warm tones when rolling knobs off a tad.

Of course, I imagine another direction I imagine would work well is for you to do an econo take on Anders Parker's Tele arrangement, but maybe with a more vintage-voiced PAF(7-8k ohms) in the neck:

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:00 pm

For what it's worth, I've basically decided, for all intents and purposes, to say 'to fuck with all the helpful advice in this thread'. I'm gonna go with a tried and tested Dimarzio PAF Pro in the neck (just got one off the 'bay), and a Super Distortion in the bridge (looking for one in the Classifieds). Cheers for all the ideas. Brought me round to the sense that, between this Jagmaster and my Strat, I should get as diverse a set of tones as possible. If I want teh p90 halfway house, I'll get a p90 equipped guitar.

robroe wrote:if you don't want your vista tone pickups please send them to me. i love them

My pal has wanted them for a Squier cyclone project for a while, so he'll be a getting them unfortunately. All Apologies.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:58 pm

Yonks ago I had a Jagmaster and I put a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and I loved the distorted sound, clean wasn't so good though. Just thought i'd mention it as you're now looking to go down the humbucker route.

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:02 pm

My Strat sounds pretty damn fantastic clean, so I'm not too fussed about that in all reality. I've got a TT, which is far from renowned for cleans anyway.

Cheers for the inputs though.

Justyn · Post by **Justyn** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:15 pm

Do an p-rails

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:11 pm

Justyn wrote:Do an p-rails

Too late now, but it could be tempting down the line. Bit pricey, but a decent deal will turn up eventually.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:24 pm

Have you considered EMG's?

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:26 pm

Fran wrote:Have you considered EMG's?

This really should be either your sig or your title.

Boab · Post by **Boab** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:49 pm

Fran wrote:Have you considered EMG's?

Nopez. Not needing no metally tones. Or active pickups, or that kinda fancy ilk (I'm sure they'll do regular pickups too obviously).

Just going for a tried and tested Super D and PAF Pro combo.