alternate pick ups for mustang

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:10 pm

After having the 69RI a few weeks now I'm thinking that I want to switch the bridge out for something that doesn't sound as weak. Was considering either a single coil humbucker, lace sensor or hot rails. Problem is I can't find any demos. I did a bit of searching as well but I wondered what people would recommend and if they had any relevant videos/sound samples I could hear.

James · Post by **James** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:15 pm

This one really is about as wide open as it gets. You have the whole range of single coils and single coil sized humbuckers.

Any specifics about the sort of sounds you like? Are you bothered about trying to keep the pickups looking stock?

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:19 pm

If you like aspects of the single coil but feel it's too weak then for go for the Cool Rails... it's a nice bump up.

A lot nicer than the JB Jr I had in before, which sounds muddy & mid heavy in comparison.

I also tried the Quarter Pounders Singles. I think it's a love hate thing with them, I tire quite quickly for the sounds I get from them. They seem to lack some character.

Go to the Seymour Duncan website... their Sound Clips are actually quite honest.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:28 pm

James wrote:This one really is about as wide open as it gets. You have the whole range of single coils and single coil sized humbuckers.

Any specifics about the sort of sounds you like? Are you bothered about trying to keep the pickups looking stock?

hi james, I know its a blanket shot but I was just seeing what people had experience and if they had any sound clips so I could make judgements. Not to bothered about making them look stock at the moment as I would probably keep the old one and switch it back if I sold it. Sounds wise, well I'm all over the shop really but I rarely play cleans on it at the moment and when I do I tend to use neck pick ups. I don't play metal but will try and play most things really.

othomas, I'll take a look

James · Post by **James** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:36 pm

In that case you're unlikely to go wrong with a good humbucker.

The noiseless and lace sensor ones seem to suit some people really well but others don't get on with them at all. You might want to consider the red lace sensor, I think that one is humbucker like, but otherwise I'd say you should probably stick to something a bit safer.

If you check the sound samples owen mentioned make sure to check the classics duncans like the JB and 59. Listening to those should steer you in the right sort of direction even if you don't go for a Duncan.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:47 pm

James wrote:In that case you're unlikely to go wrong with a good humbucker.

The noiseless and lace sensor ones seem to suit some people really well but others don't get on with them at all. You might want to consider the red lace sensor, I think that one is humbucker like, but otherwise I'd say you should probably stick to something a bit safer.

If you check the sound samples owen mentioned make sure to check the classics duncans like the JB and 59. Listening to those should steer you in the right sort of direction even if you don't go for a Duncan.

thanks James, when you say safer do you mean normal single coils or the single coil sized humbuckers you mention?

James · Post by **James** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:50 pm

I mean if I were you I'd probably avoid the noiseless and lace sensor options because they can be a bit love 'em or hate 'em and you might find yourself wanting to sell them a month after installing them.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:51 pm

James wrote:I mean if I were you I'd probably avoid the noiseless and lace sensor options because they can be a bit love 'em or hate 'em and you might find yourself wanting to sell them a month after installing them.

cool I understand now and thanks

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:55 pm

Do an Bill Lawrence - meant to be ace, and GFS-style prices.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:07 pm

Thanks Tim it sounds nice but the shipping is over 50% of the cost of the pickup, with tax, etc i'm sure it would put the cost up to near Â£90

also anyone got any samples or videos of mustangs with any of these pickups in? After listening to the seymour duncan ones I can only hear the strat sound which I don't like or that terrible distortion they are using on the dirt samples.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:12 pm

do a search for brostang demo'd and you'll find my demo of a dragonfire hotrail in the bridge. i think i did clean and dirtay.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:22 pm

As usual, I'm goin gto recommend something from Bareknuckle. Trilogy Suite springs to mind. I have them in my Strat and would imagine they sound great in a Mustang too. Steer clear of JB Jrs, had them in a Mustang and they were pretty muddy and disappointing.

sp3k · Post by **sp3k** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:28 pm

I didn't remember how awesome this demo was!

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:11 pm

hotrod, sp3k, thanks for those I will take a look. Thom, I was considering the bareknuckles given the costs of a single coil, I spoke to Tim there and he recommended irish tours. I will take a look at the Trilogy's as well

Earth · Post by **Earth** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:45 pm

I put a DiMarzio DP218 (single sized super distortion HB) in the bridge and a Jaguar antiquity in the neck of my 0l' 66 mustang cause teh stock vintage pups were weak as piss...under 5K (like 4.6k or some shit) and sounded like shit, thin and stuff.
Loved it ever since I done this...about 5 years ago.

All I can really tell you is it (DP218) sounds great and I even like it better than the full sized version. They sound similar but not 100% identical obviously.

Check them out maybe...

sp3k · Post by **sp3k** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:15 pm

I was checking the Bareknuckles, and it's really hard for me to figure out what i like. All the sound clips are from forum members, and they all play blues rock solos with different drives and gear... Some simple clean chords would be much more helpful....

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:32 pm

sp3k wrote:I was checking the Bareknuckles, and it's really hard for me to figure out what i like. All the sound clips are from forum members, and they all play blues rock solos with different drives and gear... Some simple clean chords would be much more helpful....

i know what you mean and most of them are over records and you wonder who is the Dave Gilmour and who is the guy playing! That was one good thing about the Seymour Duncan site at least it was all the same guitar/amp/riff/player even if the dirty sound sounded like shit

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:42 pm

James wrote:I mean if I were you I'd probably avoid the noiseless and lace sensor options because they can be a bit love 'em or hate 'em and you might find yourself wanting to sell them a month after installing them.

My thoughts exactly. I can't stand the fender SCN neck pickup, or the gold lace sensors. Try out some dimarzios....area 67 perhaps? noiseless and paul gilbert loves em'

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:53 pm

holy shit, look how fat i am in that video

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:23 am

I'm currently trying out a 1/4 pound for the bridge p'up in my mustang. I have wanted to try one for a while now because on paper it seems like it would be the perfect mustang bridge pickup. mustang bridge pickup always sound thin and the magnet/output is so weak there you need to raise the shiz all the way up to the strangs. this thing is perfect because it's warmer than a normal fender pickup and it's got those bigass magnets. no need to raise it all the way up.

so anyway, I've tried it now. it is good but a bit warm. like it is warmer than the neck p'up naow. I think it needs a 500k pot, not 250k. problem is, the neck pickup already sounds super spanky and bright with the stock 250k pot, 500k might bring it in to ice pick territory. but I have a plan: in addition to using a 500k vol pot, I shall install a 500k resistor going to ground from the neck pickup. this will in effect be two 500k resistors in parallel to ground so, equaling 250k to ground (so as far the neck p'up is concerned, I'm using a 250k vol pot. the bridge p'up gets the full 500k tho). I can just install it on the neck pickup switch itself so the 500k resistor only engages when the pickup is switched on.

also, the both pickups switch positions sound totally different now. the both on in-phase sounds sort of like the both on out-of-phase did before except with no buzz and the both on out-of-phase is this kind of woolly yet honky sound that is really cool with fuzz.