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Post new topic Are low output pickups what I really want?
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Author Topic:  Are low output pickups what I really want?
Ian Sutton


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2017 9:25 am    
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I've been down the rabbit hole of threads on pickup output, and SS versus tube rigs, and am working to reach a conclusion: Are low output pickups the sound i'm looking for?

Currently, both of my rigs have BL710's in them, and consistent with many of the pickup threads, they sound pretty good with my SS amps.

However, I'm noticing:

1. It really easily tends to blow up the inputs on my tube amps (DR, and TR respectively) producing a more shrill sound than I can't seem to EQ out without taking it too far the other way.

2. Even with my Freeloader (which I love), the guitar seems to be blowing up the front end of some of my stomp boxes (Fulltone Octafuzz, Phase 90, etc.).

So, that said. Am I really looking for something wound closer to the Fender 400 specs? I had some TrueTones in another guitar, but was unable to sufficiently shield them to be quiet enough for use at home (lots o' RFI in the air near me). Does anyone make a 10-string humbucker wound to lower specs like the old Fenders, or even the Wallace TrueTones?
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Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2017 9:43 am    
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I have a passive box made by Bill Lawrence, the IQ-1200 (I think--need to check the name) that dials back the impedance or the inductance or something. I had the 'pleasure' of having him explain it to me for 45 minutes on the phone. He called it a 'time machine' because you could dial back a humbucker to sound like an old style, more lightly wound pickup. It works pretty well. It reduces that midrange bulge and gives you a much 'airier' output. It dramatically reduces the overall output too so that you need to raise the gain on the amp but this does result in much less impact at the amp input.

I doubt you could find one of these but this was a long way of saying that I suspect that you are right, that a pickup wound lighter, to older-style specs could result in a tone less bulging with troublesome frequencies that some amps don't handle well.
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Brett Lanier

 

From:
Madison, TN
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2017 9:44 am    
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What kind of sounds do you lean towards? I love the Stratospheric clone pickups Todd Clinesmith made for me. They are are wound to 13.5k. Not shrill at all on the high end. Good output too.
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Ian Sutton


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2017 9:53 am    
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Thanks Jon, very interesting approach in that it appears it is not a buffer or matching device.

Brett, if I had to put a label on my style, it leans more towards say Lloyd Green and Sneaky Pete than Paul Franklin.

The TrueTones always sounded great, but the hum was too much to make rehearsing at home as enjoyable.
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Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2017 10:18 am    
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It's an interesting unit. One pot. Inside is a wound coil without poled pieces. I guess the pot dials in a parallel signal through the windings, changing the load. There's also a cap and a resistor, I think. Haven't looked inside in a long time. There's been forum discussion, a pretty long time ago. But the bottom line is that modern humbuckers do generate a hot and midrange-laden signal.
You used to be able to get lower wound 710's . I find it impossible to find a straight answer about how it is to do business with the current company (Wilde) and I don't know if custom orders are an option.
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Darrell Birtcher

 

Post  Posted 9 Apr 2017 12:28 pm    
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Jon, it sounds like your Bill Lawrence box has his old Tone-L or maybe Tone-Q filter inside it. Both were very effective passive devices. Good solid, simple tools that filled a niche.

Bill was one of a kind, and I enjoyed my one visit with him. I do believe he tried to share all of his ideas and theories with me in the hour we spent together! Interesting guy, and his heart was totally in the right place!

Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2017 1:10 pm    
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He certainly was all of that, Darrell. You never wanted to say "uh..listen, I gotta go" because you knew his heart was right and he got off on sharing the knowledge, even if it was Esperanto to me and I was looking for the exit (on the telephone, in my case).

I never knew much about those other filters but I suspected that they were related to the IQ-1200 in concept.


The angle bracket was added by me.


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Darrell Birtcher

 

Post  Posted 9 Apr 2017 1:18 pm    
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Yep. Quite a guy.

BTW...if you ever sell that little box, please put my name at the top of the buyer list!

Darrell Birtcher

Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2017 1:24 pm    
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You go to the top of the list but don't hold your breath. I go for spells not using it which makes it extra cool each time I rediscover it.
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Darrell Birtcher

 

Post  Posted 9 Apr 2017 2:02 pm    
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No hurry Jon. When you decide it needs a new home I'll be here.

Darrell Birtcher

 

Post  Posted 9 Apr 2017 2:07 pm    
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Sorry I hijacked your thread Ian.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!


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