Franklin/ Chrome 705's : Too Bright And Brittle

[Bob Snelgrove]

D-10, E9th, especially string 3, new d'addario PF gauge. Amp doesn't matter, LTD, Sesh 400, N 112, S Steel. Love the guitar but it 's so bright. Any ideas? 710's? Lower PU?

thx

bob

[mtulbert]

Bob.

710's IMHO are much brighter than the 705 pickup. Replaced 705 with a Teleonics X10 pickup in my Justice and it sounds great. You can adjust the timbre of each string separtly and really fine tune each string.

Hope this helps

Mark T.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Stating the obvious here, but are you certain these are 705s?
Never had any issue being too bright with the several of these that I've had.

The Chrome BLs came in a brighter 605 model too at around 16K ohms. They all looked the same.

[Bob Snelgrove]

Pretty sure, I'll check but thought they were around 19K?

bob

[Bob Snelgrove]

What should the string distance be from the P/U's?

bob

[Jerry Overstreet]

Yes, around 19.5K ohms for the 705s. If they are original to the guitar, those are what Mr. Franklin used.

There's always the possibility that something has gone wrong with it. It happens.

I had the specs on height, but I've forgotten what they are. I'm sure someone else here can help you there.

David Higginbotham is a recent user of these, so he can probably be of help on that.

[Fred Treece]

5/32 on treble side, 7/32 on bass side. Adjust from those starting points.

It could that the 705 is just not your cuppa joe.

[Erv Niehaus]

I was always told that the distance should be the thickness of 2 quarters.

[Bob Snelgrove]

I have a pair of the "new" 705's, the blade but not chrome. Do they have the same sound signature?

bob

[David Higginbotham]

Bob,
You’ve already received great answers for your concerns and I wish I had something of substance to offer. I’ve always used two quarter loosely for spacing on original 705’s. As for a comparison between the Re-issue models and originals…I’ve found the Re-issues to be smoother across the spectrum, not as touchy as they don’t accentuate the flaws in my picking and they have a better low end response than the originals. Your mileage may vary! I’ve switched back and forth over the years and I’ve been using originals for the last couple of months. However, I’m soon switching back to the Re-issues permanently as I’ve given myself ample time to make a lengthy comparison. (Third time on the same steel) I’ve used them far longer than any other pickup. But you know we’re a fickle bunch always searching for that perfect tone!

Of the many pickups I’ve used over the years…I’m convinced the Re-issue 705 is the best choice for me. And that’s not knocking any other pickup. The problem lies far more with my shortcomings of playing and the way I pick.

705’s can go bad. But it’s been rare that I’ve seen that because of the way they’re made. A grounding issue or toggle switch can also cause problems. I had a challenge recently as well and traced it down to the neck selector toggle switch. So anything is possible and you’ll only know the answer by the process of elimination. Most of which you’ve already done. I hope you’re able to resolve the issue with minimum effort as you have an absolute collectors item.

Dave

[Bob Snelgrove]

Bob,
You’ve already received great answers for your concerns and I wish I had something of substance to offer. I’ve always used two quarter loosely for spacing on original 705’s. As for a comparison between the Re-issue models and originals…I’ve found the Re-issues to be smoother across the spectrum, not as touchy as they don’t accentuate the flaws in my picking and they have a better low end response than the originals. Your mileage may vary! I’ve switched back and forth over the years and I’ve been using originals for the last couple of months. However, I’m soon switching back to the Re-issues permanently as I’ve given myself ample time to make a lengthy comparison. (Third time on the same steel) I’ve used them far longer than any other pickup. But you know we’re a fickle bunch always searching for that perfect tone!

Of the many pickups I’ve used over the years…I’m convinced the Re-issue 705 is the best choice for me. And that’s not knocking any other pickup. The problem lies far more with my shortcomings of playing and the way I pick.

705’s can go bad. But it’s been rare that I’ve seen that because of the way they’re made. A grounding issue or toggle switch can also cause problems. I had a challenge recently as well and traced it down to the neck selector toggle switch. So anything is possible and you’ll only know the answer by the process of elimination. Most of which you’ve already done. I hope you’re able to resolve the issue with minimum effort as you have an absolute collectors item.

Dave

Thanks, Dave!

Just to be sure, My newer ( non chrome) 705's have like 5 wires coming out instead of 2? The holes in the base match up but the base corners are rounded? I'll post a pic later bu just checking

BTW, Did you ever try 710's for comparison?

thx

bob

[David Higginbotham]

Bob,
Those 5 wires are for adding a toggle to use one or both blades. If you’re not planning that route just put the white and green wire together. The red is positive and the black & braided need to be together for ground. You’ll end up with only two wires from five to run to your input.

Sometimes, the base plate on the Re-issue is a bit wide and can be filed down to fit. This is the case with every pickup on GFI’s as they’re a bit narrow from standard width of most wide mount steels. Rounder vs squared should cause you no issues.

As mentioned earlier…the 710 is a bright pickup and I don’t care for them. I’ve a a couple of steels with them and changed them out for something with more low end response. Some players swear by them so it’s just an individual preference. But there seems to be a general consensus that they’re a bit to the bright side.

[Bob Snelgrove]

Thanks, David

It looks like I could use the chrome base on the reissue if needed.

bob

[Jerry Overstreet]

I read where someone else said that the bottom plate is not removable from the re-issue 705s. The person ruined a pickup trying to take it off, so caution is in order.