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Author Topic:  Pickup Recommendation Zum U-12
Ollin Landers


From:
Willow Springs, NC
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 4:47 am    
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I just had my 1982 Zum SD-12 restored. It's absolutely beautiful and now it needs a better pickup. Currently the guitar has a George L's 12-1 but the bottom end is a little muddy with little to no string separation on the bottom end.

I have an identical Zum SD-12 that has a Wallace Truetone wound to 18000. I love the sound and I may go that way but I would like to try something else. I'm thinking a Telonics X-12. It comes highly recommended. But I'm a little skeptical about the tone from a humbucker.

Anyone have recommendations other than the two I mentioned?
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.

I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields
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John De Maille


From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 9:31 am    
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My Zum U-12 came with a Lawrence 912 in it. The pickup seemed too dark to me. The lower end wasn't separated enough for me. I called Jerry Wallace and he suggested a True Tone wound at 19,500 ohms. So... I got it and installed it and it made a tremendous difference. And, as in the old saying goes, it has silky highs and clear lows. Oh, it does not or has not buzzed or hummed in any venue that I've used it on. I recommend TT highly.
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Ollin Landers


From:
Willow Springs, NC
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 10:58 am    
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Thanks John. A Truetone is definitely in the running.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.

I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields
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George Kimery

 

From:
Limestone, TN, USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 1:28 pm     Pickup recommendation Zum U-12
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I have a ZUM D-10 with original single coil pickups. I replaced the E-9 pickup with a Telonics after reading all the raves about it. Wrong move. I sold it and went back to the original single coil. I had an Emmons extended E-9 with a single coil. I replaced it with a Wallace Tru-Tone. It had a little better string separation. It was a keeper. When I sold the guitar, I let the original pick go with it. I don't know if the new owner put it back in or left the Wallace in. I put a Bill Lawrence that had a selection knob to select about 5 different sounds in my U-12 Kline. The original single coil sounded better. Based on my experience and ears, I don't want to ever see a humbucker pickup again. And FWIW for those that think single coils have a hum issue, I have no problem. I only had two places that I played that it was a problem. Using my Electro Harmonix De-Bugger made it as quiet as a mouse peeing on a cotton ball.
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Ollin Landers


From:
Willow Springs, NC
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 2:22 pm    
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I had a Truetone in my Carter U-12 and it was noisy. I replaced it with a Lawrence XR-16. The XR-16 sounds great in the Carter. But it's definitely not a single coil sound.

My other Zum sounds unbelievable with the Truetone. The low end is tight and punchy not muddy at all.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.

I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields
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Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 6:59 pm    
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I have a 2001 Zum U12 on a slightly wider than typical S10 body, that came with a Truetone single-coil wound to 17.5K Ohms. Sounded very good for the old-school sound, possibly a bit thin for some things. And like most single-coils, it hummed like hell in some rooms I played. In these places, every single-coil I've ever played hums like hell. And studio engineers frequently grip about the hum with single-coils on a pedal steel. There's no really good way to cut the hum as one can often do with a Strat or Tele by adjusting position.

I tried a few pickups - a George L's 12-1, a Lawrence 712, a Truetone wound a bit hotter, and ultimately settled on a Lawrence 912. Unlike John, I find the pickup not dark at all. But I generally play through an old Fender tube amp with 1 MegOhm input impedance, which might have an impact.

The 12-1 sounded good solo, but in a band it got lost. The 712 was pretty hot on the high-end, I guess just a bit much for me. The hotter Truetone did sound great - 17.5K is my go-to for 10 strings, but was thinner for me on the 12-string - the wider 12-string pickup means less windings at a particular DC resistance. Sweet sound but not for everything, for me at least. But in the end, I had to have at least one guitar that didn't hum like hell in the rooms from hell.

The 912 has a single row of pole pieces - I assume the intent is to replicate more the sensing aperture of a single-coil. Whatever, it works for me on this particular guitar. This guitar with this pickup, with proper adjustment of the tone controls or whatever else is in the chain, can part your hair with treble, but with more moderate adjustments, I really like it. Is it quite as old-school as the single-coil? Probably not. This guitar has a tone control, and sometimes I use it to cut back the treble a bit for certain things. I have a Freeloader for use with a Peavey amp, which has a lower input impedance. But with the Fender amps, I don't need it.

Just my take, based on my actual experience with a Zum U12. There was a recent thread on 9xx pickups - I added a few references to previous threads - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=350267
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Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 7:47 pm    
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Some variances in tone will depend on the amp being used or tube vs solid state. I believe you'd get close to a push pull tone on a Zum with the Telonics X-12. Having one identical guitar with a single coil and one with humbucker would give you options for noisy club circuitry or for studio use. I can't use a single coil at home because there's a power station across the street and high power lines. The X-12 is dead quiet at home, in clubs and studio. I've been getting a lot of compliments from musicians on the tone of the X-12 on my maple body 1975 MSA. You can dial it in with the double row adjustable pole pieces.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
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George Kimery

 

From:
Limestone, TN, USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2019 9:01 pm     Pickup recommendation Zum U-12
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Dave, I can't speak for you concerning the rooms you played in creating a bad hum with single coils. The two places I used to play were really bad. One was caused by dimmer light switches and the other place by fluorescent light bulbs as far as I could determine. The Electro Harmonic De-Bugger took the hum completely away in both venues, not saying it will do the same with all gear and rooms. Just saying there is something that can be done about it, maybe.....or maybe not. I think anybody with single coils should carry one of the De-Buggers in their gig bag just in case.
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Ollin Landers


From:
Willow Springs, NC
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2019 7:13 am    
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Thanks to all for their input.

Dave Mudgett wrote:
The 12-1 sounded good solo, but in a band it got lost.

Dave that's exactly the issue I am experiencing

Dennis Detweiler wrote:
Some variances in tone will depend on the amp being used or tube vs solid state. I believe you'd get close to a push pull tone on a Zum with the Telonics X-12. Having one identical guitar with a single coil and one with humbucker would give you options for noisy club circuitry or for studio use.


I am using a Sarno Freeloader to Hilton pedal to effects pedal to a Nashville/Vegas 400 depending on the gig.

Dennis I've had more compliments regarding the tone from the Zum you sold me than any guitar I've owned. The Truetone wound to 18000 is absolutely perfect for the style of guitar in the honky tonk rockabilly band. It cuts through the mix but yet it's not too shrill or ice picky(?).

The sister to your Zum my black 1982 is essentially identical except the mica. The black Zum is my main gigging guitar because I have tuneable splits on it.

I've contacted Jerry Wallace he is taking a break from production for awhile or I would have ordered another Truetone wound to 18000. I've always been partial to Bill Lawrence pickups in my Tele's and on the Carter but I don't think they would be a good match for the Zum. So it looks like a Telonics X-12 is in the future for the black Zum.

I already have placed a call to Sophie at Telonics for info on ordering.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.

I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields
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Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2019 8:44 am    
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Hi Ollin, When I purchase the Truetone it was wound to 22000. I sent it back and had him remove some windings to 20000. It was still a little muddy on the bottom strings. I sent it back and had him take it down to 18000 and that did the trick. It was a good match. Dave at Telonics definitely has a handle on humbucker pickup construction. I think you'll be more than pleased with the X-12 on the black Zum. I adjusted the pole pieces for volume on each string using a matchbook cover to stroke each string. Then put on the picks and adjusted it a little farther to get a specific balance with pick attack. Then adjusted for tone. In general, the wound strings will require a little brighter (higher)rear pole setting to match the plain strings. Plains requiring a little warmer (higher) front pole setting. Results should get very near to that growly push/pull bell tone. It takes some time and patience to dial it in. You'll end up with two perfect sounding Zum guitars. The mica on the guitar I sold you was called Burley Elm.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
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George Kimery

 

From:
Limestone, TN, USA
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2019 10:32 am     Pickup recommendation Zum U-12
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Dennis, this is my Zum. It is a burl design mica, but I have never known the name. Is this a Burly Elm?
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Ollin Landers


From:
Willow Springs, NC
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2019 11:35 am    
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George

Here is my Zum Burly Elm. Purchased from Dennis

_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.

I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields
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Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2019 1:11 pm    
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Yes, that's burley elm.
I replaced the Sperzel 12-1 ratio tuners with Grover 18-1 prior to selling. Much easier and more accurate to tune. I have Grovers on both of my MSA's, but they are 12-1 ratio. I'm toying with the idea of replacing the tuners on the 1975 with 18-1.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
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