Opinions.....please

[reif]

hello all,

i am the very happy new owner of a 2000 heritage millemium sae.

i have contacted heritage about the guitar and have been informed that it has shaller pick ups.

so, i've been thinking about changing out the pick ups.(although the shallers don't sound horrible)

can i buy HRWs from heritage?

given the piezo in the bridge, is the swap out complicated?

HRWs vs seth lovers?

all info and opinions would be appreciated.

thanks much,

david

[chico]

Hi David, welcome to the affliction

 

I don't think HRW's are sold separately, there's been that q posted here before. However, just by being here you can rest assured that SOMEONE will put you on to HRW's they've replaced. I've seen those postings too.

 

And, hurry up and post photos~

[tulk1]

Hi Reif. Welcome to the HoC. As a former SAE owner, maybe I can help. If you're swapping the magnetic pickups only, then it's the same as swapping out any other pickup. It will not effect the piezo bridge. Just keep in mind that one of your vol controls is for the piezo. Which means you have for the magnetics either 2 vol, 1 tone - or 1 vol, 2 tone (I'm suspecting 2 vols). You'll probably want to use some sorta of preamp for the piezo - such as a DI box. I used an LR Baggs ParaDi. Works wonderfully. And you can split the signal out of the guitar with a stereo cord. I take it you won the one that was on ebay recently? It was a gorgeous guitar.

 

HRWs are probably NOT available directly from Heritage. But they do come up for sale now and again in our Sale section.

 

Seths vs HRWs - two totally different pickups. The HRWs are custom modified Schallers. Ren Wall himself created and used to do the mods. We believe Schaller now does that for him. Still proprietary. Seths are generally a lower output, more vintage sounding pickup. Lots of owners here love them in the semi's. They'd be my choice if you feel you just need to swap out the stock pickups.

 

And yeah, what Chico says --- pics, baby, pics!

[reif]

thanks chico and tulk1,

did not buy the one on ebay.

i did buy it from steve morsh who bought it from kenny empson, who i believe was the original owner.

trying to figure out how to post pics...help an old guy out

david

[tulk1]

thanks chico and tulk1,

did not buy the one on ebay.

i did buy it from steve morsh who bought it from kenny empson, who i believe was the original owner.

trying to figure out how to post pics...help an old guy out

david

That's ME!! And I know that guitar very well. I absolutely LOVED that one. It's one of maybe two guitars I wish I'd never sold. Happy to see it's got a new owner that can appreciate it for what it is. According to Marv Lamb, it's not exactly "rare", but they didn't do a lot of the SAE's with arched top and back. Nor that pretty! Steve offered it back (right of first refusal), but I couldn't swing it. You got a dandy guitar.

[tulk1]

[mark555]

why swap if you like the sound? By the way, welcome to the cult, stick around and join in.

[mark555]

Oh yes, forgot to say - very nice guitar!

[reif]

thanks all!

especialy kenny for selling it to steve so he could sell it to me.

[DetroitBlues]

Hmm, Piezo in the bridge.... Interesting....

[tbonesullivan]

Do you not like the sound you are getting now? If you like it, don't mess with it. Pickup swapping rapidly becomes an expensive habit that often leaves you frustrated. I have seth lovers in my millennium and I LOVE them.

 

Also, as far as I know, the HRW pickups are no longer being made. They may come back in the future, but supply issues with schaller (again) have caused them to no longer be used.

[tulk1]

Hmm, Piezo in the bridge.... Interesting....

Very typical placement for getting psuedo acoustic tones. This particular bridge has a single piezo for each saddle. Which would allow for it to be wired for midi, if wanted.

[MartyGrass]

I like Seths in Millies. But I have Schallers in a couple of guitars and have no interest in removing them.

 

I wouldn't worry about changing pups. Leave that for when you've mastered all of the other tone variables, especially your technique.

 

(I'm really telling myself this because I'm the worst offender.)

[Hfan]

I like Seths in Millies. But I have Schallers in a couple of guitars and have no interest in removing them.

 

I wouldn't worry about changing pups. Leave that for when you've mastered all of the other tone variables, especially your technique.

 

(I'm really telling myself this because I'm the worst offender.)

 

I'm waiting for the unveiling of the fat fingered error cancelling models.

[H555rocks]

Congrats on that great millie! I've always loved the body style and sound of those guitars.

[yoslate]

 

I've heard and played this one! Don't swap nuttin'! It's a killer! At PSP II (right, Kenny?), I was drawn from way outside the barn, when I heard exquisite tone. Went in; there was Kenny spankin' this one through, I think, Jon Gundry's 18w Bluesbreaker clone. Fabulous!

[Blunote]

I've got a Millennium Ultra Std. with HRWs and an H150 with Seths. The HRWs just sounded so creamy when I first heard them through a Fender Twin Reverb that I bought the guitar (my first Heritage)

 

I have Seths in an H150 and had Schallers in the H150P. Liked 'em both. Felt like each of the three guitars had a different sound -all good.

 

I've not changed the Schallers out for Burstbucker Pros in the H-150P. Seems like a fatter sound than the the other pups I've had. However, if I had to settle for just one guitar, I'd flip a coin between the Millie with HRWs and the H150 with Seths. To my ear, both are an improvement over the Schallers.

[tulk1]

 

I've heard and played this one! Don't swap nuttin'! It's a killer! At PSP II (right, Kenny?), I was drawn from way outside the barn, when I heard exquisite tone. Went in; there was Kenny spankin' this one through, I think, Jon Gundry's 18w Bluesbreaker clone. Fabulous!

PSPI. And yep, Jon's 18w clone. What a monster amp. You can hear this guitar being played behind all of the interviews on Randy's PSPI DVD. Man ... when it was out of site it was out of mind. But now that it's resurfaced ..........

[H]

I'm waiting for the unveiling of the fat fingered error cancelling models.

It's called Guitar Hero, Pete I think you need an interface called an XBox to play it through...

[DetroitBlues]

Very typical placement for getting psuedo acoustic tones. This particular bridge has a single piezo for each saddle. Which would allow for it to be wired for midi, if wanted.

 

I know what it is. Its the thought of adding them to my guitar that makes me start thinking about.

[rjsanders]

i talked to Ren Wall about this a couple years ago (over the phone) & he said he'd swap out p'ups for HRWs if i shipped my guit to him...

[DetroitBlues]

i talked to Ren Wall about this a couple years ago (over the phone) & he said he'd swap out p'ups for HRWs if i shipped my guit to him...

 

But that was a couple years ago. Who knows what the answer will be. Most of us might agree that the HRW's are not an option any more.

[rjsanders]

 

But that was a couple years ago. Who knows what the answer will be. Most of us might agree that the HRW's are not an option any more.

 

 

true 'nuff. so, a brand new phone is in order and reportable

[tulk1]

 

I know what it is. Its the thought of adding them to my guitar that makes me start thinking about.

Ever since I let that one go I've been thinking about this -- Lashbrook Naturacoustic. But it's the whole bridge piece. Still, thinking about it.

 

[smurph1]

Hi David, welcome to the affliction

 

I don't think HRW's are sold separately, there's been that q posted here before. However, just by being here you can rest assured that SOMEONE will put you on to HRW's they've replaced. I've seen those postings too.

 

And, hurry up and post photos~

Hi David..Yes it is an affliction, but a good one..I had an H-140 with Schallers that absolutely kicked butt, but now I have a 535 with Seths that is the finest sounding istrument I've ever owned..But, I'm really a humbucker whore..I've never really heard or played a Heritage with HRWs in it, but they are very well liked by many here on the board..Oh, and Welcome!!