Inbound H150....what can you please tell me about Schaller pups?

[vbf]

Greetings! I'm excited to have an H 150 headed my way that has Schaller pickups and I honestly know nothing about them. I've got LP's with the following pups:

• Gibson 490R/T
  
• Gibson 57 Classic/Classic + (bridge)
  
• SD Jazz
  
• SD JB
  
• SD Custom 5
  
• SD 59
  
• P90
  
• SD Seth Loverr
  

Do the Schaller's sound similar to any of them or are they unique? How would you describe them in terms of output, warmth, harshness, muddy, etc?

 

Thank you in advance!

[smurph1]

Lovers to my ear have more output..Schallers are a bit more mid rangy I think..Some people don't like em..but I do..They provide a very usable tone in my opinion..YMMV

[vbf]

Thanks, smurph1. If you use your with amp overdrive or pedals, do they muddy up the tone or are they fairly articulate?

[Hfan]

Some like them (I like them on my 157) and some don't. Give them a try. One thing they have going for them, they are already paid for.

[fxdx99]

Not familiar with all he pus you have, vbf. Can say that shallers are 'liked' by nashville guys. They remind me of 'clean humbucker' country like Chet Atkins or Roy Clark... that kind of sound.

 

I like flipping pus around, especially in LP/150s since it's so easy. Have had SD59, seth lover, schallers, bareknuckle stormys, and throbaks. For the money, I find seth's fit my tastes. Throbaks have the nicest sound overall (to my ears), but I do find that it's more about matching the right pickup to the guitar's resonant nature. Play with the schallers for a spell and see how they work for you. I wouldn't say they muddy up the sound when driven - at PSP have heard some 150/schaller guitars with overdrive crunch that sound fantastic.

[MartyGrass]

Your Schallers are the company's PAFs. They are quality pups (I won't use the term "pus") and you may like them.

[vbf]

Thanks, guys!!

[Guest HRB853370]

I have guitars with D59's, HRW's, Seths, 57 Classics, 490R/498T and Schallers. The 150 with the Schallers was my first Heritage. No reason to ever want to replace them pus, er, pups. To me they carry that classic thick LP type tone that made that guitar's design famous in the first place. I think they probably sound most similar to the D 59's but that is just my ears. I don't think you will dislike them, unless you have one of these ears that can hear every nuance (I don't, being a drummer, my top end is shot).

[vbf]

The only deal breakers for me sound-wise with pups are thick/muddy and too shrill. I had some pups, don't know if they were ceramic magnets or what, but boy were they sharp and brittle. Overdriven they sounded like a cat fight and the note decay on the high E and/or B strings around the 10-12 frets was nasty. I like balanced, smooth, warmer sounding pups.

[smurph1]

Thanks, smurph1. If you use your with amp overdrive or pedals, do they muddy up the tone or are they fairly articulate?

 

i liked em with distortion..some don't though.. I could get a nice squeal out of em, if you know what I mean..

[vbf]

 

i liked em with distortion..some don't though.. I could get a nice squeal out of em, if you know what I mean..

 

I'm a big fan of pinch harmonics. Glad you liked em' with some dirt on em'.

[TalismanRich]

I have two Heritages with Schallers and I like them just fine. A lot will have to do with your setup. I actually added a treble bleed circuit to my 157 and 535 to keep the highs with the volume roll off.

 

A while back I did this version of Inner City Blues with my H535 with Schallers, a Heritage Patriot amp and a little TS9 on the lead track. All rhythm tracks were straight into the Patriot.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33133336/ICB.mp3

[vbf]

NIce job, Rich! Nice blues action. I like the tone! Thank you for providing it to listen too.

[bolero]

to my ears they sound a lot like a Gibson 490R/T but slightly muted

 

they probably sound fine with pedals & effects but straight into a little cranked amp I don't think they have the character or bite of a Seth Lover or other unpotted pup

 

but who knows, my ears may be shot from cranking amps

 

I'd try them out for a while, then swap & compare to see...reading ppl's opinions on the net only goes so far & everyone has a different idea of tonal nirvana

 

that clip Rich did sounded great. is that a Marvin Gay tune?

 

I guess it's the music that counts

[bolero]

ah, it is...I wasn't sure, sounded like Curtis Mayfield a bit too

[kbp810]

 

i liked em with distortion..some don't though.. I could get a nice squeal out of em, if you know what I mean..

I'm not much of a clean player, but I can say I do really dig the OD sound I get from the Schallers in my 170; Not quite as much as I dig the OD sound I get from my Tom Short Triple Mini Humbuckers though

 

Great sounding clip Rich!

[tbonesullivan]

See how you like them. I have a set in my H-535 and have never had any complaints about the sound I get. They are well-made PAF-style pickups. Like all pickups I've heard just about every complaint: too high out put, too low output, too bright, too much bass, too hi-fi, not clear enough.

 

let your ears be the judge, as you are the one that has to like it.

[valriver40]

excellent singing and playing!!!

[JeffB]

I have two Heritages with Schallers and I like them just fine. A lot will have to do with your setup. I actually added a treble bleed circuit to my 157 and 535 to keep the highs with the volume roll off.

 

A while back I did this version of Inner City Blues with my H535 with Schallers, a Heritage Patriot amp and a little TS9 on the lead track. All rhythm tracks were straight into the Patriot.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33133336/ICB.mp3

Really like this track Rich. Nice lead and tone. Smooth vocals as well. Good work.