How to control the HRW?

[MartyGrass]

I have learned that the most articulate yet warm sounds from the neck pickup happen when it is lowered to about the edge of the pickup ring.

But I haven't figured out how to get the shrillness out of the bridge pickup. I have two ideas.

1. Change the pot to 250K.

2. Raise the cap. I think currently it is a 0.022.

Anyone with suggestions?


Here's an interesting site.

http://www.diyguitarmods.com/guitar-capacitors.php

[DetroitBlues]

If the example is right, sounds like you're on the right track. Myself, I like the neck tone pot turned down a hair or two to prevent the shrillness...

[bolero]

interesting observation on the neck pickup. A local recording engineer told me the same thing: lower the neck pup to get more clarity & warmth

 

what if you just roll off the tone control a bit on the bridge? I am very guilty of just leaving my tone controls on "10" all the time

[Millennium Maestro]

Earplugs?

[mars_hall]

Don't mess with the pots.

 

Get a handful of small value caps in the range of 220pF to .01 uF. Clip one end of the present tone cap (the lead closest to the ground) and try temporarily tacking one of the small value caps in series to the path you just cut. (i.e one lead touches the tone cap lead you just cut and the other touches where that cap was cut from). Repeat till you find the combination that removes the degree of high frequency content you desire, then permanently solder it into place.

 

This is much easier than changing pots.

[602a]

Mark I have a set of Wolfetones that were the same way. I finally found the caps that work great and smooth out the shrill in them. They are original Bumble Bees from Jonesy Blues. Neck is .01 400, Bridge .022 400 ,they made a world of difference. Even when running volume at 10 they still sound smooth without being muddy. Hope that helps some.

[CJTopes]

I agree with trying caps before changing POTs. I did the 250k pots but didnt like the outcome.

[H]

An alternative viewpoint: has anyone tried a bridge HRW in the neck position? If so, does it sound anything like the neck HRW?

 

If I got two 'yes' answers to these questions, I'd be tempted to put a Seth Lover in the bridge position and use the bridge HRW in the neck of another guitar.

[MartyGrass]

An alternative viewpoint: has anyone tried a bridge HRW in the neck position? If so, does it sound anything like the neck HRW?

 

If I got two 'yes' answers to these questions, I'd be tempted to put a Seth Lover in the bridge position and use the bridge HRW in the neck of another guitar.

 

 

That's a very interesting suggestion.

[GuitArtMan]

What happens when your roll the bridge pickup tone control down just a tad? That's what the tone controls are for.

[Gitfiddler]

Try lowering the bridge VOLUME control down to 8 or 9. It rolls off the treble just enough for my taste.

 

I tend to play a lot in the middle position with both p'ups on, and adjust the volume and tone on the fly. That may be why I don't have any issues with HRWs.

[MartyGrass]

Blending the pickups is not a problem.

 

Rolling off the tone pot seems too muffling. It mutes the ice pick effect but muddies everything else.

 

I have not had this problem with any other pickup.

[Fernando]

Try lowering the bridge VOLUME control down to 8 or 9. It rolls off the treble just enough for my taste.

 

I tend to play a lot in the middle position with both p'ups on, and adjust the volume and tone on the fly. That may be why I don't have any issues with HRWs.

That's what I do. No issues for me, either.

[H]

That's a very interesting suggestion.

If I still had a set of HRWs I'd have been more than happy to provide the answers to the questions. About an hour's work I think.

[bolero]

a great pup combination I had once was a pearly gates bridge matched with a '59 bridge in the NECK position....so it could well be worth trying a bridge in the neck pos!!

[CJTopes]

Unfortunatly my answer for harsh sounding HRWs in my Milli DC was to remove them. Put in a set of Pearly Gates with coil splitting push pulls. I almost sold that guitar before the mods but now you will have to pry it from my cold dead hands!

[Kuz]

I have an HRW in my GE and when I lowered it sounds wonderful... Articulate, well balanced string to string....

 

Mark, and I am completely serious, what pick do you use? I bet for less than $10 I could recommend a few picks that will reduce the shrill without losing articulation or going to mud.

 

What pick do you use? Some picks can make the guitar much brighter.

[MartyGrass]

Regarding picks:

 

At least half the time I play fingerstyle with no nails.

 

I use a spectrum of picks, most often the firmness and edge of a Fender Medium. I do have some softer picks, too.

[Kuz]

Well, we can't very well replace your fingers now, can we?

 

But of all the picks I have tried (trust me, a lot), you might want to try these inexpensive ones. To me, they retain articulation but really roll off the high-end shrill. I personally only use these occasionally because my fingers give a darker tone already.

 

For $6.99 this could be a solution.

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dandrea-pro-plec-standard-351-guitar-picks-one-dozen

 

I also assume you are using flat wound strings with this HRW equipped guitar? If not, that is another option. I prefer Thomastics because they sound less dull and less thump.

 

Lastly, would be the amp. Curious what you are using there.

 

Just trying to help eliminate some easy issues first, because honestly, for the type of style you are going for in a neck pup, I would think a lowered HRW would be almost ideal for you.

[jmac]

Here's a web site that tells you how to change a 500K pot to another value using resistors across the lugs..http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/potm.htm

 

much easier that changing pots.

 

John

[peerless]

Their are so many variables that can cause shrillness with a pickup and many of the variable are secondary to the pickup. Adjusting the pickup height is essential of course. I would not change the value of the pot dramtically, but I would change the brand of pot. Antyhing less than a CTS pot is not going to give you the most out of your pickup. Use high quality pots, and caps and wiring. Actually, most shrillness issues are due to wiring (and the quality of) or how the pickup interacts with the string and the bridge. I would never use a 250k pot in with a pickup that calls for a 500k pot. You are comphensating for a problem by dramatically changing the frequency response but not actually fixing the problem.THough it is smart to use values around 500k such as 375k or 450k. Again your wiring and solder joints must be right, If your using a cable that is not high grade then that very well could be your problem. Players spend millions on pickups and use cheap cables and electronics. The most ovelooked cable that causes shrillness in pickups in the cable connecting the amp head to the cabinet. IT has to be quality too. With sensitive pickups your hardware must be quality. Pot metal simply wont work and will add all sorts of weirdness. Use steel and or aluminum for the tail piece. HEritage hardware is high grade, Your problem was probably in the wiring and could ahve been fixed by neatly redoing everthing with good quality wire, I just use vintage style clot insultated stuff, and by subtling changing pot values or capacitor types. Not so much the value of the cacitor. Use what is intended. But do experiemnt with values +/- 20% or so of the intended value. The type of cap is going to make a lot of difference especially when rolling back on the volume. It would have been of interest to hear the pickup with the tone and volume pot out of the circuit. That would have told you a lot. People laugh at this, but I bet there was a very good chance you could have fixed the problem by changing cables.

 

The HRW is a sensitive pickup with a wide frequncy repsonse and a lot of output. IT will reveal warts in the system. But, and I have done all the above for clients and wound up still not being able to use HRWs in some guitars, There is no specific model or make, just something inherent about the guitar. Probably its resonant properties. Even after you do all I have described above you still might have the shrillness. Usually changing the electronics and doing the wiring right with sound componets will work. Also the less you have going on the better. Stuff like blender mods and extra wiring to enhance the sound cause havic with high quality pickups that don't need stuff like that in the first place. I had one client with a Heritage 150 (I think) with 3 HRWs. It sounded allfull. He wound up using Bare Knuckles and was quite happy.

 

THe guy who suggested bumble bees was on target. Anyhigh quality paper and oil cap will remove shrillness and give you excellant rollback properties.Did you ever play around with the wiring? I'm sorry for not reading your follow up responses more closely. Chances are, simply the changes in wiring while installing the new pickup fixed your problem. Then again, HRWs are not for everybody or every guitar.

 

IF you say rolling back is too muffling that is a good sigh that your caps or maybe pots need changing! HRWs sound a lot more PAFish when rolled back. THe more I type the more I want to change your electronics.

[peerless]

THe guy who suggested bumble bees was on target. Any high quality paper and oil cap will remove shrillness and give you excellant rollback properties.Did you ever play around with the wiring? I'm sorry for not reading your follow up responses more closely. Then again, HRWs are not for everybody or every guitar. They are great pickups however. Very versitile.

 

IF you say rolling back is too muffling that is a good sigh that your caps or maybe pots need changing! HRWs sound a lot more PAFish when rolled back. THe more I type the more I want to change your electronics. HRWs sound good in lots of different guitars and accoss styles. THis is the hallmark of a high qulaity pickup.

[Steiner]

What strings are you using?

[Blunote]

^Steiner...you've played my HRW loaded Millie.

 

Answer honestly (you won't hurt my feelings): Did the bridge pup sound shrill to you?

[Steiner]

No, that was a fine, fine guitar!