Don't NOBODY be Dissin' Schaller Pickups in a Heritage Solidbody!

[schundog]

My first Heritage was my trans-cherry H-535, with Schallers. While I was uber impressed with the playability, beauty, fit and finish of the 535, I figured out pretty quickly that the Schaller's could probably be improved upon. I replaced them over time with SD Antiquities, and am very happy with the results, but I have to admit the initial experience with the Schallers soured me on them a bit, along with the common misperception that they are inferior, for some reason. The 1988 H-170 I bought from Brent had Schallers in it, and I figured I would have to swap them out with something, but Brent said they sounded pretty damned good in the solidbody. I was skeptical, but gave them a try. For some reason, they work MUCH better in a solidbody than in a semi, at least to my ears. I plugged the 170 in tonight into my Mustang III set to a cranked up Bassman, and Holy %#@&! It sounded great, fantastic tone, sustain, and note-to-note definition. I know it's not all the pickups, but as I was sitting there with a big shit-eating grin on my face as I played, I couldn't imagine the sound being THAT much better with any pickup change I could think of. YMMV.

[Kuz]

They are popular pups at the Jazz Guitar forum in Archtops because of their warm, darker tone.

[DetroitBlues]

Not bad for imported pickups, huh?

[schundog]

Imported from Germany, Herr Josh. So says Herr Schuneman......

[Millennium Maestro]

That VIP 535 I own is amazing with schallers EH!

[schundog]

That VIP 535 I own is amazing with schallers EH!

 

GGRRR!!! :laughing9: I let Patrick talk me out of picking that one up, and let you know about it; DIBS!! haha

[DetroitBlues]

Herr Schuneman, spreken de deutsch?

[Gitfiddler]

When I took delivery of my 575 Quilt Top, from Jay Wolfe, I called about the p'ups. He said they were Schallers and that he liked them in that guitar. Jay tried to convince me to leave well enough alone. To my ear they sounded pretty good too. But after reading so much about HRW's from respected artists like Henry Johnson and others, I decided to drop a set into QT. The HRW's also sounded pretty darned good. Not a huge tonal difference, but nice and clear. I still have that set of Schallers in a box...just in case my taste changes.

 

Ain't nothin' wrong with a well made, nicely wound humbucker...even if it is a Schaller. I've never tried them in a solid body.

 

Don't get psyched out just because some folks have different taste. In my case, Jay was right.

 

I agree with you, the Schallers sound very good...even in Hollowbodies.

[High Flying Bird]

I let Patrick talk me out of picking that one up....

 

I would hate to hear what he talked you into......

[brentrocks]

Just last night i was playing my '85 H 170 with the stock Schallers and that guitar sounds amazing....i have always liked shallers.

[eljay]

i like the schallers in my 157!

[TalismanRich]

I've got Schallers in the 535 and 157. I like them in both. I certainly wouldn't describe them as dark. The ones in my 140, which is an '87 were VERY dark, almost lifeless sounding to me. I switched to SD Alnico Pro IIs and it livened that guitar up a bunch.

 

The 140 had uncovered pickups, the 535 and 157 are covered. Maybe that's the difference. I thought the covers were supposed to cut the top end. Maybe they are different in construction... after all, it was over 16 and 18 years difference since the 140's pickups were made.

[SouthpawGuy]

I have Schallers in my '03 157 and they sound great, they can be full or cutting. They're not dark at all to my ears, although I don't like thin sounding humbuckers, I prefer a fuller tone.

 

I can see, or rather hear, the lineage with Heritages own HRWs which are of course based on Schallers.

[HANGAR18]

This brings to the surface a dark little concern I've had wandering around in my mind for a while now. In my never ending and impossible quest to find "the best pickups", I have begun to become concerned that maybe certain pickups which are very popular, may only sound good in a hollow body but not necessarily a solid body. I'm beginning to think that I should start dividing up my mental list of pickups which people say are very good into two categories... good for hollow bodies and good for solid bodies.

[y2kc]

My first Heritage was my trans-cherry H-535, with Schallers. While I was uber impressed with the playability, beauty, fit and finish of the 535, I figured out pretty quickly that the Schaller's could probably be improved upon. I replaced them over time with SD Antiquities, and am very happy with the results, but I have to admit the initial experience with the Schallers soured me on them a bit, along with the common misperception that they are inferior, for some reason. The 1988 H-170 I bought from Brent had Schallers in it, and I figured I would have to swap them out with something, but Brent said they sounded pretty damned good in the solidbody. I was skeptical, but gave them a try. For some reason, they work MUCH better in a solidbody than in a semi, at least to my ears. I plugged the 170 in tonight into my Mustang III set to a cranked up Bassman, and Holy %#@&! It sounded great, fantastic tone, sustain, and note-to-note definition. I know it's not all the pickups, but as I was sitting there with a big shit-eating grin on my face as I played, I couldn't imagine the sound being THAT much better with any pickup change I could think of. YMMV.

 

I have Schallers in my "C" Rambow and they are killer, in the 140 I had I thought they were less than impressive. I had that same grin the other day when I fired up the old Gibson amp with the Rambow. The neighbors were treated to a little "crossroads" and I was surprised and happy.

 

y2kc

[Guest HRB853370]

My first Heritage was my trans-cherry H-535, with Schallers. While I was uber impressed with the playability, beauty, fit and finish of the 535, I figured out pretty quickly that the Schaller's could probably be improved upon. I replaced them over time with SD Antiquities, and am very happy with the results, but I have to admit the initial experience with the Schallers soured me on them a bit, along with the common misperception that they are inferior, for some reason. The 1988 H-170 I bought from Brent had Schallers in it, and I figured I would have to swap them out with something, but Brent said they sounded pretty damned good in the solidbody. I was skeptical, but gave them a try. For some reason, they work MUCH better in a solidbody than in a semi, at least to my ears. I plugged the 170 in tonight into my Mustang III set to a cranked up Bassman, and Holy %#@&! It sounded great, fantastic tone, sustain, and note-to-note definition. I know it's not all the pickups, but as I was sitting there with a big shit-eating grin on my face as I played, I couldn't imagine the sound being THAT much better with any pickup change I could think of. YMMV.

 

I never heard anybody describe them as inferior, dang, made in Germany, how could they be! I still have them in my FIRST Heritage 150 too, with no qualms or desire to switch them. I describe them as having a very thick and creamy tone with just the right bite.

[MartyGrass]

I have long believed the prejudice against Schallers mostly comes from the fact that they were stock. Many guitarists like to mark their territory by changing something on their guitars to make it, well, theirs.

 

There are legitimate reasons to prefer something else besides Schaller, for sure. But personally I really like their roller bridge. Their tailpiece has much to like as well. And their pickups are well made.

 

Heritage chose well to use Schaller components until Schaller was unable to meet their demand.

[schundog]

Herr Schuneman, spreken de deutsch?

 

Only what I learned from "Hogan's Heros." haha. You probably are too young to remember that show. Can you imagine the idea being floated out there for that sitcom? "OK, we've got this hilarious comedy show we want to produce; it takes place in a Nazi Prisoner of War camp...."

[Blunote]

I never heard anybody describe them as inferior, dang, made in Germany, how could they be! I still have them in my FIRST Heritage 150 too, with no qualms or desire to switch them. I describe them as having a very thick and creamy tone with just the right bite.

That sums them up well. I especially liked the open ones that used to be in my H150P. The one criticism I would make was my set didn't seem to have a real clear bass response. There was a little warble or flubbiness. At the present time I have a SD59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge. It seems like a good combination that I'll stick with.

 

I have long believed the prejudice against Schallers mostly comes from the fact that they were stock. Many guitarists like to mark their territory by changing something on their guitars to make it, well, theirs.

 

There are legitimate reasons to prefer something else besides Schaller, for sure. But personally I really like their roller bridge. Their tailpiece has much to like as well. And their pickups are well made.

 

Heritage chose well to use Schaller components until Schaller was unable to meet their demand.

 

Well told. I agree that there's some inherent prejudice against stock pickups and hardware.

[Guest HRB853370]

Only what I learned from "Hogan's Heros." haha. You probably are too young to remember that show. Can you imagine the idea being floated out there for that sitcom? "OK, we've got this hilarious comedy show we want to produce; it takes place in a Nazi Prisoner of War camp...."

 

I loved Hogan's Heros. I also loved MASH.

[DavesNotHere]

I love me some Schaller's..

My wife is in Nashville this weekend so I broke out all the Heritages for a very loud side by side comparasion.

I played each one through the Gibson Hawk and the Blues Jr.

Here is what I decided.

 

1. Overall best sounding - Parsons Street is a blues machine on the Schaller 'bucker and singles. Best sounding over all on both amps (tonight anyway)

2. Next in line VIP - Single Schaller bucker sounds great, no singles.

3. Stat 'bucker soundes great as always, the singles sound good (all Schallers)

4. H-162 'bucker is killer, the singles sound weak ( all Schallers)

5. X-Terminator -, Schaller bucker and single sound really HOT ( I need to find out if these were prototype HRWs or not stock Schallers)

6. H150- This kills me because this is the most beautiful Heritage I own, but the SD59s just don't do it for me. To me the neck sounds like it's under a pillow. The bridge does sound really nice, but the neck really drops this in the rankings. I need to put in a different neck PU.

 

It's funny that the two Heritages for which I paid the least consistently sound the best to me. ( lather rinse repeat, you mileage may vary, etc. etc.)

 

[SouthpawGuy]

That's a fine collection of Heritage rockers !

[HANGAR18]

6. H150- This kills me because this is the most beautiful Heritage I own, but the SD59s just don't do it for me. To me the neck sounds like it's under a pillow. The bridge does sound really nice, but the neck really drops this in the rankings. I need to put in a different neck PU.

 

I concur.

[jeffmatz]

Also a Schaller fan here, got them in my H575. I could see where somebody who played rock or blues might not like them, they're quite clean, relatively low output, and on the "transparent" side. I imagine there's much better choices if you like a bit of grit in your tone.

 

For my purposes, they're just great.

[Hfan]

Does my heart good to see some Schaller love. I've been sticking up for them here for some years now. They sound good in my 157. Especially with the reverb deluxe on 11. Only problem is if you get a cracked ring the schaller rings are hard to find in the US. You can use regular Gibbie types with only the middle adjusting screws.