Which pickups on my H535?

[Berentlars]

Hi forum members,

I have just recently got hold of my first Heritage, a sweet looking cherry red H535 from 2008 (picture attached). As the number of Heritages for sale here in Norway is next to zero, I was quite happy to find one, and in my preferred colour, too.

 

The guitar looks good and plays good, but I found the pickups to be slightly too hot for my taste and use (I play in an AMATEUR cover band, doing older pop/rock/blues things). I have tried to find out which type they are, having read about Schallers, Seymour Duncans and others, but the stickers on the PUs only says "Golder Age pickups, Made for Heritage Guitar, Inc".

 

Are there any knowledgeable people out there who can throw some light on these pickups?

 

[H]

First of all, welcome to the HOC from another European member Congratulations on your 535, it's a beauty!

 

The only thing I can tell you about the pickups is that they're not Schallers: they have three mounting points at each side and these have only one.

 

Good luck with your query!

[SouthpawGuy]

 

 

 

 

These ? Stewmac Golden Age ....

 

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_Humbuckers.html

 

I have heard, probably here on the HOC that these are a variation on the Schaller pickups. Maybe someone else has more info.

 

Nice 535 btw, can't go wrong with a red 535 ! And welcome to the HOC.

[Berentlars]

Thank you for guys for the quick feedback. Yes, it looks like the guitar is equipped with the Stewmac pickups (Chinese made??).Anybody know something more about these "Made for Heritage" pickups?

 

I will play the guitar for a while, then probably change the PUs for some Gibson Classic 57, Seth Lovers or equal. I have tested a Gibson 359 with the Classic 57's, and I must admit it sounds great.

[TalismanRich]

You might write to StewMac and see what information they can offer over what is on the website. They sound like they are pretty close in design to something like the SD 59s.

 

Inspired by legendary pickups of the '50s.

For authentic classic tone, Golden Age humbuckers feature Alnico 5 magnets and AWG42 coil wire as used in the originals, plus wax-potted coils for microphonic suppression.

The output wire is 4-conductor plus ground, allowing versatile custom coil-tapping, series/parallel, and phase switching options to expand your sound. Wiring diagrams and vintage dimensions make installation in most humbucker-equipped guitars easy.

 

 

I don't really worry as much about the name tag on the pickup. I don't try to do Jimmy Page's sound or Buddy Guy's sound. I'll never get it right anyway. If it sounds good, then just play it!

 

Enjoy that nice 535. They're great guitars!

[Blunote]

I think you just have a set of Schaller pickups in it. They were the stock pickups from '85 until just a few years ago. I haven't seen that particular sticker on the Heritage Schallers but they were widely understood to be the Schaller Golden Age models.

 

If so, they were made in Germany.

[H]

I think you just have a set of Schaller pickups in it. They were the stock pickups from '85 until just a few years ago. I haven't seen that particular sticker on the Heritage Schallers but they were widely understood to be the Schaller Golden Age models.

 

If so, they were made in Germany.

They're not Schallers, Blunote; Schallers have three mounting points at each end, these have only one.

[Blunote]

Ok, I was thinking the Schaller Golden 50s.

 

That's the first time I've seen Stew Mac parts labeled for Heritage.

[SouthpawGuy]

Seems to be a "R" registered trademark logo under the stickers on the bridge pickup ?

 

Maybe peel the labels off, it may reveal more info ?

[Berentlars]

Nice spotted, SouthpawGuy. However, after peeling off the labels veery geently, I found ... nothing. There's only the "R" there, so no more info about the pickups.

I do not know much about Stew Mac, but it seems a bit strange to me that Heritage would change PU supplier from Schaller/SD to Stew Mac; or am I being snotty here?

[tulk1]

Nice spotted, SouthpawGuy. However, after peeling off the labels veery geently, I found ... nothing. There's only the "R" there, so no more info about the pickups.

I do not know much about Stew Mac, but it seems a bit strange to me that Heritage would change PU supplier from Schaller/SD to Stew Mac; or am I being snotty here?

Quick guess ... the StewMacs are Schallers; even with only one screw per side. As for Heritage changing suppliers, they've been known to source wherever they can when one souce can't deliver. We've seen it in pots, caps, pituners, etc. Why not pickups?

[tbonesullivan]

Were the golden age pickups always made in china? I thought that originally they were made elsewhere, possibly by Schaller. I guess for a while maybe heritage was sourcing pickups from there. That label almost makes me think that heritage requested the design from stew mac? interesting.

 

Back in 2008 Schallers were still available, and were the main pickup used. Not sure what's going on with those pickups.

 

If you want something lower output, I would recommend maybe the Alnico Pro II pickups from Seymour Duncan. lower output and very sweet sounding. Or maybe the seth lover pickups. I don't know what's readily available over there.

[yoslate]

Or maybe the seth lover pickups.

 

Well, it is awfully subjective. But I've said it before.... I think the Seths in my 535 make it one of the three or four best sounding guitars I've ever played...and that's forty-five years worth of guitars....

[tbonesullivan]

 

Well, it is awfully subjective. But I've said it before.... I think the Seths in my 535 make it one of the three or four best sounding guitars I've ever played...and that's forty-five years worth of guitars....

 

My Seth Lover-equipped Millennium H-158 Classic is one of the best sounding guitars I have. It gets such a great snarl through overdrive. It's awesome.

[rockabilly69]

I'm with Yoslate, Seth Lovers are ridiculously consistant when it comes to their performance in semi-hollow body guitars! I think

another good good choice is the Slash Alnico II pickup. NO, I am not a Slash fan, but I heard a set of these in a Epiphone Dot

Studio, and frankly it was one of the best sounding guitars I've heard in awhile. It was very rock and roll, kind of like Rick Derringer's

rhythm sound on the "Johnny Winter And" record.

[SouthpawGuy]

I seem to recall a post on the HOC, or possibly TGP, where a 535 owner replaced the stock Schallers with Stewmac Golden Age pickups.

 

I wonder if that 535 was red ?

 

Long shot, and my memory banks might be way off, but stranger things have happened.

[Guest HRB853370]

The Golden Age pickups were made specifically for old Geezers, like myself, that are entering the so-called Golden Age. Not so sure I agree with it, but that would be my best guess!