My impression of HRW's

[MartyGrass]

But Jeff Beck doesn't play humbuckers, he plays single coils and noiseless ones too, if I am not mistaken! You must be going way back to the Blow by Blow and Wired era.

 

 

It was in his oxblood LP.

[tulk1]

Sure you did, sure you did.............

Did to!! (or is that, too? ) ....

[Blunote]

Maybe the wrong adjective.... I mean they are too metallic, too up front, there is no wood or individuality from the wood coming through. They don't allow the individual character of different guitars come through, thus they make different guitars all sound very similar (aka Stereophonic).

 

A good pickup should be a microphone that mic's the guitar's individual character. With HRWs, IMHO, they color the tone so you hear the pickup and not the acoustic properties of the guitar itself.

So you think somehow that HRWs suspend the laws of physics?

 

There's nothing about an HRW that would make it less able to amplify the frequencies that are native to the material of the guitar body. The character of the wood is what affects the harmonics of the vibrating strings. The pickup just amplifies what is there. And from what my ear tells me it seems to do that just fine. For example, the HRWs in my Millie produce a sound that is somewhat creamier than the HRWs in my 535.

 

I guess one man's 'bright' is another man's 'shrill'. If the pup is too bright, lower it, back off the volume or tone, change strings or adjust the tone controls on your amps.

[yoslate]

Did to!! (or is that, too? ) ....

 

It'd be "too," Kenny. Generally, if you can substitute the words "as well," or "also," and it makes any kind of sense in context, the appropriate form is "too." You asked, and I can't help myself.

 

And by the way, I'm currently holding a single pickup 575, trying to sell it for a friend. It has an HRW. Sounds marvelous in that guitar!

[tbonesullivan]

Now I'm gonna have to break out the Kahuna and test these theories.

[bolero]

I've played that Kahuna, it sounded great to me!!

[DetroitBlues]

I think adjusting cap values for either the neck or bridge will change the characteristics you'll notice a difference. Odd to me no one mentions changing a $3 part over a $300 set of pickups...

[MartyGrass]

Caps have been discussed before, just like pots, but I don't recall what the opinions were.

[DetroitBlues]

Caps have been discussed before, just like pots, but I don't recall what the opinions were.

I was just referring to this thread and the tonal issues with the pickups....

[Fernando]

I have a few guitars with HRWs (H555, H157, Sweet 16), love all of them. My H555 with push-pull split pickups has HRWs, and it's an extremely versatile instrument, so many tonal possibilities I nicknamed that guitar "The Crown Jewel". I'm not good at describing pickups characteristics, I talk about these things in very basic, simple terms, the same way I describe wines: "I like it"; and "I don't like it". My HRWs I do like. Ultimately, they need to sound like me.

[tulk1]

 

It'd be "too," Kenny. Generally, if you can substitute the words "as well," or "also," and it makes any kind of sense in context, the appropriate form is "too." You asked, and I can't help myself.

 

And by the way, I'm currently holding a single pickup 575, trying to sell it for a friend. It has an HRW. Sounds marvelous in that guitar!

Thanks, Prof. Once a teacher, always a teacher!

 

I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn the HRWs were developed for the hollow bodies. Then added to the semi's and solids as they gained popularity. My biggest complaint about them was they tended to disappear in the middle of a loud band. Had it happen too often with the white 555. Could switch to another guitar and not have the same issues. But no doubt whatsoever that they sound killer in the right piece of wood.

[reif]

i like the HRWs so much that i had them put in my yamaha.

its the third set of pups i've had in that guitar and i think i have finally got it right.

i had lollar imperials in there and i think the HRWs are a definite improvement.

[High Flying Bird]

I liked them until I got my 357/Firebird with the Phat Cats. I love the syrupy tone of those pups so much I had the HRWs swapped out. The HRWs didn't moan like the Cats do. I loves me some feedback!

[Guest HRB853370]

Thanks, Prof. Once a teacher, always a teacher!

 

I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn the HRWs were developed for the hollow bodies. Then added to the semi's and solids as they gained popularity. My biggest complaint about them was they tended to disappear in the middle of a loud band. Had it happen too often with the white 555. Could switch to another guitar and not have the same issues. But no doubt whatsoever that they sound killer in the right piece of wood.

Kenny, still have those HRW's in the white 555?

[Kuz]

So you think somehow that HRWs suspend the laws of physics?

 

There's nothing about an HRW that would make it less able to amplify the frequencies that are native to the material of the guitar body. The character of the wood is what affects the harmonics of the vibrating strings. The pickup just amplifies what is there. And from what my ear tells me it seems to do that just fine. For example, the HRWs in my Millie produce a sound that is somewhat creamier than the HRWs in my 535.

 

I guess one man's 'bright' is another man's 'shrill'. If the pup is too bright, lower it, back off the volume or tone, change strings or adjust the tone controls on your amps.

 

OK, no, it doesn't break any laws of physics. But just like every mic will "color" the voice of singer, the HRWs sound too "Hi-Fi", too hot, and because they are too hot they color the tone too much for me. I want a truer PAF pickup for my guitars. That's all have to say about them, YMMV and that is perfectly fine.

[MartyGrass]

I've posted my adventures with HRWs over the years. Each time I got a little closer to really enjoying them.

 

I have all the soldering equipment to screw around with experimentation. But so far I wouldn't change them in the Super Kenny Burrell.

 

Here's a great video on the fundamentals of soldering. You guys now have no excuse.

 

[Robbie G]

I have HRW's in my 2003 built H150 Ultra and I like them! Maybe it's because I play rock music that I like these rather "hot" pickups. I agree with the shrill or maybe even harsh tones that can come from the HRW bridge pickup. That's why I have both pickups in a rather "low" position; They do not stick out of the pickup mounting rings and I have the tone controls on the guitar set between "5" and "8" . I usually get compliments regarding the sound of my guitar for being not to shrill but being more "smooth and creamy and yet transparent sound" . Furthermore the amp tone controls are important. Sometimes I play through a Marshall tube amp that'savailable in the clubs where we play and have the treble set to "1" or " 2" ...On my own Koch Multitone amp the treble controls are set between "4" and "6". About a year ago I installed a 1979 DiMarzio PAF pickup in the bridge position. It sounded quite nice and smooth and indeed less shrill but it was far too weak to match with the HRW neck pickup, so I switched back to the HRW's. Funny thing is that the distributor here in the Netherlands (Europe) told me that HRW's were more "jazzy" than the SD '59 's that I could also have installed in my HW150 .I couldn't disagree more with him now I have this HRW loaded guitar!

[Guest HRB853370]

I still don't see where the shrillness perception comes from, as mine are not at all. In fact, overall, they sound darker than shrill. In my experience, all humbucking bridge pups sound shrill to an extent, but these HRW's are no more shrill than any other. The neck pickup is rather on the dark side. I find the most pleasant combination is the middle position.

[H]

I still don't see where the shrillness perception comes from, as mine are not at all.

YMMV, as the saying goes...

[MartyGrass]

Let me philosophize a moment. It seems that life gets easier when there are more choices, like with pickups. I find the opposite to be true.

 

There once was a time in my life when the only electric guitar possible was a Firebird with heavy flat wound strings, a Fender medium pick and a Kalamazoo amp. If any of those didn't meet my approval, I had nothing. So I didn't have to think about it.

 

I didn't worry about the shrillness of the Firebird pickup. I dialed down the treble and used my pick closer to the neck. I developed muscles to take on the heavy strings. But most of all I unconsciously adapted without complaint.

 

The trouble for me began when people told me I could do better and shouldn't put up with the crappy hand fate dealt me. And I listened.

 

I've made a pledge to myself that on my two guitars with HRWs I'll play them as is for 6 months. If I don't like the pups, they're history.

 

On one of the guitars I've already figured out how to dial them in with great results.

 

The second one is not done yet, but I'm determined. Here's a teaser pic. It's waiting for some nitro.

 

 

The point is that it is appearing sillier and sillier to pursue these subtle changes in tone/timbre. It ends up making the musical journey more expensive and frustrating,

 

For those who really can't make peace with a given pickup, I do recommend changing them out. If you are dissatisfied with your third set, you need to change your mind out.

[Guitarbean]

Amen

[Kuz]

Then again, life is too short to live with something that just doesn't work for you.... especially when there are other options like caps & pickups that can solve the issue.

 

just my opinion that "good enough" often is not.

[HANGAR18]

Results may vary depending on what amp you plug the guitar into.

The pickups are part of the amplification circut so one should try different amps as much or more than trying different pickups.