Hfan Posted October 3, 2016 Posted October 3, 2016 On a practical note I like to try pickups by buying used when possible. For example, I just grabbed a set of Lollar Dirty Blondes on CL. IF you buy a well known brand they are easy to sell for little or no loss if they don't work out. I'm not sure how that would work with HRWs.
TalismanRich Posted October 4, 2016 Posted October 4, 2016 Admittedly, I do not have the set of ears that many of you have on this forum. I have a 555 with HRW's and this is the way I look at it. A humbucker is a humbucker. Some are more treble sounding, some are more bassy sounding, some have more of a midrange boost and some have more scooped midrange. I have never A-B tested my HRW equipped 555 against my 535 with Seth Lovers, but now my curiousity is piqued to do that. When I retire and have time. Then I will report the results. Do you still have the Tascam portastudio? If so, try plugging both guitars and record them direct, volume and tone wide open on each of the three positions. Then we could make a direct comparison of the basic tone. Might be interesting to do.
Hfan Posted October 4, 2016 Posted October 4, 2016 I had a set in my GT 150. They were good, no question. But for my mediocre skills, others like the stock 59's do about the same thing. I put them up with Seth's in rank. Maybe with a little more power IIRC. Speaking of Duncan 59s I had them in a Hamer Studio and decided to swap them out for a set of very well known and highly regarded boutique humbuckers. I like the winder, he is a good guy so I won't mention the brand. I found the boutiques used on TGP. I installed them and immediately reinstalled the 59s which actually sounded better in that guitar. For sure the boutiques were not worth the extra money. Maybe some pickups just work great in certain guitars.
HANGAR18 Posted October 4, 2016 Posted October 4, 2016 It took years, but once I came to the realization that i didn't like PAF pickups, the path to my current favorite pickups became clear. Nothing wrong with PAF pickups, they are fine for those who like them but they were not what I was after. My journey led me to learning about the different magnets available and their influence over the tone produced by the pickups. I also learned about the winding materials, the wire thickness, the number of windings around the pole, the pattern the windings take when they are wound around the pole, the coating applied to the wire, the specific resistance measurements produced by the finished pickup windings and the affect each of those little tiny details contributes to the overall tone of the pickups. I could tell you what kind of pickups I like but it would serve no purpose because everyone needs to just find for themselves what they personally prefer. What I like doesn't matter. A long time ago, I wanted some HRW pickups solely because everybody liked them, and Ren himself said they were great. Back then, that was good enough for me. But today, One big reason I don't have any desire to own any HRW pickups is because I don't know how they are made. All those little details listed above... I have no idea when it comes to HRW pickups. I just don't know what I'm getting. What kind of magnets? What kind of wire? What kind of resistance measurements? No clue. Today I'm not buying anything unless I know what I'm getting. Especially when they are $300.00 a pair.
mark555 Posted October 5, 2016 Posted October 5, 2016 I did not like the schallers I had in my 555 and the HRW's a based on those units. I have replaced them with Seymour 59's and they seem to do the job.
ElNumero Posted October 5, 2016 Posted October 5, 2016 Do you still have the Tascam portastudio? If so, try plugging both guitars and record them direct, volume and tone wide open on each of the three positions. Then we could make a direct comparison of the basic tone. Might be interesting to do. Come down, let's do it
tbonesullivan Posted October 6, 2016 Posted October 6, 2016 I really need to do a shootout between the Kahuna and the H150CM, now that my kahuna is back from having a face lift. I do remember that the HRWs sounded great through a marshall running full out. There really are a lot of pickup designs out there, and all of them seem to have fans.
CJTopes Posted October 6, 2016 Posted October 6, 2016 I dont buy HRWs because I already have a set that I took out of my Millie DC. I think they were great clean and would be a great Jazz PuP but they get shrill sounding when used with any grit or gain... I have a set if anyone is interested in them...
Yooper Posted October 6, 2016 Posted October 6, 2016 Come down, let's do it (compare pickups) I would love to hear Seths v. HRWs. I love Seths in my Eagle and semi-hollow. HRWs were great in the Eagle as well. I had '59s in my 150 and liked them. Still do. When I did an A/B left/right channel comparison with ThroBak SLE 101s and '59s I liked the A2 ThroBaks better. I imagine the same would be true if they were Seths. I'm just an A2 kind of person. A2 magnets must be kinder to older ears...
pro-fusion Posted October 12, 2016 Posted October 12, 2016 they get shrill sounding when used with any grit or gain... This has been my experience, too, in both a 157 and a Millie DC. I still have them in the Millie, but I've got a set of gold-covered Pearly Gates that are probably destined to replace the HRWs. Interestingly, for me the HRW neck and bridge are extremes apart. The bridge is too bright and cutting, and the neck is too dark. I've got a Duncan SH-11 Custom Custom in the bridge of my 157, and it's total metal/heavy fusion nirvana. No shrillness or "honk." First pickup I've ever been able to use for soloing in the bridge position in that 157. I would love to hear Seths v. HRWs. I love Seths in my Eagle and semi-hollow. HRWs were great in the Eagle as well. I had '59s in my 150 and liked them. Still do. When I did an A/B left/right channel comparison with ThroBak SLE 101s and '59s I liked the A2 ThroBaks better. I imagine the same would be true if they were Seths. I'm just an A2 kind of person. A2 magnets must be kinder to older ears... I find that Les Pauls or 150/157s are really made for A2s. A5 pickups have that natural "chime" that turns into a nasty and unusable "honk" whenever I install one in an LP-style guitar.
DetroitBlues Posted October 14, 2016 Posted October 14, 2016 I would love to hear Seths v. HRWs. I love Seths in my Eagle and semi-hollow. HRWs were great in the Eagle as well. I had '59s in my 150 and liked them. Still do. When I did an A/B left/right channel comparison with ThroBak SLE 101s and '59s I liked the A2 ThroBaks better. I imagine the same would be true if they were Seths. I'm just an A2 kind of person. A2 magnets must be kinder to older ears... I also favor A2's
myoldfriend Posted October 14, 2016 Posted October 14, 2016 Funny, I seem to recall HRWs getting scooped up pretty fast here on the HOC "Heritage Goods: For Sale, Trade, Wanted" forum no more than a couple years ago... In any event, I picked up a used 150 recently with a pair of them and the HRWs really resonate with me. IMHO, with a little fuzz thru my 80's Boogie 4x12 they are nailing Page's tone on Custard Pie. Best of luck finding the right buyer!
HANGAR18 Posted October 23, 2016 Posted October 23, 2016 Funny, I seem to recall HRWs getting scooped up pretty fast here on the HOC "Heritage Goods: For Sale, Trade, Wanted" forum no more than a couple years ago... In any event, I picked up a used 150 recently with a pair of them and the HRWs really resonate with me. IMHO, with a little fuzz thru my 80's Boogie 4x12 they are nailing Page's tone on Custard Pie. Best of luck finding the right buyer! There was a time where they were "the IN thing". With any sort of a product, sometimes people rush to buy something just because it is highly sought after more so than because they actually want or need it. It seems to me that was the case with HRW's at some point years ago but I don't think that's the case anymore.If someone likes them, great! If they don't like them, that's okay too.
ironmike Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 Those pickups are great,I have a 150 that's about 20 years old,and the Hrw's in that thing smoke about every guitar I have..but opinions,are subjective to the player,I've been playing for 45 years and know my way around it all..my lightest strings are 11 guage,those I consider slinky,and my heavy guage are 15s,13s,are medium to me...those factors,are only one of the, many factors that are in the formula,the sound and feel comes from an uncountable amount of factors...the pickup is only part of a huge equation, subject the the further Neverending human factors..Discovery never ends,hopefully..
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