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Pickup recommendations


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Posted

I have an H-574 (1991) with original Schaller pickups, which just don’t sound good to my ears. I am looking to replace them with pickups suitable for jazz playing. Lots of pickup gurus on here, please chime in with your recommendations!!!!

Posted

People around here seem to be all about boutique pick ups. I have some but I don't notice them being any better than Duncans or Dimarzios, just another flavor. Tha being said, I am not sure what an H-574 is. Is it similar to an H-575? I have an H-576 which is simialr to the 575 so I think my recommendation would be in the ballpark, especially for jazz playing. ANy of the Dimarzio PAFs sound great int that style guitar. I settled for his 36th Anniversary PAFs but I also liked his 59 or 57 PAFs. All low output and really smooth. The Duncan Seth Lovers also work well in there....basically any well built Vintage style PAF clone should do well. Again, I tried the snob jazz pickups (price was no object at the time) and liked them a lot but,I like the Duncan and Dimarzios a lot too and they are a lot cheaper. There is that congnitive dissonance thing going on a lot: I paid more for these pick ups so they must sound better. I did a shoot out with a dimarzio  and a Jim Wagner Filmore. They tested out as similar on paper and I could not tell the difference sonically. But there was a $225 price difference. Of course my ears have paid a price of years  playing guitar so I may be wrong here. And around here, a lot of people like the stock Schallers for jazz. but I really don't.

Posted

If you can find a used set of JS Moore PAF's I highly recommend them. To my ears, they are on par with Throbaks at a fraction of the price. I don't know if he is still winding or not, but it's worth in. I'm also very partial to Wolfetone pickups. I have a used set of Bare Knuckle Mules in my 150. I was thinking of swapping them out, so I'll be putting them up for sale. Let me know if you’re interested. If you want really clear pickups and you don't mind something unorthodox, look into Lace Alumitones. I have a set in my other 150 and I absolutely love them. I put a set of flat nickel covers on them with double stick tape to match the rest of the hardware. 

Posted

 all good advice!

I can't remember what I had in my 574. Duncans I think? Sounded good.

Nice to hear JS Moore getting some kudos, he did make great pickups. Lost touch with him, he sort of disappeared. I hope he's doing well. He made me a set of vintage spec firebird pups too.

I also am a fan of Wolfetones

Posted
9 hours ago, rwinking said:

People around here seem to be all about boutique pick ups. I have some but I don't notice them being any better than Duncans or Dimarzios, just another flavor. Tha being said, I am not sure what an H-574 is. Is it similar to an H-575? I have an H-576 which is simialr to the 575 so I think my recommendation would be in the ballpark, especially for jazz playing. ANy of the Dimarzio PAFs sound great int that style guitar. I settled for his 36th Anniversary PAFs but I also liked his 59 or 57 PAFs. All low output and really smooth. The Duncan Seth Lovers also work well in there....basically any well built Vintage style PAF clone should do well. Again, I tried the snob jazz pickups (price was no object at the time) and liked them a lot but,I like the Duncan and Dimarzios a lot too and they are a lot cheaper. There is that congnitive dissonance thing going on a lot: I paid more for these pick ups so they must sound better. I did a shoot out with a dimarzio  and a Jim Wagner Filmore. They tested out as similar on paper and I could not tell the difference sonically. But there was a $225 price difference. Of course my ears have paid a price of years  playing guitar so I may be wrong here. And around here, a lot of people like the stock Schallers for jazz. but I really don't.

I also like some DiMarzio pickups (biased though as I'm endorsed by them for acoustic pickups). I recently put a set of Twang Kings in one of new Tele builds...

CowboyCrowBar.thumb.jpg.c5942e0a7f8118f0ef7e9bb0b0aa480c.jpg

 

and I also put a PAF-59 and a Super Distortion in the bridge of my Telecaster Deluxe.

RelaxingTele.jpg.928b72b4e130c1246138ceff1d03d189.jpg

As for Duncans I have a set of custom Shop Peter Green pickups in my Tobacco Burst H150...

H150.thumb.jpg.86035abe82a864df32bac3b5e05f81ba.jpg

and a Billy Gibbons BG1400 in another one of my Tele builds...

PurpleHaze.jpg.f56f1972c37d4589876e0f7ed0ec3ee2.jpg

Posted

Still unsure what the H-574 was. Any pix?

Posted

It's like a 576, one of which I had - a great guitar - but without the 576 block inlays, bound F-holes, multi-ply body binding, and bound headstock.alwnwqspl4mavgif4pny.thumb.webp.11ac4eb572a4913280c04d9624c591d6.webp

Posted

One that has been for sale forever in Michigan. Does anyone know the depth on these?

00T0T_8UAlO1T57Iy_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg

Posted
16 hours ago, skydog52 said:

One that has been for sale forever in Michigan. Does anyone know the depth on these?

00T0T_8UAlO1T57Iy_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg

I may be wrong, but I think they are 2 3/4".

Posted

I have a set of Gibson Burstbucker 2/3 if that helps. They came out of an Epi '59 I had for about a month before I pulled them for a set of Wolfetone Dr. Vintage/Marshallhead.

Posted

For jazz I think the neck pickup reigns supreme. The formula is more important than who the builder is imo. I like Wolfetone because I can have them build as I like and they are not too pricey. Two recipes I would go to are lower winds with the impedance in the low 7s.
One way to go is with an A3 magnet, more airy sound, very clean and not muddy at all, more crisp but in the neck this is ok imo. They are fairly weak but that is ok for jazz. 

Next I think A2 magnet are great for a bit of a scooped sound and kind of slappy, more character, a little darker than A3s and more powerful but not muddy or overwhelming. These are great for soloing. 
 

OK, I said two but here is three. Same wind but A4, more even, drier tone. This is nice for chord melodies, imo. So the type of playing can be important to the decision. 
 

for the bridge I would go with an upper 7 ohm wind with an A2 magnet, not too bright and great for soloing. I love A2 in the bridge for all electrics with the difference in the wind. 

Posted

lollar imperial low-wind if you want a darker fatter tone.  I have them in my SKB and H550 and love them.  

Posted

I agree with the Lollar Imperial Low Winds.

 

This may be a shocker, but I also do like the Schallers.  I'd happily swap them out if I didn't.  I also think it was clever to be able to tilt the pickup for subtle tone changes.  

Posted
On 2/27/2024 at 2:22 PM, davesultra said:

Thanks for posting this Dave. My 574 is identical, also vintage orange, just one year newer.  This one is a “G” serial mine is an “H”.  

Posted
On 2/27/2024 at 1:36 PM, rwinking said:

Still unsure what the H-574 was. Any pix?

Mine is identical to the reverb link davesultra posted!

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Dimarzio 36th Anniversary pickups. I love how they changed the sound of my H535, and they didn't require any additional routing like many "vintage" sized pickups would.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
On 3/13/2024 at 3:50 PM, bolero said:

Will, did you try anything out yet?

Let us know how it goes

Not yet 

Posted
On 4/2/2024 at 9:59 AM, tbonesullivan said:

Dimarzio 36th Anniversary pickups. I love how they changed the sound of my H535, and they didn't require any additional routing like many "vintage" sized pickups would.

 

Posted

A great choice!

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