Heritage HRW Floater?

[HELPnoEMAILconfirmEVER]

Did Heritage ever make a HRW floating pup?

[DetroitBlues]

Probably not, the HRW was a Schaller humbucker that was completely reworked.  

However, just my thoughts anyway.

[bolero]

I can't remember who built their jazz floater pickups before? Someone local to Kalamazoo?

they sounded good. I think they were all Humbuckers?

I don't think the Schaller pickup design would work as a floater, it's too deep. Maybe if you got rid of the cover & modded the baseplate.

[skydog52]

I reached out to Ren. He said they never were used as floaters. 

[pressure]

Ken Rambo made the first floaters Heritage used. There were 2 or 3 different pickups designated by stickers on the bottom. Heritage floating pickups are now made in house and they are Fab.

[MartyGrass]

I believe Ken made 3 versions, the large majority being Floating #3.

Ken Armstrong would rebuild these to a higher output for about $100.

I have what's probably a unique one rebuilt as a single coil by one of the current Heritage team.

People bad mouthed the Floating #3 a lot.  I firmly believe much of the criticism came from the urge to guild the lilly.  The #3 is an excellent low output humbucker.  It is very clean, almost acoustic sounding.

[big bob]

I replaced the floater on my sweet 16 with a lollar gold foil floater. Would definitely recommend it. 

[MartyGrass]

8 hours ago, big bob said:

I replaced the floater on my sweet 16 with a lollar gold foil floater. Would definitely recommend it. 

Hmm.  That's really interesting.  How would you describe the tone?  Did it slide into the pickguard mount like the Floating #3?  

[rwinking]

I would love to check out a Heritage floater but they are not on their web site. Is there a way to get one? I have an L5 custom that has a Johnny Smith floater on it. It is not bad but I would love to see what the heritage folks have designed and try one out.

[big bob]

17 hours ago, MartyGrass said:

Hmm.  That's really interesting.  How would you describe the tone?  Did it slide into the pickguard mount like the Floating #3?  

I found the Heritage to be a little muddy/midrange certainly not bat sounding but not too my taste. The Lollar is fuller and more rounded. It also will let you have some harmonics if you increase your pick attack which is great for Billy and old school rock. 
it was not a direct replacement but was not at all difficult to install.