Heritage Eagle pickup configuration

[killaCONRAD]

Hi, I have a Heritage Eagle that is my first real jazz box. It is still stock. When I bought it, I had read about so many people changing out the pickup that I assumed I would want to also. However, after spending a few weeks with it, I've decided that the #3 pickup really sounds quite nice when it's played right. I'm still planning on making some changes, but probably not installing a non-floating pickup any time soon. I have a bunch of questions, and I hope you guys can advise me.

 

-Some of you guys might hate me for it, but I'm going to change the Heritage burst pickguard for a black one that looks more like an L5C guard. Which aftermarket guards will fit an Eagle? (I'd also like to use an L5 style pickguard bracket, any suggestions?)

 

-My favorite local luthier told me that the bracing in the top has two bars coming up towards the fretboard, like this

 

 

and he said that type of bracing might make routing for a pickup in the neck position tricky-- while trying to avoid compromising the structural strength of the guitar. Have any of you guys installed pickups in Heritage boxes that are braced like that?

 

-I had the idea of an "ultimate jazz pickup configuration", with a Charlie Christian in the neck and a floating Kent Armstrong handwound in the middle position. Before cutting to permanently install a Charlie Christian (or any other pickup), I think I'd like to experiment for a while with placing floating pickups (mounted on the guard) in different positions. I may also try installing the Heritage #3 and a Kent Armstrong single-coil with tone, volume and blend pots as "stealth controls" a la archtop.com. Is that doable? Do you guys have any tips for me?

 

-The Eagle has a solid carved mahogany top. I know that cutting and installing a pickup (and knobs) will deaden the acoustic tone of the guitar... but I don't think the acoustic tone is really that nice in the first place; I'm happy to play this guitar as a purely electric instrument. Would installing a pickup deaden the electric tone?

 

Sorry for being so longwinded, and THANK YOU for advice!

[Patrick]

Hi, I have a Heritage Eagle that is my first real jazz box. It is still stock. When I bought it, I had read about so many people changing out the pickup that I assumed I would want to also. However, after spending a few weeks with it, I've decided that the #3 pickup really sounds quite nice when it's played right. I'm still planning on making some changes, but probably not installing a non-floating pickup any time soon. I have a bunch of questions, and I hope you guys can advise me.

 

-Some of you guys might hate me for it, but I'm going to change the Heritage burst pickguard for a black one that looks more like an L5C guard. Which aftermarket guards will fit an Eagle? (I'd also like to use an L5 style pickguard bracket, any suggestions?)

 

-My favorite local luthier told me that the bracing in the top has two bars coming up towards the fretboard, like this

 

 

and he said that type of bracing might make routing for a pickup in the neck position tricky-- while trying to avoid compromising the structural strength of the guitar. Have any of you guys installed pickups in Heritage boxes that are braced like that?

 

-I had the idea of an "ultimate jazz pickup configuration", with a Charlie Christian in the neck and a floating Kent Armstrong handwound in the middle position. Before cutting to permanently install a Charlie Christian (or any other pickup), I think I'd like to experiment for a while with placing floating pickups (mounted on the guard) in different positions. I may also try installing the Heritage #3 and a Kent Armstrong single-coil with tone, volume and blend pots as "stealth controls" a la archtop.com. Is that doable? Do you guys have any tips for me?

 

-The Eagle has a solid carved mahogany top. I know that cutting and installing a pickup (and knobs) will deaden the acoustic tone of the guitar... but I don't think the acoustic tone is really that nice in the first place; I'm happy to play this guitar as a purely electric instrument. Would installing a pickup deaden the electric tone?

 

Sorry for being so longwinded, and THANK YOU for advice!

 

 

Hey Conrad; regarding the pick guard, I think the change you are considering will look great on that Eagle. I also think the current pick guard looks great . . . but changing it out will be relatively painless . . . unless you continue to look for something that "fits" as you seem to be doing now. Bring the guitar to a competent luthier, tell him what you want and have it made for your guitar. Regarding all the changes you are considering for pick ups. My opinion . . . bad idea. You're trying to make the guitar into something it wasn't intended to be at its' inception. That never works out well. With the exception of a simple floating pick up change . . . don't mess with it. If it isn't what you want the way it currently is . . . then it isn't what you want. Sell it and buy what you want . . . or just grow your Heritage collection and buy another one to compliment the one you already have. But, don't deface that pretty Eagle!!!

[Guest mgoetting]

I agree with Patrick. It looks like it's cross braced. This enhances the acoustic tone. Installing a fixed pup will be harder and probably will compromise the integrity.

 

If you don't like the floating pup, get an adjustable humbucker that screws to the base of the neck. It will accomplish the same thing. There's lots of choices in neck mounts, even single coils. I had a single coil on an old non-cutaway L5- no thanks.

 

The value of the Eagle will drop as soon as you cut her.

 

You can put the controls in the f hole pretty easily.

 

The black pickguard is a matter of personal preference. I like the original. Don't throw it away.

[Patrick]

I agree with Patrick. It looks like it's cross braced. This enhances the acoustic tone. Installing a fixed pup will be harder and probably will compromise the integrity.

 

If you don't like the floating pup, get an adjustable humbucker that screws to the base of the neck. It will accomplish the same thing. There's lots of choices in neck mounts, even single coils. I had a single coil on an old non-cutaway L5- no thanks.

 

The value of the Eagle will drop as soon as you cut her.

 

You can put the controls in the f hole pretty easily.

 

The black pickguard is a matter of personal preference. I like the original. Don't throw it away.

 

Mark, based upon where he drew those blue lines (I wish I knew how he did that) the guitar appears to be parallel braced and not cross or X braced. Although, that would be an anomaly on a Heritage with a floater . . . unless ordered that way.

[DC Ron]

I'd bet it's x-braced and could be converted. Very easy to check with a dental mirror. Here's a thread about the conversion process...

[yoslate]

Regarding all the changes you are considering for pick ups. . . . bad idea. You're trying to make the guitar into something it wasn't intended to be at its' inception. That never works out well. With the exception of a simple floating pick up change . . . don't mess with it. If it isn't what you want the way it currently is . . . then it isn't what you want. Sell it and buy what you want . . . or just grow your Heritage collection and buy another one to compliment the one you already have. But, don't deface that pretty Eagle!!!

 

 

Bingo!

[killaCONRAD]

Well, I usually give some weight to that idea, that it's smarter to just trade in a guitar for the one you want rather than making extensive modifications. But if I want an American or European jazz box with a venetian cutaway and Charlie Christian, as far as I know, there are a handful (like 3) of L7's fitted with a Charlie Christian stock, and the one I've seen was about $4000. Other than that, SOL.

 

The nice girl at Heritage I spoke with briefly told me that all Eagles are cross braced, but my tech used a mirror inside the guitar to check the bracing, and he described it to me the way I drew the lines on that photo. I'm inclined to believe my tech, because he actually looked, and because the acoustic tone kind of sucks!

 

Thanks to Ron for that link, very helpful.

[Patrick]

Well, I usually give some weight to that idea, that it's smarter to just trade in a guitar for the one you want rather than making extensive modifications. But if I want an American or European jazz box with a venetian cutaway and Charlie Christian, as far as I know, there are a handful (like 3) of L7's fitted with a Charlie Christian stock, and the one I've seen was about $4000. Other than that, SOL.

 

The nice girl at Heritage I spoke with briefly told me that all Eagles are cross braced, but my tech used a mirror inside the guitar to check the bracing, and he described it to me the way I drew the lines on that photo. I'm inclined to believe my tech, because he actually looked, and because the acoustic tone kind of sucks!

 

Thanks to Ron for that link, very helpful.

 

It could have been ordered with the parallel bracing. If your tech looked inside . . . then he would know. However, if the tone does . . . as you have said . . . . suck, then you might have other issues. Parallel bracing, while different accoustically from X bracing, certainly doesn't suck. It's easy enough to go with a 4 point type of mounted pup, or as someone else suggested a floater attached to the neck. But, I think putting the CC into the top is gonna be a challange and significantly devalue your guitar

[killaCONRAD]

OK. I guess at this point, I'm pretty unlikely to fit a CC unless I can't find a floating pickup configuration I like. What about moving around pickups mounted on the guard? Is there a way to install a floating pickup that will allow me to slide the pickup up and down a bit? If not, how hard is it to unscrew the pickguard and reattach the pickup in a slightly different position?

[Gitfiddler]

OK. I guess at this point, I'm pretty unlikely to fit a CC unless I can't find a floating pickup configuration I like. What about moving around pickups mounted on the guard? Is there a way to install a floating pickup that will allow me to slide the pickup up and down a bit? If not, how hard is it to unscrew the pickguard and reattach the pickup in a slightly different position?

 

 

You might check with the good people at archtop.com with your questions.

 

Archtop.com

 

Archtop.com Pickups

[Patrick]

What is your fixation on a movable pick up??? Plug in and play!!!

[DC Ron]

Hmmm...the interesting thing about this post is that (I think) parallel bracing is in all Heritage double pickup archtops because it's the only way for the bridge pickup to clear the braces. My Eagle Classic is parallel braced. So even if this particular Eagle HAS parallel bracing, the conversion should be doable. Heck, even a conversion to a double pickup configuration should work. On the other hand, X-bracing is in most/all floating pickup archtops, BUT...there is room in an X-braced archtop for a neck pickup because the spacing between the braces is wide enough to clear the braces at the neck joint. My Super Eagle is like this. That's how Vince Lewis was able to convert his Sweet 16. There is NOT room for a bridge pickup in an X-braced archtop because the bridge position is too close to the cross on the X-bracing. Either way I'm NEVER converting my Super Eagle.

[Guest mgoetting]

What is your fixation on a movable pick up??? Plug in and play!!!

 

You're so outcome oriented and practical. The world needs more of us.

[Patrick]

Hmmm...the interesting thing about this post is that (I think) parallel bracing is in all Heritage double pickup archtops because it's the only way for the bridge pickup to clear the braces. My Eagle Classic is parallel braced. So even if this particular Eagle HAS parallel bracing, the conversion should be doable. Heck, even a conversion to a double pickup configuration should work. On the other hand, X-bracing is in most/all floating pickup archtops, BUT...there is room in an X-braced archtop for a neck pickup because the spacing between the braces is wide enough to clear the braces at the neck joint. My Super Eagle is like this. That's how Vince Lewis was able to convert his Sweet 16. There is NOT room for a bridge pickup in an X-braced archtop because the bridge position is too close to the cross on the X-bracing. Either way I'm NEVER converting my Super Eagle.

 

I have 2 Super Eagles .. . one has a single neck position mounted DiMarzio PAF . . . . the other has 2 mounted Duncan '59s. Both are parellel braced and both are PERFECT!! To mess with a Super Eagle in any way . . . . any Super Eagle . . . . is like messing with perfection.