I'm not loving my Duesenberg Pickups

[mistersully]

I disagree. If you get the sound you like by changing the pickups to something else, what difference does price make?

+ 1000

[mistersully]

You get what you pay for. They may be different but nobody is going to convince me that a $35 pickup is going to be better, in terms of quality of sound reproduction, than SCN and Burstbucker. He may want something different but going cheap won't improve things. EG

how about you pony up with some clips so we can finally see what you have to back up all this infinite wisdom of yours?

[burton4snow]

Well just to let everyone know that was helping me I just fooled around with the pickups and found a useful tone and I'm actually digging it. Like one of the first replies said it is different from the other guitars but it has its use in my playing spectrum.

It's weird sometimes I love my guitars and sometimes I hate them and I am sure alot of factors go into that. Probable most of all how I am playing that day. I try to never jump the gun that is why I come to the forum with questions. My problem is I am a gear whore so I'm always searching for some new way to teak my sound and get excited about buying some new equipment.

I guess I will just focus on the Wah I want to get. Its probable going to be 535q unless somebody talk me out that one. I am also looking at the Zak Wylde one its real throaty which I kind of like in a wah. At least from fooling around with my pod wahs.

[Frets99]

Well just to let everyone know that was helping me I just fooled around with the pickups and found a useful tone and I'm actually digging it. Like one of the first replies said it is different from the other guitars but it has its use in my playing spectrum. It's weird sometimes I love my guitars and sometimes I hate them and I am sure alot of factors go into that. Probable most of all how I am playing that day. I try to never jump the gun that is why I come to the forum with questions. My problem is I am a gear whore so I'm always searching for some new way to teak my sound and get excited about buying some new equipment. I guess I will just focus on the Wah I want to get. Its probable going to be 535q unless somebody talk me out that one. I am also looking at the Zak Wylde one its real throaty which I kind of like in a wah. At least from fooling around with my pod wahs.

I truly believe there's something in the atmosphere that either changes our hearing or something. I've had that experience of going to a guitar I love to play and for some reason, it doesn't sound right. I fret and walk away from it, come back later and it sounds fine. Crazy.

But I'm glad you messed with it before changing anything because those are some very well regarded pickups. As a couple of folks have said, sometimes it's just a little tweak here and there and it's like opening up the engine on a highway!

[Band Substance]

Why don't you compare your guitar to another Starplayer. Maybe you just got a bad one. PS all your guitars should sound different from each other.

[kulardenu]

I'd definitely give the Dream 180's a shot. Why not? They are cheap enough to experiment with. I have played a guitar with the Dreams in and liked them better than the Burstbucker Pros I have in my Gibson.

 

Remember great tone is only good in the head of the ear-holder.

[GilmourD]

GFS pickups in no way compare to a Duncan. Sorry, but it just ain't the same thing at all. EG

 

I'll disagree with this. I think it really comes down to a matter of what kind of pickups you like. There are some Duncans I like, some I'm OK with, and some I just hate. I imagine you just might not have tried a particular GFS model you actually like.

 

For instance, I have a VEH with a gold cover in the bridge of my LP Custom and I think it's actually the perfect match for this guitar.

 

It all depends on what you want and your available budget. I probably would have gone with a BG for my LPC but my current budget (with baby coming along) doesn't allow for that, but I HAD to dispose of the stock bridge pickup, so it was a very happy surprise how perfectly the VEH matched the guitar. I actually like it a lot better than the set of '59s that I have in my other LP, which is still a good sounding guitar.

[GilmourD]

Again, as far as the OP is concerned, a good way to get into inexpensive boutique territory is to look into BG pups. Better than pups I've heard at twice the price.

 

Yes, Bryan's pickups are the absolute best I've ever heard and played with. My favorite Tele bridge pickup used to be the Van Zandt Vintage Plus I have in my Tex Mex Tele Special. I hoped Bryan could duplicate the VZVP, but he ended up surpassing it. Now I got the VZVP more than 10 years ago USED and I paid more THEN for it than I paid for the new BG awesomeness last year.

 

It's kinda like Bryan's pickups are more like conduits of the soul than simple pickups. I might like GFS pickups a lot, but I LOOOOOOOVE Bryans pickups.

[Orange Jackson]

Dick? First in class a rude school, no doubt. I'm beginning to understand why all the good members left. EG

You are a clown just trying to get your post count up, go away already.

[*BLEEP*]

Before you swap pups, make sure the intonation is set properly on the guitar. If the intonation is off, the guitar may sound sour, especially with distortion. Next, try backing off the volume a bit. Adjust the tone knobs on the guitar. Also, try adjusting the pickup height...

Not only pickup height, but polepiece height -- if you have adjustable polepieces (like most humbuckers have). I don't know why, but I have a specific hate for imbalanced string response.

For those that don't know how to balance string response, there have been several post with instructions for balancing string response on a humbucker pickup with adjustable polepieces.

[*BLEEP*]

...

Hey Orangey, someone was looking for you recently over in H-C 2.0 land (nevermind my roasting of you in the thread -- you can kick me later if you wish).



http://www.harmonycentral.com/message/26620459#26620459

[mistersully]

I simply told the OP that it would in no way be an upgrade.

an upgrade to a musician is something that gets him/her closer to the tone/feel/whatever they are trying to achieve

it's very different to what people who just buy guitars and talk {censored} on the internet would consider an upgrade

[Doctor49]

Valid. But I go for ringside seats when someone gets into it with either EG or Zemmy. They can handle it, and it's quite entertaining

hey ho there's two more on my ignore list.

Makes it much easier to read the threads.

[=JL=]

an upgrade to a musician is something that gets him/her closer to the tone/feel/whatever they are trying to achieve it's very different to what people who just buy guitars and talk {censored} on the internet would consider an upgrade

Exactly this. I've removed Gibson HBs and replaced them with Asian-made Kent Armstrong P90s to get sounds the guitar just wasn't capable of before.
Similarly, if I turn up to a studio with a LP Custom, and it turns out to be a country session, then a borrowed Squier Tele can be an "upgrade".
Stop looking at the price tickets.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

I responded to what I considered a condescending response to the question. .

That's pretty much what I read and I didn't see any insult in there either, ubless you maybe blinked in an insulting way when you typed?

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

1. To the OP, whose thread it is after all.

 

I haven't had an Outlaw through my hands, but I have owned a Starplayer.

 

I found the the Grand Vintage bucker and the Domino neck pickup to be a tad average, not bad, but just not what I'd expect on a guitar this well engineered. And in my opinion herein lies the rub. Duesenberg guitars are in the main engineering projects and are not a fully sorted and sweet instrument, in short they have the same blandness that most German created things have. See them almost as an opposite to a Gibson LP, where the LP is a sweet musical instrument but an averagely engineered and finished guitar.

 

You're not on your own with your lack of satisfaction with those pickups, as plenty of Duesenberg owners have been less than happy with them.

 

Now.....what to replace them with.

 

I have no direct experience with GFS bucker sized P90s, but they get good plaudits in this place from PROPER musicians, not the idiots with opinions based on supposition, but opinions based on buying, installing and playing/gigging with them, and there are very few detractors of that particular pickup, so you probably could make a decision based on that.

 

For me the only way GFS pickups fall down is in their complexity, when played clean thru a dry setup into a sort of idealised studio setup, eg, plugged straight into a low wattage tube amp and with no other instruments playing, then you can hear the difference between a GFS and say a van Zandt or a BG.

 

For gigging musicians they are a no brainer, as they have some complexity, just not as much as the boutique boys.

 

Where this IMO doesn't happen is their humbuckers which I just don't really like, but then of the big middle ground boys, I only really like the Seth Lover of SD's and the rest don't do much for me, and there's the odd Di Marzio I like.

 

GFs single coils however are very close to the dog's bollocks. The greybottoms, Premium Alnicos, the Al IIs and the Tele Fatbodies are also superb pickups and go well in most guitars, except when you need that complete experience and you have a sound in your head that you may need a boutique winder to sort out some EQ requirements or some tonal complexities you just can't seem to find anywhere else

 

If the OP would care to expand a lot on what he expects from each pickups I can probably suggest a good route for you.

 

I see that you're disatisfaction is with the distorted sounds of I'm presuming the bridge pickup?

 

The bridge is supposed to be a vintage voiced pickup, so maybe it's not gonna be as great as it could be, although you don't mention if you've tried to adjust the heights?

 

have you tried this?

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

I got nothing against GFS but I don't see how they could be considered an upgrade in a duesenberg.

You have heard the Grand Vintage humbucker and the Domino neck?

[seblo_15]

GFS pickups are cheap (for most people). Anyone that says different... well good luck remembering to breathe. Cheap and inexpensive are adequations. Now as for quality of the pickups, I am not sure. I have only had one GFS pickup and it was not to my liking.

Also wanted to say you guys are the biggest bunch of girls around. Stop crying and play some guitar. The internet is supposed to be for people who can't handle real the stress of real world situations. If you can't handle the stress of the internet where are you going to turn?!

[Frets99]

GFS pickups are cheap (for most people). Anyone that says different... well good luck remembering to breathe. Cheap and inexpensive are adequations. Now as for quality of the pickups, I am not sure. I have only had one GFS pickup and it was not to my liking. Also wanted to say you guys are the biggest bunch of girls around. Stop crying and play some guitar. The internet is supposed to be for people who can't handle real the stress of real world situations. If you can't handle the stress of the internet where are you going to turn?!

The reality is that this site is for this very discussion. People who have had actual experience with products post and share those experiences.

Some people feel the need to pontificate and create axioms. I go by my experience and share that with the caveat that some else's mileage may vary.

Where you and I disagree, is that I breathe quite well and GFS pups do not share the qualitites of what I consider to be "cheap" pups. In fact, they are very high quality for little money.

As I have said. I have heard and played with a few GFS pups. I have posted clips of what the Dream 180s sound like. I have heard many people here and on other forums extolling their quality. I am not pulling an opinion out of my butt.

I respect that you have had one GFS pup you didn't like.

[Norcal_GIT_r]

Since the OP seems happy with his guitar can we let this thread go as it's not bringing out the best of this great community.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Since the OP seems happy with his guitar can we let this thread go as it's not bringing out the best of this great community.

Could this qualify as the "Understatement of the Week"?

:lol:

Careful Fretsy, we don't wanna upset Zemmy and "Da Family":lol:

[burton4snow]

I have always wanted a guitar with p-90s so I think I might put a pair in my Duesenberg. People in the forum have convinced me to go with a little higher quality so I think BG sounds like a good choice.

Is the BG P-90 humbucker size about as true to a P-90 sound your gonna get in a Humbucker sized P-90 or should I look at some other options?

[Guitar Heel]

I have always wanted a guitar with p-90s so I think I might put a pair in my Duesenberg. People in the forum have convinced me to go with a little higher quality so I think BG sounds like a good choice. Is the BG P-90 humbucker size about as true to a P-90 sound your gonna get in a Humbucker sized P-90 or should I look at some other options?

There are a few. I've heard nothing but great stuff about BG's pickups. In my own experience, I've used Phat Cats as well as Kent Armstrong. The Duncans sounded great, as you'd expect, but I was blown away by the Armstrongs (especially considering they're not as pricey as the Duncans, though far from cheap). I actually have a pair right now that I'm going to be putting in my Eastman (trying to find a little Chet Atkins tone in there).

[BoneNut]

I have always wanted a guitar with p-90s so I think I might put a pair in my Duesenberg. People in the forum have convinced me to go with a little higher quality so I think BG sounds like a good choice. Is the BG P-90 humbucker size about as true to a P-90 sound your gonna get in a Humbucker sized P-90 or should I look at some other options?

Yes. The Pure 90 is true to the P90 sound. Essentially, they are P90s with the ends cut off. Bryan will wind them to meet your tone needs. Best pups I've ever played. Use 500k Ohm audio taper brass shaft pots for both volume and tone controls along with 022 caps.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

I have always wanted a guitar with p-90s so I think I might put a pair in my Duesenberg. People in the forum have convinced me to go with a little higher quality so I think BG sounds like a good choice. Is the BG P-90 humbucker size about as true to a P-90 sound your gonna get in a Humbucker sized P-90 or should I look at some other options?

In your position, I'd stick with a bucker at the bridge nd a P90 style at the neck, as it is a great combo.

Bryan could quite easily match you a set to achieve this.

You might also consider Pete Biltoft at VVG , who does great work at packing P90 sound into different shapes.

Either one will do what you require, but consider asking both to rewind the pickups that you already have and see which one will give you the best deal?

Win win for you then:thu: