Installing/Replacing Pickups

It wasn't me! · 24-02-2005 8:07pm #1

After much deliberation I've decided that instead of getting a new guitar, which I just can't afford nor do I know what to get, I should upgrade my one and try and get the best out of it that I can. I'm going to replace the bridge pickup. I'm going to go for a Seymour Duncan JB, as they seem to get pretty great reputation as a bridge pickup. What I'd like to know is, can anyone give me a detailed explanation of how to replace the old one and put in the new one. I've looked at articles on it but they always seem to confuse me and I never know how to do it afterwards. Anyone able to tell me what to do? I don't want to take it to a shop and pay good money for what I've been told is a perfectly simple job to do. Thanks,
Dave

NotMe · 24-02-2005 8:13pm

This is something I'd be interested in aswell. I imagine it would be fairly easy, you'd just need basic soldering skills.

It wasn't me! · 24-02-2005 8:20pm

Oh, in case anyone has a better pickup recommendation, I'm not looking for something to do cleans. I want a high-output pickup that's going to kick large, loud, distorted ass. Okey doke!

Karl Hungus · 24-02-2005 8:53pm

If you want high output, then go for the DiMarzio X2N. Same pickup Chuck Schuldiner used.

As for replacing the pickups, you'd need a soldering iron, and make sure you've got some spare wire hanging around. I ran out of wire before I could finish my pickup changing job, and I'm too lazy to just go and get some more wire. Next week hopefully.

It wasn't me! · 24-02-2005 9:07pm

I don't think that has a very crunchy sound though. I'm looking for a pickup that gets really crunchy and dirty when it's distorted, not sharp and sustaining.

Karl Hungus · 24-02-2005 9:14pm

Chuck's tone not crunchy!? :eek:

...right so, what would you consider more crunchy?

It wasn't me! · 24-02-2005 9:49pm

It's a different crunch to the one I'm looking for. I'm looking for something that can do that tight crunchy sound but can also do a looser, less thrashy crunch, à la the Distillers.

Doctor J · 25-02-2005 8:14am

Stick with the JB, I have yet to hear a more versatile (in a consistantly quality way). Just examine how the current pickup is wired. Every pickup has basically two wires (I know, but for the sake of a text explanation bear with me). One of the wires, the inner core, will be soldered to a connection either on your volume pot or pickup switch, the second part of the wire, the shield will be wired to the top of one of the pots or other ground (you'll see a load of wires are connected this way and that a wire goes to the shaft part of your lead jack).

The JB will have four wires (conducters) and you'll probably end up wiring two into eack other and one plus the shield into your ground signal, leaving one wire to connect to the pot or switch (your live signal). It sounds complicated but in truth it is fairly straightforward. The pickup will also come with a diagram. You won't need extra wires if you're just replacing a passive pickup with another passive pickup.

Gandolf · 25-02-2005 10:27am

yep i agree it's a great pickup if you dont want the likes of ultra hi output Hot Rails ect.

I had the jb jnr which is basically the same pickup but in a single coil size in an ibanez s-series and it was still a fair bit louder, and far crunchier, than the other two stock pickups.

Depending on what you've got in your gat at the moment you may what to drop the jb down a bit to even out the volume diff. ...but where's the fun in that! Blast em i say.

The wiring diagram that came with it was piss easy to figure out, just get yourself a good soldering iron to make sure the contacts are sound.

Good luck!

It wasn't me! · 25-02-2005 2:07pm

My dad has all the soldering equipment so I should be grand on that front. I guess I'll get the pickup and sort things out myself. If it has a good diagram I should be grand I suppose.

Giblet · 25-02-2005 3:51pm

Should be easy.

You will have four wires. For a straight swap, just solder the red and white together and tape them up out of the way. Swap the wire that your current pickup uses to attach to the pickup selector with the back wire. And solder the green wire and the shielding to the back of a tone pot.

It wasn't me! · 26-02-2005 12:03am

Just reading some reviews on Harmony Central and there seem to be quite a few complaints about it not being able to deal with low end well. I should be able to tweak that with the amp's EQ though, shouldn't I? I also need to be able to handle the low, loose, growly distortion of punk as well as the tighter crunch of metal and I've yet to come across a review that gives it kudos for this. I'm just getting a bit edgy now because I've e-mailed Chris asking him to put one on hold for me and I'm starting to see flaws in the plot. I could use a bit of reassurance if anyone has any for me. Thanks,
Dave

Doctor J · 26-02-2005 2:16am

A lot of Harmony Central reviews are written by cretins, pure and simple. Re-read the reviews and see what amps they're playing through and what style of music they're playing. It's also fairly easy to tell what reviews have been written by morons going on the general level of grammar and how much tey elaborate the points they make. I've played a JB as low as dropped A and it has always been sweet. It's not a very heavy low end pickup, it's a good sounding versatile pickup. Too many guitarists put too much low end into their sound and mush everything up. Loads of low end is why bands have bass players. The JB is not a super high output mid scoop hardcore Metal pickup, do not be mistaken. It is a great sounding pickup which adapts well, in my own personal experience, to a variety of musical styles, Metal included.

The best way for you to decide is to find out what famous players (ie - folks whose tone you can check up on) have used this pickup.

It wasn't me! · 26-02-2005 11:37am

I know but it's a bit worrying when all the cretins seem to have the same opinion independently of one another. For instance a consistent point is that it doesn't deal with palm muting, which I find hard to believe and that the low end gets very flabby. I liked the soundclips I heard of it though on the SD website, and I imagine I could fairly easily tweak up the low end with the amp's EQ anyway, right?

Doctor J · 26-02-2005 12:15pm

Doesn't deal with palm muting? Well I know Scott Ian from Anthrax used one for many years and I heard he does a bit of palm muting every now and then

The guy from Tool seems pretty hapy with his one too.

It does palm muting. It does for me, anyway.

I dunno, I get the feeling you don't think this pickup is Metal enough, as I said, this isn't a Metal pickup (in the current ridiculous hi-gain standards of the current era). I think it's the finest humbucker I've heard and, as I've said, I've used it for chugging dropped A. If you're not sure, don't get it, get a SD Distortion or Invader or something, or the aforementioned DiMarzio X2N.

Karl Hungus · 26-02-2005 12:24pm

I'd say the SD Invader would be a cool choice, it's what James Hetfield used on all those classic Metallica albums before he gayed it up with EMGs.

Ancient1 · 26-02-2005 3:38pm

Feylya's gonna kick your ass for that one

Karl Hungus · 26-02-2005 3:49pm

So what? Metallica sounded way better whe the Hetman used the invader.

Ancient1 · 26-02-2005 3:51pm

Oh i agree totally, but you know Fey's penchant for EMGs

Karl Hungus · 26-02-2005 3:56pm

Yeah, and that makes it all the more worthwhile to make fun of EMGays.

Doctor J · 26-02-2005 4:38pm

You mean it wasn't Bob Rock's fault after all?

It wasn't me! · 27-02-2005 2:36pm

I listened to samples of them all on the SD website and I thought the JB was a much higher quality pickup than the others. It does far nicer things in the mid-to-high end of the sound. My only concern is that it wouldn't have enough grunt in the low end. My doubts have been more or less entirely assuaged though. Any problems with that regard can be cleaned up with tone and EQ controls. It'd suit a mahogany body better than my basswood Ibanez though. It'd be a crime to sacrifice all that sonic ability for the sake of having a pickup that'd go that little bit lower and sound bad at higher frequencies. Hell, if all comes to all I'll just buy an EQ pedal, which is on my list of things to do before I die anyway, and boost the low end somewhat.

Thanks for the help guys. Now I just have to wait for Chris to get back to me. How long does he usually take?

feylya · 27-02-2005 4:18pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

Yeah, and that makes it all the more worthwhile to make fun of EMGays.

As soon as I can stand, I'm going to kick your ass.

Installing/Replacing Pickups

Comments