Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Lucifuge on March 13, 2010, 02:16:00 PM
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OK, after thinking about it for ages, I've decided that I'm definitely (well, ALMOST definitely) going to get a set of BKPs for my next modding/upgrade project.
The guitar in question is a Squier Venus 12-string, a 2-pickup guitar with a maple neck, and AFAIK a basswood body.
It currently has Seymour Duncan split-coil pickups (similar to the original Fender Electric XII,) but although they sound OK, the magnets don't line up with the strings very well, so some of the strings are noticeably louder than others. Some preliminary measurements indicate that standard Strat-style single coils should line up better and so give a more even sound. However, I would have to get a new pickguard made to do this.
So what recommendations does anyone have? I'm looking towards the more vintage end of the spectrum, so maybe the Apaches, Sultans or Mothers Milk? I realise that with Strat pickups and a basswood body it's not going to sound like any of the classic 12-strings (Rickenbacker etc,) so I'm not looking for any particular vintage sound, just something that soundsgood.
Note also that the bridge pickup is straight (ie parallel to the neck pickup) rather than angled like a Strat, so this would probably affect the balance between the low and high strings. If I'm getting a new pickguard made anyway, I could get it made with the Strat-type angle, but I think if I do this then the magnet spacing won't be right for the outer two strings.
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Apaches for sure - AIII magnets, not too bright - balanced!