Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: darkbluemurder on May 26, 2015, 12:35:17 PM
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Hi,
Time for another pickup review.
I had a local luthier rout one of my teles (ash body, one piece maple neck) for humbuckers because I wanted to create a "Tele-Gib". I used a Rutters Half Bridge and the Abraxas set which was lying unused (not because they are bad pickups but they were replaced with other pickups I liked better in particular guitars). I used one 500k volume pot, a 250k tone pot and an Eyb type E Megaswitch which gives the following positions:
#1: bridge full humbucker. No tone cap is wired in that position. Initially I used a 0.0022uf but in connection with the 250k tone pot that added a nasal quality in that guitar which I disliked. Without a tone control and the 500k volume pot the Abraxas bridge is open, growly and singing. You can still hear it is a tele at play but at the same time the tone is so full, rich and thick. It's like the fat and juicy tone of a good Les Paul combined with the fast attack and response of a good tele. I don't really miss the tone control on the full bridge humbucker - there is simply nothing to add to this tone and no icepick to take away either.
#2: bridge humbucker split. In this position, an additional 0.0047uf cap goes to the tone control. There is also a 470k resistor to ground to approximate a 250k load which most single coils want to see. Still - this setting is extremely bright, and a tone control is definitely needed here. This is probably due to the fact that I have not yet reversed the magnet and the wires so that in split mode the bridge side coil is on. Once I reverse the magnet and wire it normally (i.e. red to hot and black to ground) the neckside coil will be on and the tone will hopefully return to "normal" brightness.
#3: both humbuckers split. in this position, a 0.0022uf tone cap (connected to the neck pickup's hot connection) is engaged. This is the typical tele middle position tone. I prefer this over the two full humbuckers together.
#4: neck humbucker split. See #2 for the wiring. Nice alternative to the full neck humbucker tone. Both caps are now engaged for a total value of 0.0069uf which works well with the brighter split mode. EDIT: forgot to mention that in this mode the neckside coil is engaged.
#5: neck full humbucker. 0.0022uf tone cap is engaged. Super sweet and singing lead tone. Can do anything from blues to shred (that is if I only could shred ...), and even a Dickey Betts like tone.
I know that the pickups in Jeff Beck's Tele-Gib were what later became the JB and Jazz so specs wise I would have been closer with the Holydiver set but I feel the Abraxas set is close enough - so close that I am not tempted to try anything else in this guitar. I am convinced if I gave this guitar to JB to play "Cause we've ended ..." he would get that tone instantly.
To arrive at the specific wiring in #2 and #4 I took advantage of the fact that for the dual humbucker wiring on the E type megaswitch pin 1 remains clear (this is normally used for the middle pickup in SSS, HSS and HSH set-ups). Hence pin 1 is hot in the switch positions #2 and 4.
Cheers Stephan
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Nothing wrong with the Abraxas. Should get memtioned more, even for alder bolt ons
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Great review of a highly underestimated pickup. I've got my bridge splitting with no caps or tone controls and it's def not bright. In fact, the tone is much like the full HB mode, but has a beautiful twang and edge about it. Still fat in the sense of having a thick feel to it.
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Blimey, that sounds like a guitar that will cover a lot of ground. I can see the temptation. I'd love to do a similar thing with a Tele but perhaps with P90's to do a sort of Tele junior type vibe. Probably won't though as I must surely be in the twilight of my gigging career and I have 8 guitars.
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When I recapture past months a lot of forumfriends (I did too :angel:) actually recommended the Abraxas for various guitars, but for sure for some bolt-ons alder/ash guitars.
Btw, very nice review Stephan. The Abraxas is really upon my alley, since I have Mules and the Crawler. Now I have to get me a another guitar for some Abraxizzling sorcery.
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Probably won't though as I must surely be in the twilight of my gigging career and I have 8 guitars.
1 more won't do any harm then will it? :)
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I'd love to do a similar thing with a Tele but perhaps with P90's to do a sort of Tele junior type vibe.
That sounds like an excellent idea. I used a P90s in the neck position of a Telecaster one time - it's a very viable tone - full on the treble strings like a humbucker but no mud on the low strings.
For the bridge position, a P90 is an acquired taste for me. Any P90 guitar I had left me wanting for the bridge sound. Can't really tell why. It cannot be the lack of compression only since I enjoy Tele bridge pickups which are definitely less compressed than P90s as a general rule. It may be that I like it when used in a Tele with a Tele spec'd bridge. I think both the Rutters Half Bridge (which i used for this guitar) as the La Burrito bridge (which I have on order for another guitar) would do the job.
Cheers Stephan
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#2: bridge humbucker split. In this position, an additional 0.0047uf cap goes to the tone control. There is also a 470k resistor to ground to approximate a 250k load which most single coils want to see. Still - this setting is extremely bright, and a tone control is definitely needed here. This is probably due to the fact that I have not yet reversed the magnet and the wires so that in split mode the bridge side coil is on. Once I reverse the magnet and wire it normally (i.e. red to hot and black to ground) the neckside coil will be on and the tone will hopefully return to "normal" brightness.
Meanwhile I flipped the magnet in the Abraxas bridge and swapped the red and black wires. This now gets the two outside coils in the #3 position which helped it a lot. But the #2 position (split bridge pickup with the neckside coil) was still very bright and slightly nasal until I inserted a 3.3k resistor between the green/white connection and ground (aka David Grissom wiring). If you have not yet tried this on a guitar with the ability to split the bridge pickup you should - it's that good.
I also put a 1k resistor between the green/white and ground of the neck pickup. As expected this did not make as much of a difference. Not sure whether I keep that.
Cheers Stephan
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Dbm, how does the Abraxas neck compare to the Mule neck?
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For the bridge position, a P90 is an acquired taste for me. Any P90 guitar I had left me wanting for the bridge sound.
Have you tried a Stockolm P-90? They have a big bottom end. I'm very happy with mine in the bridge slot. I wasn't so keen on the stock pickup, which would be closest to a Nantucket.
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Dbm, how does the Abraxas neck compare to the Mule neck?
No idea, I never played a Mule neck (or bridge for that matter).
Cheers Stephan
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... until I inserted a 3.3k resistor between the green/white connection and ground (aka David Grissom wiring).
Checked and noticed I remembered that one incorrectly. The correct resistor value in that wiring is 2.2k.
Meanwhile I replaced the tone control pot with a 500k log and wired the 0.0022uf cap directly to it so that I can have a tone control on the bridge pickup, too. I found out that in some cases the bridge pickup by itself was too bright so it's a handy option to be able to tone it down when needed.
Cheers Stephan
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I thought you may like a picture of the guitar.
Cheers Stephan
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Love your Tele - it has an air of menace about it. I am a huge fan of the Abraxas set.
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That guitar just looks like business. No flash, all work. Nice.
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Would like to jump in here and say that I have the Abraxas set in a 2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional, with BKP 550k pots, and .022 treble/.015 rhythm caps in a 50's style wiring. My favorite pickups, and they work especially well in that guitar. I can do everything from clean country chicken pickin to raunchy blues to metal, and every thing in between. They are truely a beautiful set that stands out from the other offerings. I have had many other BKP sets, including Holy Divers, Rebel Yells, Mules, VHII, and Ceramic Nailbombs. All of those were great pickups in their own right, but the Abraxas were the only set that hung around. It is the guitar that all others are judged by, and I cannot see me ever changing it. Anyone considering the Abraxas set, I say take the chance, you might just fall in love. However if you do not, let me know and I will likely buy them from you!