Author Topic: Brown Sugar pickups (Read 9623 times)

tim_miles · « **on:** February 01, 2006, 07:53:57 PM »

Recieved them today!

Just a few questions.

The pickups have the two screws one side and the one the other for where it should be fitted. i was wondering about them being fitted because in the middle of the bridge pickup one magnet is higher than the other. now if installed on a right handed guitar this would be closer t the top string. but im left handed so it is going to be facing down closer to the bottom. will this make a difference to the sound?

thanks:)

Tim · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2006, 08:27:03 PM »

Yes it will, the Brown Sugar has a vintage stagger with a raised D, you end up with a raised G so you may need to tweakthe p/up height to get balance.
If we know about left handed players we can alter the stagger when we build the coil.

tim_miles · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2006, 08:38:53 PM »

thanks for the reply tim,

so is this a hard job adjusting the height or will the shop know what to do?

also when the height is adjusted will the pickups still sound different to if they were correct in the first place.

and what would the difference be in sound?
thanks:)

tim_miles · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2006, 10:08:44 PM »

any advice off anyone else would be awsome:D

should i send hem back to tim and replace them with left handed ones... or should i just stick with them and twiddle with the height.

i want the pickups to sound the best they can and there for don't really want them to be sounding worse than they would do if they were for left handed.

and i also do alot of solos. and i use the higher strings for this so it may effect this.

anyadvie would be hugely appreciated

PhilKing · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2006, 12:36:20 PM »

Hendrix had the same problem, and he got an awesome sound from the strat! I have a reverse stagger Irish Tour set, and they are a bit brighter than the regular ones, but it depends on the guitar and strings too. Basically the G will have a bit more power than usual and the D will have a bit less.

tim_miles · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2006, 04:35:15 PM »

ah thanks:)

so would the power difference be more noticeable?

and also do you recomend me doing what tim said this is what he said

You may be able to readjust the height to even out the the stagger.I suggest you fit it and try it out, just lower the treble side a touch.

what is stagger?
and do you recomend me leave them as they are or readjust the height like lowering the treble?

thanks very much, when these questions are answered my mind will be at rest!

thanks philking

PhilKing · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2006, 07:17:17 PM »

Stagger is the difference in heights of the magnets. As to whether you will notice a difference in output, i would say that you will notice the difference in overall sound a lot more and the individual string volume a lot less. See how it sounds and then adjust the pickup height with your ears. If you really think there is a difference, i'm sure Tim will sort it out for you.

tim_miles · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2006, 07:45:22 PM »

ah ok thanks. so do you mean that when all strings are hit together the one string will sound alot louder than the others?

and im getting the pickups installed in a shop, so dont really want to pay to have them installed, and then have to remove them if they sound bad. thats why i am having trouble deciding what to do. because im not sure if i should send it back or just fit it and get the shop to adjust it to sound right.

thanks:D what would you recomend philking?

thanks for all the help by the way its hugely appreciated
i forgot to add...

would the neck pickup have to be adjusted aswell. And also would it only be the raised D which would become the raised G that would make a difference to the sound. Or would the other magnets being turned around for my left handed guitar also affect the sound of the low E string etc

thanks! i need all the help i can get:)

PhilKing · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2006, 12:57:31 PM »

I think that the neck pickup won't have a problem. When I said you would notice the overall sound more, what I was meaning was the silly grin moment we all get when we hear the sound of Bare Knuckle pickups. I really don't think you will have a problem, as I said, I have an Irish Tour set with a reverse stagger and it sounds great.

tim_miles · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2006, 01:02:14 PM »

thanks philking you have honestly helped alot!

do you recomend me even the height out on the treble end of the pickup to balance the sound like tim said. Or would you just say for me to fit it into the guitar.

And when you say about the neck pickup, doesn't it have the raised stagger under the cover? or is it just all one level of magnets.

thanks thats all i need to know now!

was also curious whther the reversed stagger would actually make the guitar better or worse for country/ blues

thanks so much for everything!

dave_mc · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2006, 04:38:25 PM »

^just to point out- you can let your repair guy fit the pickups for you, and then adjust the height of the pickups yourself- it's just a matter of turning a screw, there's no soldering involved or anything, and there's no harm you can do.

PhilKing · « **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2006, 04:45:09 PM »

I would just get them fitted. You can play with the heights later - it is easy, you just need a philips head screwdriver! You might get a really intersting sound for country blues with a reverse stagger as it will bring the G up a bit, but it will not overpower anything. My Apache set has the original 54 stagger, which puts the G lower and A higher, and they sound great. I really don't think you will notice the G. If you do, you could always try droping a gauge on the string.

tim_miles · « **Reply #12 on:** February 03, 2006, 05:12:15 PM »

thank you very much both philking and dave mc

thansk very much, when the pickups are installed ill see what i think then adjust them to suit the sound im after

thank you very much. my last questions is would the neck pickup need adjusting too or only the bridge?

thanks thats it...its really appreciated.

dave_mc · « **Reply #13 on:** February 03, 2006, 05:39:11 PM »

^you normally have to adjust them to get them to sound perfect whether you have the right stagger or not.

A lot of guys who fit pickups put them in so they look right, they don't plug in and test to see how well they sound through an amp.

tim_miles · « **Reply #14 on:** February 03, 2006, 06:32:45 PM »

thanks Dave Mc:)

i'm not entirely sure how the guitar is ment to sound.

but do i just adjust the pickups until the strings sound equal in volume? rather than one louder than the others?

thanks again