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Post subject: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 4:09 pm
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I have an American Special Strat HSS, and the humbucker that came with it was dead, and sounded really shrill. So I replaced it with a Seymour Duncan JB, hoping it would fix the problem, but it still sounds way too thin. Could it be a problem with the tone pots or maybe the wiring?


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:06 pm
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The Strat will not sound as dark as an LP. Different woods and shapes. The Fender HB in modern Strats is close to a SD 59 HB. You may need to go to a hotter pickup. Fender made an "Atomic" HB that was wound really hot years ago. I think it Ohm'd out at 13K Ohms+.

They come up on eBay every now and then.


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:35 pm
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Make sure you wired the red and white wire together and double check your grounds and work too


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:14 am
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derkader wrote:
I have an American Special Strat HSS, and the humbucker that came with it was dead, and sounded really shrill. So I replaced it with a Seymour Duncan JB, hoping it would fix the problem, but it still sounds way too thin. Could it be a problem with the tone pots or maybe the wiring?


Guitar was original at first ? No mod ? If original, this is not the tone pot or wiring.
Is it your amp ? low nudget amp ?
Why don't you go to a store to try some other new strat with HB ?


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:39 am
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Are you saying that the pups don't have a enough mid-range? Personnal, I don't like how dark the Les Paul sound and prefer the older-sounding pups. I have a SD Jazz HB in the neck position of my Tele and I love it. My '98 PRS McCarty has really nice HB as well that remind me of older HBs.

Come to think of it, I've sold all my Les Pauls and my ES335 because I didn't play them. I agree about the whole construction thinng. Perhaps you should find or build a Strat using the same materials that Gibson uses.


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:49 am
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Paris , I'm sure if you use a Gibson pickups on a strat you won't have a Gibson sound.


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 6:31 am
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stratele52 wrote:
Paris , I'm sure if you use a Gibson pickups on a strat you won't have a Gibson sound.


No I don't believe they will, either, but a hardtail Strat made of Mohogany with a maple top; mohogany neck with a rosewood finger board, it might sound pretty close.

I'm one of those people who fermly believes that all aspects in a guitar's construction makes a difference.

On a slightly different topic.

I've owned a few Les Pauls and found that they are just bot for me. Infacted I traded my last Les Paul Std (AAA flame top) for the McCarty (10 Top) because to my ear, this is what I wanted a Les Paul-styled guitar to sound like. Also the fit and finish on the PRS was much better.

Gibson does two things which I believe hurts their products.

1. They don't let the finish set long enough. This causes cracks to occur where differing materials meet (like the inlay in the head stock).
2. The material they use for the nut is terrible. Even when properly set up the G and B on all of my Gibson guitars never and I mean never stayed in tune. I'm still trying to figure out why.


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 4:23 pm
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I have a 1979 Anniversary Strat,it has PAF in bridge,SD'cns DC rails in center+Neck locations. BUT,,it weighs about 75 LBs{feels like anyways}because of swamp ash body,but Ive never played a gtr with so much tone+ sustain,,maybe wood does matter. I use it to record with mostly these days,,too heavy for 4 sets a night at the local club scene. I use others for live use. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDCK_Ksp ... PEE1HCdhEQ


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 5:27 pm
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paris wrote:
...I've owned a few Les Pauls and found that they are just bot for me. ....

Please define "bot".

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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 6:42 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
paris wrote:
...I've owned a few Les Pauls and found that they are just bot for me. ....

Please define "bot".


sorry, "not"

I found your cartoon very funny.


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:39 pm
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Ahhhh ..... yes. Of course. The Les Paul is an aquired taste and not for everybody. It is the kind of guitar that draws people by its sexy good looks and by its long and historic reputation and then leaves you with a wishy-washy, yah-whatever kind of impression after playing it.

I feel ya.

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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 4:04 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Ahhhh ..... yes. Of course. The Les Paul is an aquired taste and not for everybody. It is the kind of guitar that draws people by its sexy good looks and by its long and historic reputation and then leaves you with a wishy-washy, yah-whatever kind of impression after playing it.

I feel ya.


Well said! I don't know there are some people out there who always make you rethink the Les Paul. I just watch Joe Bonamassa play his signature model and a really tallented German player demonstrating a '54 Gold Top with P-90s (I realize that this a different sound than the current encarnation). I think it has to do with the pups.

There is something about Strats and Teles (and I mean their pups) that does two things. 1. Strats bring more of the player's personality. 2. Teles seperate the men from the boys. By that I mean, Teles don't let bad playing hide behind mid-range tones. If your technique is sloppy, well the Tele will tell everyone about it. Greg Koch said, and I'm paraphrasing, "If your playing is bad and your playing a Tele, the "suck" buttom is "on."

In the end, Les Pauls have their place and in the right hands, theey sound amazing, but they just don't really impress me as they did when I was 14.


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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 9:43 am
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paris wrote:
Well said! I don't know there are some people out there who always make you rethink the Les Paul. I just watch Joe Bonamassa play his signature model and a really tallented German player demonstrating a '54 Gold Top with P-90s (I realize that this a different sound than the current encarnation). I think it has to do with the pups.

There is something about Strats and Teles (and I mean their pups) that does two things. 1. Strats bring more of the player's personality. 2. Teles seperate the men from the boys. By that I mean, Teles don't let bad playing hide behind mid-range tones. If your technique is sloppy, well the Tele will tell everyone about it. Greg Koch said, and I'm paraphrasing, "If your playing is bad and your playing a Tele, the "suck" buttom is "on."

In the end, Les Pauls have their place and in the right hands, theey sound amazing, but they just don't really impress me as they did when I was 14.


And I will return the compliment and say:
Well said.

I still keep a lone Les Paul in my aresenal but the truth is it gets played a lot more by my friends than it ever does by me. The older I get the less impressed I am by Gibson guitars in general and more pet peaved about the over-the-top hype and hysteria about the merely average guitar that is the Les Paul.

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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 6:38 am
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couple things here.. The height of the pickup makes a huge difference. Also, the tone pot of a humbucker should be a 500k, not a Fender Single Coil tone pot of 250k. Also the cap should be .022uf, not .047 of a Strat... Lastly... Most humbuckers have a pole spacing of a Les Paul, not a Stratocaster. Be sure the all of the strings are lined up right... That's why Eddie Van Halen's single humbucker was in at an angle because the strings didn't line up correctly...

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Post subject: Re: Humbucker sounds too thin?
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:55 am
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DetroitBlues wrote:
couple things here.. The height of the pickup makes a huge difference. Also, the tone pot of a humbucker should be a 500k, not a Fender Single Coil tone pot of 250k. Also the cap should be .022uf, not .047 of a Strat... Lastly... Most humbuckers have a pole spacing of a Les Paul, not a Stratocaster. Be sure the all of the strings are lined up right... That's why Eddie Van Halen's single humbucker was in at an angle because the strings didn't line up correctly...


Very good point.


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