It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:13 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 25 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 7:31 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Prize is a cookie to anyone who can identify these pups. I got them from another builder that was left boxes and boxes of old stuff to sell for someone. He let me dig through it and I was able to get a 65 SG neck and body and various parts for dirt.

Sadly there was not much I could use for Fenders which is my specialty but I noticed these odd pups and he told me to try them out. I will soon and report back how they sound and possibly use them in a build but I am curious as heck as to what they were from. I could find nothing about these after an exhaustive google web and image search.

What I can tell about them is they have a metal base plate (supposedly this gives a boost in mids and bass) using 2 conductor wire with a shield that is grounded to the base plate. Someone marked where each pickup goes and the DC resistance (not sure if the owner did this or if it came that way). The middle pup is using yellow wire covering which is a Fender thing but I know my Fenders pretty well and these are not Fenders, well at least not any I have seen (could be old import maybe??). Might be from some copy I would assume. I think they are pretty old as the pup covers that were exposed are pretty much a peanut butter color now but as you can see from the pics they were originally a white or parchment.

Okay enough babble, here are the pics...... anyone have a clue?

Image

Image

Image

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 10:25 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
I've seen some G&L pups that looked similiar to those.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 10:59 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Miami Mike wrote:
I've seen some G&L pups that looked similiar to those.


That is possible but I would think being that the "L" in G&L is Leo Fender that if anyone knows to put a trademark/logo or some type of identifying mark on a product it would be him. Since these have none of that unless these were some kind of prototype or something I am still leaning to them being from some type of copy strat. Now if only it was a good one where they potted them with magical tone wax collected from bees raised by Tibetan monks and wound the bobbins using a machine that operates on pedal power lol.

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:42 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:54 pm
Posts: 1175
Unbelievably, my brothers and I in the 12th Ascencion, Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) in Bhutan, just South of Tibet, made those, as you described, while resting comfortably 3 feet in the air on a bed of Lotus leaves.

Take them and make sweet music for Buddha's ears.

May I have my cookie, please? 8)

Image

_________________
Took me a long time to learn that a Good Set-Up is the best Parts money can buy


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:59 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:54 pm
Posts: 1175
...or maybe it was while on vacation in Taung Kalat Monastery in Bhurma....hard to remember....so many pickups....so many monasteries...so many centuries....Buddha smiles!

Image

_________________
Took me a long time to learn that a Good Set-Up is the best Parts money can buy


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:18 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
They actually have tone-wax bees all the way up there? :)

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:37 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Okay I might have figured it out. I was thinking to myself which old lawsuit strats actually were decent. I recalled my first "strat" I got when I was a wee child was from Japan and said "Hondo" on it. That guitar played and sounded great, as close to a vintage strat as a copy can get. I don't even think I knew bar chords back then but still sounded good on that ax. Someone actually broke in to the house and stole that back in the 1970s. So I figured I would search for "hondo electric guitar pickups" and found this on ebay from the UK...
Image

The pickups look a lot like mine. I can't give myself a cookie yet since I can not confirm this for certain but it seems apparent these pups are from a 70's Hondo. If so, at least I know they are going to be decent sounding. I am going to Norway until the 11th but when I get back I will throw them in one of my strats and post back how they sound..I am hoping fat vintage but could end up with garbage harsh lol.

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:55 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:44 am
Posts: 7282
Location: Washington
Yes, those are Samick pickups. MIK

Here are some fresher ones.

Image

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 9:11 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
I think we have a winner...thanks orvilleowner...cookie on the way.

Now the next question is are they any good? I like that they are staggered pole and the patina on mine have a mojo factor but if they are garbage I will just throw them on ebay and talk them up lol. Otherwise I have plenty of projects that are waiting pickups. I figure I will toss them in my old squier beat around the house guitar and see if it finally sounds decent when plugged in.

Also to note after your reply I researched the history of Samick and sure enough they were involved with Hondo in the 1970s..... "Nonetheless, Samick slowly moved toward a higher quality market. The company continued to improve its piano manufacturing techniques, and in 1970 its production abilities had developed sufficiently for it to launch its first grand pianos. At the same time, the company began to step up the quality of its guitar production. As part of that effort, Samick formed a joint venture with Texas-based International Music Company (also known as the Hondo Guitar Company). The new company introduced modern U.S. production methods to the Korean market..."

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 9:52 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:44 am
Posts: 7282
Location: Washington
I didn't win the cookie, you did. You found the Hondo connection. I knew that meant Samick. A quick search found that image to provide confirmation for you.

There are probably loads of Strat-like guitars out there with those pickups.
Squier bullets have pickups like those too.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:05 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
orvilleowner wrote:
I didn't win the cookie, you did. You found the Hondo connection. I knew that meant Samick. A quick search found that image to provide confirmation for you.

There are probably loads of Strat-like guitars out there with those pickups.


I was just going on a hunch but needed the confirmation which you provided..so I guess we can split the cookie. :) The odd thing is I could not find any info or pics of those pickups when I searched "single coil with metal base plate" pickups etc. Nothing at all came up even close. So you would think they were rare. Either that or everyone replaces them as soon as they get a guitar with those in them lol. Granted if they are like the ones that were in my 70s Hondo I thought they sounded fine...actually better then any modern standard strat to my ears, even USA.

But then again I am going on memory from when I was in like 4th or 5th grade. I guess the only way to know is to try them out. If they sound killer I might put them in a 73 strat where I have everything for it but the pickups. Being that to find any original strat pups from 1973 will easily cost between 2-300 dollars each (and might not even work or could be fakes or rewounds) if these samicks can even come close in sound I might do it. This way I can say that even though the pups are not original, they are from the era and "related" to a company based out of Texas....well BS it in there somehow lol.

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:40 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:44 am
Posts: 7282
Location: Washington
I searched "Samick single coil pickups."

It seems they have made pickups like that for 40 years! And if they weren't the leading manufacturer, Samick sure made a lot of guitars.

The pickups could sound okay, even if they only seem to be used on the lowest level budget models, at least today. Let us know.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:56 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
orvilleowner wrote:
I searched "Samick single coil pickups."

It seems they have made pickups like that for 40 years! And if they weren't the leading manufacturer, Samick sure made a lot of guitars.

The pickups could sound okay, even if they only seem to be used on the lowest level budget models, at least today. Let us know.


Will do. I have seen hundreds of entry level guitar pups but never ones that looked just like those. Granted who knows if an "entry level" pickup from 1970 is as good or better then a top level one is now. However the ear does not lie so I will trust those. If they are a POS I will know in seconds. Thanks for your help.

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 12:12 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:52 am
Posts: 3840
Location: Colorado Springs
ebaysux wrote:
I think we have a winner...thanks orvilleowner...cookie on the way.

Funny ... I thought for sure it was those Burmese Taung Kalat Monastery pickups.

_________________
Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Identify these pickups contest.....
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 3:21 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Posts: 1479
Location: Los Angeles, USA
01GT eibach wrote:
ebaysux wrote:
I think we have a winner...thanks orvilleowner...cookie on the way.

Funny ... I thought for sure it was those Burmese Taung Kalat Monastery pickups.


I can have a DNA test done on the tone wax just in case it actually was built by the monks but using Samick parts.

_________________
I'm almost out of stuff to sell.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 25 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: