Harmonic Designs — the "forgotten" amazing pickups [Archive]

mountain blues

04-23-2005, 10:36 AM

With all the info going around about the great current pickup makers like Lollar, Rolphs, Wagner and others, I thought it might be worthwhile to report on someone who's been making pickups for 23 years and occasionally gets recognition here — Scott Petersen of Harmonic Designs.

I put a set of HD '54 Special Strat pickups in a '94 Strat yesterday, and I could not be happier. Brilliant, clear, piano-like response with fantastic harmonics and benchmark tone in every position.

The HD '54's are to 50's vintage tone what the Wagner SR's are to 60's Hendrix/SRV tone. Simply incredible pickups, and much better in every position — to my taste — than the Fralin 3% Underwounds I took out of my Callaham (and replaced with Wagners) when it comes to 50's vintage tone.

HD's are a little bit more "present", with a very distinct quality of projection, than most other pickups I've played. In a way, they are like Scott Lentz's pickups in that regard.

Harmonic Designs simply makes great pickups. Worth keeping in mind...

Dave Orban

04-23-2005, 10:59 AM

I love 'em...! :dude

They're probably a little too "contemporary" sounding for some folks, but I like them just fine!

ccteleman

04-23-2005, 11:05 AM

:AOK

+ 1 on the HD's.

I put one in my fav Tele a few years ago and it is really the best all around pickup for me.
I can't recall the name of it, it's like a P90 but tele sized. It sounds as much like a tele as I need and can get up and get after it when called on.

I have a strat w/Clamam/Fralins in it, I really like them for clean stuff, a bit dark maybe. The bridge is bit under powerd, every time I play that tele I think of getting the HD strat bridge pickup.

Good stuff, and remember he has not heard of you either!

Craig

straticus

04-23-2005, 11:07 AM

Very interesting.

I've been a Fralin guy for the past 5 or 6 years. I have Fralin Vintage Hots in both of my strats. One strat has a Steel Pole 43 Fralin in the bridge position. I'm still not sure what I think about that one. The guitar came with it and I've only had it for a few weeks.

Maybe it's time to check out some other p/u makers. Your comment about the Wagner's makes me want to try some. Can you compare the Wagner's to the Fralin Vintage Hots?

Thanks.

tennisplayer

04-23-2005, 11:10 AM

Where can I find out more about these? Website?

sanhozay

04-23-2005, 11:18 AM

For a few years, I used an HD mini-strat that was a very nice pickup. Throaty, chimey and punchy, just like a real Strat. I switched it out for a set Fralin Blues Specials that match really well together. I did have a good experience with the mini-strat and Scott was very gracious and easy to deal with. I'd go back and patronize his wares again without a second thought. Great products.

mountain blues

04-23-2005, 11:28 AM

Here's the website:

Harmonic Designs (http://www.harmonicdesign.net/index.html)

HD Strat and Tele pickups come in two basic flavors: '54 Specials and Vintage Plus. The '54's use AlNiCo magnets, the Vintage Plus use ceramics. There are other very cool pickups that Scott makes on his site.

I had the Vintage Plus Strat Set in one Strat that I sold, and currently have the '54 Special Teles in a '76 Tele, the Vintage Plus Tele/Strat/Tele pickups in a Nashville Deluxe Tele, and now the '54 Special Strats. Nothing but positives about all of them.

As Dave said, they may sound a bit contemporary for some folks — the Vintage Plus more so, to me, than the '54 Specials, though all of Scott's pickups have a little extra richness to them.

mountain blues

04-23-2005, 11:51 AM

Originally posted by ccteleman
I have a strat w/Clamam/Fralins in it, I really like them for clean stuff, a bit dark maybe. The bridge is bit under powerd, every time I play that tele I think of getting the HD strat bridge pickup.

Craig

I agree — the Fralins had a beautiful clean tone, but a tad dark. Also, I found position #4 too muddy for my tastes. The HD's are the right amount of brightness for me, a tad richer, and overall much better balanced — "optimized" is a word that comes to mind.

Both great pickups — I still have the Fralins — but I just love the slightly more efficient nature of the HD's while capturing wonderful vintage tone. The neck alone is exceptional. Scott Petersen really knows how to make great neck pickups...

Mark Robinson

04-23-2005, 12:23 PM

I have two guitars with Harmonic Design pickups. Both sets are great and aren't going to be changed, at least while I use the guitars. I've waxed here a lot about the Z-90, a great original pickup, which reminds me of the best qualities of some P-90 pickups, but with extended frequency response and lower noise floor. I also hold in high regard a set of Tele pickups, the S-90 and vintage plus? neck pickup. Again the S-90 is a big sound, much louder than a vintage spec Tele bridge pickup, less noise, large soundstage. The neck pickup is many degrees clearer and larger sounding than a stock chrome covered Tele neck pickup. The cosmetics are spartan, but the sound is not.

If I might be so presumptuous as to define something I'd call a "Harmonic Design Sound" I would declare it to be an ability to make a pickup that sounds "BIG". When going from vintage pickups to an HD equipped guitar, the HD's sound big, large, full, wide, I'm not sure how to describe it. I suppose it's extended frequency response, and a sort of even sound, not peaky or notchy. I haven't tried the humbuckers to date, but given the right deal, I'll try to snag a set one of these days.

hemlock

04-23-2005, 02:57 PM

How about the P90s. I love my Slingshot the with the stock Reverend pickups but your descriptions sound pretty intriguing!

Pedro58

04-23-2005, 03:04 PM

+1
Scott's p'ups are great. I've got two Teles with them. One hot/fat and one Bakersfield-style. They are wonderful. If you want that angry Roy Buchanan thing, seek elsewhere... HD's are smooth.
His tele p-90 thing, I forget what its called, is awesome as well. I have that in a third Tele in the bridge and it is a blast to play.
I had a humbucker, too. It was smooth like all HD's and I switched it for some WCR's... Nothing wrong, just a taste thing.
Harmonic Design pickups are worth the $ and the wait. Can't go wrong.

mountain blues

04-23-2005, 03:55 PM

Jon Silberman

04-23-2005, 04:09 PM

+1 :D

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79451

erksin

04-23-2005, 05:02 PM

Originally posted by Mark Robinson
If I might be so presumptuous as to define something I'd call a "Harmonic Design Sound" I would declare it to be an ability to make a pickup that sounds "BIG". When going from vintage pickups to an HD equipped guitar, the HD's sound big, large, full, wide, I'm not sure how to describe it. I suppose it's extended frequency response, and a sort of even sound, not peaky or notchy. I haven't tried the humbuckers to date, but given the right deal, I'll try to snag a set one of these days.

Perfect description...

I've got a set of the Z-90s in a Tele - they're easily the best pups I've ever owned, for all the reasons you describe.

I was so impressed with them, I bought a STP and Vintage Plus neck/middle for my Strat - also amazing pups. The STP is full-on Tele, and the Vintage Pluses sound very Blackmore to my ears - full and rich with a great vocal quality.

I wish he'd make a Mini-humbucker - I'd buy a set in a nano-second.

The Z-90 is *THE* HD pup, IMO - killer punch, harmonics, clarity, richness, feel. That pup just makes me want to play more - which is the whole point, right..?

illinimax

04-23-2005, 06:16 PM

Hello, my name is Bob and I'm a pickup swapping addict. I love the smell of solder in the morning :D . I've tried virtually all the major and boutique brands of pickups over the last 10 years, Barden, WCR, Bill Lawrence, RIO, Fralin, Duncan, etc ...

I agree with all the HD enthusiasm expressed here. I just replaced a set of WCR Darkbursts with the HD humbuckers and the HDs are staying in for good. Other guitars of mine sport VP90s, Z90s and his V+ tele pickups along with the Super 90 tele bridge. Clear, big and smooth are words I use to describe the HD house sound, if you will. Great stuff that works for me.

Anybody try the new Chromotone tele neck pickup?

fatback

04-23-2005, 08:53 PM

I threw a Z90 and a super90 into my parts tele and the guitar was instantly tranformed into a tone monster. Great pickups!

Now, will the real Scott Peterson please stand up...;) :p :D

MOJO

04-24-2005, 12:41 AM

not forgotten by me,,,got 2 Z-90's in my Thorn:dude

cnardone

04-24-2005, 03:30 AM

Hemlock,

If you do a search on P-90s you'll find that the two brands of P-90s that always come to the top are HD and Lollar. The Lollars being a bit more vintage. I have not played them but I trust the people that love them. I've got a HD bucker in the neck of my Chapin Fatline. It sounds incredible. That neck pickup is not going anyway. I've got a McRosie I've been dieing to drop a pair of z-90s into. I've heard they are a great match for the rosewood neck as well.

cmn

CarlWerkmeister

04-24-2005, 05:54 AM

After putting a set in a guitar I later sold I knew I would always have 1 guitar with Z-90s in it....currently a RW neck Cu22. Several sets of Z-90s have been ordered after other people played these guitars... :D

Shemp

04-24-2005, 06:13 AM

I've had the S90 Bridge/Vintage Plus neck combination in my 52 RI tele for about 4 years now. It's the only reason I haven't sold the guitar. I have a hard time with a tele, we just don'yt bond naturally or something, but everytime I pop a new set of strings on it and plug it in I'm blown away. Powerful, harmonically rich tele tone without the ice pick. All three positions sound great.

The bridge gets growly and nasty when you play it hard, cleans up and is just plain powerful when you ease up. The neck is loud and smokey, but not muddy. Great for comping or blues soloing and well matched to the bridge output. The middle position is very rich sounding, hum gone, and really pushes my amps.

enharmonic

04-24-2005, 07:38 AM

I've had a few pairs of HD buckers...most recently in one of my original McInturffs...very fat tones with good articulation...not your poppa's PAF clone :)

I have an itch for some Z-90's. My only gripe is that sometimes it can take a good long time to get HD pup's.

kwaves99

04-24-2005, 09:00 AM

I just picked up my Ibanez Artcore AS-73 that Rob DiStefano of Fret Tech worked on. He took a very inexpensive guitar (268) and made it it into a tone machine. Much of that has to do with the set of Z-90's that he put in it. The richness of these pickups is just not to be believed. And the amount of different tones you can get is unreal. Everything from a gorgeous jazz tone to blues and rock to overdriven tones. the Z-90's are without a doubt some of the sweetest sounding pickups I've ever heard. Rob also switched out the cheap plastic nut, shitty 500k pots and toggle switch for better ones and now the Ibanez is just an awesome guitar. Its amazing that the Chinese have managed to build basically good guitars but then "Cheap out" by using cheap ceramic pickups, crappy pots and switches and a plastic nut. Weird because the bridge, the tuners (Gotoh) and the build of the actual guitar (body, neck, headstock and frets) are really good for the $.

BOTTOM LINE:

thanks to the Z-90's and a great job by Rob DiStefano of Fret Tech in Park Ridge NJ, I now have a MONSTER es 335 copy for 608.00. I'd love to hear this a/b'd with a real one!

Ogre

04-24-2005, 03:44 PM

Not forgotten by me! I have a VP90 in the bridge position of my McInturff Taurus Sportster, and I love it.

papersoul

09-30-2005, 03:41 PM

Originally posted by Mark Robinson
I have two guitars with Harmonic Design pickups. Both sets are great and aren't going to be changed, at least while I use the guitars. I've waxed here a lot about the Z-90, a great original pickup, which reminds me of the best qualities of some P-90 pickups, but with extended frequency response and lower noise floor. I also hold in high regard a set of Tele pickups, the S-90 and vintage plus? neck pickup. Again the S-90 is a big sound, much louder than a vintage spec Tele bridge pickup, less noise, large soundstage. The neck pickup is many degrees clearer and larger sounding than a stock chrome covered Tele neck pickup. The cosmetics are spartan, but the sound is not.

If I might be so presumptuous as to define something I'd call a "Harmonic Design Sound" I would declare it to be an ability to make a pickup that sounds "BIG". When going from vintage pickups to an HD equipped guitar, the HD's sound big, large, full, wide, I'm not sure how to describe it. I suppose it's extended frequency response, and a sort of even sound, not peaky or notchy. I haven't tried the humbuckers to date, but given the right deal, I'll try to snag a set one of these days.

Bigger and wider than WCRs? Goodwoods and Fillmores always make a guitars sound very big. I also find the same with Rio Grandes.

Jon Silberman

09-30-2005, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by fatback
Now, will the real Scott Peterson please stand up...;) :p :D

Our Scott is Peterson.

HD Scott is Petersen.

GeetarGoul

10-01-2005, 12:50 PM

Has anyone heard of or tried Aero pickups?

http://www.aeroinstrument.com/pickups.html

They are worth a look for sure. The guy is friends with Lentz.

Jon Silberman

10-01-2005, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by CarlWerkmeister
After putting a set in a guitar I later sold I knew I would always have 1 guitar with Z-90s in it....currently a RW neck Cu22. Several sets of Z-90s have been ordered after other people played these guitars... :D

I'm one of 'em. And I ordered two sets!

erksin

10-01-2005, 06:05 PM

The Z-90s are spectacular pickups, IMO - especially the neck unit.

I also have an STP bridge model in a Strat and love it, very believeable Tele tones - Vintage Pluses in the neck/middle. Great pups!

KRosser

10-02-2005, 09:28 AM

The HD Vintage + is my favorite humbucker available at any price, hands down.

I like Lindy Fralin's single coils a tiny bit more for my own self, but HD Tele pickups are really great. Although, I had a parts Tele once with a Z90 in it. Fantastic pickup, and not really exactly like anything else out there...I'd love to get a custom job sometime next year built around a set....