sws1
Member
- Messages
- 11,240
Just this morning I finished my pickup swap. I put in SD '59 neck and SD Custom 5 bridge. A very common / recommended replacement.
Started it last night, and was fairly disappointed when I finished it. First off, the springs on the pickup rings on the McCarty such that I couldn't get the bridge pickup close enough to strings: I maxed out the screwage.
Then, the stock screws on the neck pickup were not long enough to pull the neck pickup away from the strings.
As a result, the neck pickup was very loud, and pretty bassy, and the bridge, wasn't very loud, and missing some of the sound qualities that reviewers mentioned.
Went to bed annoyed wondering if pickup height was the cause of my disappointment.
So this morning, I used the SD springs in place of stock springs on bridge pickup and then used SD screws in place of stock screws on neck pickup.
Voila! I could set the pickups as I wanted, and all was good.
After setting it to get a good combination or bridge solo, neck solo, and middle, I really like this set. It's different enough from my other axes to make it sound unique, but still clear a rock machine, without being too hi-fidelity.
Plus, the split sounds are significantly better than the split sounds with stock McCarty pups. Not even close. I may actually use the split positions now.
I guess all the raving about this set is true. This is a good combination for those not wanting to pay boutique prices.
Started it last night, and was fairly disappointed when I finished it. First off, the springs on the pickup rings on the McCarty such that I couldn't get the bridge pickup close enough to strings: I maxed out the screwage.
Then, the stock screws on the neck pickup were not long enough to pull the neck pickup away from the strings.
As a result, the neck pickup was very loud, and pretty bassy, and the bridge, wasn't very loud, and missing some of the sound qualities that reviewers mentioned.
Went to bed annoyed wondering if pickup height was the cause of my disappointment.
So this morning, I used the SD springs in place of stock springs on bridge pickup and then used SD screws in place of stock screws on neck pickup.
Voila! I could set the pickups as I wanted, and all was good.
After setting it to get a good combination or bridge solo, neck solo, and middle, I really like this set. It's different enough from my other axes to make it sound unique, but still clear a rock machine, without being too hi-fidelity.
Plus, the split sounds are significantly better than the split sounds with stock McCarty pups. Not even close. I may actually use the split positions now.
I guess all the raving about this set is true. This is a good combination for those not wanting to pay boutique prices.