Mike Turk MGL pickups-advise needed

[skeeterbuck]

I have a set of Mike Turk's MGL pickups and am planning to install them in a R8 LP.
I took some readings and the pickup marked neck is about 0.5K higher. The bridge is 8.5 and neck is 9.0. My first thought was that it won't make much of a difference because the reading are so close together.

Do you think that I should install them like they are marked or reverse them?

I know that I can change them to find which one sounds best, I guess that I looking for someone who has a slightly stronger neck pickup and what they think of the setup tonewise.

I also seem to remember reading that Jim Rolph perfers the neck to be stronger.

 

[kingsleyd]

I have MGLs in three different guitars: an R9, a Gustavsson Bluesmaster, and an Artinger Hollow Sport. (which is sort of a Johnny A-ish guitar) In all three I used the pickups as marked. The neck pickup is still plenty clear and the bridge has just the right balance of oomph and bite. I like them enough as is that I haven't been the least bit inclined to try swapping positions in any of the three guitars. The balance between the pickups is fine -- I definitely don't notice anything like the neck being especially hot or high-output.

It depends a bit on the guitar and the pickups, but I lean in the same direction as Jim Rolph. Based on the sound of his pickups, I'd say JR knows what he's talking about.

 

[Shnook]

Install them as they are. A good deal of PAF's/clones have a higher neck reading than the bridge.

 

[bluehugh2]

Available again...
http://www.gbase.com/gear/find?gs=y&keyword=mike+turk

 

[skeeterbuck]

I wonder if they are any different from the ones he wound for Mike's Guitar Loft?

 

[bluehugh2]

Well, some time has gone by and Mike has had a few mini-epiphanies... so although these new Mike Turk pickups start with the MGL Killer '59s as the platform, Mike has made some refinements that he feels gets him closer to the elusive PAF tone. As has been mentioned, there's more than one way to "skin a cat" and the pickup that seems to hit the nail on the head actually has a DC resistance closer to 9k... but they certainly don't sound "hot". The neck pickup has a character that is addictive to play... and the bridge pickup is fairly aggressive. But I'd rather roll off the tone a touch than not have those frequencies in the first place. But the bridge pickup is in no way harsh. Mike used Alnico 5 in the MGL pickups and he now uses Alnico 3.

 

[bluehugh2]

Mike Turk pickups now at my on-line store... www.bluehughmusic.com