New EVH Frankenstein pickup

[Datsyuk]

I know there has been a lot of skepticism and at times around animosity regarding Ed's growing list of products. With that said I'm wondering if anyone has any interest, insights or information about the yet to be released Frankenstein pickup. Can we please refrain from the above mentioned Ed bashing regarding his marketing, lack of tact, ect and keep to the topic of this post. Thanks kindly in advance for doing so!

http://www.vanhalenstore.com/page/VH/PROD/new/EVHFH

http://accessories.musiciansfriend....enstein-Relic-Humbucker-LTD-Signed?sku=580301

It's alleged to be a pretty exact replica of the original pick up that would have been used on early VH recordings. Considering all of the current custom pickups hyped to capture the same authentic sounds I'm wondering if I'm a sucker to think that this would be as good or better than all of the other early VH style humbuckers. Any believers? Non believers?

 

[MrMunky]

Your sentiment echoes my own. The price point makes it competitive with other pickups whose manufacturers claim to know the magic recipe for some famous recorded tone.

I haven't heard this pickup, and I'm not sure if anyone has yet. But the VH1 sound and EVH's gear from that era have been subject to so much scrutiny that a product like this would be difficult to market if it didn't have something to commend it.

 

[GAD]

I'm interested. I'd love to drop one in my Jackson and see how it sounds. I don't see the need for the $500 relic'd one though, but that's just me.

GAD

 

[pfrischmann]

This is supposed to be the pickup in the $25K guitar but it is not a clone of the VH-1 original. Eddie and Seymour Duncan made it from scratch it is a new sounding pickup.

At 13K, it is not the PAF type pickup from VH-1. Probably great for later tones ala Fair warning, Diver down. When he had to compensate for the really bright floyd.

It's funny really,
The pickup and neck are not the originals or even replica's of them.
I'm told the body is swamp ash and should probably be the much harder and heavier swamp ash....

So much for replica...

I'd bet it's still a cool pickup.

 

[wingwalker]

The pickup is the same as the pickup from the 25k Frankie guitar that Fender/EVH did last year, the pickup was inspected, measure and cloned by Seymour Duncan but keep in mind one thing...the pickup that Seymour had to go from is the pickup thats in the original Frankie guitar TODAY...not the pickup that Ed used on the old stuff...

 

[pfrischmann]

I've heard another story from Guitar player and from an interview with Chip Ellis.

No one was allowed to pull apart the pickup that reads "0". They listened to it and then voiced a new pickup with Eddie listening and playing.

That is different than an exact replica. That would require an autopsy.

 

[frankfalbo]

Well, not if you already knew what was in there.

I truly can not comment on pickups that read 0, or multiple listening tests with Eddie in the sound room, etc. but I can say that if you want the pickup that is in the $25,000 Frankie replica, this is the one. It's not a 9k+ P.A.F. like the early stuff though.

Everyone out there making copies of the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '78 knows that's not what's in the Frankie replica. Everyone out there making copies of the Frankie replica is just matching DC. No one is going to let you pull apart the pickup from their $25,000 guitar so you can try to figure out the winding tension(throughout the entire coil, not just on the outside) the bobbin material, traverse, etc. So those guys are generally taking educated guesses.

The relic one is costly, but it's a work of art as much as it's a pickup. Overall I think EVH has hit a good value with this pickup, considering what goes in to making it, both the relic one and the regular one.