Pickup mods for GB10
sheetsofsound
playability. I've never been crazy about the pickups though and
sometime in the early 2000s they switched over to really hot dimarzio
pickups which are about 15k. Additionally, the neck pickup is
microphonic and too close to the string and it clicks if you hit it
with your pick. This is true of all the modern benson guitars. They
pot the coils but not the cover so the cover is microphonic.
I could get the pickup fully potted which would solve the clicking
problem.
Or I could get replacement pickups or a rewind. I'm tempted to have
the pickup bracket modified to get the pickup lowered more.
Another option would be to put a pair of full size humbuckers in it
which would require some metal working and gold plating.
Anyone do anything interesting? I remember Pat Smith actually had a
pair of full size humbuckers cut into his GB10 at one point...
Mr Maj6th
I think that if you find this will be your main guitar for a long
time, and it is worth the expense, put two pickups in the body and
buy a custom pickguard to match the pickups. That also gives you the
option to experiment with pickups without worrying about it fitting on
a pickguard. If you modify a GB10 it's not like you are modifying a
super 400 or L5; in the end it's your guitar and should be perfect for
you, then you can forget about equipment and just play.
Maj6th
sheetsofsound
after playing it more today, I think if I could get the neck pickup
lowered and the rear pickup shimmed so it'a parallel to the strings
when the pickguard is adjusted to the height I like it would be just
fine.
sheetsofsound
I also want to mention how great the ibanez quality is on their high
end jazz boxes. This came with a factory setup which is impeccable. No
need for nut filing or any other nonsense .
charlieguitar
Man! Whatever you do don't put humbuckers in there. A big part of the
charm of that particular ax is the woody sound that you get off of the
top. It's amazing that they get that with such a small body but they
do! I wouldn't even mess with the stock pickups. The greatest selling
point for the GB-10s is the sound that they get.If you have to mess
around with it at least make changes that are reversable.
Charlie
Tim McNamara
<07fe7628-cb3c-489c...@m27g2000prj.googlegroups.com>,
sheetsofsound <jackz...@gmail.com> wrote:
> So, I finally got a gb10. I just love the form-factor, weight and
> playability. I've never been crazy about the pickups though and
> sometime in the early 2000s they switched over to really hot dimarzio
> pickups which are about 15k. Additionally, the neck pickup is
> microphonic and too close to the string and it clicks if you hit it
> with your pick. This is true of all the modern benson guitars. They
> pot the coils but not the cover so the cover is microphonic.
My GB10 is from 1981; the pickups are still pretty hot but probably not
like what you are describing. They drive a preamp fairly hard which may
account for the some of the fatness of the tone and the feling of
responsiveness of the guitar.
> I could get the pickup fully potted which would solve the clicking
> problem.
>
> Or I could get replacement pickups or a rewind. I'm tempted to have
> the pickup bracket modified to get the pickup lowered more.
>
> Another option would be to put a pair of full size humbuckers in it
> which would require some metal working and gold plating.
I'd have a chat with Kent Armstrong, I think, if I was looking to
replace or rewind a pickup.
> Anyone do anything interesting? I remember Pat Smith actually had a
> pair of full size humbuckers cut into his GB10 at one point...
Yeek.
--
"It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may
judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their
own liberty ‹ to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who
are poorer or weaker than themselves." Samuel Adams
sheetsofsound
pickup lowered a tad. It's really a great instrument.
ScotGormley
> i think both you guys are right. Maybe if I can just get the neck
> pickup lowered a tad. It's really a great instrument.
I kept mine stock, but I played one once with an Attila Zoller pickup
(by Shadow, I think), and it was a great sound. Jimmy Raney had one of
those pickups on his Hofner (now Peter Leitch owns that guitar).
Mark Cleary
You might call Kent Armstrong up and see if he will wind them again to what
you like. He did that for me on a Johnny Smith PUP and it came back really
much better. He is great to work with and if you tell him what sound you
want to hear I think he can get close.
Deacon Mark Cleary
Epiphany Church
"sheetsofsound" wrote in message
news:07fe7628-cb3c-489c...@m27g2000prj.googlegroups.com...
sheetsofsound
> You might call Kent Armstrong up and see if he will wind them again to what
> you like. He did that for me on a Johnny Smith PUP and it came back really
> much better. He is great to work with and if you tell him what sound you
> want to hear I think he can get close.
>
I've had him wind pickups before for me. He's great to work with.
Mark Guest
I put one of the Zoller floaters onto my Halfling (the KA went
microphonic, as was the replacement). I was going to recommend that PU
for your GB, Jack. But adjusting the stock PU's might be a better
plan, at least the best *first* plan...
sheetsofsound
The interesting thing is that I didn't like the high output pickups at
first but I think it's actually a benefit on this guitar. It's got a
huge dynamic range with these pickups.
Bg
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IyApGux6W4&feature=related>...
Bg
sheetsofsound
thanks for the link. It sounds good. Still sounds like a gb but
without the top end brilliance. Hopefully my engel sounds similar...
icarusi
news:858c959c-88b2-4de9...@v7g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
>>The interesting thing is that I didn't like the high output pickups at
first but I think it's actually a benefit on this guitar. It's got a
huge dynamic range with these pickups.<<
A lot of high output pickups sound more tonally 'traditional' and mellower
when played with the guitar's vol around 7, but still have the extra poke
available full up, depending on your need, or what style you're playing at
the time.
icarusi
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