Hi there,

I am (as usual) getting ahead of myself as my NS is not even in my hands yet BUTT.............. I wonder if anyone here has considered or investigated trading out the melody side EMG 'Front Tele" neck Pickup with a side by side Strat Size Humbucker. (do you see why I never get any practicing done.....?)

There seem to be quite a few pickup alternatives but I'm looking for a direct swap for something approaching a PAF sound, retaining the NS electronics and not doing any routing. A tall order perhaps but I just thought I'd throw it out there in case I can piggyback on someone else's research. I've begun research but of course its a long and winding road. Hmmm, good song title. Gotta wright that down

I'd appreciate it if anyone could provide some info so I can just kick back and come up with some other time wasting train of thought.

Just trying to (as I did, with some success) on my 12 String Grand with PASV-4, to get that warm, rich, full, creamy, sustain for days sound without too much distortion. A real help was the Seymour Duncan SFX-01 Pickup Booster. Seymour Says: "The Resonance Switch drops the resonant peak of a single coil pickup up to 5KHz, making a single coil sound like a full and fat humbucker." Does a fair job, especially on cleaner settings.

Anyhoo, I promise to play the NS for a while before tearing into it but "a while" is a relative term.........

Thanks for playin'

Rob Cathcart

P.S. Who is this Schiff character anyways and why have donuts not affected him like they have me?!?!?

Rob Cathcart

Couldn't you just get the stacked/single space humbuckers?


Edit:DiMarzio's Protrack is a single coil sized dual coil humbucker voiced like a PAF. the thing is, it's passive, so you'll have to see about putting some kind of pre in front of it. I think EMG has a wiring guide for missing passives and actives. Alternately, you could try any of the myraid of EMG single coil pickups or some of the duncan actives.

"You'll be sorry" - Looney Tunes

I know (Being a tweeker myself) that you are already going to do this.

but,

- I thought the EMG electronics are a hum cancelling system and a power supply for the pickups.

- Aren't the tone controls active,and should be able to get a "PAF" type of sound ?

- You are going to throw a lot of money at this and end up liking/wanting the stock sound later.

Finally, shouldn't you get it first and play it ?

Just playing devils advocate for you.

Have fun !

EMGs do have a really low noise floor, since they're low output and boosted significantly with a preamp. However, I think he could have some interesting results simply by, say, putting in an EMG SA, SV or even a FTC (Like the FT that's already in there but with a more open sound, apparently). He should be able to put any other single coil active in there without much trouble.

Another option might be the EMG FTX. It's a similar design to the FT, but it has more output and less preamp volume, giving it more of a passive sound but with all the oomf.

Hi there,

Thanks for the input everyone.

I’ve always lived by the old adage “It’s better to just jump in over your head than to consider the options and make an intelligent, informed decision”.

My reference to a “side by side Strat Size Humbucker” was perhaps vague and incorrect. What I meant was a direct replacement, size wise, wherein I could just plop it in with just two or 4 desolders and resolders. Nothing drastic. I should have said Tele size Humbuckers and in saying “side by side” I was referring to pickups where the magnets and therefore the pole pieces or rails are arranged side by side as opposed to stacked. The “stacked” humbuckers are simply strat/tele single coil sounding pickups with a magnet on top for the sound and another underneath that does nothing but buck the hum. I’m wanting a traditional humbucker, as in Gibson, sound.

I was hoping that someone had tried this with success.

So far I’ve not been able to find an active Tele size PU that fits my needs and the New Beast will be here tomorrow!! (I bought Brett's NS a few daze ago) So for those who suggest I just chill and play it for a while, I’m sure that will happen. I won’t make any changes without determining that I REALLY want/need to. I love some of the sounds Donut Dude (Hi Don, still using some of those riffs you showed me!!) gets, especially on “Peering Over Clouds”. Pretty close to what I’m after. This whole train of thought (or lack thereof) started basically after fantasizing on all I could do to her (the NS), (playing wise) for hours. What's left of my mind then went on to obsess for a few hours about what could be done to the instrument itself . And yes, I did remember to take my meds. Sometimes they work and sometimes.... they..... wait.... what were we talking about?

So, to make a short story even longer:

Just looking for anyone with knowledge of an Active ‘Bucker I could just drop into the neck position, melody side and give it a go.

So Long,

Rob
(King of the Parenthesis)
“Master of the Run On Sentence”
CathCART BEFORE THE HORSE

Duncan Little '59 ?

Hi Rob,

Rob here,

Yeah! I'm likin' that idea!! The 'Lil 59

EDIT: Next Paragraph is ALL wrong - EMG builds their pickups with the preamp inside the pickup housing. Back to the drawing bored......

I gotta see if I can slap the Lil' thang into the NS as a direct replacement. NOPE I'm under the impression that EMG pickups, including the "Front Tele" that's in the NS, are active in the sense that the pickup itself is low output passive and that there is an onboard preamp that is separate from the pickup itself. NOPE If that's that case it seems it would be an easy swap. NOPE

I gotta stop writing posts to Stickist and start doing more research............

Thanks for the input!!

Rob "Ever Twiddling" Cathcart

P.S. - Already got a date with the NS for this weekend!!
Wavedrum Oriental as well!

I found it: you can use passives with an EMG in combination if you add a preamp right after the passive pickup. How do you do that? EMG sells one! The EMG PA-2. From EMG's FAQ Page:

Now we're talkin' !!!

All Hail metalken !! Thanks fer findin' that!

Think of the possibilities.

OK, metalken, can you figger out I can attach a Kaoss pad up by the nut?

Rob "It's Wenge, Dummy" Cathcart