Pickups

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Pickups

Postby MagicOurMorris » Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:40 am

I'm sure this will have been asked many times before - but I would appreciate members opinions.
Are Fender Vintage Noiseless Picks ok for shadows music. I use a Vox Valvetronix Amp - Custom Shop 56 Special Edition Strat fitted with Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups and use a H&C Echo unit. I play at home for my own benefit as do many others.
A long time ago now I had my guitar amended by a guitar shop in Doncaster to enable the middle pickup tone to be controlled by the bridge pickup control knob and wonder if that could be creating or contributing to the problem? I honestly don't know. I find that instead of getting enjoyment out of playing the Shadows music I instead spend most of the time getting up and down tweaking the amp settings and becoming more and more frustrated with the situation and getting absolutely nowhere with it.
I can get close to the sound but always find that the echo sounds like its being played in a church hall - boomy kind of tone. I've spoken with Charlie Hall and I believe the problem lies with either the amp or the pickups or not least of all my own level of understanding in setting up my amp.
I have asked for help and advice in the past and whilst the advice has always been helpful and gratefully received, despite all the tweaks that I have put into practise from the advice received, I still have this sound which whilst being ok is also boomy.
So I wondered is it the pickups? I know chasing "That Sound" has been a life time goal for a lot of people but I'm happy to get a sound that's close if only I could solve boominess of the sound.

Regards Keith.
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Re: Pickups

Postby dave robinson » Sat Oct 21, 2017 12:36 pm

I have exactly the same pickups on my USA Deluxe, I have two of them, as well as a Vox AD30 Valvetronix and the Hall and Collins echo machine. I have no problem recreating the old or later Hank tone with that gear.
Other than trying your gear personally I couldn't possibly give any useful advice as all gear works slightly different to identical stuff that someone else may own.

A good starting point would be to set the amp on the AC15 setting, gain at around ten to nine, volume full on, bass off, middle full on, treble around twelve o clock but adjust either way to taste. Use the main volume at the end of the control board for overall level. Also make sure that all effects on the amp are off to begin with.
Don't push the Hall & Collins above the settings that it came with, that is all knobs at three o clock.

The guitar I would set the middle pickup on full volume and listen to what you have, then back off the volume a little to take out the 'spike' if it's ear shattering. The tone controls on my Deluxe with those pickups sound best at centre position, allowing an increase in treble or not. :)
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Re: Pickups

Postby Uncle Fiesta » Sat Oct 21, 2017 12:39 pm

I have a Strat fitted with Noiseless pickups. Sounds OK is all I can say, but nothing like a Strat. Lacking in treble and with a bit too much middle, I'd say.

(My PRS does a much better impression of a Strat, that's how far off it is.)

I probably won't replace the pickups as it doesn't get much use; it's been autographed by the Shads and I don't want to rub Bruce out!
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Re: Pickups

Postby Tone » Sat Oct 21, 2017 2:01 pm

I have a Fessler Masterbuilt Strat which came with Vintage Noiseless pickups. It's a beautiful guitar but, like Steve and Keith (and unlike Dave), I couldn't get a decent Hank sound out of it. After endless twiddling I managed to get something on the edge of ball park but to do that I finished up with amp etc settings which were totally different from the ones I use for my other Strats.

Eventually, I got fed up of twiddling and changed the pickups to CS54's. They have totally transformed the sound and now it's my 'go to' guitar.

Anyone want a set of Vintage Noiseless?

Cheers.

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Re: Pickups

Postby MagicOurMorris » Sat Oct 21, 2017 5:09 pm

Many thanks to Dave Steve & Tony for their input very much appreciated. I will try out the settings you suggest this weekend Dave and let you know how I get on.
I'll be over the moon if those settings sort out the sound issue that I have.
Thanks once again everyone.

Best Regards

Keith
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Re: Pickups

Postby MagicOurMorris » Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:04 pm

Problem now resolved - my thanks to all. What a site this is. Brilliant.

Best Regards

Keith.
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Re: Pickups

Postby dave robinson » Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:29 pm

I'm pleased it worked out for you Keith, I know from experience that those pickups are OK as long as you understand how to use them.
It's true though, that if I were to bring my '63 Strat and let you hear that, the sound is instant through any amp I stick it through. :)
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Re: Pickups

Postby SJB » Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:09 pm

dave robinson wrote:I have exactly the same pickups on my USA Deluxe, I have two of them, as well as a Vox AD30 Valvetronix and the Hall and Collins echo machine. I have no problem recreating the old or later Hank tone with that gear.
Other than trying your gear personally I couldn't possibly give any useful advice as all gear works slightly different to identical stuff that someone else may own.

A good starting point would be to set the amp on the AC15 setting, gain at around ten to nine, volume full on, bass off, middle full on, treble around twelve o clock but adjust either way to taste. Use the main volume at the end of the control board for overall level. Also make sure that all effects on the amp are off to begin with.
Don't push the Hall & Collins above the settings that it came with, that is all knobs at three o clock.

The guitar I would set the middle pickup on full volume and listen to what you have, then back off the volume a little to take out the 'spike' if it's ear shattering. The tone controls on my Deluxe with those pickups sound best at centre position, allowing an increase in treble or not. :)


I have the Mexican Deluxe with noiseless pickups. The only issue I get is when playing at shadows clubs. Seems the setup on my guitar gives a lower output. It's ok if you just turn it up - but often I loose out on the first number I play.
Now I use a Booster - to bring it up where most others levels are. In addition I can turn down the volume without loosing tone as the input impedance of the booster is so high it does not load the guitar. So I set the booster so the guitar is on about 7 to match the others and then I can go up or down as required.
I have taken up the low output situation with Fender - they say that this should not be an issue.
So Dave are your Deluxe outputs low?

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Re: Pickups

Postby dave robinson » Sat Oct 21, 2017 10:47 pm

Hi Stuart, no the output is fine and the volume control loses nothing is tone when reduced. The tone controls seem to work from 5, allowing treble boost or cut either way, unlike on a normal Strat where the tone is usually required to be full on. :)
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Re: Pickups

Postby SJB » Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:22 pm

Thanks Dave.
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