Guild Pickups

[dbirchett]

Not sure if this is the best category for these questions but here goes:

1. What are the general specs for the old HB-1? What makes them sound so clean and articulate compared to other humbuckers?

2. What current pickups would best replicate that sound in a Starfire 4/5?

3. Is there anyone that rewinds the Fender pickups to sound like HB-1s?

4. I have heard that the Seymour Duncan 59 was what Guild called the SD-1. Is that true? If not, was it an existing model or was it a custom design?

5. Will Guild covers fit current Seymour Duncan HBs such as the 59, Seth Lover or Antiquities?

Those five will do for a start. I am grateful for any help here.

Don

 

[Los Angeles]

Thanks to frono for linking from the solid/chambered forum. OK, I'll give it a shot.

Before you read what I have to say, the most important thing to do is to refer you to the finest piece of writing on this very subject, written by our very own forum member GAD. Here's a link:
http://www.gad.net/Blog/2011/11/25/guil ... ariations/

1. What are the general specs for the old HB-1? What makes them sound so clean and articulate compared to other humbuckers?
I would love it if someone out there took a perfect set of Mini HBs and a set of HB1's and completely reverse engineered them. I would love to know exactly where the magic comes from for both of these tremendous pickups.

2. What current pickups would best replicate that sound in a Starfire 4/5?
I'm assuming that you are asking about Starfires with post 1970 HB1's, correct? The closest I have found were Gibson Firebird pickups, but honestly they were closer to 60's Guild Mini HB's than to post 1970 HB1's. A lot of people will argue with me on this, so I will of course defer to smarter people.

3. Is there anyone that rewinds the Fender pickups to sound like HB-1s?
I don't know. I just find HB1's on ebay and swap them out. at $300 to $400/pair it is a little pricey, but nothing beats the real thing.

4. I have heard that the Seymour Duncan 59 was what Guild called the SD-1. Is that true? If not, was it an existing model or was it a custom design?
You should refer to GAD's blog post linked above.

5. Will Guild covers fit current Seymour Duncan HBs such as the 59, Seth Lover or Antiquities?
I am not sure, but I don't think so. Again, look at the diagram provided by GAD:

 

[dbirchett]

Thanks, LA. I have read GAD's fine article and these are the questions that came to me after reading it.

I have just obtained a 2001 Starfire 5 and am trying to figure out options to the "suck"y Fender HBs if I am not satisfied with them. I really don't want to enlarge the existing routs. Who knows, they may be fine to my ears. Heaven knows the audience will never notice the difference.

Thanks for your response.

Don

 

[Los Angeles]

Thanks, LA. I have read GAD's fine article and these are the questions that came to me after reading it.

I have just obtained a 2001 Starfire 5 and am trying to figure out options to the "suck"y Fender HBs if I am not satisfied with them. I really don't want to enlarge the existing routs. Who knows, they may be fine to my ears. Heaven knows the audience will never notice the difference.

Thanks for your response.

Don

It is quite possible that the routs will accomodate old school HB1's. What you need to do is take one of the pickups out and measure the existing routs. I once had a 1994 S-100 that I sold to member "blakely". I was pleased to see that old HB1's fit the routs for that guitar, though just barely.

You could definitely get lucky on this and only need to remove the tiniest amount of material to accommodate the slightly wider foot on the bass side of the pickup that has two height adjustment screws.

 

[dbirchett]

Thanks, LA. I have read GAD's fine article and these are the questions that came to me after reading it.

I have just obtained a 2001 Starfire 5 and am trying to figure out options to the "suck"y Fender HBs if I am not satisfied with them. I really don't want to enlarge the existing routs. Who knows, they may be fine to my ears. Heaven knows the audience will never notice the difference.

Thanks for your response.

Don

It is quite possible that the routs will accomodate old school HB1's. What you need to do is take one of the pickups out and measure the existing routs. I once had a 1994 S-100 that I sold to member "blakely". I was pleased to see that old HB1's fit the routs for that guitar, though just barely.

You could definitely get lucky on this and only need to remove the tiniest amount of material to accommodate the slightly wider foot on the bass side of the pickup that has two height adjustment screws.

Has anyone tried to put HB-1 pickups in a Westerly Starfire and discovered that they didn't need to enlarge the routs? This really intrigues me. Don't get me wrong, it will still suck when I play it but it would suck with TONE!

 

[dapmdave]

Don't get me wrong, it will still suck when I play it but it would suck with TONE!

A worthy goal, my friend. 8) And one that I share.

Dave

 

[Zelja]

Some of my musings on HB-1s are linked below in some previous threads & include specs - I hope they are of some help:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21095&p=367017&hilit=pickups#p367017
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=32917&hilit=henries

You will be looking for relatively low wind humbuckers. Fralin does his Unbuckers, I would also check out Dave Plummer at http://www.zhangbucker.com/ - he will rewind pickups as well as doing his own designs. In a Starfire I also reckon the offerings from TV Jones would work & can be had in standard HB size (which I understand the later day Fender HB-1s conform to) though you'll either have to drill the pickup rings or make tabs on the bass strings side of the pickup to accommodate the the 2 pickup height adjustments screws. The TV Jones would not sound exactly like the HB-1s as they are a different beast but would sound good. I would go with a Powertron in the neck & either a Powertron or Classic Plus in the bridge - the latter will be more sparkly & jangly, the former will rock out more.

I'm guessing your current covers may well fit other standard SD humbuckers (the mounting tabs will be different though of course). The covers on real HB-1s & the SD-1s are a bit bigger than a standard Gibby style HB. I replaced the SD-1s in my 97 SF4 with HB-1s - straight swap & used the same pickup rings.

 

[Los Angeles]

Has anyone tried to put HB-1 pickups in a Westerly Starfire and discovered that they didn't need to enlarge the routs?

I replaced the SD-1s in my 97 SF4 with HB-1s - straight swap & used the same pickup rings.

Bingo.

 

[dbirchett]

So does this mean that the Duncan produced SD-1s use the same routs as the HB-1s while the Fender produced ones will require enlarging? Hmmm. Next time I restring, I'll have to get out the calipers.