Bluesbird pickups

GGJaguar

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I had the Bluesbird out all weekend to tweak the pickup heights to get the optimum combination of clarity with richness that humbuckers generally can do. It was a struggle. Single notes and arpeggios sound great, but I have to play with a light touch while playing chords to avoid the tone getting muddy. My guitars with SD-1s don't seem to behave this way (I have dig in harder to get the pickups before they start getting muddy). In its current set-up, the BB makes for a killer lead guitar, but I’m a rhythm guitarist (and bass player). I’m still open to a pickup swap but need to do more research for possible candidates. So unless I can find the right pickups, I think this guitar is going to be a one-trick pony rhythm player that excels at hard rock.

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SFIV1967

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Have you checked if the tone capacitors are fine or if somebody changed the electronics?
Ralf
 

GAD

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Have you checked if the tone capacitors are fine or if somebody changed the electronics?
Ralf

a good point. Don’t discount the pots, either. I have a very nice Les Paul that sounded like crap because the pots were Something like 400k. Put some 525k pots in it and now it screams.
 

mavuser

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well, regardless of the pickups, that is a beautiful Bluesbird. Maybe experiment with different strings before going for the jugular. i know for myself i like all different brands and gauges for my various guitars. i have a LP Jr with a super hot P-90, even compared to a similar Gibson dog ear P-90...i changed strings from 10 to 9s and that one is a completely different animal now. also the pots like GAD said. that same Gibson needs a new tone pot as does one of my other guitars. doesnt sound like u are having technical issues w pots (like i am), but pot swapping can tweak things for the better in many cases
 

GAD

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Somewhere there's a video of Joe Bonnomassa where he talks about how the pots are something like 50% of the tone of the guitar, and he's playing a vintage Les Paul if memory serves. As time wore on those vintage Centralab pots wore down actually increasing the resistance, which is why I think 525k pots sound so killer.

Edit - here's the video:
 

kakerlak

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I never liked SD '59s because they're muddy. Seths are pretty okay. My buddy Wolfe Macleod makes good stuff, and I've been itching to see just how good the Stewmac Parsons Street pickups are for the price point. They say a lot of the right stuff in their product info section.
 
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I been really diggin Fralins and Zhangbucker for humbuckers.
 

Nuuska

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. . . As time wore on those vintage Centralab pots wore down actually increasing the resistance, . .


Now YOU being scientistically ( is that a word? ) oriented - I'll wait for evidence - I'm having my doubts of carbon track resistance increasing.

As of different pot values ( no fumes intended ) - I can easily see how different potloads affect the output of pickup. ( that last sentence somehow sounds like dealing drugs or sumptin' :rolleyes:
 

GAD

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Now YOU being scientistically ( is that a word? ) oriented - I'll wait for evidence - I'm having my doubts of carbon track resistance increasing.

As of different pot values ( no fumes intended ) - I can easily see how different potloads affect the output of pickup. ( that last sentence somehow sounds like dealing drugs or sumptin' :rolleyes:

It’s friction that wears down those carbon tracks. I should have said “when used” - the NOS pots wouldn’t suffer from this. That was a bit self contradictory.
 

Nuuska

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It’s friction that wears down those carbon tracks. I should have said “when used” - the NOS pots wouldn’t suffer from this. That was a bit self contradictory.

OK - so continuous friction over years thins out the track thus raising it's resistance. Right then - modern pots can take up to millions of turns without degrading. So no matter how much we tweak our modern pots we don't get better sound - perhaps only osteoarthritis 😅
 

GAD

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OK - so continuous friction over years thins out the track thus raising it's resistance. Right then - modern pots can take up to millions of turns without degrading. So no matter how much we tweak our modern pots we don't get better sound - perhaps only osteoarthritis 😅

Now you're subscribing to GAD's psuedo-science theories! LOL

At any rate, with humbuckers I find 525K pots to be absolutely magic.
 
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Now you're subscribing to GAD's psuedo-science theories! LOL

At any rate, with humbuckers I find 525K pots to be absolutely magic.
Anybody else in the group find success with electronics changes and holding on to the stock Seymour Duncan 59's? I have taken one pass at playing with pickup height on the neck and wasn't finding the clarity and high end that I was hoping for....just feels a little blanketed in sound. Haven't tried adjusting the individual pole piece screws yet...
 

Nuuska

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Back to original problem - just an idea - have absolutely zilch knoledge - what about lowering both pups some - while you wrote : " Single notes and arpeggios sound great, but I have to play with a light touch while playing chords to avoid the tone getting muddy. "

Sounds like you're overdriving them pups.

Those w better knoledge about electric guitars - please continue.
 

Smitch

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I prefer the SH-1, heck I swap out others pups in favor of the SH-1! All in the ear of the beholder of course, and I’ve probably tainted my ear with almost exclusively playing the Bluesbird (with several other options available), I find a sweet spot with the neck pup horizontal and about the same height as the ring, and the bridge pup higher on the bridge end and then angled down to about flush with of the ring. Two BBirds set up this way.
 
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I prefer the SH-1, heck I swap out others pups in favor of the SH-1! All in the ear of the beholder of course, and I’ve probably tainted my ear with almost exclusively playing the Bluesbird (with several other options available), I find a sweet spot with the neck pup horizontal and about the same height as the ring, and the bridge pup higher on the bridge end and then angled down to about flush with of the ring. Two BBirds set up this way.
I'll play around with the pickup height some more...just out of curiosity, what style of music / amps are you tending to work with?
 

Smitch

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Style wise I cover big ground from clean tones of CCR to full blown distortion and feedback, with the Bluesbird a champ for all of it. I’m a Mesa Boogie guy so that’s part of the key. However, I only use the Mesa clean channel and bring dirt with pedals. Mesa cleans are to me like old clean Fender Twins without the weight and having to fight volume. I know a part of your tone is your fingers, but don’t discount the amp.
 
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