| Author |
Message |
Craigjc
Username: Craigjc
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 06, 2005 - 9:15 am: | |
For anyone who feels the ACH humbucking pickups in their Artcore lack character but don't want to shell out the money for new pickups, I highly recommend replacing the ceramic magnets with Alnico 2. I did this over the weekend and I love the results. It's a cheap fix, but requires a fair amount of effort. Of course, taking apart pickups should be done with caution - they are delicate. Here's my step-by-step process.
1. Obtain new magnets. Make sure they are pre-magnetized, unless you can magnetize them yourself. I bought mine from Torres Engineering.
2. Remove the pickups from the guitar, keeping the wires attached.
3. Remove the pickup covers from the ACH humbuckers. You will get chunks of wax falling out as you do this - the pickups are potted.
4. Remove the 4 screws underneath each pickup to remove the coils.
5. Remove the magnets as gently as you can. Mine were bonded to the coils with some kind of sticky adhesive. Keep track of the magnet's polarity with respect to the coils.
6. Insert new Alnico 2 magnets, insuring the polarity is the same as before.
7. Re-assemble the pickup coils.
8. Re-solder the covers in place.
9. Mount the pickups back on the guitar.
10. Plug that Ibanez in and play.
The result is a guitar with much more midrange character and a fuller sound with great harmonics. Now the pickups actually sound like good aftermarket pickups - much better for everything from Jazz to Rock to Country. My ACH1 and ACH2 humbuckers are now in the ballpark of Duncan Alnico 2 Pro and Duncan Custom Custom humbuckers (respectively).
"Guitar Tech" Craig |
Johns
Username: Johns
Registered: 02-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 07, 2005 - 8:57 am: | |
Craig:
Thanks for the tips and step by step instructions! |
Zhen
Username: Zhen
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 07, 2005 - 7:13 pm: | |
+1
yeah, thanks a lot ! pretty useful !!! |
Craigjc
Username: Craigjc
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 08, 2005 - 10:11 am: | |
You're welcome. If anyone is thinking about attempting this conversion and has any questions, feel free to email me (just click on my user ID, CraigJC, in BLUE)
<------- |
Pearly_gator
Username: Pearly_gator
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 5:20 pm: | |
Hi, Craig
How did you get the magnets to release without damaging the bobbins? Isn't that glue contact cement or some other tough substance?
Today I popped the cover on my AG75's bridge pickup. I split the coils and wired them to be in parallel. It now measures ~4.5K ohms, ala Gretsch and is very sweet sounding.
Later,
Gator |
Jazzzbo
Username: Jazzzbo
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 1:06 pm: | |
J SMITH VS HUMBUCK
can anyone tell me of the difference in sounds , johnny smith type versus humbucker, in the same type body, jazz box, also, i hate to mention but there is a killer looking hofner new president on ebay, thanks |
Craigjc
Username: Craigjc
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 7:41 am: | |
How did you get the magnets to release without damaging the bobbins? Isn't that glue contact cement or some other tough substance?
I slowly pried the magnets off with a pocket knife. I don't recommend this unless you are really determined (If it ain't sealed in epoxy, I'll find a way to disassemble it).
I also rewired my Artcore humbuckers to have the option to be split into single coils. The bridge humbucker's so hot that one coil approximately equals a Strat pickup (different tone though, for many reasons).
I like tonal variety, but the stock pups/magnets sounded too sterile to me - no "vowel-like" midrange qualities at all. The Alnico 2 magnets completely fixed that.
...can anyone tell me of the difference in sounds , johnny smith type versus humbucker, in the same type body...
The Johnny Smith featured a mini-humbucker, so it's still a humbucker. The difference in tone would depend on what kind of humbucker you're comparing it to. I've never heard a Johnny Smith, but I've heard it described as very "even" sounding with a little more upper midrange than a PAF. |
Jazzzbo
Username: Jazzzbo
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 12:17 pm: | |
GB 10, 175, PICK UPS
OK, i was wondering if the johnny smith types are brighter than say a regular humbucking, and comparing say a gb 10 with a 175 type, or johnny smith with l5 . is there a major difference in sound, i guess to have both type of guitars would be pretty happening, thanks |
Pearly_gator
Username: Pearly_gator
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 9:10 pm: | |
Thanks, Craigjc. How did you like the bridge pickup running just one coil? Did it sound anything like a P90?
Jazzbo, if my gray matter serves me correctly, the Beach Boys used a semi-hollowbody Epiphone with "Johnny Smith" mini-humbuckers on the song "I Get Around." That would give you a good example of that pickup's tone.
Best regards,
Gator |
Craigjc
Username: Craigjc
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 7:29 am: | |
How did you like the bridge pickup running just one coil? Did it sound anything like a P90?
Not really. A P-90 is a whole different design and a unique tone. I've been splitting humbuckers for many years and my consistent observations are that half a humbucker sounds a fair amount brighter and less output than the full humbucker, but still retains some of the full humbucker's character. It's definitely not a Strat pickup or P-90 tone, but very useful. In the event that I'd need to go from that chuncky humbucker tone to playing (for example) a Beatles tune without changing guitars, splitting one or both of the humbuckers would get me much closer to the target tone.
I sacrifice the dual volume/tone control scheme and use 2 controls for splitting the pickups. The remaining controls are master volume and a tone - either a master tone or a rhythm-pickup-only tone.
This way I don't add switches or drill holes and I get a master volume (which I prefer). |
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 7:37 am: | |
Craig what Beatles tune do you have in mind? Its funny when you think of the last tour where they played those Epiphone Casino's and on the 2 studio albums prior to thet they used Strats and an SG a rick bass on Revolver. |
Craigjc
Username: Craigjc
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 3:17 pm: | |
No song in specific. I just stated that if I had to do it without changing guitars, the single coil tone would be there and would better suit the music. I understand that I would not be replicating the tone of a Casino, Rickenbacker, Strat, etc., but it's a brighter and cleaner sounding tone than the full humbucker.
Anybody ever see the current Beatles tribute bank playing at Disneyworld, Orlando? Those guys had the guitar tone NAILED...and no amps in sight. Wonder if they were using PODs or something. |
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