Super 58 Pickups

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Author Message Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Friday, October 20, 2006 - 5:14 pm:    I just purchased a 1995 AS120 and need to confirm if the pickups are in fact Super 58's. THey look different from the rear of the pickup than my 2001 AS80's look. They sound like a super 58 but I guess my question is, did they have physical changes over the years? I also noticed some differences in the thickness of the neck and body sizes. Round horns, different bracing, small headstock, small F holes, etc. It's sweet and plays just like my 68 335 Orange Lable, in fact it plays better. Mike Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Friday, October 20, 2006 - 6:53 pm:    Mike, Mail is on its way, but not the highway. (I wrote it off line. It's in the out box of my office PC). But before I leave tomorrow morning our time, I need to be there anyway, in order to print something and then I send your mail. Ginger Hazy Username: Hazy Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 7:46 am:    Mike, Hello. This is rick and I just joined the forum after my AS120 purchase. Could you post or send me some pictures of your AS120? I'd like to see another from the same time frame as a comparison. Here's a picture of the front of my AS120: Thanks, Rick Hazy Username: Hazy Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 10:08 pm:    Mike, Mail is on the way...just a question. Thanks, Rick Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 3:19 am:    Ginger I found the pics from 10-06-06 when you guys and the LONG thread on the super 58's. Got some pics off ebay then. Hey the 58's off my 2001 AS80 do sound different than my 58's off my 95 AS120. The 120 is matched and warmer as well as hotter so to speak. Thanks Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 7:37 pm:    Hi Mike, Did you measure the resistance of them? And of course your AS80 sounds different, that's the one you "Gibsonized" right? CTS pots + original orange drop capacitors. You're also comparing two different guitars. For example: pointy horns vs Mickey Mouse ears. Do you still love the result on the AS80? Ginger Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 12:51 pm:    Yea it's great. I have 7.86 on both pickups with the pots open. I think I have lenier pots for volume as they don't taper the way I like so I may change them. I seriously think the body style differences of the older artstars vs the last year artstars made a difference in sound. At least my three are and that includes the one I left stock without changing the pots and caps. Thanks for all your help. Mike Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 6:15 pm:    I aks this question again...it suddenly dissapeared i have a bunch of super "58" laying around , can they be split to 4 conducters ? Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 11:39 pm:    Yes you can, but it is difficult without breaking the wires and a lot of trouble to do it right. Better to sell the 58's and buy some already split. Better yet, I'll trade you some 4 way's for two pair of your 58's. Ginger, have you ever seen a AS120 the color of Ricks, (above)? Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 2:17 am:    No, Ricks was the first. But I've seen an Epiphone Sheraton II in that colour at a pawn shop for 700 guilders some years ago, but then I had just bought my AS120. These white Epi's were pretty rare to. I think that these guitars got this colour when there were optical flaws in the wood. A trasparent finish would make it difficult to sell the guitar, so they turned it into something special that's not in the catalogue. It's a very economic and environment friendly solution. There are factories who would cut these guitars up. (I've seen it on a PRS DVD). What I remember is that there were 24 carat gold plated Maxima strings on the white Epi, which gave it a very exclusive look. I read, these strings are now sold under the name OPTIMA. Here is one on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/epiphone-vintage-white-semi-hollowbody-sheraton-case_W0QQite mZ120045437431QQihZ002QQcategoryZ33037QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem The owner obviously was not enthusiastic about the stock pickups! And this is exactly where the advantage of the Ibanez AS120 lays: stock Super 58's! In the production of both guitars: the AS120 and the Sheraton II the same Korean factories were involved or at least one of them. In 1995 AS120 production was transferred from Samick to Cort. I don't know exactly if Samick did Sheratons, because the neck construction is very different than those of other Epiphones (laminated necks and no scarf joint used for the headstock). Ginger Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Monday, October 30, 2006 - 1:32 am:    Check out item #320042354110 on ebay. They show the front and back of super 58's. Rick you may want these for your axe. They are at 61.00 USE now and a fair amount of bidders. 1000 ohms is super high. I question that reading. Ginger what do you thank out the VOM reading? Hazy Username: Hazy Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Monday, October 30, 2006 - 6:56 am:    Thanks, Mike. At the bottom of the auction, he updated the DC resistance to 7.7k and 7.56k for the neck and bridge, respectively. I'm looking at this auction close. Rick Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Monday, October 30, 2006 - 6:57 am:    Rat...Seller (fellow ICW member) has revised the listing to: The Neck pup reads 7.7K ohms The Bridge pup reads 7.56 K Ohms. These readings are within the range for a Super 58....} Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Monday, October 30, 2006 - 10:42 am:    Maybe I missed, are these Super 58s chrome or gold? Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Monday, October 30, 2006 - 4:06 pm:    They look chrome to me. What a great find. YOu don't see many of those NOS. I'm guessing they may go at 125.00 or more. What do you think? Rguit Username: Rguit Registered: 10-2005 Posted on Monday, October 30, 2006 - 8:14 pm:    Can I ask a quick comment/question, I noticed you guys were talking DC resistance for the super 58 neck, I was under the impression they were like 9K and Alnico 3. To me, (old ears I guess), they seem a little midrangy, but sometimes seem fine, I tend to like lower resistance clearer jazzy sounding humbuckers. So are the super 58's in my JSM like 7.8 k or 9k ?? I was about to change them out but am still on the fence since they do sound good. Ratfinks3 Username: Ratfinks3 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 2:52 am:    I would keep the pickups and change the caps. Put .047 caps to replace the .022 caps that are factory. (orange drop are best via Torres Electronics or Antique Electronic both on the web) That will give you a warmer jazzy sound. Look back on some threads with Ginger and I several months ago, as he helped me gibsonize it so to speak. (I think the thread started with AS80 pots or something like that) I put the 47's and cts audio taper pots in the tone control and it really worked out well. The ohms are fine. You have to combine it with the body and F hole size, wood type and string size, etc. You'll get the sound you like. Keep the 58's. Sooner or later you'll wish you had. Mike

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