Semi-hollow guitar: pickups and stuff

UnclePsychosis

Hey folks

This may get a bit "stream of consciousness" but hopefully won't ramble on too long. 

My main (only) electric guitar is a Schecter Corsair, which is a fairly classic-styled semi-hollow double cutaway guitar with two coil-tappable humbuckers (they're "duncan designed" pickups based on the SD '59, apparently). Big heavy mahogany centre block. 34" scale. 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/schecter-guitar-research-corsair-bigsby-electric-guitar

Now, this guitar isn't going anywhere. Its a great guitar and even if I wanted to sell the resale is so bad that I just wouldn't. Thing is, I've never *really* been a humbucker guy. They're just a bit...I dunno. Too middy or dark or something. 

So, I'm thinking about putting (humbucker sized) P90s in. Probably Irongears or something from GFS. But I don't know if I should or not---do you think I would lose versatility by doing this? I'm not a tone-hound by any stretch of the imagination, at the moment I can use the coil-taps for single-coil-esque sounds and if I ever actually need humbuckers they're available. Would it be worth the hassle of going through the rewiring process on a semi-hollow to do it? Should I leave it alone and just play the damn thing? 

The other thing is, I never really use the bridge pickup. This is true of all the guitars I've ever owned---I'm normally either on the neck or the middle position. Bridge pickups tend to be a bit too brittle and sharp for my liking. Would putting a P90 at the bridge make this even worse? Would anyone recommend anything other than a pair of p90s? 

In terms of sounds, I'm into indie rock / post rock / funk / punk / reggae / indie pop type stuff. Classic rock isn't my thing at all and I very rarely play "lead" guitar, I'm just not a widdly-widdly guy. 

Thoughts please...

Branshen

I'd say brittle and sharp is the nature of a bridge position pickup. Of course a good one could be less brittle, but it might be that you're a neck pickup only type of person.

If you want to change the neck pickup to something that you think will be more suitable for you, then go for it! A neck p90 is a great tone.

JookyChap

I'm actually thinking the same thing about a Harley Benton 335 thing at the moment. I got a Mojo Wide Range HB, but I'm not sure that it the sound I want.

Have you thought of some sort of Filtertron for a Gretsch kind of sound? Something like that at the bridge may give you a different 'bucker sound, whilst a P90 at the neck is always a good thing. 

Alternatively, a better PAF-style hb might be a nice surprise. I've not tried the duncan designed ones, but the IronGear rolling mill is a good pickup, and the blues engine is gorgeous, but for that price you are in UK handwound territory, which is always a nice place to be.

Personally I'm coming around to some sort of 'tron for the bridge, and mixing it with a P90 at the neck - the middle position will be lovely, like

JookyChap

Lovely guitar btw. Never tried one of those, hmm

UnclePsychosis

@jookychap There's one for sale in the classifieds I think. @camf is the seller. 

Interestingly enough he has replaced the pickups too. 

I think whats putting me off the most is the huge hassle of rewiring this thing and the fact that I actually know very little about what different pickups sound like. The whole thing feels like a bit of a lottery (with a lot of hassle thrown in). I had looked at Filtertrons but wasn't sure that any were available at Irongear prices!! 

Richardj

Sweet looking geetar. From direct experience a set of GFS Mean 90s ('bucker sized P90s) would be a step in an interesting direction. Very articulate but also quite fat, it certainly isn't thin or spiky in the bridge. Of course even better would be something from our own (if I may) TheGuitarWeasel - Ash at Oil City Pickups - who, from my experience of all of his pickups I have spent my hard earned on, makes a very fine pickup potentially taylored to what you as near as want/need.

JookyChap

I think GFS do one - I tried one a while back a 'Liverpool' or something iirc. (quick google) - Retrotron, that were it HERE

I know what you mean - there are so few sound samples on pickup maker sites, and they all sound the same to me anyway  

UnclePsychosis

The GFS ones look appealing but its a bit of a gamble---each pickup has about 15 seconds of clips in a single style! 

@Richardj I had thought about going to someone like Oil City but I don't really want to spend lots of cash and I'm not even sure I know what I want myself so not sure how I'd explain it! 

Richardj

I have had a set of the Mean 90's and they are very good and well worth the investement. If that is a direction you want to try you just cannot go wrong with them. It does of course does open you up to the Pandora's box of the even better pickups available. Sorry.

JookyChap

I guess the other way is to go and try some guitars. Nice Casino will give you the flavour of P90s, thinline Tele for some Wide Range, Gretsch for the obvious etc. See what takes your fancy and then go from there.

Of course the hard bit is not falling in love with something new and spending even more than you were planning, but...

Sassafras

I'd keep them as they are. It's a versatile set up already and it doesn't sound as if you need much more than what you've got. Not much help, I admit.

UnclePsychosis

Sassafras;575896" said:

I'd keep them as they are. It's a versatile set up already and it doesn't sound as if you need much more than what you've got. Not much help, I admit.

Nah, that is helpful. I'm not sure if I just want to tinker for the sake of it...

meltedbuzzbox

Maybe look at some SD P-Rails then you can have everything you can think of, especially if you install the ring mounts for them as well. 

OilCityPickups

If it ain't broke ... don't fix it ;-)

Jalapeno

Mojo, HB sized Mojotron --> http://www.mojopickups.co.uk/mojotron.php

UnclePsychosis

Thanks gents.

From last night's youtubing I think I'm really tempted by some kind of filtertron.

However, that said, I think at the moment it would cost more than I'm prepared to spend (£120 for those mojos plus good quality switch /pots /jack /caps). Plus I'd need to buy a soldering iron and find the time to do all the work!

So perhaps I shall hold off just now and wait till I can do the job "properly" - I don't want to do this more than once!

JookyChap

Jalapeno said:

Mojo, HB sized Mojotron --> http://www.mojopickups.co.uk/mojotron.php

Big +1 from me...

NPP

I have replaced the 'Duncan designed' HBs in my hollowbody with a pair of Oil City HB-sized P90s and I'm very happy with them. Even if you don't use the bridge position on its own the bridge + neck is very sweet and versatile. You may start by just replacing the neck pickup. 

If you are not worried about killing the resale value of your pickups you may, of course, cut off the old ones' wires in the pickup cavity, shorten the new pickups' wires and join them up. This is not considered good workmanship, but if the alternative is not doing the job at all ... 

guitargeek62

Jalapeno said:

Mojo, HB sized Mojotron --> http://www.mojopickups.co.uk/mojotron.php

I might have a set of these going spare actually, I've had them in my Trini Lopez copy for a while now but am switching back to PAF types for a bit. Let me know if you're interested @UnclePsychosis

*edit* pics;

stickyfiddle

My gut feel on reading the OP was filtertrons. Brilliant pickups - they can be rattly, or smooth or sweet or bitey and they're really a lot more versatile than a lot of people give them credit for.

UnclePsychosis

@guitargeek62 I'm potentially interested but to be honest I'm pretty skint just now - my month has involved having to replace both the washing machine and the car!

This was kind of a long term project but hit me up if you're definitely selling, the worst that happens is I say no!