Replacing wide range with standard humbuckers

Bungle1

I have done a bunch of research online and not found a definitive answer on this.

I am tempted by the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster as a project to mod. Ideally I would love to try some Seymour Duncan Phat Cats or the Fralin humbucker size p90s but understand the routing isnt compatible as wide range pickups are slightly bigger / shallower? 

What would be the most pragmatic way of putting standard humbucker size pick ups into a wide range slot? 

earwighoney

You can get widerange to HB adaptors be it through a seller on Ebay (which do not seem to be that highly rated) or get a custom solution from Axion Custom.

simonhpieman

I think the best looking of the latest Starcaster reissue is the active one in Lake Placid Blue. No humbucker shape issues on that or the affinity.

iheartreverb

The first (vintage modified) versions of these came with a standards humbucker or P90 options. There are some differences on the spec of guitar but would be cheaper and by the sounds of it closer to what’s you’re looking for to buy a used one of those 

simonhpieman

iheartreverb said:

The first (vintage modified) versions of these came with a standards humbucker or P90 options. There are some differences on the spec of guitar but would be cheaper and by the sounds of it closer to what’s you’re looking for to buy a used one of those 

Did they? As a Starcaster afficionado I don't recall this.

TTony

If the wide range p'ups *are* shallower as well as being bigger front-to-back, then you might need to do some routing too - to make the cavities in the centre block deeper to take the replacement HBs.

Funkfingers

I suspect that the depth issue is mainly because WRH elevator screw lugs are not as tall as vintage Gibson types.

ICBM

The Squier Affinity Starcaster comes with standard-sized humbuckers.

It does also only have two controls, but if you're intending it as a modding platform anyway you could always fit the extra two.

Funkfingers

Bungle1 said:

Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster as a project to mod. ... Duncan Phat Cats 

This only makes sense if you buy pre-owned.

ICBM said:

The Squier Affinity Starcaster comes with standard-sized humbuckers.

So does the Contemporary Active model.

ICBM said:

It does also only have two controls but, if you're intending it as a modding platform anyway, you could always fit the extra two.

Yeah but no but ...

On the two controls variants, the knobs are placed differently. Thus, no matter where the additional two are installed, the overall effect will never look as neat as the CV model. If anything, the Affinity/Contemporary control positioning is more conducive to recreating the five pots arrangement of the original CBS model.

ICBM

Funkfingers said:

Yeah but no but ... 

On the two controls variants, the knobs are placed differently. Thus, no matter where the additional two are installed, the overall effect will never look as neat as the CV model. If anything, the Affinity/Contemporary control positioning is more conducive to recreating the five pots arrangement of the original CBS model.

Yeah but...



The End.

iheartreverb

simonhpieman said:

iheartreverb said:

The first (vintage modified) versions of these came with a standards humbucker or P90 options. There are some differences on the spec of guitar but would be cheaper and by the sounds of it closer to what’s you’re looking for to buy a used one of those 

Did they? As a Starcaster afficionado I don't recall this.

No, they didn’t. I read this too quickly and issued it was about tele deludes. False alarm