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I have a Watkins Rapier 33 in my rack, if i showed it to you it would go something like, oh my what a load of junk, then if you played it you would melt with its feel and tone and perfect setup.
Its all about setting a guitar up correct and it will all come together.
Looking at pickups today
1: i was going to roll my own but i have only enough bobbins for 1 HB
2: Order from Wilde Bills a pair of L500C's blade pickups
3: Take the pair out of my Telecaster Blacktop body
4: Some Gotoh HB's or the likes
Leaning toward the ones in my Tele
Have decided to use these pickups out of my Tele blacktop body.
These are Alnico BHK brand made in China, Fender call then a "Hot Vintage Alnico Humbucking Pickup with Nickel Cover"
Attachment 7947
The part i was deading was checking the neck levels, it didnt look right to me, but i got a pleasant surprise.
The worst part and its nothing really, the worst match up of tuner holes
Attachment 7972Attachment 7973
Checking the frets and neck over, everything is good, i got 2 slightly proud frets when i did a rocker test, and it has a very very slight concave, which is good as well.
Attachment 7974Attachment 7975
Pickups have been selected and paid for
Bill Lawrence (Wilde Bill) L90, i picked the 4 henry inductance rating for the bridge and the 2.8H for the neck.
Independent review
The 2.8H is around 6.5k, the 4.0H is around 7k its puts them in that Vintage PAF type of range but these things a very very clear.Quote:
"the L-90 is a humbucker that has a very clean, clear sound, almost like a single-coil. It's got a great, open, vintage sound, that you don't expect from a humbucker. It's great for blues, jazz, country, and rock. Most guys love it as a neck pickup because it's open and not muddy, but plenty use it as a bridge pickup too, Joe Perry and Buck Dharma love this pickup."
These are a blade pickup so no problems about the 12 string alignment.
What the late Bill Lawrence himself had to say about them.
His lovely wife Becky makes the pickups these daysQuote:
the L-90! The gleaming stainless steel blades guide a tightly focused magnetic window in a perfectly structured Alnico 5 circuit for unparalleled accuracy and with low magnetic attraction and complete immunity to noise. The pickup is responsive to the finest nuances in playing technique, smoothly balanced from crisp highs down to a detailed, powerful low end.
What you got with Bill was no industry BS, absolutely none at all (a bit like meself haha), its why over the years i have bought so many pickups of him, and now Becky. I have a lot of his pickups in my collection that i havent even put in a guitar yet. I used to many many years ago pry him for information about pickups as i wanted to wind my own and he soon rather abruptly at times dispelled alot of myths :o
Attachment 8011
A link to the blades, i nearly went the L500 but these are cleaner
http://wildepickups.com/Wilde_Bill_s_Twin_Blades.html
Those L90s sound like they are the biz, can't wait to hear them
Yeh Stan they should get the jingle jangle i am wanting out the 12 string.Quote:
Originally Posted by stan
$60 US a pop +$25 postage, you 100% know that your getting top quality every time.
If they sound as good as they look, they'll be a winner! It's good you know his products, so you can be confident in how they'll work out.
I have been a fan of Bills since the early 70'sQuote:
Originally Posted by Swanny
I have an Ultrasonic HB here of his he made when he was still in West Germany in the 70's, i also used his acoustic pickups back then.
Bill hardly advertised, he just let word of mouth sell his gear. He designed pickups for Framus, Gibson, and Fender, he did the American Deluxe series pickups from 2004 to 2009.
Passed away in 2013 but his wife a top winder in her own right carries on the business.
A link worth reading about their quality control
http://wildepickups.com/How_To_Order.html
hell f**k yeah!Quote:
Originally Posted by tonyw