Pick-up differences

chetmz

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I have seen assorted posts on the various pick-ups Guild offered but not quite the comparison I was looking for.
I am looking at the Starfire II, CE 100 and T100 and wondering about the sound difference some you may hear in the variousl pick-ups;
Franz P90
Single coils on the later T100
Small humbucker on CE100 and Starfire
Large humbucker on Starfire

Also, what do you hear between the Gibson P90's and humbuckers used in an ES175 versus the Guild.


I owned a Starfire III as a kid along with a 335 but that was many years ago in a galaxy far away and certainly my sonic memory (or much of any kind of memory for that matter) doesn't go back that far. I do recall it was fun playing Yardbirds tunes on that old Guild through an Ampeg Gemini 1 although now I'm looking for more of a good swing blues/jazz tone.

Thanks Boys.
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Chet,

While hearing varies from person to person, most people hear mahogany as brighter than maple no matter what the pickup. Also they usually hear a hollow body as having less sustain no matter the pickup.

Apparently there is a lot of variation in Franz P90s. But generally I suspect htat most people hear the Franz as twangier and the Gibson as warmer.

In the Moust book, you see a lot of different DeArmond PUPs. The small ones are thinner sounding. I think the big ones are more nasal. But it depends on now much wood you're vibrating, and whther or not it's mahogany or maple.

To me, the small buckers of the 60s sound a little twangier than the big 70s buckers. For me, the definitive sound of the minis is on recordings by Son Seals and Buddy Guy. To me, the big buckers sound almost the same.
 

chetmz

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Thanks for the nice summary Darryl. I used to be a real audio fanatic and sold equipment for a period of time. It is fascinating how people hear things differently depending on their preferences. At any rate, although the proof will be in the playing, it would seem from your comments that possibly a 'newer' SFII or some old overpriced Gibson would be the sorts of thing to look for.
Of course....every time I see a picture of an old CE100 or T100 I get a very strong sense of longing. Who knows, if I get my hands on one, my hearing might 'change'.[/url]
 

jp

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My two cents

Hi Chet,

I've only had experience with the Dearmond dynasonics, Dearmond 2Ks, Franz pickups, and mini humbuckers. I haven't played the Mickey Mouse PUs or the newer Dearmond 2000s, which look most like the old Dearmond Dynasonics.

My top choice for that great old swing jazz tone would be the Franz PUs. Finding a double PU CE-100 or T-100 with Franz PUs is, unfortunately costly, though. They mostly showed up on the 50s and early 60s models up to about maybe 1962. The Franz is quite versatile and works well with country, rockabilly, jump blues, and swing jazz, depending on your amp setup and how you EQ it. There are several threads on this forum though, discussing how they tend to vary.

My second choice would be the mini humbuckers which work well with more modern jazz such as bop, bebop, funk, and fusion. They definitely produce a more modern richer smooth sound.

Personally I think they both sound great!
 

billydlight

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Franz pickups are NO GOOD! I would stay away from them. As a matter of fact if you see any Guild with Franz's notify me immediately so that they can be taken into custody for your protection. Seriously.
 
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