Newark Street X-175- pickup swap/alternatives

Victor

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Has anyone changed the pickups in their Newark Street X-175 and if so what did you change to?
I read somewhere that Seymour Duncan makes a Franz reissue pickup? Has anyone tried them?
I really like my X-175 but the pickups could be better. Thank you.
 

Victor

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Also will a regular p-90 fit in the Franz style cover?
 

Walter Broes

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I put a set of old Franz pickups in mine.

Re: P90's and Franz pickups : yes, it will probably fit, the pole spacing is the same. (on the pickups on the X175)

What is it you don't like about the stock pickups?
 

SFIV1967

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I read somewhere that Seymour Duncan makes a Franz reissue pickup?
They were only used in the Guild GSR T-500 model. The Guild specs called them "Duncan Franz P-90". Guild had asked SD around 2011/12 to re-create the Franz pickups. And Kevin Beller did exactly that. Maricela "MJ" Juarez, who is the queen of pickups in Seymour Duncan's Custom Shop, handwound the 25 pairs of pickups used in the Guild GSR T-500 model. She said one can e-mail her and she is happy to wind them again as they are custom made anyway. Price was in the $100 plus shipping range in 2013.
http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/contact/

Ralf
 
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DThomasC

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I don't have any experience with the dog-eared Franzs on the X-175, but I can say that the soapbar style installed in the M-75 Aristocrat (and presumably some of the NS solidbodies) cannot accept a P-90 as a drop-in replacement. There are definately some P-90's that will fit under the Franz cover, but it would require some work; use some parts from the Franz and some from the P-90, possibly modified a little. It's possible that it would be easier with the dog-eared version, but still, the Franz mounts differently than the P-90, so it won't be a simple swap.

In the end, the NS Franz repro's are a good start. If you're looking for something different - and can articulate what that is - then the best alternative might be to send the pickups you have to MJ at Seymour Duncan and have her rewind them for you, possibly with a magnet swap. But, again, it's important that you can tell her what you want.

My last word on NS Franzs: they're bright with a very sharp peak in the high end. If you turn down the volume and tone controls on your guitar it will damp the peak but still let through a lot of sparkle. If you're the kind of person that leaves the knobs up full as a matter of habit, you might try experimenting a little.
 

Victor

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Seymour Duncan Custom Shop replied to me and stated they are no longer making the Franz pickups.
 

Walter Broes

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If you're looking for killer pickups in the Franz vein...Curtis Novak!

A friend of mine had a pair of Gibson style dogear P90's wound by him to the DC reading of the pair of Franz pickups on my favorite guitar (5K neck, 6K bridge), and they're killer. They sound almost exactly like my old guitar.
I'd send him the pickups out of your NS guitar for a re-do if I were you.
 
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