New LIII vs Old LIII Pickups

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-08-2020, 11:45 AM

Just got the new LIII HSS in Fuschia Sparkle. Absolutely stunning guitar. I have a 2018 HSS with the Transition pickups as well. As much as I like those, these new pickups are really fantastic sounding. Trying to find a DiMarzio with a close spec to the new HB. i know they are proprietary to EBMM but thinking of changing out the Transition HB to possibly a Steve'e Special. Has anyone done this type of thing before? How is it working with the preamp? Just curious. And if anyone has specs on the new pickups, that would be a bonus!

**tbonesullivan** · 11-09-2020, 05:44 PM

There shouldn't be any issues swapping out the bridge pickup. It's a standard humbucker, and any other Fender spaced pickup should work. Not sure which would get you closest to the new sound. Those humbuckers were one of Dudley Gimpel's last great works at EBMM before retiring, so they are something special.

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-10-2020, 06:47 PM

Thank for the reply. The new humbucker definitely sounds open and airy. I might be better off going with a Suhr. Something like an SSH+.

**beej** · 11-10-2020, 07:11 PM

I'm very interested to hear the new pickups. (I love the Transition humbuckers.)

So, is "open", "airy", etc. less mids?

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-11-2020, 03:33 PM

I guess it would equate to slightly less mids but they cut in a live mix better. Played an outdoor show with it Saturday and FOH and Monitor engineers said it was the better sounding guitar out front. It was kind of like taking a blanket off the Transitions. Definitely sweeter highs and position 2 and 4 are more Strat like. I am really digging them. BTW... I really liked the Transitions too but these just sound a bit better to me. Great job by the EBMM staff!

**TheSash** · 11-13-2020, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Phrankenstrat

I guess it would equate to slightly less mids but they cut in a live mix better. Played an outdoor show with it Saturday and FOH and Monitor engineers said it was the better sounding guitar out front. It was kind of like taking a blanket off the Transitions. Definitely sweeter highs and position 2 and 4 are more Strat like. I am really digging them. BTW... I really liked the Transitions too but these just sound a bit better to me. Great job by the EBMM staff!

I second that!
I have both guitars, I love the Transition Pickups but they sound muddy in comparison against the new EBMM Pickups.

**fusionid** · 11-17-2020, 10:23 AM

Well, the lukes have a preamp like most MM guitars now. The luke 3 with transitions did not sound like a super strat with transition pickups. The midrange sounds different, less complex and then you lose the volume in the split sounds.

I wonder how much it is the new humbucker versus retuning the preamp. I would warn you to believe you can get the same sound without the onboard preamp because in my experience you can't.

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-18-2020, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by fusionid

Well, the lukes have a preamp like most MM guitars now. The luke 3 with transitions did not sound like a super strat with transition pickups. The midrange sounds different, less complex and then you lose the volume in the split sounds.

I wonder how much it is the new humbucker versus retuning the preamp. I would warn you to believe you can get the same sound without the onboard preamp because in my experience you can't.

I bought my first one in mid 2018. It has the preamp and after a slight adjustment, there is no loss in volume on the HSS model. It sounds like you might be talking about the HH model. Those aren't really my thing as I love a neck single coil. Without a preamp in the HH model, I suppose it doesn't have the boost either? Never had one so I'm not sure. If that is the case, that would be another reason I wouldn't buy the HH version.

**beej** · 11-18-2020, 03:44 PM

The HH absolutely has a preamp and it's set to compensate for volume in the split positions.

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-18-2020, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by beej

The HH absolutely has a preamp and it's set to compensate for volume in the split positions.

That's what I thought. Thanks for clear that up!

**fusionid** · 11-18-2020, 11:41 PM

Both luke III HSS and HH have preamps and volume parity between positions. Both have the boost.

The HH version allows the coil tap versions to have the same volume as the humbucker tones which honestly is the only way a guitar should be made.

I was referring to a music man guitar vs. a non music man guitar. I was stipulating that the preamp changes the tone not just buffer without the boost on. I don't know the answer.

I am intrigued by the HSS version and I may get one in the future when the dudley pickup late 2020 models go on the used market.

**fusionid** · 11-18-2020, 11:46 PM

oh btw steves special was my main pickup for several years back in the early 2000s when I was into petrucci in an ibanez guitar. I really like the pickup but it does not have a lot of mids and therefore doesn't rock like a paf but does crunch and solo modern tonality and can sound very tight modern rock. It does awesome with down tuning since the coils are tuned for wide frequency response.

similar to the transition bridge but with less bass I would think of the satchur8

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-19-2020, 07:33 AM

I have the Steve's Special in an old Fernandes neck-thru guitar. It's a great pickup. I haven't any experience with the new DiMarzio's including the Satchur8. Might have to give that a listen. For now anyway, I think I'm going to leave the Transitions alone. I think they will record well. We shall see. Really digging these new pickups though. What to do...

**fusionid** · 11-19-2020, 09:18 AM

ah ok. Did you own a luke II? I am curious about the EMG set that can be bought ready to install into a strat.

**Phrankenstrat** · 11-19-2020, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by fusionid

ah ok. Did you own a luke II? I am curious about the EMG set that can be bought ready to install into a strat.

No, not a Luke II. But I've owned two S-style guitars with EMG's in them. They were really good sounding pickups to my ears. Dead quiet and great tone. They get knocked down a lot but I didn't mind them at all. Might even go back to them someday. Really curious about the Fishman Fluence. Haven't hear them in person but in the YT vids I've seen, they sound pretty good.