More Morse Pickup Mad Science...

[Butch Snyder]

As Founder and President of the SMOC, I feel it my duty to also do my part in the world of modifications; when I can. I have pretty much changed out pickups ad-nausea; albeit, I've been changing out the same two humbucker combos. I pulled the Morse hummers and installed an Air Zone (not Tone Zone!)/Air Norton combo. I tried it with a 500k vol and 250k tone pots. It was okay. I tried it with 250k vol and tone pots. The tone was huge. It did lack some high end though; but wasn't muddy or dark. It just muddied up the band mix because the sound was so huge. I tried it with both 500k pots. The single coils then just shrieked like scalded banshees.

Last night, I returned it to it's stock pickups and pots. Now, I'm moving to the single coils. I don't really use them by themselves; only added to the hummers. The slanted SC, alone, has the tone much like the middle position SC on a Strat. I have never liked that tone. The SC next to the bridge position, is where my next experiment lies. I'm thinking of adding a metal plate to its underside. I'm going to try and give it more mids and a bit more attack and girth.

Oh, when I put the guitar back together last night, I replaced the black vol/tone knobs with a couple of heavy-knurled chrome Tele knobs. I like the look because they match the two toggles...

Thoughts?

 

[beej]

The baseplate idea is cool- I'd be very interested to hear how that turns out.

One idea on the pots- you could use 500ks to keep the hummers happy, then use a 250k resistor wired in parallel to each single coil. When it gets engaged, that will lower the overall resistance to 125k, as if you had 250k pots.

It'll make the hummers less trebly when the single is engaged, however you'll have the added treble of the singles to compensate. Only downside is when you use both singles together (each with it's own resistor) it might be too dark. But worth experimenting with.

 

[Butch Snyder]

The baseplate idea is cool- I'd be very interested to hear how that turns out.

It's an easy mod if I can find a suitable baseplate.

 

[TNT]

Butch,

You're a busy man these days!!

Hopefully, you're keeping a record of all this data somewhere!!

 

[EnglishRancher]

Butch--

I had a Morse model that I experimented quite a bit with up until a year ago, when I sold it. I loved the guitar, but opted for a different model with on/off switches for all of the pickups (and a coil splitter for the bridge humbucker). More tonal options that way. I can't figure out how to insert a photo, but I have one if you'd like to see it.

Anyhow, I loved the Morse model pickups except for the neck humbucker, which was too dark for me. I installed a metal-covered DiMarzio PAF, and I also added a (plastic) chrome cover for the single coil nearest the bridge. The latter was just to get it as visually close to Morse's "Mongrel Tele" as possible. But I really liked the PAF, which had a clearer tone with slightly less volume.

As far as the baseplate you're looking for, check and see if Callaham Guitars has what you need. I'm pretty sure they still offer a solder-able metal baseplate for single coils in order to give them a more Tele-style bite.

Hope I haven't offended anyone with the F***ER references here. Just mentioned them since Morse's Dregs-era Tele was the reference point for the EBMM signature.

Regards,
Spencer

 

[Butch Snyder]

Hope I haven't offended anyone with the F***ER references here. Just mentioned them since Morse's Dregs-era Tele was the reference point for the EBMM signature.

Regards,
Spencer

Nah - didn't offend me; but my other is a Tele anyway....

 

[uOpt]

I'll go through this soon. Got a Steve Morse yesterday and it's a great guitar. I don't think I ever played a guitar that is this articulate on that many pickups positions. Plays great, too.

But considering we have 5 controls here I don't think I want to not have capabilities like the humbuckers in series and out-of-phase. I realize Steve does what he does so that he can change between the important postions quickly but that's not a priority for me.

I think I'll order a new pickguard and go to dual Strat switches (one superswitch, one normal 5-way), 3 pots (one LCR network, and probably push-pulls) and move the three-way to where the two-way is.

Should be fun but first I need to figure out which combinations make sense. Now where are my crocodile clips...

Love the Morse from your sig, Butch.

 

[banjoplayer]

congratulations to your new guitar. which colour?
you wanna show us pics ???
no pics, no guitar (forum rule)

I'll go through this soon. Got a Steve Morse yesterday and it's a great guitar. I don't think I ever played a guitar that is this articulate on that many pickups positions. Plays great, too.

But considering we have 5 controls here I don't think I want to not have capabilities like the humbuckers in series and out-of-phase. I realize Steve does what he does so that he can change between the important postions quickly but that's not a priority for me.

I think I'll order a new pickguard and go to dual Strat switches (one superswitch, one normal 5-way), 3 pots (one LCR network, and probably push-pulls) and move the three-way to where the two-way is.

Should be fun but first I need to figure out which combinations make sense. Now where are my crocodile clips...

Love the Morse from your sig, Butch.

 

[uOpt]

Only have the obligatory first try pic No closeups of the birdseye neck and other essentials.

No, I didn't rip it apart yet. I have to put in an order for a pickguard for my other pickups.

Any idea what color pickguard would be best apart from black? Nothing wrong with black but I already have a black one. I was thinking black pearl:

Or creme/black/creme three-ply.

 

[uOpt]

Only have the obligatory try-me-out pic so far:

I need a new pickguard to start messing with Morse Mad Sciene. Not sure about color. Thinking about creme and black pearl.

Any opinions? Not that I don't like stock black, but I already have one.

 

[beej]

I'm doing some mad science of my own - waiting on a white pearloid p/g. Figure it goes nice with a set of black Axis p'ups The black pearloid one looks awesome too.

 

[uOpt]

You ordered from Pickguard Heaven: Pickguards for Every Guitar or is there a better source?

 

[banjoplayer]

Hey uOpt, nice one, thanks for the pic!

 

[Butch Snyder]

I'm doing some mad science of my own - waiting on a white pearloid p/g. Figure it goes nice with a set of black Axis p'ups The black pearloid one looks awesome too.

Remember pics....

 

[beej]

Remember pics....

For sure I'll be travelling for a bit ... hopefully everything will have arrived when I get back.