Majesty Pickup Swap Suggestions?

[lifeson1]

I have started to bond with the Maj a bit, but the Illuminators and I are not going to the prom together at this point. My rig is a custom Marshall along with a blackface for alternate tones. I find the Illuminators almost 'mechanical' and not as natural I usually go for. I have my sights set on either some BK's or WCR's... Would love any suggestions, especially for lower note tight articulation.

 

[Metlupass2]

Did you take the plate off and look at the wiring?

 

[AgustinJP50]

Yeah, what Metlupass2 said... I mean, if you can change the pickups in this guitar you really deserve a prize!
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/03/a8ubupa5.jpg

 

[lifeson1]

Yeah, what Metlupass2 said... I mean, if you can change the pickups in this guitar you really deserve a prize!
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/03/a8ubupa5.jpg

W-o-W! Yyeeaaahhhh, looks like I'm going to have to work with them a bit... Yikes!

 

[Firesource]

A guy on the sevenstring.org forum changed the pickups (and back to the Illuminators again) in his Majesty, so it's definitely possible.

 

[lifeson1]

Have to check that thread out... But that's an intimidating wiring setup. Do you know what he swapped them with?

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Yeah, what Metlupass2 said... I mean, if you can change the pickups in this guitar you really deserve a prize!

Oh my...

 

[xjbebop]

These pups and this guitar are really designed around each other.
I'd think swapping out pups would be just wrong....

There are PLENTY of other guitars out there to do transplants on....

 

[AgustinJP50]

Hahaha, I never said it wasn't possible, I mean, the guys at EBMM do wire this Majestic thing up, so you could drop any pickup you wanted in there provided you have the knowledge. My point was, are you ready for what it will involve? Besides, what xjbebop said is true... It really seems as though the guitar, the pickups and the preamp are designed around each other... Even more so seeing that all JP models except the JP13 and the Majesty (which are the only ones that sport the preamp) still come from the factory with the Crunchlab and Liquifire combo, not the Illuminators.

 

[Kenji20022]

These pups and this guitar are really designed around each other.
I'd think swapping out pups would be just wrong....

There are PLENTY of other guitars out there to do transplants on....

Sure, the Illuminators are fantastic. I have them in my JPX7 but it's not for everyone, and it's his money and guitar swapping his pickups in his purchase is definitely not "wrong" haha. Variety is the spice of life.

I've swapped pickups in my JP's several times, and while the Majesty does look slightly daunting because it has a ton of wires everywhere. It's not nearly as impossible as people make it out to be.

That white box I circled and where you can see the white wrap saying N is where the neck pickup is installed, to the left is the bridge pickup. You remove the Illuminators, thread the lead through the cavity and pull it out the other side then just solder them into play. A bit harder since the PCB Board is sideways but not something incredibly hard.

I've swapped pickups in mine before with quite a bit of ease, I can't imagine the Majesty making the job that much harder. Just cover the area well and plan out what you need to do before hand. Also keep in mind that pickup brands have different color coding, plan it out properly and it shouldn't be that difficult!