Silhouette Special HSS pickup options

[candid_x]

Tuning into the guitar by bypassing the effects is a great idea, imo. You can re-stack it again once you have a feel for the raw guitar/amp.

As far as that stratty top edge, I've never gotten that with the rosewood HSS. Maybe mine is a fluke, but I don't think so. I get sweet tones, but not that one. The SSS gets me there, especially with a little TS push and amp preamp overdrive.

 

[floyd99]

Tuning into the guitar by bypassing the effects is a great idea, imo. You can re-stack it again once you have a feel for the raw guitar/amp.

i'll definitely give it some time when i get the gear back home.. as I really haven't had a chance to do that as yet.

 

[beej]

The vol pedal is definitely going to rob you of a bit of high end if you go right into it. If you find you like the sound straight into the amp, one easy solution is to put a buffered pedal first in your chain, before the volume pedal (any of your Boss pedals have a decent buffer). Same effect of putting EMGs in, your signal will be low impedance after that. In both cases you'd want the 25k volume pedal, though.

But maybe it's something else in there as well. Certainly worth playing with before going to the trouble & expense of putting new pickups in.

 

[candid_x]

Hey, Beej, would you explain what a buffered pedal is? Does it mean a small signal boost to compensate for some signal loss? Also, does true-bypass mean it is not buffered?

 

[floyd99]

The vol pedal is definitely going to rob you of a bit of high end if you go right into it. If you find you like the sound straight into the amp, one easy solution is to put a buffered pedal first in your chain, before the volume pedal (any of your Boss pedals have a decent buffer). Same effect of putting EMGs in, your signal will be low impedance after that. In both cases you'd want the 25k volume pedal, though.

But maybe it's something else in there as well. Certainly worth playing with before going to the trouble & expense of putting new pickups in.

this is interesting.. actually the volume isn't the first thing in the chain. Volume comes AFTER the distortion and overdrive pedals - if i did it the other way around, then the level of distortion/overdrive would be altered when i back off the volume. So, it's already after quite a few pedals. I actually don't know which one I've got - how do I tell if I've got the 25k version?

show tonight was good - i increased the treble and removed the battery and i was a little happier. still not quite right though.

 

[beej]

Hey, Beej, would you explain what a buffered pedal is? Does it mean a small signal boost to compensate for some signal loss? Also, does true-bypass mean it is not buffered?

A buffer is an amplifier that isolates your signal from the effects of load impedance further down the signal chain. You can really think of it as a preamplifier but with no amplification ("unity gain", same volume out as in). It has a high input impedance (so it doesn't affect your guitar's tone) and a low output impedance (so it isn't affected by effects like capacitance, etc.).

True bypass pedals aren't buffered. When off, they are totally out of the signal path.

Buffers do affect your sound somewhat; there are some good ones and bad ones. The ones in the Boss pedals are decent. I have a stand-alone one- the Axess BS2.

this is interesting.. actually the volume isn't the first thing in the chain. Volume comes AFTER the distortion and overdrive pedals - if i did it the other way around, then the level of distortion/overdrive would be altered when i back off the volume. So, it's already after quite a few pedals. I actually don't know which one I've got - how do I tell if I've got the 25k version?

show tonight was good - i increased the treble and removed the battery and i was a little happier. still not quite right though.

Oh ... yeah, they're buffering things then (if you mean the Boss ones). VP should have a model number on it, you can just compare to the specs on the EB site to know for sure. Not bad to use a 250k pedal with actives or a buffer, but it will affect the taper of the pedal.

FYI, I don't think pulling the battery on the Silent Circuit changes anything. You'll just get some additional hum. It's not an active circuit that has a big impact on tone or anything. (There are a couple of threads on this kicking around.)

 

[candid_x]

Thanks, Jay!

 

[floyd99]

I came across a new lukather kit of EMG's (sl-20, so with the wiring and everything) here in Aus at a REALLY good price - love ebay! got them for less than half the retail, so thought i'd snap them up. If I don't like em or they don't suit me, i'll easily be able to sell the set. Also, because it comes with the pots and wiring etc it shouldn't be too hard to install.

Or so I thought. The humbucker doesn't fit through the pickguard it's slightly too big, and because the EMG's are more square than a normal humbucker, the rounded corners of the hole also prevent it from fitting.

A minor issue , I'll just get a new pickguard. I've emailed pickguards.us to see what they say about making up one... but any of you fellow aussies know of australian based manufacturers? For the life of me I can't find any on the net.

Pickguards direct from Ernie Ball are AU$150 (and that's just the stock one, which doesn't help me anyway), so I will have to get a non-genuine one both due to the insane price difference and needing to get the hole custom cut a little larger.

In removing the pickguard on the guitar, i was really impressed with how it's all put together. EBMM really do a wonderful job.

 

[mr.b]

hello again fellow eb'ers..

i've done some searching and haven't really got the info i'm after.

I love my sil special, and i particularly like the option of having the humbucker for when i kick in distortion or overdrive.

however, the 'strat' tones whilst good aren't as nice as i'd like.

To give you an idea.. on my strat, I use the 2 and 4 positions all the time - pos 2 (bridge/mid) for funk and pos 4 (neck/mid) for "pretty" chorused rhythm work, and pos 5 (neck) for other rhythm. I never use the middle on its own and only use the bridge for lead.

on the sil, those rhythm and funk tones are good but don't have the same clarity or feel.

so, if i felt like spending some money and replacing the pickups, what would you folk suggest? and, is wiring them in just a simple replace wire for wire? i'm not sure how the silent circuit factors in here.

thanks guys
dave

Dave. i've just finished a home built guitar that i put an HSS set in. They are Bare Knuckle pups and they are astoundingly good.

I got a calibrated set of Cold Sweat (Hummer in the bridge) and a pair of Mother's Milks in the middle & neck. The middle pup is reverse wound, reverse polarity so it hum cancels in positions 2 & 4.

the single coils have a higher output to match the hummer and the tones are pure butter. amazing. i'd certainly recommend them. i'd recommend any bare knuckle pups as they are very well made, full of character and very articulate.

B.

 

[GWDavis28]

I came across a new lukather kit of EMG's (sl-20, so with the wiring and everything) here in Aus at a REALLY good price - love ebay! got them for less than half the retail, so thought i'd snap them up. If I don't like em or they don't suit me, i'll easily be able to sell the set. Also, because it comes with the pots and wiring etc it shouldn't be too hard to install.

Or so I thought. The humbucker doesn't fit through the pickguard it's slightly too big, and because the EMG's are more square than a normal humbucker, the rounded corners of the hole also prevent it from fitting.

A minor issue , I'll just get a new pickguard. I've emailed pickguards.us to see what they say about making up one... but any of you fellow aussies know of australian based manufacturers? For the life of me I can't find any on the net.

Pickguards direct from Ernie Ball are AU$150 (and that's just the stock one, which doesn't help me anyway), so I will have to get a non-genuine one both due to the insane price difference and needing to get the hole custom cut a little larger.

In removing the pickguard on the guitar, i was really impressed with how it's all put together. EBMM really do a wonderful job.

Dude, that's excellent!!!! I'm curious how it will sound. Just wondering how much did you end up paying for the Luke pups?

Glenn |B)

 

[floyd99]

Dude, that's excellent!!!! I'm curious how it will sound. Just wondering how much did you end up paying for the Luke pups?

Glenn |B)

hi Glenn, about AU$280. not bad considering the retail is closer to AU$500-$600

 

[GWDavis28]

Dude not bad at all, now were those just the pups or was that the whole pups and pick guard assembly?

Glenn |B)

 

[floyd99]

pickguard, pups, pots, wiring, the works.

 

[GWDavis28]

Cool man!!! But the PG is for a Strat, did you locate an MM one?

Glenn |B)

 

[floyd99]

nope have removed the stuff from the supplied pickguard and was going to install into my existing one.. but the humbucker doesn't fit.

so i either need to open up the hole a in my existing one, or buy a new pickguard made to fit the EMG.

 

[GWDavis28]

I can see the dilemma there. If it were me I'd get a new PG, that way if you wanted to swap it back it isn't a big deal.

Let's see you got black EMG's, so I'd say a dark PG would look slick, Black Ice or Black Pearloid?

Glenn |B)

 

[floyd99]

yeah I agree. Just means i have to wait longer
considering i'd need to get a custom one, Black Pearl is probably what I'd go for... as Black Ice is a MM colour.

problem is, it's a month or two wait to get one made

 

[GWDavis28]

I don't know man, this place Pickguard Heaven: Prices - Music Man has them and the price doesn't seem too bad. Maybe they can route the Humbucker hole square or a little bit bigger.

Love the idea.

Glenn |B)

 

[floyd99]

Yep already emailed them will cost a bit, but i dont mind about that.
But they have a 3 week lead time, and then it's a good couple of weeks if not longer for shipping to Australia.

 

[GWDavis28]

Cool, how much more are they charging you to make the hole either larger or square cornered?

Glenn |B)