[nadles]

I'm looking for suggestions for pickups to upgrade my Washburn J3 (ES-175 copy). The J3 is a beautiful guitar and a joy to play, but the pickups are bland. I'm looking for the warm vintage 175 humbucker Jazz tone.

Over the weekend I was playing my Epi Dot with Gibson 57 Classics and in comparison the Washburn pickups sounded lackluster. Anyway, my initial thought was to put 57 classics in the J3, but I already have 2 guitars with those pickups so thought I'd broaden my search.

After reading reviews and listening to clips on You tube my current preferences are:
1. Seymour Duncan Seth Lover SH-55
2. Seymour Duncan 59 SH-1

I'd welcome your views on these pickups and any other suggestions.

[fender62custom]

Giday Nads!!! here's a couple of suggestions for you

1. SD SH2
2. SD SH AZ 48
3. BK STORMY MONDAY
4. BK MANHATTAN
5. BK MISSISSIPPI QUEENS

[Synchro]

I would think that just about any Gib'Bucker with alnico magnets would do the trick.

Sent using G-T Forum app

[PacRat]

I'm with Mark, Gibby's should jazz it up

[Dennison]

I reckon fender62custom is on the right lines here — humbucker sized P90. The Bare Knuckles (BK) he lists are all damn good pickups, or there's the Duncan PhatCat.

If you want to be different (and if they fit without too much mucking about) some sort of Charlie Christian pickup would sound righteous (Google the company called CC Pickups).

[wpgjazzman]

nadles - Hello from Winnipeg Canada.

There are a few options that will give new life to your Washburn J3.

I'd start with rewiring the guitar with new Gretsch, Gibson, Fender or DiMarzio 500K audio taper pots for the volume controls and a 1 MEG linear taper pot for the tone control with good quality capacitors, a Switchcraft 3-way selector switch and a Switchcraft SW-11 output jack.

This (in US dollars) would cost approximately $60.00 and when wired to this configuration http://wpc.077d.edgecastcdn.net/0007...ot-Circuit.pdf will allow the HB pickups in your Washburn to 'breathe' and really sound good before spending $200.00 US dollars on new SD pickups.

The only change I'd make to the wiring diagram is the 1 MEG linear taper tone pot vs the 500K audio taper pot and using two tone capacitors on the tone pot by wiring a 0.047uf cap to one and leg as shown with the 0.022uf (223K) on the diagram and wiring a 0.0070 - 0.0080uf cap to the other lug.

This is a "bi-directional" tone control with max treble in the middle position, one kind of roll-off in one direction and a different roll-off in the other. The 1 MEG linear tone pot set to its midpoint provides the equivalent of two 500K pots in parallel. The .047uf will give the traditional muted sound at max cut, and the other capacitor will give a pleasing "rounding" to the sound.

The other perk of such a circuit is that it takes only half the rotation to go from full bright to full dark.

Options B and C are the SD and BK pickups.

[Neoj4zz]

I have owned all three pickups, 57's (in Les Paul), 59 (in strat and Joe Pass), and Seths (Epi Sheraton). The Seths are my favorite out of the three. The 57's are great for warm, classic jazz. The Seths can get that, as well as articulate jazz leads (not wax potted.) These pickups make the tone control usable. The 59's are somewhat middy, and sounded decent but terrible in a strat style.
The Sheraton with Seths is one of my favs. I tried other pickups in there but nothing compares to them. Check the bracing on the guitar as well. My Pass howled unbelievably with some hotter pickups.

[nadles]

Originally Posted by fender62custom

Giday Nads!!! here's a couple of suggestions for you

1. SD SH2
2. SD SH AZ 48
3. BK STORMY MONDAY
4. BK MANHATTAN
5. BK MISSISSIPPI QUEENS

Hi 62, thank for the suggestions. I'll audition them on You Tube.

[nadles]

Originally Posted by wpgjazzman

nadles - Hello from Winnipeg Canada.

There are a few options that will give new life to your Washburn J3.

I'd start with rewiring the guitar with new Gretsch, Gibson, Fender or DiMarzio 500K audio taper pots for the volume controls and a 1 MEG linear taper pot for the tone control with good quality capacitors, a Switchcraft 3-way selector switch and a Switchcraft SW-11 output jack.

This (in US dollars) would cost approximately $60.00 and when wired to this configuration http://wpc.077d.edgecastcdn.net/0007...ot-Circuit.pdf will allow the HB pickups in your Washburn to 'breathe' and really sound good before spending $200.00 US dollars on new SD pickups.

The only change I'd make to the wiring diagram is the 1 MEG linear taper tone pot vs the 500K audio taper pot and using two tone capacitors on the tone pot by wiring a 0.047uf cap to one and leg as shown with the 0.022uf (223K) on the diagram and wiring a 0.0070 - 0.0080uf cap to the other lug.

This is a "bi-directional" tone control with max treble in the middle position, one kind of roll-off in one direction and a different roll-off in the other. The 1 MEG linear tone pot set to its midpoint provides the equivalent of two 500K pots in parallel. The .047uf will give the traditional muted sound at max cut, and the other capacitor will give a pleasing "rounding" to the sound.

The other perk of such a circuit is that it takes only half the rotation to go from full bright to full dark.

Options B and C are the SD and BK pickups.

Thanks Jazzman, I was intending to replace the wiring harness at the same time as the pickups. The jack is already giving up! I like the sound of the "bi directional" tone control and will definitely give it a try.

[nadles]

Originally Posted by Synchro

I would think that just about any Gib'Bucker with alnico magnets would do the trick.

Sent using G-T Forum app

Originally Posted by PacRat

I'm with Mark, Gibby's should jazz it up

Originally Posted by Neoj4zz

I have owned all three pickups, 57's (in Les Paul), 59 (in strat and Joe Pass), and Seths (Epi Sheraton). The Seths are my favorite out of the three. The 57's are great for warm, classic jazz. The Seths can get that, as well as articulate jazz leads (not wax potted.) These pickups make the tone control usable. The 59's are somewhat middy, and sounded decent but terrible in a strat style.
The Sheraton with Seths is one of my favs. I tried other pickups in there but nothing compares to them. Check the bracing on the guitar as well. My Pass howled unbelievably with some hotter pickups.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am leaning toward Humbuckers for the tone I'm after. So far the Seths are at the top of the list.

[nadles]

Hi Dennison - I can't quote you for some reason.

Funny you should mention CC pickups. I'd been listening to examples of the CC, Lollar and Vintage Vibe CC pickups on You tube. I'm thinking about using them for a couple of future projects. I plan to build a LP Junior and was looking at adding a CC as in the John Lennon model (I've got the wood for the neck - waiting on the mahogany body blank). The other idea was to get a Washburn HB15 (or something similar) and add a CC to convert it into an L50 style guitar.

[nadles]

Originally Posted by nadles

The other idea was to get a Washburn HB15 (or something similar) and add a CC to convert it into an L50 style guitar.

That should of course be ES-150 not L50.

[Dennison]

Nadles: You'll find Bare Knuckle have some decent sound clips of their pickups on their own website. Also, they do have a dealer outlet in Australia. I have one of their P90s, although in soapbar size, in the neck position on a Gretsch Pro Jet. Sounds good to me, despite my playing.

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/

[gigatron]

Kinman pickups are highly regarded and are made in Australia.

[nadles]

Originally Posted by wpgjazzman

The only change I'd make to the wiring diagram is the 1 MEG linear taper tone pot vs the 500K audio taper pot and using two tone capacitors on the tone pot by wiring a 0.047uf cap to one and leg as shown with the 0.022uf (223K) on the diagram and wiring a 0.0070 - 0.0080uf cap to the other lug.

This is a "bi-directional" tone control with max treble in the middle position, one kind of roll-off in one direction and a different roll-off in the other. The 1 MEG linear tone pot set to its midpoint provides the equivalent of two 500K pots in parallel. The .047uf will give the traditional muted sound at max cut, and the other capacitor will give a pleasing "rounding" to the sound.

The other perk of such a circuit is that it takes only half the rotation to go from full bright to full dark.

Options B and C are the SD and BK pickups.

Hey wpgjazzman - I built a bi-directional tone control in an external box to trial it - sounds good.

I found a variation which combines a tone control with a varitone giving treble roll off in one direction and mid cut in the other. have you tried this?