Pickup Recommendation for a 1996 Hamer Studio Custom

[JGale]

Since it appears I’m unlikely to sell this and I have lately taken a shine to it…NEW PICKUPS are required!

 

What do you suggest? What’s the collectives mindset?

TIA

[Ua D]

Gravelin charlottes.  Awesome. 

[hamerican gigolo]

59/JB combo???

[bubs_42]

Every guitar that I have changed pickups in and still have are loaded with Gravelins. I simply email Josh, tell him what I want and he nails it. 

[Dave Scepter]

SD Seth Lovers... Antiquities 

[Gabe]

Kinman P90-buckers.

 

Gabe 😀

[BoogieMKIIA]

Gravelin Shablotnik or Charlotte. Or Carondelet.

[Cboss]

Tonerider Rebel 90 neck

https://us.tonerider.co.uk/products/rebel-90?variant=41044234895496

Bill Lawrence/wilde L500L with chrome ring option bridge

https://www.wildepickups.com/products/l500?variant=32504735629374

Push pull no load tone pot to split the L500, split and normal are both fantastic ❤

Crazy amounts of incredible tones from this, including middle position doing slight changes in each volume level

[pirateflynn]

How do you like the neck tone? 

If you think it’s a little mid centric, or muddy, then I would definitely go with a Fralin Unbucker. It’s a super articulate full hum neck pickup with a great split tone to boot. 

If the ‘59 sounds good in the neck position,  then I’d consider putting a ‘59 in the bridge, too. Half the work and cost and those ‘59s are pretty damn good pickups. 

[Jakeboy]

The Gravelin Shlabotnik sisters in my Ultimate are the best buckers I have ever played. Get a set.

[Jim85IROC]

What are you looking for from it?  PAF tones?  Hotter?  Jack of all trades?

My Studio Custom came with Whole Lotta Humbucker pickups (I bought the guitar used in the Seymour Duncan video for them) and I found them to be a bit too bright for the guitar, which is brighter than a Les Paul to begin with.  I swapped to A2 magnets and now I find them to be well balanced and more in my wheelhouse.  Likewise, because I find these guitars to be brighter than Les Pauls, whatever you're looking for, plan on something a hair darker than what you actually want.

[currypowder]

The Gravelin Charlottes I dropped on my Triple Threat are killer. Highly recommended. 

[VECTOR]

11 hours ago, BoogieMKIIA said:

Gravelin Shablotnik or Charlotte. Or Carondelet.

Where is the difference between the Gravelins?

[VECTOR]

14 hours ago, JGale said:

Since it appears I’m unlikely to sell this and I have lately taken a shine to it…NEW PICKUPS are required!

 

What do you suggest? What’s the collectives mindset?

TIA

How does it sound? Mine sounds way warmer than my 4Digit and the 78 Sunburst and the Lesters of my friends. I thought about swapping the Duncans for DiMarzios but decided to leave it as it is. If I want an other sound I take an other guitar.

[BoogieMKIIA]

3 hours ago, VECTOR said:

Where is the difference between the Gravelins?

To my understanding, the Shablotnik are in the PAF range and the Charlotte are hotter.  

You can talk to both Josh and Jeff about what you are looking for and they can tweak.  I got UOA5 magnets and slight wind mismatch on my PUs, kept light potting. Shablotnik (Ultimate) pickups normally have A2 magnets.

[hamerhead]

Gravelin Cowpie Customs or Duncan Antiquities, with Josh having the edge.

The Cowpie Custom Bridge pickup (the one in front) moves the adjustable poles for the E,B and G to the bobbin closer to the neck and reeeeally fattens things up. I'm pretty sure they are a Shlabotnik variant (I can't remember). My LP, Shishkov and Special FM have these installed and the results are phenomenal.

Edited March 11, 2024 by hamerhead

[LucSulla]

97 Chevy Stepside  

[Hbom]

I have Jim Wagner's Darkburst in my Studio. They do a good job. Crossroads and Godwoods are pretty darn good too. 

[Dr. Bear]

1 hour ago, Hbom said:

I have Jim Wagner's Darkburst in my Studio. They do a good job. Crossroads and Godwoods are pretty darn good too. 

Glad to see there’s another Jim Wagner-ite here. 

I wouldn’t be sure how to recommend pickups to anyone unless I knew what they were trying to achieve with what style of music.

For instance, I prefer a more focused sound from a Studio than the broad, large swath and swagger of an LP wearing PAFs so there are Jim Wagner Fillmores living in both of my Studio Customs. But then, both SCs have substantial, vintage carve necks and thus plenty of breadth and sustain from the get-go.

 

[Travis]

Another vote for Gravelins. I’ve Josh’s pickups in all but one of my guitars. I tell him what I’m looking for and he works his magic. Give him a call. You won’t be disappointed. 

[Stike]

Dimarzio-Super D bridge and Humbucker From Hell neck.

If you want a Rio BBQ/TX set I have one for sale, zebras.

[The Shark]

There are so many great pickup manufacturers out there right now.  Josh Gravelin has wound me some killer pickups.   I have the most phenomenal P-90 in a '66 SG Junior I got from Greg Platzer wound by Jeff R. (Carondelet Pickups).  But my favorite pickups of all time are Bare Knuckle Black Dogs.  Just love them.  

 

[Disturber]

Dimarzio PAF 59's.

Or a regular set of Duncan AHP-1 Alnico II Pro (ordingary not Slash version). I put these in my 90's Special and am really pleased with them. Can be found used for cheap.

[analogsystem]

Dimarzio 36th anniversary neck, Duncan 59/custom Hyrbid bridge. It's my "do it all" set.

[Kalessin]

Well, the Gravelins rule, like everybody says. ^^

But myself, I settled on Bare Knuckles, either:

- Mule (= PAF)
- Blue Note humbucker-sized P90s. 

They're just wonderfully clear.