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Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

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  • #1

    Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop



    I picked this up a few months ago, and the first thing I did was replace the pickups. I went with a Lil' 59 in the neck, and a JB bridge, which is my usual first choice for bridge pickup in a standard tuned guitar.

    Well, the JB sounds like poo. I don't know if it is the thick chunk of wood these things are built from, the slant mount, or a combination of both, but the guitar just sound way too muddy. I've got no high end response, pinch harmonics are almost impossible to pull off with that in your face squeal, chunking away farts out, and leads lack articulation. All in all, the pickup I love in my Soloists sounds way wrong for this guitar.

    What should I get? This guitar is heavy, almost as weighty as my Les Paul Standard. Definately a couple of pounds heavier than my Soloists. And there is that slant mount bridge. I want to bring the metal like I do on my other guitars. Give me the tight low end that punches you in the stomach when you palm mute chunk, and give me the articulation that makes leads scream. Give me back my eardrum scraping pinch harmonics, pretty f**king please!

    I love playing this guitar. It plays awesome, the balance is perfect, the archtop gives me more dive out of my Kahler than a flat top, and their is all that upper fret access.

    Please help me make my guitar not sound like [img]/images/graemlins/eviltongue.gif[/img]
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  • #2
    Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

    What pups were in it origianlly and how did they sound? Have you entertained actives? E.g... SD Live Wire, EMG's..etc. Sounds like you may need a pup with more highs and mids.

    Sorry I can't be more help... I am sure others here can answer you better.

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    • #3
      Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

      It came with the standard Jackson passive pickups, which sounded like a different kind of poo--harsh and totally lacking in all things testicular. I used to play EMGs, but I just got sick of them. They're great for rhythm, but the lead tone was just sterile to me, and the cleans were completely lacking in presence. I love the neck p/u I have in there right now, so I'd like to keep it passive if possible.

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      • #4
        Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

        Jackson made quite a few "dogs" and sometimes that's the way it is with a Custom piece. I've come across a few in my collecting where nothing makes them sound good. Although I had a Collen archtop and a JB was pretty good in it. Try EMG, other Duncans (maybe a Distortion or Invader) and experiment. You can usually get those pickups for a price that you can resell them for and not lose money in an experimentation. I've seen that Collen around and it seems like nobody ever really played the thing. Maybe that's why it's got no tone? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
        "Got a crazy feeling I don't understand,
        Gotta get away from here.
        Feelin' like I shoulda kept my feet on the ground
        Waitin' for the sun to appear..."

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        • #5
          Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

          SD Distortion should add some highs and some "squeally" tones, but it may not be thick enough on the chuggy type riffs... as far as a single coil - the hotrails are pretty damn good as well !

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          • #6
            Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

            I've got the silver NAMM one, and I replaced the pickups with Bill Lawrences. An L280 (noiseless single coil) in the neck and an L450 (4.8 Henry) in the bridge. Not a high-powered harmonics beast, but it has the articulation that I wanted.

            One of the things with the Collen Archtop that makes it unique is that they're made of all Maple. If you like screechiness, then any bright, loud pickup should do the trick. But you've got the additional problem of the angled humbucker... so, yeah... a polepiece style pickup won't work.

            I'd recommend the Bill Lawrence L500-XL as a first pick, or maybe a DiMarzio X2N. Watch the values on the volume pot you use, as that will make a tonal difference.
            please don't put it into words, 'cause I fear what you're thinking

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            • #7
              Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

              In my Collen Pro, I have a Tom Anderson humbucker, either a H3+ or a HN3, I can't remember which, and it sounds great. These are pricy and hard to find, but I think you could order direct from Anderson. Plus you could call them and describe the guitar and what you are looking for and they could probably help ya.
              Tom Anderson pickup info

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              • #8
                Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                Or you could get two mini-humbuckers like the JBJr and LilSD. All you'd need is to mod the ring for the height screws.
                I detest the JB humbucker, but the JBJr has a way better tone IMO.
                It sounds especially good in the bridge of an old 90's Warrior with a neck-position Hot Rails right next to it [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
                I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

                The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

                My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

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                • #9
                  Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                  I can't see the JB being muddy in any guitar....

                  That guitar looks familiar and I remember seeing someone trying to get rid of it or something very similar to it for a long time....could it just be a "dog"??


                  With a JB and an ebony fingerboard it should be bright and in your face.....unless the Kahler needs a tune-up....

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                  • #10
                    Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                    The muddiness problem is likely being caused by the polepieces not lining up with the strings. But it might just be a 250k volume pot robbing the treble frequencies.
                    please don't put it into words, 'cause I fear what you're thinking

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                    • #11
                      Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                      KENT ARMSTRONG!!! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
                      "It wasn't the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasn't flat. [ ... ]
                      The truth will seem utterly preposterous, and its speaker, a raving lunatic."

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                      • #12
                        Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                        the reason your bass is so muddy is because of the extreme slant of the bridge pup. The bass polepieces are actully in the mid position. You probably want something with a little less bass, since your bass tones are accentuated in that area. try something a little brighter or more middy to get those harmonics you love. you also may want something a little lower in the output area to match up with the lil 59 (a great neck pup BTW). Maple is a really dense wood and tends to be bright in its own right, so keep that in mind. Have you tried the tone wizard at the Seymour duncan site? all you do is enter the body wood and pickup types and it will suggest a set of pups for you.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                          Thanks for all the good advice, everyone. I'm pretty sure the guitar is not a dog, because the neck position sounds fantastic--it is thick and creamy, much like the neck position on a Les Paul. I was figuring it was the slanted bridge that was screwing me up, because I've never had a problem with a JB being muddy. I've got a Duncan Distortion sitting in one of my Soloists, so I'm going to try swapping them this weekend and see where that gets me. If not, I'm going to try some type of blades.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                            No no, it's definitely a dog. You should just sell it to me and forget all about it. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
                            Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Need p/u advice for a Collen Archtop

                              [ QUOTE ]
                              No no, it's definitely a dog. You should just sell it to me and forget all about it. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

                              [/ QUOTE ]


                              [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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