Nightscientist

I share most of you positive feeling about the Nighthawk @NighthawkChris, and actually I don't even care if it sounds like a Fender or a Gibson. I just want that it sounds right 🙂 So based on your insights guys, I am actually in conversation with a pickup maker to have a lower output sets of mics that has an unbalanced split position, so there is not such a big difference between the two sounds. If I decide to have those pickups installed, I'll keep you updated on how it changes the sound!

Thanks Dub-T-123 for your input! The standard saddles on NH are golden plated steel, not brass. And for the sake of straightforwardness, I didn't to mention I also tried switching to vintage saddles that weight 3 times less. I can concede changing the whole bridge, or a few small parts at the same time will make a noticeable difference. Alas it won't if changing the saddles only. At least on my NH. That's very interesting. Do you know by fact that the humbuckers are overwound for single coil? When I mesure DCR, the single coil is exactly half on the humbucker. I could swap the 250K pot with a 500K one, but will it make any difference?

That's some amazing insights you shared here @NighthawkChris! I want to thank you for that. So I'll refrain from taking unconsidered soldering decisions and will primarily focus on trying to enjoy my sound... having in mind I might switch to lower input mic down the road ;). The point I wanted to highlight with this post is: saddle upgrade won't transform your NH sound (contrary to what some previous post tried to sate). But thanks to you guys, I understood the mud problem I am experiencing in my NH is the pickup output is far too hot! ❤️

BTW, can I just plug a resistor in the circuit to reduce its warmth or will it alter the sound?

I'll be interested in knowing the height of your pickups @NighthawkChris!

Yeah I like the warmer Fendery sound that comes out of the instrument. Humbuckers are just not working in clean sound.

100% stock pickups 😅

Thanks @merciful-evans, The multimeter displays 14K for both Humbuckers, and 7K when they split. Probably the ones on Nighthawk are very specific!

After a little digging, I found the pickups reference on an old site! Rythm: Special M-Series mini HB Treble: Special M-Series slanted HB Does anyone know the output of those pickups?

So the Mini-humbucker has written: PA~NO XXXXXXX X : serial number of the pickup ~ : a small tap covers what's written underneath I don't think the serial number gives any information about the model. Should I contact Gibson? By mail? Thanks for your input @Eracer_Team! The problem is when I lower the pickups a lot, their split position is becoming super weak and losing definition... I looks like having split coil on both humbuckers makes it a capricious instrument.

Awesome, thanks for your help! I'll try to dismantle the guitar soon if nobody knows.

Hi @merciful-evans, Thanks for your humble yet insightful reply. I indeed rolled back the volume on the mini-humbucker with no success, just less volume, ha. The interesting part is that in coil split position the sound is quite correct (cf sound enclosed). Does anyone know the output of the original neck pickup? 01 Split VS Humbucker.mp3

Dear Gibson lovers, Thanks for the quality content I have been reading here through the months! I tried to get some knowledge out of the web and apply it to my Gibson Nighthawk Special 1996 (2 pickups). I always found the neck humbucker to be super muddy and absent of middle definition (The neck as well but I use it for distortion so I don't mind that much)... So I tried to upgrade the saddles to Gotoh Brass, as I read some members had night and day results when replacing the stock pot metal ones. To my disappointment I found marginal, if not unnoticeable improvement. The strings length and distance to the frets had been carefully measured before the upgrade, running through the same amp and setting, pickup height included. I could only spot out which saddle is which in the A / B test because of the mistakes in one of the recordings 😆. My personal experience is that the saddle upgrade is a placebo effect. But I might by deaf altogether... I love the unplugged sound of this guitar and I can't understand why it gets so blurry when electrified. Here is my question : I am considering pulling my wallet to replace the neck Gibson pickup by a Lollar. Do you think it is worth it, or do you think I might face the same kind of disappointment? Can I pickup really change the sound of a guitar? (if you don't upgrade from a low end chinese pickups I mean...)