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Upgrading plans


Mr. E

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I've been looking around for parts to upgrade my guitar. I had in mind a Vintage 59 and vintage style tuners from guitarfetish.com. After reading some reviews on the the vintage 59... i started worring about those pickups. Not saying they aren't great but some say they sound muddy and dont really sound great when the neck and bridge are put together. For the tuners, I've brougt tuners from guitarfetish and they are okay, but not the best tuners. They do go out of tune even after streching them. I just want to upgrade my guitar for now to start playing (this is the only guitar I have), but I really don't want to have too much trouble with it for now.

I decided to go with something more secure and (I think) with less chances of failure.

Rockfield SWC pickup and Grover STA_TITE http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/tuners_groverst.htm

Some say that Rockfield are as good as Seymour Duncan pickups and other brands, but I really don't know about the grover tuners.

I think I would be paying about 10 bucks more, but is there much of a difference between both? Will the tuners be good, way better than guitarfetish tuners, same, etc.?

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I've brougt tuners from guitarfetish and they are okay' date=' but not the best tuners. They do go out of tune even after streching them. I just want to upgrade my guitar for now to start playing (this is the only guitar I have), but I really don't want to have too much trouble with it for now.

I decided to go with something more secure and (I think) with less chances of failure.

Rockfield SWC pickup and Grover STA_TITE http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/tuners_groverst.htm

 

[/quote']

 

Grovers are fine. But don't use the uncovered Sta-tites. You want something like the Rotomatics. Incidently, the standard Grovers which came on my Epi LP are great. And I'm bending the life out of the strings!

 

Never heard of Rockfields SWC? WSC? I know WSC has been rumoured to make GFS PUs and have been making the 'designed by Seymour Duncan' PUs.

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Never heard of Rockfields SWC? WSC? I know WSC has been rumoured to make GFS PUs and have been making the 'designed by Seymour Duncan' PUs.

 

Here is a link http://www.rockfieldpickups.com/swc.html

they sound really really really good. I love the "neck tap" clip. From what I've heard (reviews and clips) they go from jazzy tones to lead tones.

They are also used in B.C. Rich guitars and Michael Kelly guitars too.

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I've been looking around for parts to upgrade my guitar. I had in mind a Vintage 59 and vintage style tuners from guitarfetish.com. After reading some reviews on the the vintage 59... i started worring about those pickups. Not saying they aren't great but some say they sound muddy and dont really sound great when the neck and bridge are put together. For the tuners' date=' I've brougt tuners from guitarfetish and they are okay, but not the best tuners. They do go out of tune even after streching them. I just want to upgrade my guitar for now to start playing (this is the only guitar I have), but I really don't want to have too much trouble with it for now.

I decided to go with something more secure and (I think) with less chances of failure.

Rockfield SWC pickup and Grover STA_TITE http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/tuners_groverst.htm

Some say that Rockfield are as good as Seymour Duncan pickups and other brands, but I really don't know about the grover tuners.

I think I would be paying about 10 bucks more, but is there much of a difference between both? Will the tuners be good, way better than guitarfetish tuners, same, etc.?[/quote']

 

Are you sure it's the GFS tuners? maybe it's your strings or the way you put your

strings on? I'm using GFS chrome keystones and have no problems at all with

them. My strings stay in tune, but if it's Grovers you feel are necessary, then

go for it.

 

As far as vintage 59s, IMO you can't find a better p_up at that price.

Sure, the boutiques may be better tone wise, SDs, Dimarzios, Gibson etc..but there is

nothing fundamentally wrong with the GFS vintage 59s.

Everyone going to have some different opinions on them and you have to take the reviews

on Harmony Central with a grain of salt as they say ..some people feel they are "too cheap"

to be any good, others want to compare them to boutiques at 4X the price, still others

are looking for a specific tone and maybe the vintage 59s can't satisfy them until they

get the boutiques.

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Are you sure it's the GFS tuners? maybe it's your strings or the way you put your

strings on? I'm using GFS chrome keystones and have no problems at all with

them. My strings stay in tune' date=' but if it's Grovers you feel are necessary, then

go for it.

 

As far as vintage 59s, IMO you can't find a better p_up at that price.

Sure, the boutiques may be better tone wise, SDs, Dimarzios, Gibson etc..but there is

nothing fundamentally wrong with the GFS vintage 59s.

Everyone going to have some different opinions on them and you have to take the reviews

on Harmony Central with a grain of salt as they say ..some people feel they are "too cheap"

to be any good, others want to compare them to boutiques at 4X the price, still others

are looking for a specific tone and maybe the vintage 59s can't satisfy them until they

get the boutiques. [/quote']

i really want a pickup that's the best. I really don't know which is better (that's why i'm asking), but which would be better: a GFS Vintage 59 or Rockfield SWC pickup?

About the tuners, I do think its the tuners. I tried out different ways of winding them and took it to a friend and it still happened... although one think that could've been the problem would be the nut. I'm saying this cause it happened with the old tuners and the new on the G and low E string. It also happens on the other strings, but not as much as those strings. I really don't know, but thats my guess.

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i really want a pickup that's the best. I really don't know which is better (that's why i'm asking)' date=' but which would be better: a GFS Vintage 59 or Rockfield SWC pickup?

About the tuners, I do think its the tuners. I tried out different ways of winding them and took it to a friend and it still happened... although one think that could've been the problem would be the nut. I'm saying this cause it happened with the old tuners and the new on the G and low E string. It also happens on the other strings, but not as much as those strings. I really don't know, but thats my guess.[/quote']

 

Ok, on p_ups, it's purely subjective and the tonal qualities of each type/manufacturer

of pickups will depend largely on the magnet, how it's wound (tight or scatter), the

pole pieces, the cover or lack thereof, the guitar, the strings you use, the amplifier,

the particular speaker used on the amplifier (again a subjective thing with guitar

players) and probably some other factors,,but these are just some of the ones

I'm familiar with over the years. Also it's to some degree, bragging rights to other

muscians or guitar players that may know the difference in different pickup qualities.

Gibson Classic 57s (with AlNiCo II style magnets) are the ones that all others may

be compared to..because they were designed a long time ago around the time

when Seth Lover worked for Gibson (and he practically designed the humbucker).

Seth Lover, left Gibson and went to work for Seymour Duncan when Ted McCarty

left to take over Bigsby. So yes, if you can afford it..get a set of Gibson Classic 57s

or the SD Seth Lovers or any brand. It's going to cost a lot more for boutique,

and unless you are recording some music or playing with a band, the only

difference it will make is to your pocket book and the satisfaction that you got

them.

 

As far as the GFS Kluson vintage tuners..those are 14:1 gear ratio and if you

installed those particular ones with the bushings they came with in your

Epiphone, the holes are too large (10mm) holes for the 8mm vintage press-in

bushings that these tuners come with. GFS does offer oversize conversion bushings

but these have to be ordered separately with the order. If you didn't and

installed the vintage green klusons, then the posts are bending over at the

crown gear and yes..that will make the strings go out of tune..because of

incorrect installation.

 

I have a set of those on my Joe Pass and it does stay intune..but I had to

make a set of walnut resizing bushings so that the press-in bushings fit

tight..no problems for me.

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Ok' date=' on p_ups, it's purely subjective and the tonal qualities of each type/manufacturer

of pickups will depend largely on the magnet, how it's wound (tight or scatter), the

pole pieces, the cover or lack thereof, the guitar, the strings you use, the amplifier,

the particular speaker used on the amplifier (again a subjective thing with guitar

players) and probably some other factors,,but these are just some of the ones

I'm familiar with over the years. Also it's to some degree, bragging rights to other

muscians or guitar players that may know the difference in different pickup qualities.

Gibson Classic 57s (with AlNiCo II style magnets) are the ones that all others may

be compared to..because they were designed a long time ago around the time

when Seth Lover worked for Gibson (and he practically designed the humbucker).

Seth Lover, left Gibson and went to work for Seymour Duncan when Ted McCarty

left to take over Bigsby. So yes, if you can afford it..get a set of Gibson Classic 57s

or the SD Seth Lovers or any brand. It's going to cost a lot more for boutique,

and unless you are recording some music or playing with a band, the only

difference it will make is to your pocket book and the satisfaction that you got

them.

 

As far as the GFS Kluson vintage tuners..those are 14:1 gear ratio and if you

installed those particular ones with the bushings they came with in your

Epiphone, the holes are too large (10mm) holes for the 8mm vintage press-in

bushings that these tuners come with. GFS does offer oversize conversion bushings

but these have to be ordered separately with the order. If you didn't and

installed the vintage green klusons, then the posts are bending over at the

crown gear and yes..that will make the strings go out of tune..because of

incorrect installation.

 

I have a set of those on my Joe Pass and it does stay intune..but I had to

make a set of walnut resizing bushings so that the press-in bushings fit

tight..no problems for me.

 

 

[/quote']You could be right about the tuners since I didnt install them... tech did it and I think he did it in a second cause its nasty. The pickups... I do plan on recording and playing a band. I want a pickup that is totally reliable with different genres. Paf style pickups are the ones used in almost any genre and maybe a split coil or series/parallel switching would make alittle more reliable for my work. I ain't looking for any specfic or unique sound out of a pickup but just total and absolute satisfaction out of it. No problems when split or anything and perfect when combining a neck and bridge.

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...

when Seth Lover worked for Gibson (and he practically designed the humbucker).

Seth Lover' date=' left Gibson and went to work for Seymour Duncan...

 

[/quote']

 

No argument here Dan. Except Seth Lover went on to work for Fender. He collaborated with Seymour Duncan on the Seth Lover model.

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Grovers are fine. But don't use the uncovered Sta-tites. You want something like the Rotomatics. Incidently' date=' the standard Grovers which came on my Epi LP are great. And I'm bending the life out of the strings![/quote']

 

I really like the way they look... do they have something bad? cause tuning problems or anything?

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