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What will it sound like?


JohnMcClane5000

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Hi Folks,

 

For months we've been watering our mouths about the new WILSHIREs with MINI-HUMBUCKERS but the real question is...

 

 

What will they sound like?

 

N_1621b.jpg

 

I've not had much expierience with Minis and I'm curious to know what characteristics they have and what the Solidbody will contribute to that sound...

 

Do the pickups break up quickly? What guitars compare to the Wilshire (sound-wise)? Will they produce a 'creamy' overdrive?

 

 

 

Well, got the stone rolling, it's all in your hands now friends..! =)

 

 

JM

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I can only comment on the mini humbuckers in my Firebird, and they're really not the same thing, because the ones in the Wilshires are the 'New York' style ones are they not?. Or have I go that backwards? In any case, the ones in my Firebird are quite bluesy, and I would almost describe it like a Strat with the switch in positions two or four - it has a single coil esque sound, but it also sounds like a humbucker, as a Stratocaster does with the switch in those positions, but obviously definitely still distinctly a single coil since the two pickups are entirely separate. I would describe The mini humbucker sound when overdriven as rounded. They're not sort of snappy like a normal humbucker. They're a bit lazy, and I mean that in a good way. A full size humbucker is very responsive, mostly because they're wound hotter I guess. But the mini humbucker doesn't have that same kind of responsiveness. That's not a bad thing, I really do love my Firebird, it's a different kind of sound.

 

I have to wonder though, after exploring the wiring and messing with the capacitors, whether much of that low fi, bordering on muddy, crunchy sound, is due the the volume pots having a capacitor fitted as a treble bleed. My Firebird is currently out of action because my capacitor experiments were lagely unsuccessful. I'm planning to wire it up and get it working again on Monday. I'm going to wire it like a 3 pickup Les Paul this time, mostly because I can't find a schematic for the original wiring, and honestly that was such a birds nest. The 3 pickup LP type wiring is much simpler. It has one capacitor on the tone pot as is the norm, so it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this has on the sound not having treble bleed caps on the volume pots. I imagine it will be more trebly. Frankly the Firebird could use a bit more treble. I loved the dirty blues tone it had but, as I said, it borders on mud at times. And I think with a few tweaks of the EQ settings on the amp etc, and by rolling off the tone, I'll still be able to achieve that raw tone when I want, and not when I don't. I think I'll use a .047 cap so it's not shrill.

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wow! no wonder we all get it wrong thinking ny's are mini hums. we are not alone!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/MRG-New-York-Mini-Humbucker-Neck-NEW_W0QQitemZ380134958449QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item5881cf2571&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14

 

hang on! you guys were saying that the new yorks ARE single coils? well the actual advert is here:

 

http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=1621

 

"Neck Pickup NY Mini-Humbucker

Bridge Pickup NY Mini-Humbucker"

 

:( :-s :-s

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