Suggestions for replacing a Jem Single Coil Pickup?

Lonely Raven · #1 07-05-2002, 10:47 AM

Howdy all,

I have an old Root Beer Jem that I'm just absolutly in love with.

The probelm is (and I'm sure this is common), is that the single coil
pickup just can't seem to keep up with the humbuckers, especially clean
toned. I keep finding myself checking the volumn knob to see if I bumped
it or something.

I've already cleaned out the 5 way switch, and checked all the connections.
This guitar is pretty much cherry internally.

So my last resort, I need some suggestions on some *hot* single coils
that can keep up with a PAF Pro, and soon to be Tone Zone in the
bridge. I have a lot of problems with noise from all the electronics in
my audio room, so I'm considering a "stacked" single coil of some sort,
but the main objective is to keep the "Strat" single coil tone, but with much
higher output (and preferably less noise).

Any help/suggestions/offers would be greatly appreciated!

Jimi D · #2 07-05-2002, 11:23 AM

I use a pink HS-3 in one of my Florals - it's not a single coil, but it works

I like it a lot in the context of my setup, but my wiring is customized with a Yamaha push-push tone pot that splits ALL my pickups when I pop it up, and 24-lug 5-way switch taht gives me five flavours of humbucker tone or five flavours of single coil (split humbucker) tone - so I no longer have the "Sprit-5"

switching on my '90 Floral...

jem777az · #3 07-05-2002, 01:45 PM

I have a Tone Zone/Air Norton combo in my Jem and the single coil is an FS-1. Balances very well with the Tone Zone and is much better than the stock Jem IMO.

trouble311 · #4 07-07-2002, 01:45 AM

Blue Velvet all the way baby, if you want Single Coil tone....if not, HS-3

bduersch · #5 07-07-2002, 07:34 PM

I gotta second Trouble here... the Blue Velvet is a killer pickup. I've tried it in lots of guitars (different woods, different neck/bridge pickups) and it always sounds great!

--B

Lonely Raven · #6 07-07-2002, 11:00 PM

Hmmm, I was leaning towards the HS-3, but I'm really just looking for
that glassy clean tone (ala Eric Johnson maybe?). While having power
enough to match the output of the Bridge and Neck Humbuckers,
I'd hate to sacrifice tone for output.

You guys think the Blue can keep up with a PAF Pro and Tone Zone?

jeff l · #7 07-08-2002, 01:36 AM

Raven, I don't mean to sound too obvious here but how is your pickup height set? The middle pickup needs to be closer to the strings to keep up with your humbuckers volume-wise. Maybe backing your humbuckers away a tad and raising your single just a bit would help.

Lonely Raven · #8 07-08-2002, 01:51 PM

Yeah, I already looked at that. Even if I back off the humbuckers to the
point where it started to effect the tone, and pushed the single way up
almost into the strings, it still just doesn't have the output.

I'm played with it overall for about a week before I finally gave up and
decided I needed a new pickup. I don't like buying hardware I don't need
and can't really afford! Heh. So I was very thurough.

That's also why I'm being so careful about the pickup a buy, asking lots
of questions. I don't want a collection of unused pickups sitting around.
Back when I could afford it having spare parts around didn't matter, but
lately...the tech market just isn't as stable as it was. LOL