Looking for some replacement pups

[Bill L]

I bought this Epiphone Firebird at a pawn shop back around 91 or 92. I like the guitar but I've always hated these pick ups. So, in an effort to make this bad boy gig worthy I thought I'd check the pups as well as the pots and wiring. I was thinking for whatever the standard pup on the early Firebird at the bridge and maybe a stacked humbucker for the neck. Any thoughts on this @Muttley as I would like to get a set from you? I have nothing but time so it's nothing that has to be done right away.

Also, I'll soon be looking for a set of Tele pups to replace the ones that are in my Mexican Tele and a set of Strat pups for one of my strats.

IMG_20191214_113736.jpg

[muttley]

Sorry just caught this Bill, for some reason I didnt get a notification.

Passive EMG pups have a pretty poor reputation so I think changing them out would almost certainly give you a better guitar. Is that a standard sized humbucker in the bridge? I'd also like to know the exact size of the neck pup before making a solid recommendation.

If it was mine I would go for as close as possible to the TV jones mini humbucker in the bridge but that may be a challenge if its a full size route. If not then pick out a humbucker style that would get close. The original Firebirds can be quite thin and brittle on the bridge position but some folks like that.

The neck could be a simple stacked bucker or if it were me I would go with the twin rail similar to the one minerman had done. Those have proven insanely popular with a lot of guys here.

Let me know the size of the pickups you have and if possible the route depth and I will add a few more suggestions. Maybe a hint as to the kind of tone you wnt out of them.

Strat and Tele pups not a problem whenever you are ready.

[Bill L]

I found this, and not much else about the late 80's Epiphone Firebird 300/500, on the Gibson forum.

Firebird 300
The Epiphone Firebird 300 was introduced in 1986 alongside the Firebird 500. It was made by the Samick Corporation in Korea from 1986 to 1988.



Features

- One EMG Select humbucker/One EMG Select single coil

- Black hardware

- Locking Steinberger KB Tremolo

- Laminated Mahogany neck-through-body

- Black "speed" knobs (1 Vol/1 Tone)

- White pickguard with red "Firebird" graphic

- 22-fret "Ebanol" fingerboard with "dot" inlays

- 25.5" scale

- Colors available: Red' date=' Silver, and Vintage Sunburst.


The humbucker seems to be 3 1/2" x 1 3/4" and the single coil is 2 3/4" x 3/4" (appears to be the same as my strats). A pup like Miner's is what I was thinking as well. I also agree that the mini hums on the Birds were very bright/brittle. I'd prefer more of a standard humbucker but perhaps something a bit different than the Les Customs and SG. I really love the '57 classic that's in my Fool SG. Maybe that's the way to go? as far as depth of the rout, it looks like around 5/8". Let me know what else you need.

[muttley]

Let me know what else you need.

[mention]Bill L[/mention] nah that all cool man. As I suspect those were made to house standard pups so it a bucker route and single coil route. I will try and chuck up a few ideas tomorrow, its getting on here and I've had a long day/week/month etc etc...

[Bill L]

Let me know what else you need.

@Bill L nah that all cool man. As I suspect those were made to house standard pups so it a bucker route and single coil route. I will try and chuck up a few ideas tomorrow, its getting on here and I've had a long day/week/month etc etc...

No worries. As I said, take your time. I'm in no big rush.

[muttley]

Ok man, I've been doing a bit of thinking about the fillertron/tv jones route or some kind of mini humbucker like the original firebirds. TV Jones do a humbucker mounting ring specifically to put their stuff in a standard humbucker route. That could be the way to go. Paired with a twin rail strat style pup in the neck that could prove to be quite a unique and versatile set.

https://tvjones.com/collections/hardwar ... e-em1-ring

I have yet to really get my teeth into the TV Jones market so it would be good for me too.

Other options would be to go with a H gate cover for a standard bucker and wind it to try and capture that TV Jones, Gretsch sound that they were famous for. Equally doable but not a true mini humbucker.

Let me know your thoughts.

[Bill L]

Ok man, I've been doing a bit of thinking about the fillertron/tv jones route or some kind of mini humbucker like the original firebirds. TV Jones do a humbucker mounting ring specifically to put their stuff in a standard humbucker route. That could be the way to go. Paired with a twin rail strat style pup in the neck that could prove to be quite a unique and versatile set.

https://tvjones.com/collections/hardwar ... e-em1-ring

I have yet to really get my teeth into the TV Jones market so it would be good for me too.

Other options would be to go with a H gate cover for a standard bucker and wind it to try and capture that TV Jones, Gretsch sound that they were famous for. Equally doable but not a true mini humbucker.

Let me know your thoughts.

I think that'll work fine. If you want, I'll pull it apart and double check all of the measurements.

[muttley]

Do you mean the mini TV Jones with the adapted surround or the modified humbucker wind?

What I will do is put together a spec that would include the dimensions then you check the sizes against that. How does that sound?

[Bill L]

Let's go with the mini TV Jones. I'll double check all of the dimensions. Thanks mutt!

I also have some other stuff to chat with you about. Maybe I'll start different threads for simplicity.

[Minerman]

[mention]Bill L[/mention]
The twin-blade neck p'up Mutt made for me is just a cunt-hair larger than a Fender single coil...I had to cut the slot in the pickguard just a little bigger to get it to fit...The neck p'up slot in the pic looks like you'll have some wiggle room, so this probably won't matter, I'm just trying to be a helpful hillbilly over here...

The "Ripper" neck p'up I have is superb IMHO, I fuckin' love it...I put a coil-split on it's volume knob so I can still get the strat neck p'up thing, & again, I love it...It cleans up really nicely when you roll the volume knob back, but stays articulate through the whole sweep of the knob...Sounds awesome with slide...

I personally don't think you can go wrong with anything Mutt conjures up with his tone-wizardry voodoo...The p'ups I have transformed my MIM strat into something really special...

[muttley]

Let's go with the mini TV Jones. I'll double check all of the dimensions. Thanks mutt!

I also have some other stuff to chat with you about. Maybe I'll start different threads for simplicity.

ok mate, I will run a few things by you and then we can go for it when you are ready.

Good idea to start new thread for separate stuff, at my age I cant remember which foot my shoes go on sometimes...

[muttley]

@Bill L
The twin-blade neck p'up Mutt made for me is just a cunt-hair larger than a Fender single coil...I had to cut the slot in the pickguard just a little bigger to get it to fit...The neck p'up slot in the pic looks like you'll have some wiggle room, so this probably won't matter, I'm just trying to be a helpful hillbilly over here...

The "Ripper" neck p'up I have is superb IMHO, I fuckin' love it...I put a coil-split on it's volume knob so I can still get the strat neck p'up thing, & again, I love it...It cleans up really nicely when you roll the volume knob back, but stays articulate through the whole sweep of the knob...Sounds awesome with slide...

I personally don't think you can go wrong with anything Mutt conjures up with his tone-wizardry voodoo...The p'ups I have transformed my MIM strat into something really special...

Cheers man, the mark of a happy client is one that keeps singing your praises long after the initial wo factor has subsided. Much appreciated..

[Bill L]

@Bill L
The twin-blade neck p'up Mutt made for me is just a cunt-hair larger than a Fender single coil...I had to cut the slot in the pickguard just a little bigger to get it to fit...The neck p'up slot in the pic looks like you'll have some wiggle room, so this probably won't matter, I'm just trying to be a helpful hillbilly over here...

The "Ripper" neck p'up I have is superb IMHO, I fuckin' love it...I put a coil-split on it's volume knob so I can still get the strat neck p'up thing, & again, I love it...It cleans up really nicely when you roll the volume knob back, but stays articulate through the whole sweep of the knob...Sounds awesome with slide...

I personally don't think you can go wrong with anything Mutt conjures up with his tone-wizardry voodoo...The p'ups I have transformed my MIM strat into something really special...

Thanks for the comments, Miner! I'm definitely sold on muttpups and I've been telling everyone I know about them. Though I still have yet to install the paf humbucker set into anything, the p90 in a std humbucker size sounds incredible. So good that I want to put them in a gigging guitar and not the piece of crap that they're in now. I was actually thinking of getting 2 Chibsons and use the pups in them. I'm very close to doing just that.

[Minerman]

Cheers man, the mark of a happy client is one that keeps singing your praises long after the initial wo factor has subsided. Much appreciated..

Just telling the honest truth Mutt, your pickups transformed my strat into something unique & special...

Thanks for the comments, Miner! I'm definitely sold on muttpups and I've been telling everyone I know about them. Though I still have yet to install the paf humbucker set into anything, the p90 in a std humbucker size sounds incredible. So good that I want to put them in a gigging guitar and not the piece of crap that they're in now. I was actually thinking of getting 2 Chibsons and use the pups in them. I'm very close to doing just that.

The set of p'ups Mutt sent me are awesome, I wish I had a guitar that sounded this good back when I was a gigging hillbilly...

I'd been thinking about a better Floyd based guitar next, the Ibanez I have is ok, but nothing special, at all...But, I'd also love to get a tele the same color as my strat, & have a matching set of Mutt's in 'em both, to me, that'd really be cool...

[Greg_L]

Cheers man, the mark of a happy client is one that keeps singing your praises long after the initial wo factor has subsided. Much appreciated..

I tell anyone that will listen that you make great pickups. My G90 took a guitar that I'd sometimes mess around with to a guitar that I play all the time. The clarity of my PAF-style muttbuckers is exactly what I want.

The problem IMO is a lot of guitar players either don't know or don't care about how much the pickups affect their tone. They'll worry about locking tuners and top-wrapping bridges all day long. But something that matters, like a pickup, they're all durrrrrrrrr

[Bill L]

Cheers man, the mark of a happy client is one that keeps singing your praises long after the initial wo factor has subsided. Much appreciated..

I tell anyone that will listen that you make great pickups. My G90 took a guitar that I'd sometimes mess around with to a guitar that I play all the time. The clarity of my PAF-style muttbuckers is exactly what I want.

The problem IMO is a lot of guitar players either don't know or don't care about how much the pickups affect their tone. They'll worry about locking tuners and top-wrapping bridges all day long. But something that matters, like a pickup, they're all durrrrrrrrr

The problem I bump into is that many of the guys I know would rather pay more for Lollar or Fraelin pups rather than try out something like Muttpups. When I get the Firebird assembled and figure out what to install the other pups in I'm sure I'll get a couple of converts.

[muttley]

I tell anyone that will listen that you make great pickups. My G90 took a guitar that I'd sometimes mess around with to a guitar that I play all the time. The clarity of my PAF-style muttbuckers is exactly what I want.

The problem IMO is a lot of guitar players either don't know or don't care about how much the pickups affect their tone. They'll worry about locking tuners and top-wrapping bridges all day long. But something that matters, like a pickup, they're all durrrrrrrrr

This is true.. Most players struggle to differentiate between what improves tone and what improves playability. They will spend a ton of money on amps and pedals and wack a shitty signal through them... Crazy.

[muttley]

The problem I bump into is that many of the guys I know would rather pay more for Lollar or Fraelin pups rather than try out something like Muttpups. When I get the Firebird assembled and figure out what to install the other pups in I'm sure I'll get a couple of converts.

This is also true. There are a lot of Lollar fanbois out there because he was pretty much the first guy to wind up after market pups. He used to hang out online quite a bit and contribute on some of the makers forums I used.

The hardest part when starting any venture is to get traction in the market sector and it should be hard otherwise the place gets flooded with junk. You guys have given me a solid start so keep at it.. Tell all your pals that prices will soon be rising. Inevitable in this current climate I'm afraid.

[Greg_L]

They will spend a ton of money on amps and pedals and wack a shitty signal through them... Crazy.

Pedal culture is out of fucking control. It must be stopped. People don't even play guitar anymore - they play pedals. If I hear one more person tell me about their great "pedal platform" amp, I'm going to beat them to death with a fucking Plexi power transformer.

[muttley]

They will spend a ton of money on amps and pedals and wack a shitty signal through them... Crazy.

Pedal culture is out of fucking control. It must be stopped. People don't even play guitar anymore - they play pedals. If I hear one more person tell me about their great "pedal platform" amp, I'm going to beat them to death with a fucking Plexi power transformer.

Yep, I kid you not, I went to see a guys band the other day after delivering a new guitar to him. His buddy guitar player needed more room to set up his amp back line and pedal boards than the drummer normally requires for his kit. Whats more at a guess he maybe used two or three of them... I spent the evening having a hearty chuckle with the sound guy..