Wide range humbuckers?

Lebarque

Just trying to decide whether to keep my Jazzmaster build traditional, or go for a jazzblaster with WRHB's. I Iike the idea of a beefed up Fender sound. How do they compare to PAF's sound-wise and do they hit the amp harder? PAF's are a bit hot for me. Where can I try some out? The Fender ones aren't right, so I'd go with one of the great pup makers on here. Maybe see if Coda or someone has a guitar with Lollar Imperials on maybe?

octatonic

Do you mean proper CuNiFe WRHB's, or the modern copies that don't really nail the sound of the originals?

The real deal is clearer than a PAF and IMHO more dynamic.
They take dirt pedals really well without sounding 'metal'.

I don't think the modern Fender 'WRHB' sound nearly as good- I am not familiar with any other manufacturers attempts though, except for Telenator, who used CuNiFe magnets. They are excellent too.

Funkfingers

Lebarque said:
I Iike the idea of a beefed up Fender sound. 

In that case, in my opinion, Fender Wide Range humbuckers are not the answer for you.

It is possible to purchase "beefed up" Jazzmaster style pickups. 

The simplest way to keep your options open would be to route for regular humbuckers. That way, you can probably purchase exactly what you want and retain the option to change it, if necessary, in the future.

TheBigDipper

octatonic said:

Do you mean proper CuNiFe WRHB's, or the modern copies that don't really nail the sound of the originals?

The real deal is clearer than a PAF and IMHO more dynamic.
They take dirt pedals really well without sounding 'metal'.

I don't think the modern Fender 'WRHB' sound nearly as good- I am not familiar with any other manufacturers attempts though, except for Telenator, who used CuNiFe magnets. They are excellent too.

The '70s WRHB CuNiFe pickups are a lovely, lovely thing and the guitars they come attached to are stupidly priced. Some of the '70s Tele Deluxes I played when I was searching were a bit dodgy - in the sense that they were being portrayed as "original" (for pricing purposes) and displayed signs to me that this just was not true. 

Clearer than a P90, balanced tone, hotter yet easy enough to turn down. 

The pickups Fender use inside their current WRHB cases sound like generic humbuckers and nothing like a proper WRHB. 

As some may remember, I ended up buying a MIM Tele FSR, changing the wiring for a '70s-style loom from MojoTone and a pair of WRHB pickups from Jaime at The Creamery. The magnets are not CuNiFe, but the sound is the sound of a '70s WRHB to my ears. I'm very happy with sound I'm getting from it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/429v923ceg5evii/IMG_2287.JPG?raw=1

Edit: As FunkFingers has written - it's going to be a WRHB sound, not a beefed-up single coil sound from a Strat or a Tele. Lovely, but you do need to try one. Maybe start your research with a proper '70s Fender at one of these vintage guitar shops and see if you like the sound? 

Thom Yorke and Graham Coxon have both been seen onstage with Tele Deluxes from time to time. That may work for you or repel you! 

timmypix

A friend of mine's just got a WRHB from Jaime at the Creamery - says it's very open, different to a typical humbucker but still takes gain well when required.

JerkMoans

The new Fender WRHBs are, apparently, simply normal sized HBs encased in a crap ton of wax and larger housing. Fundamentally different beasties from the original 70s versions.

https://imgur.com/a/tucvcoK

ArchtopDave

octatonic said:

Do you mean proper CuNiFe WRHB's, or the modern copies that don't really nail the sound of the originals?

The real deal is clearer than a PAF and IMHO more dynamic.
They take dirt pedals really well without sounding 'metal'.

I don't think the modern Fender 'WRHB' sound nearly as good- I am not familiar with any other manufacturers attempts though, except for Telenator, who used CuNiFe magnets. They are excellent too.

The guy, who made Telenator pickups, stopped producing them about a year ago. I bought a pair of his CuNiFe pickups in early 2017, and I know that his health was poor at that time, and he told me he wouldn’t be ble to carry on much longer.

octatonic

ArchtopDave said:

octatonic said:

Do you mean proper CuNiFe WRHB's, or the modern copies that don't really nail the sound of the originals?

The real deal is clearer than a PAF and IMHO more dynamic.
They take dirt pedals really well without sounding 'metal'.

I don't think the modern Fender 'WRHB' sound nearly as good- I am not familiar with any other manufacturers attempts though, except for Telenator, who used CuNiFe magnets. They are excellent too.

The guy, who made Telenator pickups, stopped producing them about a year ago. I bought a pair of his CuNiFe pickups in early 2017, and I know that his health was poor at that time, and he told me he wouldn’t be ble to carry on much longer.

I bought a set from him too, right at the start of when he was doing it- I think 2008.
He is/was a poster on TDPRI.
They closed down at the end of 2017- CuNiFe was just too hard to get.

Lebarque

octatonic said:

Do you mean proper CuNiFe WRHB's, or the modern copies that don't really nail the sound of the originals?

No, that's not practical. Would go for a repro from one of the excellent builders on here.

Lebarque

Funkfingers said:

Lebarque said:
I Iike the idea of a beefed up Fender sound. 

In that case, in my opinion, Fender Wide Range humbuckers are not the answer for you.

Why not?

Lebarque

Clearer than a P90, balanced tone, hotter yet easy enough to turn down. 

Edit: As FunkFingers has written - it's going to be a WRHB sound, not a beefed-up single coil sound from a Strat or a Tele. Lovely, but you do need to try one. Maybe start your research with a proper '70s Fender at one of these vintage guitar shops and see if you like the sound? 

Thom Yorke and Graham Coxon have both been seen onstage with Tele Deluxes from time to time. That may work for you or repel you! 

Clear and balanced sounds good. What IS the WRHB sound then?! Trying a vintage one sounds like a good idea. Love Radiohead!

victorludorum

You can get a WRHB that fits under a modded Jazzmaster cover, so no need for any routing etc. Mojo do one.

JerkMoans

Where are you? I’m currently the custodian of a 1972 Thinline with the real McCoy in it, if anyone fancies a road test.

ewal

octatonic said:

Do you mean proper CuNiFe WRHB's, or the modern copies that don't really nail the sound of the originals?

The real deal is clearer than a PAF and IMHO more dynamic.
They take dirt pedals really well without sounding 'metal'.

I don't think the modern Fender 'WRHB' sound nearly as good- I am not familiar with any other manufacturers attempts though, except for Telenator, who used CuNiFe magnets. They are excellent too.

I've got a set of Mojo WRHB's in my Toronado and think 'clearer than a PAF and IMHO more dynamic' describes them well.

Caffeine_Vampire

I’ve got a Fender WR I took out of my AV Tele Custom. Swapped it for an old Seth WR. I believe there have been different voicing of Fenders WR reissues over the years. This one sounds excellent. I’m not using it so if it’s any good to you just ask. 

Winny_Pooh

It's hard to describe. WRHB have more crispness in the mids and low end than a regular humbucker even though they have lots of low end. Can be a bit too much for a neck humbucker as a result. Awesome bridge pickups.
I'd get a bridge WRHB on its own 1meg ohm vol pot and a standard jazzmaster neck on a 250k or 500k pot. 

simonhpieman

I have an original Starcaster. I love it! The neck, the sound, the natural finish... Dream guitar.

Lots of plinky funk from the middle position, warmth from the neck, a nice bit of honk from the bridge...

I always find it hard to discern between guitars but I'd say it's a but rounder and brighter than the '73 Jazzmaster I used to have. No problem driving pedals, no problem clean, no problem with a bit of crunch.

I also feel like they sustain really nicely but I do use compression somtimes so that might be in part due to that.

I haven't done any recording with it but I love the sound of the fat chord at the end of this clip 

That probably doesn't help much but I love it so much I'd like another Starcaster please now thanks immediately cheers.

Lebarque

JerkMoans said:

Where are you? I’m currently the custodian of a 1972 Thinline with the real McCoy in it, if anyone fancies a road test.

Oxfordshire. You?

Lebarque

Winny_Pooh said:

It's hard to describe. WRHB have more crispness in the mids and low end than a regular humbucker even though they have lots of low end. Can be a bit too much for a neck humbucker as a result. Awesome bridge pickups.
I'd get a bridge WRHB on its own 1meg ohm vol pot and a standard jazzmaster neck on a 250k or 500k pot. 

That's a worry. I like an articulate neck pup with no mud or boominess

Lebarque

simonhpieman said:

I have an original Starcaster. I love it! The neck, the sound, the natural finish... Dream guitar.

Lots of plinky funk from the middle position, warmth from the neck, a nice bit of honk from the bridge...

I always find it hard to discern between guitars but I'd say it's a but rounder and brighter than the '73 Jazzmaster I used to have. No problem driving pedals, no problem clean, no problem with a bit of crunch.

I also feel like they sustain really nicely but I do use compression somtimes so that might be in part due to that.

I haven't done any recording with it but I love the sound of the fat chord at the end of this clip 

That probably doesn't help much but I love it so much I'd like another Starcaster please now thanks immediately cheers.

Lol, love it!

Calum13

Jazzmaster with Tele Deluxe pickups? 
Better put it in some dischordant tuning, get a drumstick under the strings and play some sonic youth!