Deacci pickups

mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
edited January 2017 in Other Reviews

Well it took me some time to get them installed in my old Korean Maison 335 copy.  I went for, well he called them "Hoggfaze" pickups.  Based on his LP-Zero (his most accurate PAF copies).  After some chatting to Declan, amazing guy and loads of time/knowledge,  I asked for some custom tweaks to the std pickup.  The tweaks were out of phase with via a magnet flip and I wanted the winding ever so slightly warmer as feel the Maison 335 with its solid maple (no laminate at all) and mahogany tone block are slightly cooler than a real 335.  I specified them nickel finished covers (though from my memory all cover options are nickel based which is good. Oh and I specified an incredibly light wax pot as the small regular venue can mean speakers closer than you'd like.  He usually doesn't pot them as doesn't find they need it as windings don't have issues in top most layers.

The pickups arrived and had a look over and are very well presented and packed superbly.  After looking them I asked a few more questions.  He buys in the backing plates which are a nickel alloy (he would make them but has been very happy with supplied ones).  The metal slugs on the other hand are made by Declan himself.  Every time he ordered a batch he was finding they were not consistent.  So rather than accept they will be different every time Declan ordered a rather large and expensive lump of metal made exactly to his specifications so he can make his own slugs for years to come...  I doubt there are many pickup companies who would go to these lengths.

Installed them yesterday and am over the moon with them.  feel the sound is 100% what I was after, with just the right amount of warmth in neck and lovely out of phase sound.  haven't played with bridge one as much but seems very nice and not overly bright as some can be.  The set I removed were alnico 5 paf copies made in same factory as Wilkinson kit.  the old set were bright in neck but a useable tone but could never use bridge at it was far too bright.

So we have a nice warmth to Neck that really works stunningly well clean and turns itself to blues gain amazingly well with a great leading edge when needed and plenty of dirt and warm low freqs to give a wonderful blues/early rock sound...  The bridge has been transformed into a very useable tone indeed (more like what neck sounded like on old alnico 5 pickups but with a smidge or bridge tone).  Again a superb blues and rock tone that I am going to enjoy using and think will also cover off the AC/DC rhythm parts very nicely too (the less low end dirt of bridge should suit that amazingly well).  Out of phase is going to be a very useful feature and really seems to work in these pickups better than I have heard in a long time.

Without doubt I can highly recommend Deacci and the man in charge Declan to anyone here and wouldn't hesitate recommending an order from anyone in the market for pickups... the fact hour also paying less than most big makers never mind specialist hand wound for a pickup set at the very top of the class is nothing short of a miracle.  They are that good I would recommend any luthier making top class hand built guitars or doing upgrades should consider looking at Deacci products.

I would do a wee vid but although I know good tone my playing is still a little on rusty side and still need to take a little height off the ebony nut.  Once nut sorted I will see if my friend Connor will do a wee video as he is best young blues/rock guitarist I have heard in a long time.

John

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Comments

  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    Don't just take my word for it.. Johnny Fean uses a set of greenfaze and a set of feanfaze (customized greenfaze).  He reckons they are closest thing he has ever heard to what was in greeny's LP...  He should know as was a friend of Gary Moore and has actually played greeny's LP.  And that's no hard to find believable from what I am hearing in my set and the fact Johnny was friends with Moore (Moore even owned Johnny's old uncovered paf 335 and used it on a recording)....
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  • deaccideacci Frets: 41
    Many thanks for the write up John, I enjoyed the banter with you and very pleased to hear you are enjoying the pickups
    Declan Larkin  |  Deacci Guitar Pickups
    www.deacci.com  |  +44 7799 417775
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