Help identifying 'EVH' pickups?

imalrightjack

Hi,

Trying to identify these, which came out of a Jackson (so no indication of origin).  They're apparently EVH pickups but have only an 'F' in a circle to help identify them - but I am clueless as to what they might be.

They rate around 15/13k using a multimeter on the wire.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

bobacco

EVH make a Frankenstein pickup, this could be an older version of that? Though I suspect the ‘F’ might mean they’re F-spaced? They are 14.4K apparently. 

OilCityPickups

F in a circle just means 'Front' when stamped into a baseplate ... this is usually an indicator of Chinese baseplates ... and is a bit odd if you have two marked F ... as they should be marked F and R for front and rear. 

Funkfingers

A superficial trawl of Google images found no examples of EVH branded humbuckers with elevator screw lugs like the ones in your photographs.

The triangular "feet" and black paint owe something to the custom DiMarzio humbuckers supplied in Musicman EVH guitars. 

The cable exit hole at every corner of the baseplate and the tapered vertical section of the lugs scream budget SE Asian.

As Ash states, the F in a circle usually indicates a neck position pickup. DiMarzio only embosses F onto baseplates of humbuckers with a wider polepiece spacing.

•

One thing that sometimes happens during pickup replacements is that the stock pickups are temporarily stored in the packaging from the replacement units. 

Wait long enough and it is possible for punters to delude themselves that the pickups rediscovered in a name brand box ARE of that brand.

imalrightjack

Funkfingers said:

A superficial trawl of Google images found no examples of EVH branded humbuckers with elevator screw lugs like the ones in your photographs.

The triangular "feet" and black paint owe something to the custom DiMarzio humbuckers supplied in Musicman EVH guitars. 

The cable exit hole at every corner of the baseplate and the tapered vertical section of the lugs scream budget SE Asian.

As Ash states, the F in a circle usually indicates a neck position pickup. DiMarzio only embosses F onto baseplates of humbuckers with a wider polepiece spacing.

•

One thing that sometimes happens during pickup replacements is that the stock pickups are temporarily stored in the packaging from the replacement units. 

Wait long enough and it is possible for punters to delude themselves that the pickups rediscovered in a name brand box ARE of that brand.

Yeah, I struggled to see any that weren't distinctly marked as EVH.  The fact they were in a full-fat USA Jackson, with SDs in the case, suggest they were fitted as an 'upgrade', so seems unlikely they would be budget Asian, but nothing suggests otherwise.  The output is in-line with EVH though - although your suggestion of forgotten brand is certainly an interesting one!

ICBM

I’ve had a look online and I can’t find a single other example which shares *all* the features of these, so I do think they may be something ‘custom’ OEM for a particular model of guitar - but I very much agree with Funkfingers and OilCityPickups that the baseplates with a cable hole at every corner and the circled F are cheap-ish far-eastern and not something top quality - the closest is probably something like Daewon (Korean). My guess from the black baseplates and triangular feet is that they were designed to be direct-mounted from the front. It is odd that both are F models, unless they came out of two different guitars originally.

andy_k

Most EVH pickups are zebras, and usually they come attached to a Wolfgang, more recent far eastern versions are possibly double black, as they now seem to be trying all the colors.
The Frankenstein pickups are clearly marked, and usually have normal short legs, I have a few sets, but am away from home, I can't confirm.

OilCityPickups

ICBM said:

I’ve had a look online and I can’t find a single other example which shares *all* the features of these, so I do think they may be something ‘custom’ OEM for a particular model of guitar - but I very much agree with Funkfingers and OilCityPickups that the baseplates with a cable hole at every corner and the circled F are cheap-ish far-eastern and not something top quality - the closest is probably something like Daewon (Korean). My guess from the black baseplates and triangular feet is that they were designed to be direct-mounted from the front. It is odd that both are F models, unless they came out of two different guitars originally.

The other interesting thing is the corrosion around where the baseplate has chipped. I lot of black baseplates are black powder coated nickel (I use this quite often) if you chip these you don't get corrosion. The pickups here look like sprayed brass baseplates ... again like super cheap Far Eastern. Chip them and you get classic brass oxidisation.  

I remembered just now where I saw pickups similar to this before ... an OLP. 

Kittyfrisk

OilCityPickups said:

ICBM said:

I’ve had a look online and I can’t find a single other example which shares *all* the features of these, so I do think they may be something ‘custom’ OEM for a particular model of guitar - but I very much agree with Funkfingers and OilCityPickups that the baseplates with a cable hole at every corner and the circled F are cheap-ish far-eastern and not something top quality - the closest is probably something like Daewon (Korean). My guess from the black baseplates and triangular feet is that they were designed to be direct-mounted from the front. It is odd that both are F models, unless they came out of two different guitars originally.

The other interesting thing is the corrosion around where the baseplate has chipped. I lot of black baseplates are black powder coated nickel (I use this quite often) if you chip these you don't get corrosion. The pickups here look like sprayed brass baseplates ... again like super cheap Far Eastern. Chip them and you get classic brass oxidisation.  

I remembered just now where I saw pickups similar to this before ... an OLP. 

Interesting. I am in possession of (I believe) an unmolested OLP MM1FR & although I hadn't got any plans to restring it, much less take out the pickups, if it's going to help then I'll do so 

imalrightjack

@Kittyfrisk - I won't ask you to do that and accept they're likely worth nowt!

Kittyfrisk

^ Cheers. No problem to pull them & check. 
I quite like them, having directly compared my cheap mongrel OLP, head to head with a full fat EB Axis Super Sport with DiMarzio's...

imalrightjack

Kittyfrisk said:

^ Cheers. No problem to pull them & check. 
I quite like them, having compared directly compared my cheap mongrel OLP, head to head with a full fat EB Axis Super Sport with DiMarzio's...

Well, if you don't mind, please do - it will at least allow me to sell them, knowing what they 'ish' are.

icu81b4

You can see photos of the EVH pickups from a MusicMan here….
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/177720/sold-pair-of-ernie-ball-musicman-evh-pickups-dimarzios

Funkfingers

For the sake of clarity, the humbuckers in the Musicman USA electric guitars originally designed in conjunction with Edward Van Halen are made by DiMarzio.

I cannot recall who manufactured the pickups during Edward's Peavey contract phase.

EVH has since become a brand in its own right - albeit under the Fender umbrella. 

OilCityPickups

Does it sound good? Because if it does ... who the fuck cares who made it? Some unnamed, shit cheap pickups sound magic - why break the spell by putting a name to them - Just play them if they please you. If not, bin them. 

Philly_Q

Funkfingers said:

I cannot recall who manufactured the pickups during Edward's Peavey contract phase.

I'm pretty sure they were designed in-house at Peavey, in consultation with Ed, but I don't know if they actually made their own pickups or outsourced them.

Funkfingers

OilCityPickups said:

Does it sound good? Because if it does ... who the fuck cares who made it? 

I know somebody who does. His shades HAVE to Ray-bans. His jeans HAVE to be Levis. He declined my offer to test drive a Seymour Duncan Brobucker in his Les Paul 60s Classic because it doesn't have "Seymour Duncan" pad printed on the bobbin. D'uh!

imalrightjack

OilCityPickups said:

Does it sound good? Because if it does ... who the fuck cares who made it? Some unnamed, shit cheap pickups sound magic - why break the spell by putting a name to them - Just play them if they please you. If not, bin them. 

Absolutely fair. I don’t think I even have a guitar I want to put them in. Anybody want them? 

Funkfingers

Somewhere out there, in a man cave far, far away, there will be a sentimental middle aged chap, attempting to restore his first electric guitar to original spec.

The OLP brand was EBMM's first stab at a budget import line. Compared to the more recent S.U.B. range, they were slightly clunky and the paint colours were on the drab side. Nevertheless, some owners may still be fond of 'em.

That is your market demographic.

stonevibe

Pretty sure "most" of the Wolfgang pickups have been Zebras, so these bobbins aren't likely to be Peavey, etc 

Funkfingers

Narrowing things down further.

The nearest thing that OLP made to an Edward model was their MM-1. This came with black and cream humbuckers.

I had forgotten that there been other OLP artist signature models. The only one with a double black bobbins neck position humbucker was the Petrucci.