Washburn HB 30 recommended pickup upgrade.

notanon

Hi all,

I'd appreciate thoughts on upgrading pickups on a washburn hb30 guitar. Anybody tried swapping out the stock pickups? I was thinking of going for the Tonerider AC4 Alnico IV Classic Humbucker Set - Nickel or the Tonerider AC2 Alnico II Classic Humbucker Set - Nickel they seem reaaonably priced on Amazon. I like to play blues on that guitar so heading toward BB King kind of tones. I struggle to notice a differnce in youtube reviews between the II and IV but may be because I am listening on computer speakers.

Which pups would you recommend?

Again, comments appreciated.

Wayne

Corvus

Hi Wayne,
I put an AC4 into my Dot (recording here clean), lucky enough to get one secondhand for notalot. The AC2 might be more the thing though, should be a bit sweeter/little less glassy but praps not a night & day difference - totally a guess not having heard their A2s but based on magnet swaps in other pickups (which can be done in these buckers).
Also similar money are Regentone, I've got one in the bridge which I'm happy with but haven't tried a neck one, good luck,
Cheers
Bill

notanon

Thanks Bill, so compared to the original pups? A big transformation? Glad you swapped?

Corvus

Totally, but these were Epis so could be a lot worse than yours... Mine's an '02 Korean, nice build in itself but the pickups were kind of lifeless things and the swaps are a total transformation. The replacements, you can hear harmonics, richness etc all those worn-out "tone" terms.

longjaw

Irongear are great (and a good price too): these look right up your street: http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_pickups_006.htm

notanon

@Longjaw thanks those do look the business!

usedtobe

I had one of these. It had been upgraded with SD 59 (?) model pickups, which sounded rather nice!