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Up to Discussions in James Tyler Variax Guitars
1821 Views 11 Replies Latest reply: Jan 21, 2012 3:14 AM by Nick_Mattocks RSS
yainkee Just Startin'
yainkee
7 posts since
Mar 27, 2011
Currently Being Moderated

Mar 27, 2011 9:43 AM

Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

I am anxiously awaiting a JTV-59 which has been backordered for a while. I'm considering installing Triple Shots on the humbuckers to have more sound options from the magnetic pickups, maybe even getting a "stratty" sound.

Is there any technical problem with installing the SD Triple Shots on the JTV-59 magnetic pickups? Will it sound good? I understand the pickups are 4 conductor to allow for series/parallel/split wiring. Will there be a massive volume drop when switching from series to parallel? Lastly, will installing those pickup rings void the warranty?

Thanks!

Tags: variax, sd, pickup, triple, seymour, duncan, james, tyler, jtv, jtv-59, humbucker, shot, rings
  • Rowbi Expert Line 6 User
    Rowbi
    7,745 posts since
    Nov 25, 2006
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    Mar 27, 2011 10:43 AM (in response to yainkee)
    Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

    well it all hinges on whether the stock pups are 4 conductor.  if they are, then fitting the rings may void the warranty, although I think if you had a guitar tech install them, and it was another part of the guitar at fault, then I'm sure the warranty would be honoured.  but you'd need confirmation first.

     

    as far as a volume drop, yes ther's likely because that's just what happens with coil tapping.  it's not massive though, and you'll be able to deal with it.

  • Rowbi Expert Line 6 User
    Rowbi
    7,745 posts since
    Nov 25, 2006
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    Mar 27, 2011 10:55 AM (in response to yainkee)
    Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

    another thing... a strat sounds like a strat... because it's a strat (25.5" scale length, smaller body, the body wood, the bridge, and the single coil pickups.

     

    having parallel coils on what is basically a les paul wont make it sound like a strat,.  it'll sound like a les paul with single coils.

     

    i thought about the triple shots, but decided against them for that reason.  afterall the JTV will do a great emulation of a strat.  the only thing I thought it may not do so well is a guitar with a high gain pickup (I know you can mess in work bench).  so I've got a Dimarzio super distortion  and a humbucker frmo hell (that's meant to sound like a single coil in a les paul neck).  they're both waiting for me to have the jtv59 though...

    • yainkee Just Startin'
      yainkee
      7 posts since
      Mar 27, 2011
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      Mar 27, 2011 12:49 PM (in response to Rowbi)
      Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

      Hey, I just checked out the Humbucker from Hell and it looks awesome. I would love that for my neck and maybe a tonezone for the bridge.

      Someone on a related thread said this and I'm wondering if you've considered this on your proposed pickup swap:

       

      "The magnetic pickups feed into the digital circuitry so that the audio signal can travel through the VDI cable.  This means that if you put in a pickup that is too "hot" it could result in clipping within the Variax circuitry.  You would want to be sure that the impedance and output of the pickups are comparible to what's already in there otherwise the levels could be all out of whack even if there isn't any clipping."

       

      Are the impedance and outputs similar in both pickups?

      • ozbadman Gear Head
        ozbadman
        1,474 posts since
        Apr 17, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Mar 27, 2011 11:04 PM (in response to yainkee)
        Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

        So, I'm not as convinced that this is a likely problem. Yes, it's technically possible, but Line 6 designed this guitar with swapping out the pickups as something people are likely to do. In terms of the pickup signal going down the VDI cable, essentially what they're suggesting is that the Digital-to-Analog converter would need to be overdriven by the pickup thus creating essentially, digital clipping. I would imagine that on the whole, Line 6 would have designed the circuit to allow different pickups to be swapped in but I guess if you had extremely hot pickups, it's plausible that some form of clipping could occur. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it until I swapped in some pickups and they exhibited a problem.

         

        David.

      • Rowbi Expert Line 6 User
        Rowbi
        7,745 posts since
        Nov 25, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        Mar 29, 2011 6:25 AM (in response to yainkee)
        Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

        yainkee wrote:

         

        Hey, I just checked out the Humbucker from Hell and it looks awesome. I would love that for my neck and maybe a tonezone for the bridge.

        Someone on a related thread said this and I'm wondering if you've considered this on your proposed pickup swap:

         

        "The magnetic pickups feed into the digital circuitry so that the audio signal can travel through the VDI cable.  This means that if you put in a pickup that is too "hot" it could result in clipping within the Variax circuitry.  You would want to be sure that the impedance and output of the pickups are comparible to what's already in there otherwise the levels could be all out of whack even if there isn't any clipping."

         

        Are the impedance and outputs similar in both pickups?

        I thought about the tone zone, but it's a very bass'y sounding pickup, very thick.  and although you can fit it to a LP, I think it would sound a little too muddy for my taste.  it may work for you though.  there's a few good vids on youtube.

         

        I went for the super distortion, as it's the defacto standard for LP's, and so as I've not got one of those in a LP yet, I thought I'd go for it.

         

        the HfH should sound awesome, and I'll let you know how it goes (probably in 3-6 months when I get my Vax... I only just ordered it).

         

        I did read crusty's post about pickup level, and if it causes a problem then I understand that's my fault, and I'd likely at that point get a lower output bridge pickup instead.  my reason for using the mags would be as a stock guitar, so I'm not so bothered about the mags through the VDI... but I guess that would be a cool use, as there's no high gain pickup models in the Vax...  all in all, I imagine the VAX hardware in the guitars is the same in all 3 (58, 69 and 89) and the spec sheets say vintage voiced pups in the 59 and 69, but the 89 has high output pups already.  so I imagine it can deal with those ok.... we'll see though... and I'm happy to be the guinea pig,

         

        Rowbi

        • yainkee Just Startin'
          yainkee
          7 posts since
          Mar 27, 2011
          Currently Being Moderated
          Mar 29, 2011 8:51 AM (in response to Rowbi)
          Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

          Does "vintage voice" necessarily mean vintage output? Could it just mean that they are made to emulate the sound of vintage PAFs and still have a different output?

          I'm not confident enough that the 59 will react the same way to pickups as the 89 would, and I'm too much of a wuss to test it by putting in a pickup with a very different output that the original.

          • ozbadman Gear Head
            ozbadman
            1,474 posts since
            Apr 17, 2008
            Currently Being Moderated
            Mar 29, 2011 12:49 PM (in response to yainkee)
            Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

            yainkee wrote:

             

            Does "vintage voice" necessarily mean vintage output? Could it just mean that they are made to emulate the sound of vintage PAFs and still have a different output?

            I'm not confident enough that the 59 will react the same way to pickups as the 89 would, and I'm too much of a wuss to test it by putting in a pickup with a very different output that the original.

            Hey Yainkee,

             

            Firstly, let me say you can't really break anything by putting in a different pickup. It's just a coil, or two, and while it may be "hotter" (ie: generate more voltage), the voltages we're talking about are very small. It won't break anything, it might just overdrive an input stage (ie: an amplification stage) and therefore cause clipping.

             

            Having said that, I would interpret "vintage voice" as having similar impedances and voltages (same number of turns, same wire resitance, similar iron core, etc.).

             

            David.

  • ozbadman Gear Head
    ozbadman
    1,474 posts since
    Apr 17, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 27, 2011 11:22 AM (in response to yainkee)
    Re: Seymour Duncan Triple Shot on stock JTV-59 magnetic pickups?

    Hi yainkee,

     

    Well, I had the same thought and have bought the ArchTop Triple Shot Mounting Rings. Unfortuntaely, they don't fit the JTV-59. The mounting holes are slightly off from the JTV mounting holes, but enough so you wouldn't be able to screw them down. You'd have to fill the current holes then make new holes for the Triple Shot. I'm not willing to do that so I'm going to have to search for another solution.

     

    HTH,

     

    David.

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