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dr. vintage pups(not a reveiw)

RickN

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Feb 12, 2002
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7,143
Ok, I finally got my Historic up and running with the new set of Dr. Vintage pups. They are EVERYTHING everyone has been saying and more! I was pretty sure I'd probably hear a difference, but this was a drastic difference. They really made this guitar come to life.
Excellent!

It was funny reading the part of your post that I quoted above - on Sunday after the show I stopped by the house of forum member Chris (skip62). He lives in the same town as long-time forum member and good friend EdR. I won a Marshall 4x12 in his ebay auction, and it was all serendipity. Since I was in Carrollton, TX a few times that weekend anyway, it was easy to stop by Chris' house and throw the cab in the back of my car for the drive home.

Chris had been wanting to try out some Dr. Vintage pickups... and I just happened to have two guitars with me that are so-equipped. What luck. :hee When I first went into his house, he said that he liked his neck pickup and was only looking for a bridge pickup.

That lasted only about 5 minutes. After much A-B'ing, he couldn't believe the difference between the stock pickups in his Historic and these pickups either. The look on his face was priceless! :hee (Hi, Chris! :salude)
 

skip62

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Oct 23, 2005
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824
Hey Rick,
Yes Gentleman it is a big difference. Rick was playing some Joe Walsh with his guitar through my BF Champ into a 2x12 and nailing it, then I had him play my R8, I actually wanted him to stop playing it sounded so bad. It sounded nothing like JW. Muddy washed out, all the notes ran together by comparison. I couldn't believe it.
Thanks Rick
 

hunkowood

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Jan 10, 2005
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18
O.K. Now that Wolfe is back from vaca.I have some Dr.V's ordered.My question is what wind will work the best for my R0.I mean 7.7K vs 8.2 or ? Is there a specific wind that has been working the best or should I just let Wolfe do what he does.

Thanks
 

hunkowood

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Jan 10, 2005
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18
Yeah I know about the rewind policy. I talked to Wolfe before he went on vacation. I just want the best wind out of the gate to save us both time and money.
 

RickN

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Feb 12, 2002
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7,143
Yeah I know about the rewind policy. I talked to Wolfe before he went on vacation. I just want the best wind out of the gate to save us both time and money.

The specs are approx. 7.7k for the normal neck wind, and the 'underwound' neck version is around 7.5k or so. The bridge spec is 8.05-8.1k. Those will vary with your local ambient temperature.

I don't think the "rewind till you like it" thing applies to these pickups. They're a very specific spec. The wind and the magnets are specifically chosen to work together. If these don't do it for you, whatever else you get won't be a Dr. Vintage pickup - they'll be YOUR spec. :hmm :salude
 

Sean French

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Jan 23, 2006
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4,181
What will the underwound spec. difference in sound be like.

Thanks

I have two sets,#6 and #47.
The #47 has the lower wind on the neck pu.There is a tonal difference.It is very subtle though.Basically it has a bit more presence and chime.In my guitar anyway.
 

RickN

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Feb 12, 2002
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7,143
It is very subtle though.Basically it has a bit more presence and chime.

Sean beat me to it. Which one to choose would depend on the guitar you're intalling it in. The 'underwound' version would be my choice for a 'dark' guitar. If your guitar is airy and resonant on its own, I'd stick with the original-spec neck pickup.

But you truly can't go wrong with either.
 

hunkowood

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Jan 10, 2005
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18
Yeah, It's going in an historic R0 not a dark guitar IMO.I also have a RS Kit in it.If the difference is subtle I stick with the standard wind I don't want it overly bright. Anyway I go I think it is going to be a huge improvement over the BB1 & 2.

Thanks
 

lpnv59

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Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
10,725
AMEN!!!!
Your going to be floored dude.
You will hear how good your R0 is supposed to sound.:wail

Sean's right. And if you wanna really go all the way with it. Get some steel studs for the tailpiece. If you know a luthier/repairman, ask if he has any old studs in his parts bin. Then pick out a set that attracts a magnet. Or, you can order a set from Pigtail. The studs and the Doc V's gave me the most noticable improvement. It all adds up to getting the most tone out of a Historic! :headbange
 

hunkowood

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Jan 10, 2005
Messages
18
Talked to Wolfe yesterday and I should have my Dr.V's next week.Where should I start height wise on the pup's?

Thanks
 

Sean French

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Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Messages
4,181
Each guitar is going to require different pu heights for the sweet spot.
I would start with the bridge pu 1/8" away from the strings and the neck a little bit lower than that.Then start fine tuning.:2zone

My third set will be here in a week.:2cool
 

roadrunner

Active member
Joined
Aug 25, 2001
Messages
6,835
Talked to Wolfe yesterday and I should have my Dr.V's next week.Where should I start height wise on the pup's?

Thanks

Start with the factory specs for humbucking guitars. Depress each "E" string at the last fret (nearest the body) and measure 1/16th of an inch from the top of the polepiece to the string. Adjust from there by using your ears. I find that I usually end up lowering the bass side of the neck pup a little (sometimes a lot) and raising the bridge pickup a little... but this will vary from guitar to guitar.
 
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