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Robby Kreiger Custom Staple Issue

Jim Scully

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
580
Hi
looking for some help on a weird issue.
i have a RK 1954 Custom that I absolutely love. I had the mini humbucker bridge replaced with a Lollar staple pickup by my technician.
the pickup sounds amazing, I love it.
the issue is that I get some kind of crackling or interference when I touch the pick guard. If I take the pick guard off, the problem goes away. I don’t get it when I touch any other part of the guitar. Can anyone help?
 

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
Sounds like a static electricity build up in the plastic and / or your body. Wiping the pick-guard with an anti static clothes dryer sheet is often suggested as a cure.
 

Jim Scully

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
580
Paul:
thank you for the tip. I used static guard on a cloth, wipes down the pick guard and the static is gone. This was driving me crazy. Thank you so much for your help!
 

thin sissy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
2,691
A staple bridge pu on a Les Paul sounds really interesting! Never seen that. How would you compare it to a P-90 bridge pu?
 

Jim Scully

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
580
Hi
yes, really strange as it didn’t happen when I had the mini humbucker in it. It also doesn’t happen with any of my other Les Pauls. I can’t figure out why it is happening but the static guard works at least temporarily.
I’d love to figure out the cause and address it with a permanent fix.

Thin Sissy:
it sounds amazing. 1954 Black Beauty’s originally had a P90 in the bridge and an alnico staple in the neck. The Robby Kreiger is a fantastic guitar, perfect weight, neck shape etc. for me. It had a mini humbucker in the neck which I wasn’t crazy about so, had the staple installed.

It has a more rich, fuller sound than the P90 with a little less of the bite. It is great to have both on this guitar. Small adjustments in volume and rolling back the tone is amazing
 

thin sissy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
2,691
it sounds amazing. 1954 Black Beauty’s originally had a P90 in the bridge and an alnico staple in the neck. The Robby Kreiger is a fantastic guitar, perfect weight, neck shape etc. for me. It had a mini humbucker in the neck which I wasn’t crazy about so, had the staple installed.

It has a more rich, fuller sound than the P90 with a little less of the bite. It is great to have both on this guitar. Small adjustments in volume and rolling back the tone is amazing
Hey man, I thought you put the staple in the bridge position, maybe I misunderstood :) ! Anyway, Customs with staple neck pickups are cool as hell, congrats :salude
 

Jim Scully

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
580

Hi
Sorry, I mistyped. I put the staple in the neck to replace the mini hb. It is really cool. The combination of the staple and the P90 is great.
Lollar staple:jim
 

dnabbet2

Active member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
211

Hi
Sorry, I mistyped. I put the staple in the neck to replace the mini hb. It is really cool. The combination of the staple and the P90 is great.
Lollar staple:jim

I'm sorry, I don't have a thought on the pickguard noise but I did replace the mini-humbucker in a Robbie Krieger with a Seymour Duncan staple, and then experimented with a Lollar staple in the bridge position as well, 'cause I love staples and the Lollar doesn't require any routing.

And I've owned a lot of '54-style customs over the years, and used and liked Lollar P-90s -- there's a Lollar underwound P-90 in the bridge of that same Robbie Krieger.

As a result, I would really encourage you try a Duncan staple 'cause it's constructed like an old one with adjustable pole pieces and it sounds different. Also, the staple/neck and P-90/bridge combination is SO cool ... really versatile. Staples front and back were a disappointment for me.
 
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