Post by underhill on Sept 20, 2023 14:41:59 GMT -5
just purchased a new Guild Starfire I Jet 90 with the 3 three large bobbin single coils, rotary selector switch, and single vol/tone pots- unfortunately i reside where finding a stocking dealer to test out prior to purchase didn't happen. i bought the guitar because the layout of the body would make a good platform to customize from and the purchase price of the guitar reflected- at least to my mind- a low enough price point to allow me to upgrade without bemoaning the expenditure being done to a new instrument. i've never been a particular fan of rotary switches- on the vintage guitars i have own with rotaries demonstrated a "pot" that required pretty regular cleaning with oxy-out solvents to keep from having signals just "poof" disappear necessitating stopping and racking the pot back and forth to restore, but realizing that i just had to pull the switch and clean it- again.
the main issue- my fault entirely- not researching the Franz pickups. i assumed-incorrectly- that (a) they would approximate the sonic characteristics of all the other P90's i have played through, and (b) they were standard P90 dimensions allowing for dropping in standard P90s without having to modify the top.
so, i guess my question is the possibility of retro fitting four standard 500k pots- either 1 vol/3 tone or a 2 vol/2 tone setup- and replace the rotary with one of the Free-Way multi toggle switches and by addressing the values of the caps bring these pickups into a closer replication of the P90 sound i have had before in other guitars and was expecting here. this would give me the control pot layout and switches i have always had and after playing 55yrs used to. Or, is most likely that replacing the Franz with a pickup i know has the sonic characteristics i'm looking for, and if that means modifying the pickup cavities to achieve, then so be it.
i didn't knee jerk to this point. i played the stock guitar for most of a week after replacing the supplied strings so as to take any string contributed factors out of the equation. i played straight through a little Supro Delta 10 through out the guitar's full eq range, and equal time driving to typical amp breakups with the 6V6 power tubes, and through analog and digital effects.
i did not wind up with the "basic" sound i was looking for/expected.
so, where would You go given these particulars? any input greatly appreciated.
the main issue- my fault entirely- not researching the Franz pickups. i assumed-incorrectly- that (a) they would approximate the sonic characteristics of all the other P90's i have played through, and (b) they were standard P90 dimensions allowing for dropping in standard P90s without having to modify the top.
so, i guess my question is the possibility of retro fitting four standard 500k pots- either 1 vol/3 tone or a 2 vol/2 tone setup- and replace the rotary with one of the Free-Way multi toggle switches and by addressing the values of the caps bring these pickups into a closer replication of the P90 sound i have had before in other guitars and was expecting here. this would give me the control pot layout and switches i have always had and after playing 55yrs used to. Or, is most likely that replacing the Franz with a pickup i know has the sonic characteristics i'm looking for, and if that means modifying the pickup cavities to achieve, then so be it.
i didn't knee jerk to this point. i played the stock guitar for most of a week after replacing the supplied strings so as to take any string contributed factors out of the equation. i played straight through a little Supro Delta 10 through out the guitar's full eq range, and equal time driving to typical amp breakups with the 6V6 power tubes, and through analog and digital effects.
i did not wind up with the "basic" sound i was looking for/expected.
so, where would You go given these particulars? any input greatly appreciated.
