EJ bridge pickup

Andy Eagle said:
EJ uses the HS 2 wired in parallel which is effectively as a single coil not a split ( that sounds terrible ). Because the pickup is a stack it makes it a a higher output than the series (regular ) wiring . EJ did this at the time because he wanted higher output than the stock fenders but not the SDS1, fat strat and quarter pound that was all you could get at the time . He still uses it in the Virginia strat and many vintage Strats.
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Parallel wiring is always lower output than series, it's way lower impedance.

What I remember hearing was that he used only one coil, which didn't make sense to me for fatness, but I haven't tried that pickup with any wiring myself.
 
Dave Merrill said:
Parallel wiring is always lower output than series, it's way lower impedance.

What I remember hearing was that he used only one coil, which didn't make sense to me for fatness, but I haven't tried that pickup with any wiring myself.
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Not in a stack. I have played through guitars wired like this and they are higher output but you are right about the impedance.
They have a high impedance that doesn't reflect the output anyway.The HS2 is 14K ,that's the same as a medium to high output humbucker.
 
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Dave Merrill said:
If you find something you dig, post back here and let us know.
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I put in the Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Surfer bridge last night. Neck and middle are still stock.

Initial impression is I am really liking it! It is fatter, higher output, a little more bass and a lot more mids than the stock bridge. Highs aren’t as sweet, but not sterile like the HS-2. Dynamics feel good, unlike the HS-2.

It balances reasonably well with the stock neck in terms of output and EQ. With the stock pickups, it always felt like the neck was strong and the bridge was weak. Now the outputs are close and switching from neck to bridge now feels like I’m shifting power to the mids, rather than losing power. I’m finding I can dial in tones that sound good with both, unlike the original pups.


I am mulling the idea of replacing the other pickups too and doing the whole set of antiquity. 🤔
 
I might almost be happy of the bridge tone control was only active in bridge-only position. I love bridge-middle with tone all the way up, but bridge alone like that not so much. Seems like many people do that and sound great, but for me by the time that sounds good, neck and neck-middle are all moofy.
 
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Dave Merrill said:
I might almost be happy of the bridge tone control was only drive in bridge-only position. I love bridge-middle with tone all the way up, but bridge alone like that not so much. Seems like many people do that and sound great, but for me by the time that sounds good, neck and neck-middle are all moofy.
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Moving the tone control from the middle to bridge pickup is one mod I do on all SSS or HSS guitars I've had and suggest to those who ask me to set up their strats. Have yet to have anyone want me to reverse the mod. Removing the tone control from the middle pickup seems to open it up which sounds 'better' to my ears.
 
JoKeR III said:
Moving the tone control from the middle to bridge pickup is one mod I do on all SSS or HSS guitars I've had and suggest to those who ask me to set up their strats. Have yet to have anyone want me to reverse the mod. Removing the tone control from the middle pickup seems to open it up which sounds 'better' to my ears.
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Yeah did that, but I didn't replace the switch to allow bridge tone to affect only bridge by itself, not also bridge-middle. Maybe I should, think I have some fancyswitches laying around.

Now middle by itself is a whole other thing. Don't really care that much for it on my EJ with stock pickups, just kind if crass and upper-midful, but it sounds good on other people's videos. Don't really get it.

Maybe should mess with its height. Any thoughts on what sounds good anyone?
 
Dave Merrill said:
I might almost be happy of the bridge tone control was only drive in bridge-only position. I love bridge-middle with tone all the way up, but bridge alone like that not so much. Seems like many people do that and sound great, but for me by the time that sounds good, neck and neck-middle are all moofy.
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A Super 4P5T switch will let you switch the tone control so it works on the bridge pickup while being disconnected on bridge+middle for maximum cluck and sparkle....
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
A Super 4P5T switch will let you switch the tone control so it works on the bridge pickup while being disconnected on bridge+middle for maximum cluck and sparkle....
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I'm aware, and as I said, I think I have some of those.
TBH, I'm being a gun-shy coward, after a recent bad rewiring experience.

My other guitar is a homemade bastard child with 3 old SD humbuckers and extremely complex wiring, using an 8-pole 5-position switch, 78 electrically distinct pickup combinations.
It's actually really simple to understand and use, but it's a serious pita to work on, tons of connections in a tight space.
It originally had a single tone control, and I wanted to add a second one, active only for the bridge pickup when it's all that's on.

Long story short, I broke shit, and it's really hard to fix it.
I'm not even sure exactly what's broken, but I think some of the traces on one of the traces on one of the pc boards used in the switch may have gotten overheated and come loose from the board, maybe need to replace the switch.
I have a replacement, but 5 positions x 8 poles is a lot of connections, physically awkward to work on, ugh.

I've been building and rewiring my own stuff since junior high school (long ago, trust me...), but I'm suddenly reluctant to mess with a working mostly stock, medium expensive EJ.
I'll get over it, probably, but mean time, I'm just playing my EJ, and looking the other way.
 
Dave Merrill said:
I might almost be happy of the bridge tone control was only drive in bridge-only position. I love bridge-middle with tone all the way up, but bridge alone like that not so much. Seems like many people do that and sound great, but for me by the time that sounds good, neck and neck-middle are all moofy.
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My 2 cents on the middle pickup is it is too bright without a tone control. Actually all 3 pickups are. I usually have the tone around 6-7. In-between positions with no tone control on the middle and the bridge/neck on 7… I could hear how spikey that middle pickup was and the bridge/neck tone didn’t do anything to tame it. In between positions sounded best when the middle shared a tone control with the other pickup, and were too dark with two tones affecting it. I have mine with the middle and bridge sharing a tone right now.
 
Dave Merrill said:
Yeah did that, but I didn't replace the switch to allow bridge tone to affect only bridge by itself, not also bridge-middle. Maybe I should, think I have some fancyswitches laying around.

Now middle by itself is a whole other thing. Don't really care that much for it on my EJ with stock pickups, just kind if crass and upper-midful, but it sounds good on other people's videos. Don't really get it.

Maybe should mess with its height. Any thoughts on what sounds good anyone?
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The mod that I'm referring to simply moves the tone control wire from the middle pickup lug to the bridge lug on the 5-way switch. The other option is what @giantslayer refers to; adding a jumper from the middle tone lug to the bridge lug. I don't have experience with the EJ pickups but I prefer the middle pickup without the tone control on the guitars I've modded.
 
JoKeR III said:
The mod that I'm referring to simply moves the tone control wire from the middle pickup lug to the bridge lug on the 5-way switch. The other option is what @giantslayer refers to; adding a jumper from the middle tone lug to the bridge lug. I don't have experience with the EJ pickups but I prefer the middle pickup without the tone control on the guitars I've modded.
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I did the first one you mentioned. The far tone control affects bridge and bridge-middle, close one affects neck and neck-middle, no tone on middle by itself. Getting closer to my ideal needs a superswitch, may do that.
 
JoKeR III said:
The mod that I'm referring to simply moves the tone control wire from the middle pickup lug to the bridge lug on the 5-way switch. The other option is what @giantslayer refers to; adding a jumper from the middle tone lug to the bridge lug. I don't have experience with the EJ pickups but I prefer the middle pickup without the tone control on the guitars I've modded.
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The stock wiring for the EJ is tone for neck and bridge, none on middle.
 
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