I'm left handed, in that I write with my left hand, often favor it when eating, drinking, picking something up, etc. Fortunately, I suppose, when I started learning to play guitar I had no idea left-handed guitars existed, so I play regular guitars/basses. Makes shopping SO much easier.
Phred guitars gets (completely) hollow body guitars from overseas and does the fret work, wiring, and offers Seymour Duncan pick ups. One popular model is based on Trey Anastasio’s Languedoc guitar. They sound great with great sustain.
3:10 that hollowness affects that air, that affects how the wood resonates, which affects how the string vibrates and what the pickups get. In my opinion, everything contributes to the sound.
Sometimes the pickups need to be married to the right amp. I had an Epiphone Sheraton II that I thought had dull sounding pickups when I played it through my old amp and various amps at the local music store. I wanted to change the pickups but didn’t get around to it. Then I bought a Mesa Dual Rectifier and the Epiphone sounded awesome through it. In fact it sounded better than most of my other more expensive guitars-but only through that amp. Alternatively, I also ended up not buying a Gibson Les Paul Custom because of how bad it sounded with the Mesa Dual Rectifier. So in essence, the combination of the guitar pickups with the amp makes a difference.
I have a lefty Chinese Epiphone Casino and have replaced the original pickups for Lollars. I have replaced all the wiring, and have included treble bleed and left hand taper pots. I have added a Callaghan Bridge and new input jack, volume and tone knobs, and Tuners. I have kept the stock Frets, Nut and Tailpiece. The guitar is strung with D’Addario NYXL 10-46.
The hollow body tone players want is also in the amp. After much futzing, I finally found an old *Polytone Minibrute II* and then *that classic jazz guitar sound* was right there. It's worth it. Great sound.
Agree. Just changed Pickups in one of my Hollobody Guitars, a Wolf, that is a great guitar but pretty boring to hot humbuckers. I soldered in Irongears Alchemist P90, Bridge 7,6 and Neck 5,3 Ohm. Relly happy with the guitar now and used it for recording my latest song.
Just an FYI, Phil time stamps his full episodes in the description, so you can scroll through to pick and choose your topics of interest. You don't have to wait for these and you may well find the topic that especially interests you.
100% correct on the right p-up type for hollow body axes and the stock Ibanez ceramic magnet p-ups (minor correction on the FF--those 335 style guitars that Grohl plays are semi-hollow). Anyway, I made this comment on another YT vid about the AF-55 (in my case, the AF-55 L, left-hand): Initially, I kept the stock pups, but eventually a Gibson Burstbucker 2 found it's way into the bridge position, and a chrome covered stock Gibson humbucker from the late 70's/early 80's in the neck. Exactly as PM says here...less output, sweeter, and very responsive w/ tube amps. One other minor point: yes, if you're just dealing with the pure signal (like out of the guitar into a DAW, etc.), then the hollow body isn't much of a factor (if at all). Plugged into an amp however is a whole other ballgame! The loudspeaker is revealing more frequencies (and in some cases artifacts--bad & good), as well as how volume can make the guitar resonate even more, resulting in a wonderful, sonorous sustain--as long as it's managed before feedback bursts out all over the place! ;)
The pickups that come stock on ANY guitar are just a suggestion. As a teenager I could not understand why guitar manufacturers did not offer a "with or without" pickups option. I learned to buy a new set of pickups in conjunction with the guitar purchase
These clips in all reality will improve the live stream due to the fact that we will get less repeat questions per week. The more information thats available that we already seen the more advanced we all get
I have an "inexpensive" Ibanez Artcore hollowbody that was made in 2001, and I bought used for $300 in 2005. It's a great guitar; really comfortable to play, stays in tune, consistent intonation across the fretboard....but the stock pickups were not good. I never got a great tone out of it. So a few months ago seapped them out for a Seymour Duncan Benedetto A6 in the neck position and a TV Jones Power Tron Plus in the bridge position. And now the guitar sounds really good! I understand what you're saying about low output pickups being good for hollowbody guitars, but this Duncan A6 is pretty high output and it sounds fantastic. Then again, it was made specifically for hollowbodies so I guess it partly depends on the individual pickup.
The pickups on my hollow body are Kent Armstrong. They have a very balanced, natural, almost acoustic sound making them usable for different music styles, except of course if you're into high output high volume distortion, metal etc, but then you wouldn't take a hollow body after all. I am extremely happy with them. Completely different from the typical fat jazzy sound of eg. the Gibson ES175-D or some high end Ibanez guitars. Of course, sound color is subjective, so listen to them first.
I have a Gretsch streamliner Junior from 2017. It was the last guitar I bought from Sweetwater where I didn’t have to pay sales tax, I miss those days. I swapped out the pick ups for a set of TV Jones classic pick ups. All in for around $600 I have an awesome guitar.
Those things are firebreathing monsters. I have really neglected Gretsch, them being outside my area of interest completely, but I just tried a Streamliner Junior, the cheapest one they sell, and it sounded absolutely fantastic! My local chain has "Fender Month" on now, so I am considering grabbing a $300-$400 Gretsch!
I love my Streamliner and Alvarez semis. I'm looking at another Streamliner. Such good guitars for the $$. Both have decent pups. The Broadtrons are totally fine. Duncans in the Alvarez are pretty bright, airy, not high output and well-balanced. Maybe swap those out but the midrange is still there, maybe no need.
Picked up my first Gretsch recently and it's a 6120. It comes with the TVJ Ray Butts pickups and my goodness these pickups are great. I can jump from Chet to Setzer to Young and even something akin to Ted Nugent with ease! Another +1 for TVJ pickups. Great stuff.
Great analogy on looking at record store shelf space for types of guitar… Non-boutique Jazz guitars also tend to suffer a bit more in the community being more “conservative” in their views of design and sound. Semi-hollow tends to get a little more flexibility, but still has all the challenges of a fully hollowbody when it comes to the build process (and typically for the after-market upgrade work). Pickups-wise, I have had really good luck with the Lace Alumitones lines, especially the Fusion 251 neck and a standard (works a bit better for the hollowbodies) or Deathbucker bridge for semi-hollow, chambered and solid body guitars. Another set of pickup choices that works rather well for semi-hollow bodies are RailHammers, various Wide Range pickups (these are not a simple remove (the old pickups) and replace work). For the standard 6-string market, IYV’s IJZ-500 (hollowbody) and IJZ-300 (semi-hollowbody: just an unfinished block below the bridge, vs being fully hollow body wings) are very impressive for the price and their low power “Destiny CNC” pickups are particularly tasty. The other thing is that of all the inexpensive hollowbody and semi-hollowbody guitars out there, the tuning machines (Marvel L3) are particularly impressive. Hope this helps a smidge.
Really good insight here. It's amazing how often unexpected problems with instruments come down to simple economics of production. The AF55 has appeared with two different pickup sets. Until mid-2014, they were Ibanez ACH-ST types. From mid-2014, they are Ibanez Infinity R types. The ACH-STs were specifically for Artcore hollow bodies: the Infinities have been used more widely. As Phillip guessed, both are inexpensive ceramic types. It appears that Ibanez have never published detailed specs for either model of pickup, so the information in this video on DC resistance from an actual sample is useful. It would be be interesting to hear an early model AF55 back to back with the current model, just to hear how much of a difference that pickup change made. There are plenty of comments online dating from before and after the change that describe the AF55's pickups as 'dull' or 'muddy', with a variety of suggestions for improving the sound short of changing the pickups.
I spent the whole time watching this video hearing the music of Culture Club in my head. Couldn't figure it out until I realized that the electric guitar seen in the video for "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was a Gibson ES-355 or something similar. Not an inexpensive hollowbody, but that was the connection.
My two cents here just wanted to touch on a few things. First off i am me so this may not be how others see things (disclaimer) I am still learning too. First try lowering the pickups see if there is a sweet spot they sound better at. Secondly if your wanting that hollow body sound keep the pickups as micro phonic ones. They pickup on echo made by the body which gives it part of its sound. I was on the fence about changing mine in my firefly but I found a setup that works for me. Replacing pickups should be a last resort or if its necessary for the tone your chasing or if one is DOA in the guitar.
A magnet swap can do wonders for just a few dollars. I had an Ibanez AS-83, but the pickups were shrill. Put a rough cast A3 in the neck, and A4 smooth in the bridge. Amazing difference, they are magic for blues!
I play a left handed, hollow body, 5 string bass. I couldn’t find one to try anywhere. My friend is a luthier and made it for me. Try some round wound strings for a concert piano b and e string sound. Amazing.
I have the AF55, bought it brand new about 6 years ago. It's my go to. It looks plays and feels amazing. The only thing I found with the pickups, is that they are not BAD by any stretch, they just seem to be an odd choice. If these were in an inexpensive Les Paul they'd be kickass pickups. I use this guitar all the time, gets a real good grungy, dirty blues rock sound through a 60watt orange with a couple slight enhancements from 2 or 3 pedals
I love your channel and your deep knowledge of guitar making. I greatly value your opinion when it comes to buying gear. Keep up the fantastic work you are doing. The whole community is benefited by your materials. Thank you buddy.
This is an excellent discussion. The standard Artcore pups are not bad, but it depends on what you prefer. When I first bought my AM-73 (small body maple semihollow), the stock pickups had an attractive jazz tone. I swapped them for a Seth Lover JB/Jazz (no covers) pairing. It's a great sounding guitar, but the jazz tone is gone. My Artcore AK-85 (hollow laminated spruce/maple with a wood bridge) sounded good with the stock pups, but I swapped in a pair of SD Seth Lover pickups, and it has remained my favorite guitar for a very long time; great jazz and classic rock tones. I tend to prefer clean, low output tones. Many people may prefer more complex humbucker tones, often described as 'swirley'. I'm not a huge fan, but these obviously have an appeal. The Ibanez Super 58s in my solid Jet King 2 have a bit of swirley complexity and it is a great guitar, but not very jazzy. There are a lot a great Ibanez guitars out there, highly recommended.
I completely modified my Epiphone Broadway for a Rockabilly vibe. Big hollow body jazz box. Bigsby B6G vibrato, Custom Tru-Arc SerpenTune compensated aluminum bridge on a rosewood bridge. Toneman Guitar 50's wiring harness with PIO caps, Seymour Duncan Staple P90 pickups in neck & bridge, Graph Tech Tusk XL nut, Thomastik-Infeld Flatwound strings - .013-.053, Grover locking tuners and finally I had a Plek job. The Broadway cost $800 and the upgrades added up, but much, much more inexpensive than a vintage Gibson hollow body, i.e. L-5 CES, Super 400 CES. I love the tone of Staple P90 pu's. I absolutely love the way my mods worked out, both visually and the tone of guitar.
I have a PRs se hollow body piezo. You mentioned that this is one of your favorite guitars. Do you like the pickups? Could they be improved and if so what would you choose?
The low end thump from semi-hollow's and hollow bodies is insane. Everytime I pick mine up I'm always taken back by the difference between the solid and hollow bodies.
i had a semi-hollow Epiphone "Alleykat" made around 2003 that was a wonderful guitar! my first electric, purchased from my teacher who had set it up for me and gave me a great deal on it. unfortunately years later I was hooked on dope and while crawling out of my skin from WD decided to hawk it to a friend who actually gave me a good deal on it because he knew I needed money bad for dope. ahhh the joys of youth. once i cleaned up i bought an SG Faded which blows my away every time I play it. I think the nitro finish is just the cherry on the cake. i love the feel and the wear and tear over time.
I own an Idanez AF55 Hollowbody, the guitar comes with Humbucker Pickups and you can't really expect to get rock tone from it, they *sound *fantastic with clean tones* and *accoustic* remember it's a *Hollowbody* Foo Fighter's Dave Ghroll uses a *Semi Hollow* Electric Guitars and it's a whole dynamic than Hollowbody
this explains why Gretsch Electromatic hollow and semi-hollows are so good for the price. the "Blacktop" in-house Trons they put in them are not bad. they are good, NOT GREAT, but good. most of the artist models from the Electromatic range tend to sport the high-end Trons, not BTs. two examples would be the Chris Rocha Broadkaster Junior and the John Gorly Broadkaster. the former has high-output Filtertrons and the latter has "Fulltrons". both excellent high-end Gretsch pick-ups.
i really don't understand why they don't put piezos in hollowbodies, they are so easy to implement into the circuit, just get a 3 way switch and put the piezo where the middle pickup would go, they don't even need resistors. i played a hollow body the last time i was at thomann, and it was a wonderful guitar, but i don't see a point in buying one if there isn't a piezo in there. waxed pickups just don't pick up any resonance from the hollow body.
The pickups are fine on an AF55. Just drop them down and because they have ceramic magnets they are not muddy. I play jazz on my 55 but even Jimmy Page used ceramic.
The Blacktop Filtertron pickups on my Gretsch 5422 and Rat Rod (they're actually red Blacktops on that one, 😄) are lower output than the TV Jones Filtertrons on my Vintage Select '59 Duo Jet or Billy-Bo, but I don't want to change them as they have such a lovely, sweet tone, and make them sound different to the latter two. It's not always about power.
The pickups on the AF55 are an Inf-R set, the cut price super distortion and super2 voiced set. They're darker than they regular infinity set as they're solid steel slugs sot there's more steel in there than screws, but the winds are similar. They're ok for rock and quite newbie forgiving as they don't have a lot of hot end. Also, all other things the same, a steel-pole pickup will be darker with an alnico magnet than with a ceramic magnet. Alnicos are only brighter if you swap out the steel slugs for alnico. This is because the relative permeability of a ceramic magnet is similar to free space, alnico is slightly more permiable and iron is very permiable.
When I was looking for a hollowbody I tried many brands & models The pickups were a weak link in some of them I wound up getting an Ibanez AF 95 and I love the pickups But then I am not playing jazz Mostly blues or rock variations And I love the stock pickups That may not work for everybody, but it does for me
I bought 2 sets of very cheap Start pickups recently. Fleor, sound fantastic (to me) $25 The other brand say Alnico 5 on the cover and have clear bobbins, also very decent., mounted on a pickguard with pots, switch shipped $26. So pickups can be made very cheap and very good.
Phil !!! I LOVED this super-cut of a subject that I truly have a lot of interest in and also all the pick-up information (magnets, winding, resistance), the whole thing was more awesome because most of the time, I just don't HAVE the time to listen to the whole podcast. Thanks !!!
Hey my question got it's own video... I knew the pickups were garbage, was looking for actual pickup recommendations. I also actually have a set of the Seymour Duncan triple shots in the drawer waiting for whenever we decide what to put in there. My first thought is Seymour Duncan 59's. I've never swapped pickups in a hollowbody before though, I've swapped dozens of solid bodies, I second guess myself if the 59's would be the best choice.
I have an Ibanez AM-93 - It came with "super 58" pickups that are really low output. I like the sound, but if you switch guitars in the amp it will be twice as loud.
Bought a beautiful Musoo 335 type. Flame maple Wallpaper? Anyway bridge rattled and pickups didn't pickup. Put a brass roller bridge on and Wilkinson Korean Alnico 5 humbuckers. An 8ish and 7ish output and strung with 11-54 EB Cobalt Beefy Slinky's. Experiment gone wildly right! Love the show Mr. Phil as you have taken me places that are crazy. Building a tele from a body blank "cheap" maple neck and various parts I have accumulated from guitars I've accumulated since watching. Actually started listening to podcast at work before I retired. What a rabbit hole since then!
Hey Phillip, have you ever tried Tonerider pickups? I bought a set of Tonerider Alnico II Classics and the sound is incredible. The resistance on the bridge measures in at 8.3K and the neck is 7.4K. They are made in the UK and seriously rival Duncan’s at about half the price. Check them out if you get a chance - I seriously doubt you’ll be disappointed.
I did that to my firefly ES335 changed all the guts and pick ups to Epiphone Pro humbuckers added a bigsby tremelo and ditched the string tail piece. Those cheap microphonic p/u were crap. Even picked up more sustain and in great sounding guitar for a fraction of a Gibson 335 cost. Roughly a little more than $400 total investment with slightly new used tremelo!!! Just FYI the wiring through the F holes was a pain!!!
I have a beautiful blonde Washburn J6S that I wasn't happy with for a long time. It didn't have a great sound, it resonated on G notes (feedback), and just wasn't much fun. One day, just because I could, I decided to overhaul it. I yanked out all of the Japanese cheap electronics (mini-pots, green chiclet caps, low-quality pickups) and wired it as an Gibson ES-175. I used CTS pots, Orange Drops, quality wire, Gibson switch, and Lollar Imperial low-wind pickups. This did not turn it into an ES-175, but it made it into a guitar that sounds great and is fun to play. I need to add that proper pickup height is very important on hollow body guitars, because of the resonance/feedback issues .
Best PUs on a jazz-box are Gibson Classic 57, or lower outputs Lollar Charlie Christians and Lollars 50s wound P90s. They all sound great. I like also DeArmonds.
My Epi 339 has pretty great pickups IMO. I think they are alnico classic pros. The electronics are skimped on though. Can’t wait to fish all of that out…
Anyone know if the AF 73 models have the same pickups as the AF 55s? I bought a new 73 a couple of years ago and am wondering if they need to be switched out to something better. I like how the guitar feels and plays, but thinking it can be an even better guitar with improved pups.
I i have a husk of a 80 silverburst, fecked in a flood, neck came off and other issues, however it was dried thouroughly before i plugged the output jack in to an amp and the PU's and knobs all sounded appropo. So, should i try to sell the husk and parts or find a good "inexpensive" jazz box and give it some primo electrics?
I really like the idea of podcast clips Phil! longtime viewer and was an avid watcher of the podcast but as my life has gotten busy I find myself shuffling through the podcast. But this is perfect!
Note that if you have a hollow body guitar with a center block in it [ala ES 335], like it or not, you actually have a solid body guitar. It will sound like a solid body. Sorry, that's science. I have purchased a number of bargain hollow body guitars, and I have modified every one of them. First, I replace the pickups, either with humbuckers, or a humbucker/P-90 combo, or simply 2 P-90's. This is probably the single best mod you can make. Next are the tuning machines, which usually need replacing as well. Sometimes I replace the pots and switches, but this depends on how cleanly and effectively the wiring was installed, and how well it operates. NOTE: If you decide to replace the pickups or wiring harness, surgical tubing will be your best friend. Use a foot of 5 mm ID or 3/16 [NOT OD!] tubing, and use it to pull the pot shafts through the F-holes, as you have to do. It pops off pretty readily, and it's very easy to do. Viola! A smaller tubing can be used to do the same process for the toggle switch. This way will save you a lot of frustration.
Just a note to your note, the AF55 mentioned in the video clip is indeed a hollow-body guitar, it does not have a centre block like a 335 style guitar would have. As for the science of what a semi-hollow sounds like, I will posit this: why does strumming my 335 acoustically, with no amp, and then moving my hand to cover, not physically touching, the f-hole affect the sound that is heard if it is sonically identical to a solid-body guitar? Strumming one of my electrics and then moving my hand over any part of the body to elicit the same effect produces no detectable difference. When I play my semi-hollow body guitar the strings make the centre block resonate which in turn makes the hollow cavities resonate and that projects sound from the f-holes. That is a good tip about the tubing, thanks!
@@I.M.Guitar-Nerd I'm not saying that a semi-hollowbody, like an ES 335, is sonically equal to a solid body guitar. It's not. What I am saying is that, if it uses electro-magnetic pickups, it is electronically equal to a solid body guitar with magnetic pickups. It will sound like one. The electromagnetic pickup can ONLY use the current provided by the vibrating strings [ induction], and NOTHING else, on an electric guitar with those pickups. The acoustic qualities of that type of guitar are meaningless, and the type of wood [density] will only affect sustain, and cannot affect tone. In fact, the ideal electric guitar [with magnetic pickups] would have absolutely NO resonance at all, thusly no energy would be drained from the vibrating strings, and sustain would be maximized, and tone would be purely from the pickups, strings, and hardware and electronics.
Very informative..I mainly gigg on hollowbodies. Have used my AF55 alot. Paid little less than$400.. Changed the pickups,nut ,tuners,pots,Jack,switch.still have like $800 in it....sounds great..and plays really good..I put on seymour duncan jazz in the neck and mojo tone low output at the bridge...
Also how some guitar straps strip out and you need to get a block installed inside one of the wings of the hollow body to add that “extra meat” of wood to bite on for the screw.
So I have a Gretsch g5120t. It's a full hollowbody and compared to my other electrics you can really hear it on a real amp. On amp sims, not so much. Dunno why that is. Might as well just be in my head.
These are good stuff. I usually wait until you've put the chapters in place to look thru your latest live stream. sorry but I know myself. When I stick around for a while watching any podcast as the topic changes I can lose interest and end up moving on to something else. You doing these helps me get more of the topics I find interesting and your metrics get better because I watch these to the end or nearly so. The view percentage from me is much higher vs when I watch your live pod.👍🔥👏
How come My Cort Source semi hollow body guitar sounds great and plays excellent, I don't know if I got this by mistake but It'll blow any Japanese or US made guitars in the market!
Been playing lefty since 1964.... I appreciate that you understand our frustration.....
Agreed, and maybe I got lucky, but my lefty semi-hollow Gretsch Streamliner is a sweetheart. Peace :)
@@MutethatBozo My machinist uncle made a brass lefty nut for my '64 strat..... was doing Jimi before I ever heard of him..... still have it
@@davelate4148 that is super cool 😎
I'm left handed, in that I write with my left hand, often favor it when eating, drinking, picking something up, etc. Fortunately, I suppose, when I started learning to play guitar I had no idea left-handed guitars existed, so I play regular guitars/basses. Makes shopping SO much easier.
Phred guitars gets (completely) hollow body guitars from overseas and does the fret work, wiring, and offers Seymour Duncan pick ups. One popular model is based on Trey Anastasio’s Languedoc guitar. They sound great with great sustain.
I'm impressed how knowledgeable you are about the details of building guitars. I love your channel and humble personality, thank you for sharing this!
3:10 that hollowness affects that air, that affects how the wood resonates, which affects how the string vibrates and what the pickups get.
In my opinion, everything contributes to the sound.
Everything does, at least to some degree. Some pickups accentuate detail better than others. Same with amps, tubes etc...
For real, how is there an argument that hollowbodies have a different sound than solidbodies?
Sometimes the pickups need to be married to the right amp.
I had an Epiphone Sheraton II that I thought had dull sounding pickups when I played it through my old amp and various amps at the local music store. I wanted to change the pickups but didn’t get around to it. Then I bought a Mesa Dual Rectifier and the Epiphone sounded awesome through it. In fact it sounded better than most of my other more expensive guitars-but only through that amp.
Alternatively, I also ended up not buying a Gibson Les Paul Custom because of how bad it sounded with the Mesa Dual Rectifier.
So in essence, the combination of the guitar pickups with the amp makes a difference.
I have a lefty Chinese Epiphone Casino and have replaced the original pickups for Lollars. I have replaced all the wiring, and have included treble bleed and left hand taper pots. I have added a Callaghan Bridge and new input jack, volume and tone knobs, and Tuners. I have kept the stock Frets, Nut and Tailpiece. The guitar is strung with D’Addario NYXL 10-46.
The hollow body tone players want is also in the amp. After much futzing, I finally found an old *Polytone Minibrute II* and then *that classic jazz guitar sound* was right there. It's worth it. Great sound.
Agree. Just changed Pickups in one of my Hollobody Guitars, a Wolf, that is a great guitar but pretty boring to hot humbuckers. I soldered in Irongears Alchemist P90, Bridge 7,6 and Neck 5,3 Ohm. Relly happy with the guitar now and used it for recording my latest song.
I don't have the time or patience to get through an entire podcast so I really like your idea of selecting specific topics for a standalone video.
Same here!
Just an FYI, Phil time stamps his full episodes in the description, so you can scroll through to pick and choose your topics of interest. You don't have to wait for these and you may well find the topic that especially interests you.
100% correct on the right p-up type for hollow body axes and the stock Ibanez ceramic magnet p-ups (minor correction on the FF--those 335 style guitars that Grohl plays are semi-hollow). Anyway, I made this comment on another YT vid about the AF-55 (in my case, the AF-55 L, left-hand): Initially, I kept the stock pups, but eventually a Gibson Burstbucker 2 found it's way into the bridge position, and a chrome covered stock Gibson humbucker from the late 70's/early 80's in the neck. Exactly as PM says here...less output, sweeter, and very responsive w/ tube amps. One other minor point: yes, if you're just dealing with the pure signal (like out of the guitar into a DAW, etc.), then the hollow body isn't much of a factor (if at all). Plugged into an amp however is a whole other ballgame! The loudspeaker is revealing more frequencies (and in some cases artifacts--bad & good), as well as how volume can make the guitar resonate even more, resulting in a wonderful, sonorous sustain--as long as it's managed before feedback bursts out all over the place! ;)
The pickups that come stock on ANY guitar are just a suggestion. As a teenager I could not understand why guitar manufacturers did not offer a "with or without" pickups option. I learned to buy a new set of pickups in conjunction with the guitar purchase
These clips in all reality will improve the live stream due to the fact that we will get less repeat questions per week.
The more information thats available that we already seen the more advanced we all get
the faster you go, the rounder you get...
I have an "inexpensive" Ibanez Artcore hollowbody that was made in 2001, and I bought used for $300 in 2005. It's a great guitar; really comfortable to play, stays in tune, consistent intonation across the fretboard....but the stock pickups were not good. I never got a great tone out of it. So a few months ago seapped them out for a Seymour Duncan Benedetto A6 in the neck position and a TV Jones Power Tron Plus in the bridge position. And now the guitar sounds really good! I understand what you're saying about low output pickups being good for hollowbody guitars, but this Duncan A6 is pretty high output and it sounds fantastic. Then again, it was made specifically for hollowbodies so I guess it partly depends on the individual pickup.
I have an air purifier to ensure I get the best, most consistent tone air.
Don't forget the other important factor of the sound .... a small Persian rug to stand on when you play.
That last album of yours sounded nice and humid.
The pickups on my hollow body are Kent Armstrong. They have a very balanced, natural, almost acoustic sound making them usable for different music styles, except of course if you're into high output high volume distortion, metal etc, but then you wouldn't take a hollow body after all. I am extremely happy with them. Completely different from the typical fat jazzy sound of eg. the Gibson ES175-D or some high end Ibanez guitars. Of course, sound color is subjective, so listen to them first.
Phil, i watch the full show each week but love these smaller portions to re watch
I have a Gretsch streamliner Junior from 2017. It was the last guitar I bought from Sweetwater where I didn’t have to pay sales tax, I miss those days. I swapped out the pick ups for a set of TV Jones classic pick ups. All in for around $600 I have an awesome guitar.
You did right. Hard to go wrong with TV's.
Those things are firebreathing monsters. I have really neglected Gretsch, them being outside my area of interest completely, but I just tried a Streamliner Junior, the cheapest one they sell, and it sounded absolutely fantastic! My local chain has "Fender Month" on now, so I am considering grabbing a $300-$400 Gretsch!
I love my Streamliner and Alvarez semis. I'm looking at another Streamliner. Such good guitars for the $$.
Both have decent pups. The Broadtrons are totally fine. Duncans in the Alvarez are pretty bright, airy, not high output and well-balanced. Maybe swap those out but the midrange is still there, maybe no need.
@@jasonmartin7297
dooo it!
Picked up my first Gretsch recently and it's a 6120. It comes with the TVJ Ray Butts pickups and my goodness these pickups are great. I can jump from Chet to Setzer to Young and even something akin to Ted Nugent with ease! Another +1 for TVJ pickups. Great stuff.
Great idea...I always skip to the topics I find interesting. Love the podcast!
Great analogy on looking at record store shelf space for types of guitar… Non-boutique Jazz guitars also tend to suffer a bit more in the community being more “conservative” in their views of design and sound. Semi-hollow tends to get a little more flexibility, but still has all the challenges of a fully hollowbody when it comes to the build process (and typically for the after-market upgrade work).
Pickups-wise, I have had really good luck with the Lace Alumitones lines, especially the Fusion 251 neck and a standard (works a bit better for the hollowbodies) or Deathbucker bridge for semi-hollow, chambered and solid body guitars. Another set of pickup choices that works rather well for semi-hollow bodies are RailHammers, various Wide Range pickups (these are not a simple remove (the old pickups) and replace work).
For the standard 6-string market, IYV’s IJZ-500 (hollowbody) and IJZ-300 (semi-hollowbody: just an unfinished block below the bridge, vs being fully hollow body wings) are very impressive for the price and their low power “Destiny CNC” pickups are particularly tasty. The other thing is that of all the inexpensive hollowbody and semi-hollowbody guitars out there, the tuning machines (Marvel L3) are particularly impressive.
Hope this helps a smidge.
As a lefty, can confirm that section is always super sad :(
10% of the population represented by 0.025% of the products lol but not lol
Really good insight here. It's amazing how often unexpected problems with instruments come down to simple economics of production.
The AF55 has appeared with two different pickup sets. Until mid-2014, they were Ibanez ACH-ST types. From mid-2014, they are Ibanez Infinity R types. The ACH-STs were specifically for Artcore hollow bodies: the Infinities have been used more widely. As Phillip guessed, both are inexpensive ceramic types.
It appears that Ibanez have never published detailed specs for either model of pickup, so the information in this video on DC resistance from an actual sample is useful.
It would be be interesting to hear an early model AF55 back to back with the current model, just to hear how much of a difference that pickup change made. There are plenty of comments online dating from before and after the change that describe the AF55's pickups as 'dull' or 'muddy', with a variety of suggestions for improving the sound short of changing the pickups.
I spent the whole time watching this video hearing the music of Culture Club in my head. Couldn't figure it out until I realized that the electric guitar seen in the video for "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was a Gibson ES-355 or something similar. Not an inexpensive hollowbody, but that was the connection.
Filter'Trons are awesome in a hollowbody.
My two cents here just wanted to touch on a few things. First off i am me so this may not be how others see things (disclaimer) I am still learning too. First try lowering the pickups see if there is a sweet spot they sound better at. Secondly if your wanting that hollow body sound keep the pickups as micro phonic ones. They pickup on echo made by the body which gives it part of its sound. I was on the fence about changing mine in my firefly but I found a setup that works for me. Replacing pickups should be a last resort or if its necessary for the tone your chasing or if one is DOA in the guitar.
Also, for ceramic magnets, up the Pot value to increase the resonant peak to near Alnico levels
Love this format Phillip, bringing together all the relevant parts of a specific topic.
A magnet swap can do wonders for just a few dollars. I had an Ibanez AS-83, but the pickups were shrill. Put a rough cast A3 in the neck, and A4 smooth in the bridge. Amazing difference, they are magic for blues!
I play a left handed, hollow body, 5 string bass. I couldn’t find one to try anywhere. My friend is a luthier and made it for me. Try some round wound strings for a concert piano b and e string sound. Amazing.
Years ago I read someone who swapped magnets on the Artcores pickups from ceramic to Alnico ll. Said it warmed up and sounded better 😉👍✨
Every Pixies fan is now humming "Jefrey with one f, Jeffery...." 😂
Spaaaaacious
He's so!
I have the AF55, bought it brand new about 6 years ago. It's my go to. It looks plays and feels amazing. The only thing I found with the pickups, is that they are not BAD by any stretch, they just seem to be an odd choice. If these were in an inexpensive Les Paul they'd be kickass pickups.
I use this guitar all the time, gets a real good grungy, dirty blues rock sound through a 60watt orange with a couple slight enhancements from 2 or 3 pedals
I love your channel and your deep knowledge of guitar making. I greatly value your opinion when it comes to buying gear. Keep up the fantastic work you are doing. The whole community is benefited by your materials. Thank you buddy.
This is an excellent discussion.
The standard Artcore pups are not bad, but it depends on what you prefer. When I first bought my AM-73 (small body maple semihollow), the stock pickups had an attractive jazz tone. I swapped them for a Seth Lover JB/Jazz (no covers) pairing. It's a great sounding guitar, but the jazz tone is gone.
My Artcore AK-85 (hollow laminated spruce/maple with a wood bridge) sounded good with the stock pups, but I swapped in a pair of SD Seth Lover pickups, and it has remained my favorite guitar for a very long time; great jazz and classic rock tones. I tend to prefer clean, low output tones.
Many people may prefer more complex humbucker tones, often described as 'swirley'. I'm not a huge fan, but these obviously have an appeal. The Ibanez Super 58s in my solid Jet King 2 have a bit of swirley complexity and it is a great guitar, but not very jazzy.
There are a lot a great Ibanez guitars out there, highly recommended.
I completely modified my Epiphone Broadway for a Rockabilly vibe. Big hollow body jazz box. Bigsby B6G vibrato, Custom Tru-Arc SerpenTune compensated aluminum bridge on a rosewood bridge. Toneman Guitar 50's wiring harness with PIO caps, Seymour Duncan Staple P90 pickups in neck & bridge, Graph Tech Tusk XL nut, Thomastik-Infeld Flatwound strings - .013-.053, Grover locking tuners and finally I had a Plek job. The Broadway cost $800 and the upgrades added up, but much, much more inexpensive than a vintage Gibson hollow body, i.e. L-5 CES, Super 400 CES. I love the tone of Staple P90 pu's. I absolutely love the way my mods worked out, both visually and the tone of guitar.
I have a PRs se hollow body piezo. You mentioned that this is one of your favorite guitars. Do you like the pickups? Could they be improved and if so what would you choose?
Thanks for the lefty shout-out! Guitar Center only ever has 2 lefty guitars, regardless of the location: 1 Squier Affinity Strat & 1 Fender MIM Tele.
I just bought an Epiphone Riviera in Royal Tan, I like the mini humbuckers it came with, they sound really good in this semi-hollow.
The low end thump from semi-hollow's and hollow bodies is insane. Everytime I pick mine up I'm always taken back by the difference between the solid and hollow bodies.
I agree. Playing my 335 compared to a solid body, the 335 feels like you play the whole frequency range with some rolloff on the top end.
i had a semi-hollow Epiphone "Alleykat" made around 2003 that was a wonderful guitar! my first electric, purchased from my teacher who had set it up for me and gave me a great deal on it. unfortunately years later I was hooked on dope and while crawling out of my skin from WD decided to hawk it to a friend who actually gave me a good deal on it because he knew I needed money bad for dope. ahhh the joys of youth. once i cleaned up i bought an SG Faded which blows my away every time I play it. I think the nitro finish is just the cherry on the cake. i love the feel and the wear and tear over time.
I own an Idanez AF55 Hollowbody, the guitar comes with Humbucker Pickups and you can't really expect to get rock tone from it, they *sound *fantastic with clean tones* and *accoustic* remember it's a *Hollowbody*
Foo Fighter's Dave Ghroll uses a *Semi Hollow* Electric Guitars and it's a whole dynamic than Hollowbody
Seth lovers or Fralin wide range humbuckers or pure paf are also great in semi hollow great video by the way
I love the clips idea!
Me too
It’s perfect for viewers who may not watch the Friday live shows.
this explains why Gretsch Electromatic hollow and semi-hollows are so good for the price. the "Blacktop" in-house Trons they put in them are not bad. they are good, NOT GREAT, but good.
most of the artist models from the Electromatic range tend to sport the high-end Trons, not BTs. two examples would be the Chris Rocha Broadkaster Junior and the John Gorly Broadkaster. the former has high-output Filtertrons and the latter has "Fulltrons". both excellent high-end Gretsch pick-ups.
I had an ibanez artcore af 55. Swapped neck pickup for a seymore duncan humbucker. Total change! Sound like a decent jazzbox!
In my AF55 I put a Gibson ‘57 Classic in the neck and moved the Ibanez neck PU to the bridge.
This is absolutely my favorite guitar channel
Loving the shorts from the streams!
I really like this idea. I can't always catch the live show or have the time to look through the index and see what I want to check out. Thanks Phil!
One of the classic hollowbody guitar sounds is that of Charlie Christian. The pickup in his guitar would've had DC resistance of about 3.2K.
i really don't understand why they don't put piezos in hollowbodies, they are so easy to implement into the circuit, just get a 3 way switch and put the piezo where the middle pickup would go, they don't even need resistors. i played a hollow body the last time i was at thomann, and it was a wonderful guitar, but i don't see a point in buying one if there isn't a piezo in there. waxed pickups just don't pick up any resonance from the hollow body.
The pickups are fine on an AF55. Just drop them down and because they have ceramic magnets they are not muddy. I play jazz on my 55 but even Jimmy Page used ceramic.
The Blacktop Filtertron pickups on my Gretsch 5422 and Rat Rod (they're actually red Blacktops on that one, 😄) are lower output than the TV Jones Filtertrons on my Vintage Select '59 Duo Jet or Billy-Bo, but I don't want to change them as they have such a lovely, sweet tone, and make them sound different to the latter two. It's not always about power.
Would like to see a KYG doing a " The Guitars of Tomorrow" episode with some really outside the box features.
That's a great video idea. Do it Phil!
The pickups on the AF55 are an Inf-R set, the cut price super distortion and super2 voiced set. They're darker than they regular infinity set as they're solid steel slugs sot there's more steel in there than screws, but the winds are similar. They're ok for rock and quite newbie forgiving as they don't have a lot of hot end.
Also, all other things the same, a steel-pole pickup will be darker with an alnico magnet than with a ceramic magnet.
Alnicos are only brighter if you swap out the steel slugs for alnico. This is because the relative permeability of a ceramic magnet is similar to free space, alnico is slightly more permiable and iron is very permiable.
Love these! So what your saying is when I buy a Harley Benton semi hollow just get some pure vintage fralins done and done!
If cheap pickups are hot then can you just roll back the volume to make it play less hot?
Really digging this short clips from your Q&As.
When I was looking for a hollowbody I tried many brands & models
The pickups were a weak link in some of them
I wound up getting an Ibanez AF 95 and I love the pickups
But then I am not playing jazz
Mostly blues or rock variations
And I love the stock pickups
That may not work for everybody, but it does for me
@@loganwhite8375 amen
I just wanted another flavour and I got one
So it may not work for everybody but it does for me
@@loganwhite8375 I love both hollowbodies and solibodies
Cool that I can have & play both
I put the EJ custom pickups in my old full hollow ibanez af85. Like a whole new guitar and it sounds insane.
I bought 2 sets of very cheap Start pickups recently. Fleor, sound fantastic (to me) $25 The other brand say Alnico 5 on the cover and have clear bobbins, also very decent., mounted on a pickguard with pots, switch shipped $26. So pickups can be made very cheap and very good.
Yeah it's copper and magnets lol, not rocket science. Can definitely be good and inexpensive.
Phil !!! I LOVED this super-cut of a subject that I truly have a lot of interest in and also all the pick-up information (magnets, winding, resistance), the whole thing was more awesome because most of the time, I just don't HAVE the time to listen to the whole podcast. Thanks !!!
Do MORE of these SHORTER videos.
This allows us to CHOOSE which subjects we WANT to view.
Hey my question got it's own video... I knew the pickups were garbage, was looking for actual pickup recommendations. I also actually have a set of the Seymour Duncan triple shots in the drawer waiting for whenever we decide what to put in there. My first thought is Seymour Duncan 59's. I've never swapped pickups in a hollowbody before though, I've swapped dozens of solid bodies, I second guess myself if the 59's would be the best choice.
I have an Ibanez AM-93 - It came with "super 58" pickups that are really low output. I like the sound, but if you switch guitars in the amp it will be twice as loud.
Love these clips - nice little guitar "snacks"...keep them coming!
Bought a beautiful Musoo 335 type. Flame maple Wallpaper? Anyway bridge rattled and pickups didn't pickup. Put a brass roller bridge on and Wilkinson Korean Alnico 5 humbuckers. An 8ish and 7ish output and strung with 11-54 EB Cobalt Beefy Slinky's. Experiment gone wildly right! Love the show Mr. Phil as you have taken me places that are crazy. Building a tele from a body blank "cheap" maple neck and various parts I have accumulated from guitars I've accumulated since watching. Actually started listening to podcast at work before I retired. What a rabbit hole since then!
I recommend Porter Pick Up Anthem for semi or hollow body...you can buy them on their website...The Blender is awesome for Les Pauls...
Just bought a semi-hollow body guitar with a SD Jazz neck and a SD 59n the bridge. It sounds incredible.
Hey Phillip, have you ever tried Tonerider pickups? I bought a set of Tonerider Alnico II Classics and the sound is incredible. The resistance on the bridge measures in at 8.3K and the neck is 7.4K. They are made in the UK and seriously rival Duncan’s at about half the price. Check them out if you get a chance - I seriously doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Hey Phil, it might be a good idea to mention which podcast the clip is from so punters can check out the discussion either side of the clip. Cheers
I think the link is in the description.
What Phil meant to say was to simply get an Eastman T486 semi-hollow. WONDERFUL guitar...does it all...for a fraction of a 335.
I did that to my firefly ES335 changed all the guts and pick ups to Epiphone Pro humbuckers added a bigsby tremelo and ditched the string tail piece. Those cheap microphonic p/u were crap. Even picked up more sustain and in great sounding guitar for a fraction of a Gibson 335 cost. Roughly a little more than $400 total investment with slightly new used tremelo!!! Just FYI the wiring through the F holes was a pain!!!
I put in a Dimarzio Fortitude (9.5k 290 output) in my ES Les and it sings. Definitely using lower outputs in all my hollows.
I put Toneriders on mine. lV at the neck, ll at the bridge. Sounds great.
I have a beautiful blonde Washburn J6S that I wasn't happy with for a long time. It didn't have a great sound, it resonated on G notes (feedback), and just wasn't much fun. One day, just because I could, I decided to overhaul it. I yanked out all of the Japanese cheap electronics (mini-pots, green chiclet caps, low-quality pickups) and wired it as an Gibson ES-175. I used CTS pots, Orange Drops, quality wire, Gibson switch, and Lollar Imperial low-wind pickups. This did not turn it into an ES-175, but it made it into a guitar that sounds great and is fun to play. I need to add that proper pickup height is very important on hollow body guitars, because of the resonance/feedback issues .
Pickup height is important on every guitar.
Best PUs on a jazz-box are Gibson Classic 57, or lower outputs Lollar Charlie Christians and Lollars 50s wound P90s.
They all sound great. I like also DeArmonds.
My Epi 339 has pretty great pickups IMO. I think they are alnico classic pros. The electronics are skimped on though. Can’t wait to fish all of that out…
Totally agree
I have one of those as well, wonderful guitar!
I have a chambered tele like the one hanging behind you from Donner and the pickups are crap what do you think I should put in it?
I've an epiphone sheraton with 57 classics and it sounds great
Love the new clip format. Great job and your awesome!
Anyone know if the AF 73 models have the same pickups as the AF 55s? I bought a new 73 a couple of years ago and am wondering if they need to be switched out to something better. I like how the guitar feels and plays, but thinking it can be an even better guitar with improved pups.
I i have a husk of a 80 silverburst, fecked in a flood, neck came off and other issues, however it was dried thouroughly before i plugged the output jack in to an amp and the PU's and knobs all sounded appropo. So, should i try to sell the husk and parts or find a good "inexpensive" jazz box and give it some primo electrics?
Love this idea of posting clip versions.
I really like the idea of podcast clips Phil! longtime viewer and was an avid watcher of the podcast but as my life has gotten busy I find myself shuffling through the podcast. But this is perfect!
Note that if you have a hollow body guitar with a center block in it [ala ES 335], like it or not, you actually have a solid body guitar. It will sound like a solid body. Sorry, that's science.
I have purchased a number of bargain hollow body guitars, and I have modified every one of them.
First, I replace the pickups, either with humbuckers, or a humbucker/P-90 combo, or simply 2 P-90's. This is probably the single best mod you can make. Next are the tuning machines, which usually need replacing as well. Sometimes I replace the pots and switches, but this depends on how cleanly and effectively the wiring was installed, and how well it operates.
NOTE: If you decide to replace the pickups or wiring harness, surgical tubing will be your best friend. Use a foot of 5 mm ID or 3/16 [NOT OD!] tubing, and use it to pull the pot shafts through the F-holes, as you have to do. It pops off pretty readily, and it's very easy to do. Viola! A smaller tubing can be used to do the same process for the toggle switch. This way will save you a lot of frustration.
Just a note to your note, the AF55 mentioned in the video clip is indeed a hollow-body guitar, it does not have a centre block like a 335 style guitar would have.
As for the science of what a semi-hollow sounds like, I will posit this: why does strumming my 335 acoustically, with no amp, and then moving my hand to cover, not physically touching, the f-hole affect the sound that is heard if it is sonically identical to a solid-body guitar? Strumming one of my electrics and then moving my hand over any part of the body to elicit the same effect produces no detectable difference.
When I play my semi-hollow body guitar the strings make the centre block resonate which in turn makes the hollow cavities resonate and that projects sound from the f-holes.
That is a good tip about the tubing, thanks!
@@I.M.Guitar-Nerd I'm not saying that a semi-hollowbody, like an ES 335, is sonically equal to a solid body guitar. It's not.
What I am saying is that, if it uses electro-magnetic pickups, it is electronically equal to a solid body guitar with magnetic pickups. It will sound like one.
The electromagnetic pickup can ONLY use the current provided by the vibrating strings [ induction], and NOTHING else, on an electric guitar with those pickups.
The acoustic qualities of that type of guitar are meaningless, and the type of wood [density] will only affect sustain, and cannot affect tone.
In fact, the ideal electric guitar [with magnetic pickups] would have absolutely NO resonance at all, thusly no energy would be drained from the vibrating strings, and sustain would be maximized, and tone would be purely from the pickups, strings, and hardware and electronics.
Samick JZ2 bridge 8.5k and neck 7.5k not bad. These have a fast neck too.
Any milage in reducing height of hot wound ceramic pickups? 😀
Very informative..I mainly gigg on hollowbodies. Have used my AF55 alot.
Paid little less than$400.. Changed the pickups,nut ,tuners,pots,Jack,switch.still have like $800 in it....sounds great..and plays really good..I put on seymour duncan jazz in the neck and mojo tone low output at the bridge...
Also how some guitar straps strip out and you need to get a block installed inside one of the wings of the hollow body to add that “extra meat” of wood to bite on for the screw.
I am a big fan of unpotted or slightly microphonic low output HBs in my nice semi hollows.
So I have a Gretsch g5120t. It's a full hollowbody and compared to my other electrics you can really hear it on a real amp. On amp sims, not so much. Dunno why that is. Might as well just be in my head.
Hi Phillip.maybe that guy with the hollow body, Jef. He should try setting every pole on pickups 2mm seems to be good start.
A bad sounding pickup cost about the same is a good one - the amount of magnetic material is not too expensive and it's already been wound and potted.
These are good stuff. I usually wait until you've put the chapters in place to look thru your latest live stream. sorry but I know myself. When I stick around for a while watching any podcast as the topic changes I can lose interest and end up moving on to something else. You doing these helps me get more of the topics I find interesting and your metrics get better because I watch these to the end or nearly so. The view percentage from me is much higher vs when I watch your live pod.👍🔥👏
I have a Ibanez AMH90-bk, it has Super 58's and bridge pickup is also too hot,
i just lowered it, and now it's ok :)
Any tips on fixing neck dive on a thin hollow body Gretsch?
This is great info, as usual from you Mr. McKnight. Thanks!
Doesn't most warmth come from mids and a strong fundamental in the first place?
Thanks Phillip. Don't forget the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent. he Rocked the 335 for Many many years Always loved his tone on 11 always LOL.
Didn't he play a Byrdland?
@@darrylv.5400 yes he did but he had a red 335 also down the line of albums.
@@blackfender100 Cool - Learned something new today!
Benedetto A6 pickups could give a great jazz sound on a canoe paddle.
How come My Cort Source semi hollow body guitar sounds great and plays excellent, I don't know if I got this by mistake but It'll blow any Japanese or US made guitars in the market!
Dude, your channel is the bomb, and I love these videos.