Mt ASAT Bluesboy

[Sean Clavin]

I love this thing. It is a killer axe, just the one thing that I'm not too keen on is the darkness of the Seth Lover pu compared to the G&L bridge. any suggestions, or am I just insane....don't answer too quickly

[louis cyfer]

you are not insane. the seth lover sucks in the bluesboy. i wonder what crazy person decided on putting it in there? a huge mistake. i replaced it with a bare knuckle mississippi queen p90, and it is much better. a fralin twangmaster or p92 might also suit you well.

[suave eddie]

you are not insane. the seth lover sucks in the bluesboy. i wonder what crazy person decided on putting it in there? a huge mistake. i replaced it with a bare knuckle mississippi queen p90, and it is much better. a fralin twangmaster or p92 might also suit you well.

I believe that would be our very own Tim Page...........................

A lot of people swear by this pickup combo--especially the mid position with both Pickups activated.

I have a hard time personally with any guitar that has a single coil/HB combination due to the inherent imbalance in output....but that's just me.
The SC-1 in my avatar originally came to me with the original MFD single coil in the bridge and the neck HB mounted about midway. I eventally got tired of that arrangement and just went the 2HB route.

[Sean Clavin]

Both pick ups together are great, don't get me wrong. I really like that combo, but going from single coil to HB....well, like I said, it's a bit of a gear shift.

[louis cyfer]

you are not insane. the seth lover sucks in the bluesboy. i wonder what crazy person decided on putting it in there? a huge mistake. i replaced it with a bare knuckle mississippi queen p90, and it is much better. a fralin twangmaster or p92 might also suit you well.

I believe that would be our very own Tim Page...........................

A lot of people swear by this pickup combo--especially the mid position with both Pickups activated.

I have a hard time personally with any guitar that has a single coil/HB combination due to the inherent imbalance in output....but that's just me.
The SC-1 in my avatar originally came to me with the original MFD single coil in the bridge and the neck HB mounted about midway. I eventally got tired of that arrangement and just went the 2HB route.

the middle position was great. but it is still just as good with a p90, and all positions much more usable. with th seth, when the middle position sounded best, neither the bridge nor the neck was usable.

[Craig]

you are not insane. the seth lover sucks in the bluesboy. i wonder what crazy person decided on putting it in there? a huge mistake. i replaced it with a bare knuckle mississippi queen p90, and it is much better. a fralin twangmaster or p92 might also suit you well.

I believe that would be our very own Tim Page...........................

A lot of people swear by this pickup combo--especially the mid position with both Pickups activated.

I have a hard time personally with any guitar that has a single coil/HB combination due to the inherent imbalance in output....but that's just me.
The SC-1 in my avatar originally came to me with the original MFD single coil in the bridge and the neck HB mounted about midway. I eventally got tired of that arrangement and just went the 2HB route.

the middle position was great. but it is still just as good with a p90, and all positions much more usable. with th seth, when the middle position sounded best, neither the bridge nor the neck was usable.

Of course, you are entitled to your opinion, but have a little respect for Tim and Seymour's design. After all G&L liked it enough to make the Bluesboy a standard production
model and it is one of their big sellers.

[blargfromouterspace]

you are not insane. the seth lover sucks in the bluesboy. i wonder what crazy person decided on putting it in there? a huge mistake.

I totally disagree.

I've said this before, but IMO the Bluesboy is a brilliant guitar, and the Seth Lover an excellent choice. Bridge - tele. Middle - Gretsch. Neck - Gibson. That's what the Bluesboy does, and it's better than each of those example guitars.

[NickHorne]

Yes, it is a brilliant guitar, although my own taste is more in line with Louis.
But it's also brilliant that the humbucker mount in the Bluesboy makes it so readily modifiable if you want to.
Huge scope for pup choice, and no messing with the guitar.
BTW, that red finish with the binding looks very smart indeed!

[louis cyfer]

You guys are fun to read, real polar opposites of opinions!

Ok, here's my take - the sound you get out of every instrument is subject to each persons personal tastes as to whether good or bad. Some love single coils, some humbuckers, some want bright, some want dark. Bluesboy as noted does what it was intended to do. Mr. Lover's pickup that Seymour builds is a faithful recreation of the original 1955 Les Paul humbucker. (Yes, I know humbuckers were invented about 20 years earlier by Electro-Voice, but I'm talking about the one Gibson used in the Les Paul). So you get that bluesy tone with the heavier darker sound that Seth designed. Seems to have worked as the instrument is one of G&L's best sellers.

While you can swap to anything you wish in the neck, you have to take into account the Middle Switch Position. There's a reason this is the favored position of owners. The Seth Lover rolls off on the higher frequencies almost exactly where the bridge MFD increases. When the two go together they blend into a really nice sound. Change the neck - that middle position will be affected. If you like the bridge, and the middle, you'll have to be very specific to the humbucker you choose performance wise.

Having played a lot of early Fender's and Gibson's in my life, I like the dark tone. And yes, I have a Bluesboy. Again - personal preference.

Regards,
Tim

Additional Information:
Just saw this on Seymour's website. I know the original Bluesboy (1999) models had a potted humbucker. I assume they still do that with the production model. Craig do you know?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/e ... eth_lover/

swapping it with a p90 makes the middle position even better, and quiet. i think the middle position is the favorite for people because the other ones are not very usable.

[NickHorne]

I've yet to try a Fralin "Unbucker" in a Bluesboy, but I'd be very interested to!
Wiring some coil-splits seems attractive, favouring the "screw" coil (which Lindy makes the hotter of the two), e.g:
Humbucker / Screw coil of humbucker / Screw coil of Humbucker + Bridge / Bridge, on a 4-way
or
Humbucker / Screw coil of humbucker / Full humbucker + Bridge / Screw coil of humbucker + Bridge / Bridge, on a 5-way.
I'm fairly sure Lindy offers these in Tele-compatible winds.

Great guitar, as we've all been saying.

Louis' solution is further away from the original idea, into P-90 territory (which I like a lot)...

[Craig]

Additional Information:
Just saw this on Seymour's website. I know the original Bluesboy (1999) models had a potted humbucker. I assume they still do that with the production model. Craig do you know?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/e ... eth_lover/

Yes, the SD Seth Lover humbucker G&L uses is wax potted along with all of G&L's own pickups.

Also, here's a bit of Leo Fender G&L trivia: US Patent D4885970 (Moisture_free_electromagnetic_pickup).

[crfowler]

Have you played with pickup height? Backing the SL off might make it less boomy. I built a Bluesboy knock-off when I couldn't afford a G&L and really like the Seth Lover in that format.

[NickHorne]

If we're looking for a much clearer humbucker sound, but not trying to recreate a single-coil, I am wondering how one of Jason Lollar's "Lollartrons" would be? They are Filtertrons in humbucker-sized covers, but still manage to look like filtertrons. Designed to drop straight in. Interesting?

[Sean Clavin]

Hmmmm....the more I play this guitar the more I get it. I just have to be in the right frame of mind and just play it LOUD!!

[Salmon]

swapping it with a p90 makes the middle position even better, and quiet. i think the middle position is the favorite for people because the other ones are not very usable.

Does this mean that a humbucker matched to a single coil does not produce noise cancelling in the combined position?

[Ray Barbee Music]

Here in 615, some folks have started using mini buckers or firebirds in the neck position on T types. Personally I'm a huge fan of a good firebird neck in a Tele, be it Lollar, Zhangbucker, Klein. Firebirds basically sound like a noiseless single coil with a touch more low end, so they make a very nice pairing with the tele bridge. Of course you'd have to change the pickguard, but if you like the idea and don't want to change the pickguard, I know a couple guys who will custom wind a firebird hidden under a full size nickel cover (no holes).

[Salmon]

I have not played one and have not heard one in person.

This owner has different pickups installed here, this sounds good in all positions and the Bluesboy appears to be very popular with cats.

[youtube]gBqblRtVBaw[/youtube]

[Miles Smiles]

Does this mean that a humbucker matched to a single coil does not produce noise cancelling in the combined position?

Didn't notice that thread yet.

A humbucker has a coil which is oriented north and one south. They are balanced, so any hum which hits both coils will be eliminated when these coils are linked together, as one coil puts a peak into the system while the other produces the same amount of output, but in the opposite direction.

If you put the humbucker together with a single coil, you have 3 coils in the system. E.g. 2 oriented north and only one south, so the peak or low from the 2 north oriented ones cannot be eliminated by only one south oriented coil. So the hum will be as loud as it would be, with just that single coil attached.

All in all it doesn't matter. With a single coil in neck position, both neck and bridge pickups might produce hum under some conditions only both together will reduce hum. With the Seth Lover, only neck position will reduce hum, but much better than two different single coils, in more distant positions might be able to do.

All in all it's a matter of taste and which sound one personally likes to have and so Louis absolute statements were better kept as it is: personal preference. If single coil sound is wanted, the ASAT Classic Bluesboy with Humbucker isn't the right choice. There are many other ASAT models and in the meantime there's a Bluesboy with P90 too.

[Ray Barbee Music]

Does this mean that a humbucker matched to a single coil does not produce noise cancelling in the combined position?

Yes. But if the humbucker is 4 conductor, or 3 conductor with the north coil active when split, you can wire it so the humbucker splits in that position and it will be largely hum cancelling.

[Miles Smiles]

Yes. But if the humbucker is 4 conductor, or 3 conductor with the north coil active when split, you can wire it so the humbucker splits in that position and it will be largely hum cancelling.

Yes, you're right. I didn't think about that option, as my Bluesboy just has 2 wires. I guess the Seth Lover pickups used for the ASAT Bluesboy, do still have that, but could be rewired by any pickup builder. I for myself don't need that, if I like to have another sound, I just pick up another ASAT.

[Salmon]

So if I understand this correctly, there can be noise cancelling but only if the humbucker is in the split state and provided everything is wired accordingly?

[Miles Smiles]

So if I understand this correctly, there can be noise cancelling but only if the humbucker is in the split state and provided everything is wired accordingly?

Yes, that's right.

You would have to check out, which of the two coils of the Humbucker is the one, which works with the bridge pickup for hum cancelling. You probably want the coil which is closer to the neck, for maximum softness. So there's a chance that you have to turn the Humbucker by 180 degrees horizontally too.

And of course it will not sound the same as without split.

[Freddy510]

I have coil split the Humbucker on my Bluesboy. I do like all 3 selections as stock, but coil splitting just gives the Bluesboy even more variation in tones. All the classic Tele style single coils sounds as well as the darkness of the Humbucker when needed. 5 combinations. Being a 4 wire Humbucker all I have done is fit a mini switch between my Volume & Tone knobs then when needed flick the switch to ground the wiring that is common to both sections of the Humbucker & presto. Very simple mod. Cost a couple of bucks & takes 10 minutes to do. You could also use a push pull on the volume or tone, but I prefer a mini switch. I have an extensive collection of guitars. Gibson, Fender, Hot Rods and of course, G&L's. I find that the Bluesboy with this mod really does cover a lot of territory tone wise. The Bluesboy pretty well my favourite guitar these days. Try the coil split mod, you won't be dissapointed!

[blargfromouterspace]

I love this thing. It is a killer axe, just the one thing that I'm not too keen on is the darkness of the Seth Lover pu compared to the G&L bridge. any suggestions, or am I just insane....don't answer too quickly

Thought I'd bump this up as I think I've found the perfect (for me anyway) partner for the Seth Lover - a Bill Lawrence L298T. I put one in this morning and output is such that both pickups can be set at their optimum height And it twangs like it should! I have always enjoyed my Bluesboy - it's my favourite model ASAT - but its never sounded better.

[Zippy]

Freddy beat me to the punch. Push/pull or mini switch is always the way to go. Cheap, easy, gives different tones, if a push/pull is used there are no cosmetic changes to the guitar. It's a win win.

Bill Lawrence makes good stuff and was the man. Bummed we lost him last month. Anyway, Blarg removed the MFD and replace it with a Bill Lawrence? I'm thinking it has adjustable poles also? Don't know.

On the single coil hum thing, my single coil guitars don't hum a bit. My old Tele, various Strats, ASAT Super, no hum. Even with rheostats in the room. There probably are some things that could make them hum, but I've not found them yet around here.

Zippy