Rewinding Z-Coils?

[bluesywoosy]

Hi
Since I am the owner of an awesome US Comanche I hate it and love it at the same time.
I love it because it's a wonderful guitar, absolutely perfect built and very very very nice with its flame maple top and birdseye-maple neck.
Its playability and look is like a dream.
On the other side I hate it because I can't find a setting to make it sound a way I really like, although I've tried all for years.
3 other US G&L guitars sound perfect to my ears (a Bluesboy semi, an old S-500 and an Asat Deluxe).

Now I'm wondering if it's possible to rewind the pickups and change the magnets to alnicos? I think with these changes it should sound like a vintage strat.

Another possibility could be to replace the pickguard with a new one and mount some high-end Strat Pu's, but I like also the hum-free design and the optics.

Who can do modifications like this? Or are there replacement pickups which I don't know?

Thanks a lot.

[sam]

Hi bluesywoosy,

Before you start rewinding and re-building keep experimenting and a read through Boogie Bill's "Commanche for Dummies" you will be dialing in tone of yer own.

http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1329 Comanches For Dummies Redux by BoogieBill.

If yer set on rewinding I believe the folks at Seymour Duncan Custom Shop can rewind Z Coils for you. As far as changing magnets, why even keep the Z Coil if you change the magnets? I have a few guitars with Z Coils and would not change them at all.

Keep us informed and post more ...

[Fumble fingers]

I like my Comanche , but I did swap out the bridge pick up with a Will Ray bridge pick up that has about 1500 more windings than a stock bridge z-coil , but other than that I really like it ..... if you do anything get you a S500 pick guard and pups

[bluesywoosy]

Thanks

I know "Comanche for dummies" for years and try out again and again what Bill says. I also have a S-500 and it sounds really great. Much better for my ears.
I'm still not shure what to do and have been thinking about changing the pickguard as well.
But I live in Germany and there is hardly any possibility getting a pickguard and PUs here in Europe.
It's possible to order in the US but it's quite expensive due to customs and taxes. I've been also thinking about buying a Tribute Legacy to get the parts. But I don't Know if the pichups are exactly the same.
And I like the hum-free design of the Z-Coils.

I think the Comanche equipped with modificated Z-Coils (alnicos an weaker) could be the guitar for the rest of my life ?????

[GeorgeB]

I'd be happy to trade a loaded (pickups only, that is) pickguard of one my Tribute S-500s with you Comanche pickguard, if that is an option. Quite certainly there is no difference in the geometry of US vs Tribute pickguards other that potentiometer hole sizes (US uses larger pots, so you'd need to drill the Tribute holes to proper size).

I'm here in Germany, please PM me if interested.

Hum cancelling for S-500's and Legacy's, see here:
http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic ... 115&t=6419
http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic ... 115&t=6877

[gvitale]

Hi,

I'm a Z3 owner too (an asat, in my case).
I find surprising you don't like those pu even after a lot of experiments (and after reading the boogie bill's post, a real Z3 holy bible...).

I'm not in the position to give advice to anyone here, that's more a question indeed: which amplifiers did you tried with your comanche?
I'm saying that because I've noticed that Z3 voice changes really a lot (wrt my Gibson Les Paul or wrt an alnico Strato) as you change the amp you're playing with.
The best (to my ears) amp for mine was a EL34 36w Vox AC clone: lack of headroom make me buy a KT66 50w JTM45 clone where I had to work more in order to get a good sound (but now I'm more than satisfied).
The Laney TT50 I had at the beginning sounded almost crappy with Z3, whereas it was OK with the LP.

[Elwood]

I wonder how these compare , the magnets are ceramic 5 ...and of course not exactly cheap, and in a single coil housing, and in the US...but I thought I'd bring them up anyway:



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zebra-Split-Coi ... 1e966a521a

Check out his other auctions for kicks..he has quite a variety and they look pretty good.

elwood

[GeorgeB]

I'm a bit sceptic about these handmade split-coils, the magnet field for D and G string will be very skewed compared to a standard SC (and much more than in a regular Z-coil) and he had to use verry thin 46AWG magnet wire to get enough turns onto the bobbins, being spaced so close from each other. Of course I've no experience with these so they might end up being very OK.... but hardly vintage Strat-ish, me thinks.

[Elwood]

Good to have your input George...what you say makes sense.
I feel smarter

[bluesywoosy]

I have several amps (and several guitars):
Fuchs ODS 100 (modded Twin) head wirh E34L, Cast Amplification head (handmade PTP 45 Watts 6L6), Cornford Roadhouse head (EL34), Carvin Nomad combo.
I use either a 15" cabinet with RCF speaker or another cabinet eauipped with 12" red ToneTubby.
It's all the same for my ears: 3 other G&Ls sound perfect, also does my D'Agostino Benchmark, my Hailwood ZZ and some other axes.
The Comanche doesn't !

I'm gonna make the following experiment: I have ordered a set of Z-Coils (quite cheap) and will get them rewound by David Barfuß (Germany). He builds wonderful "Splitbuckers", P90 with 2 coils in a humbucker housing. I have these superb pickups in a self-built semiacoustic and he's a great guy.
He is also able to build completely new PUs fitting the Z-Coils.

Hi,

I'm a Z3 owner too (an asat, in my case).
I find surprising you don't like those pu even after a lot of experiments (and after reading the boogie bill's post, a real Z3 holy bible...).

I'm not in the position to give advice to anyone here, that's more a question indeed: which amplifiers did you tried with your comanche?
I'm saying that because I've noticed that Z3 voice changes really a lot (wrt my Gibson Les Paul or wrt an alnico Strato) as you change the amp you're playing with.
The best (to my ears) amp for mine was a EL34 36w Vox AC clone: lack of headroom make me buy a KT66 50w JTM45 clone where I had to work more in order to get a good sound (but now I'm more than satisfied).
The Laney TT50 I had at the beginning sounded almost crappy with Z3, whereas it was OK with the LP.

[helle-man]

3 other G&Ls sound perfect, The Comanche doesn't !

I have ordered a set of Z-Coils (quite cheap) and will get them rewound by David Barfuß (Germany).

It seems like an awful lot of trouble to go thru just to make the Comanche work for you. Why not just throw in the towel and say the Comanche just isn't your cup of tea?

Z's aren't for everyone. I like to characterize them as trying to ride a wild bronco. You may get thrown a few times before you find the right combination of pedals and amps to make them sound right to your ears.

It's no shame to admit a guitar just doesn't work for you. I've had plenty. Just sell it and get something that does.

But rewinding the Z pickups to me is defeating the whole purpose of their sound. It's like buying a Strat and hating the tone, then installing Les Paul pickups. Why not just buy a Les Paul in the first place?

My 2¢
Will

[bluesywoosy]

The reason why I wanna keep it it's quite simple: It's a very very beautiful guitar, superb quality and plays like a dream. I think it's better than all the other guitars I own. As I wrote in the first post: I love it and I hate it. I know I would regret after selling it.
I will keep the original Pickups so I will be able to put the guitar back to it's original state (correct? oops, my English!).

Why does the Asat Z-3 sound so different compared to the Comanche? I never played one but it seems to be so (videos).

It seems like an awful lot of trouble to go thru just to make the Comanche work for you. Why not just throw in the towel and say the Comanche just isn't your cup of tea?

Z's aren't for everyone. I like to characterize them as trying to ride a wild bronco. You may get thrown a few times before you find the right combination of pedals and amps to make them sound right to your ears.

It's no shame to admit a guitar just doesn't work for you. I've had plenty. Just sell it and get something that does.

But rewinding the Z pickups to me is defeating the whole purpose of their sound. It's like buying a Strat and hating the tone, then installing Les Paul pickups. Why not just buy a Les Paul in the first place?

My 2¢
Will

[darwinohm]

I would expect them to sound very similar and I think videos are not always good for comparisons. If it were mine, I would either get a loaded Legacy or S-500 pickguard and you would be good to go. You could also go back to original if desired. I really understand liking the guitar so you are 95% there already. -- Darwin,

[Fumble fingers]

do you play in a band or just at home ??...... out of 12 G&L's I bought my Fallout SS series to gig out , it's the only G&L I take out of the house every week , when I bought it I said to myself I'm not going to worry about this one if it gets a chipped or scratched ... that said when I'm playing at home I love the P90 in the Fallout way better than the Seymor Duncan in the bridge , it just sounds way better to me but anyway my band has been recording and since recording I have totally changed my mind about the SD , the SD just flat out cuts through the mix better than the P90 in the Band situation , it moved the SD way up my list of favorite pick ups when it used to be in the bottom , I don't even use the P90 anymore with our band , I haven't recorded with my Z coils yet but I bet they cut through the mix good

[bluesywoosy]

That's true. I thought about it but I also like the look of the comanche. If I get the PUs rewound, they stay hum-free and I will keep the Z-Coils amd the look.

I I would either get a loaded Legacy or S-500 pickguard and you would be good to go. You could also go back to original if desired. I really understand liking the guitar so you are 95% there already. -- Darwin,

I play in bands for 39 years, especially Blues

do you play in a band or just at home ??......

[Craig]

Here's a few posts which might be useful:

Can you explain the PTB circuit?
Z-Coils in Series vs. Parallel
anybody know the factory Comanche pick up height spec's ?
MFD adjustable pole piece question

Hope this helps.