Ascari GTS Pickups

[SamIV]

I posted about the pickups on this guitar many months ago. I was unhappy with them compared to the pickups on my ASAT Carved Top. I adjusted the pole pieces which made me happy for a while and improved the sound, but I would like to improve upon the sound again. Has anyone here replaced capacitors or pots and noticed an improvement? I am referring to different values of each. Not necessarily the type of capacitor. Don't want to get into that debate. Or maybe just a pickup replacement is in order. I find this guitar much more comfortable to play than my LP, but the LP does sound better and is an Asian born guitar as well and in the same price range. I prefer PAf style hunbuckers by the way.

[SamIV]

Forgot to mention the ASAT Carved Top was a Tribute model as well.

[Tomas83]

I don't own one, just played a Fiorano GTS and I believe those pups are the same except yet aren't covered on the Fiorano. IMO they were too hot so I'd go for maybe SD Pearly Gates or The Creamery PAF version.

[SamIV]

I think you might be right on being the same pickups, but I really do not find these hot at all compared to other guitars I have. I had a guitar with a Seymour Duncan JB that I was not fond of which was much hotter. I know the ASAT Dexluxe Carved Top Tribute has a different bridge pickup. According to the specs it uses smaller wire. I have a set of those. Maybe I will give that a shot before spending money on new pickups. I believe they use the same neck pickup according what I read here. Just read an article on how different capacitor and pot values affect how a pickups sounds.

[Tomas83]

I agree with you. I would give the pickups chance since you already have them. I know they aren't hot especially compared to a JB, just for my taste they were kinda hot (Fiorano's aren't chrome covered). If you decide to get something else, I suggest you check The Creamery web page. They even make a wide range bucked to original specs (the new ones are just regular buckers in a bigger casing) and offer those also in a regular bucker casing.

[Fumble fingers]

Ascari and Fiorona have different pick ups , the Fiorona does have hotter pick ups than Ascari

[Craig]

Ascari and Fiorona have different pick ups , the Fiorona does have hotter pick ups than Ascari

The Ascari GTS pickups are the same under the Chrome cover as the Fiorano GTS pickups. The covers add some warmth to the pickups.
See: List of pickups used in G&L guitars and Decoding the various G&L pickup part numbers.

[SamIV]

Thanks for the advice and for the info on the Creamery site. I still might fiddle with some capacitor swaps as well. Maybe other value of pots also. If anyone is interested in the read on pot and capacitor values related to guitars, the link is below.

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/2 ... -pot-trade

[Tomas83]

I think that's very smart Sam. Pots are gonna be much less of a headache and expense to play with than buying another set of pups. And thanks for the article.

[SamIV]

Well I changed the pickups and i am much happier. No other electronics replaced. The pickups are hotter but clean up very well when I back off the volume just a tad. Sounds like the blanket was removed. Could be just my opinion though.

[Tomas83]

Nice, what pups did you use?

[SamIV]

I actually only replaced the bridge pickup. It was the bridge pickup out of a G&l Tribute ASAT Carved Top. The neck pickups are the same so it just stayed in. Would love to have a good P90 humbucker sized pickup in the neck. Kinda like the pickups in the Fallout. Will happen in time. Will resize the neck as well, because it like it a little thinner. That will come in time as well. The pickup really changed the sound of the guitar. It is much hotter, but mellows out nicely with a little volume decrease. Not too midrangey like most hotter pickups. More PAF sounding to me with just a tad more midrange that I can live with.

[Tomas83]

That's good, it's always nice to "rediscover" something that you have than getting a entirely new thing instead. They both seem like real nice guitars (Ascari and Fiorano) I probably would get the Ascari GT P90 from the start, I prefer the P90's to a humbucker. Btw. Gibson has a P94 that is a P90 in humbucker size. Maybe you weren't aware of that.

[SamIV]

I am aware of the Gibson pickups. I am also member of another forum, and a member there builds pickups to your requested specs. He is going to build one for me. He builds to what ever specs you request. I really like the sound of the P90 in the Fallout, and how it combines so well with the humbucker. I hope to get close to this with the build. Video below. Thanks for the info on the Gibson though. And I will post back when it actually happens. This will be a while due to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjM4C6njY38

[Tomas83]

That sounds real neat. I'm sure we'd all like to hear/see results of those custom pickups