Noiseless Pickup with Noisy Pickups

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

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Is there any reason why replacing only the stock neck position pickup with a noiseless pickup would not work on a Legacy? I prefer the neck position alone but cannot use it on my Legacy because there is too much noise. If I replaced that one and left the others would the neck/middle position be at least as quiet as it is when the stock pickups cancel the hum? Is there something in the noiseless pickups that would be incompatible with standard pickups? If this will work I do not need to replace all of them because I do not use bridge-only or middle-only and the rest of the switching options cancel out hum.

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[louis cyfer]

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Is there any reason why replacing only the stock neck position pickup with a noiseless pickup would not work on a Legacy? I prefer the neck position alone but cannot use it on my Legacy because there is too much noise. If I replaced that one and left the others would the neck/middle position be at least as quiet as it is when the stock pickups cancel the hum? Is there something in the noiseless pickups that would be incompatible with standard pickups? If this will work I do not need to replace all of them because I do not use bridge-only or middle-only and the rest of the switching options cancel out hum.

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the neck/middle will now have noise. which noiseless pup did you get? i chased noiseless pups for 15 years, trying to find one that sounds as good as a single coil. i have failed. i have come to the conclusion it does not happen. at least with current technology.

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

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Is there any reason why replacing only the stock neck position pickup with a noiseless pickup would not work on a Legacy? I prefer the neck position alone but cannot use it on my Legacy because there is too much noise. If I replaced that one and left the others would the neck/middle position be at least as quiet as it is when the stock pickups cancel the hum? Is there something in the noiseless pickups that would be incompatible with standard pickups? If this will work I do not need to replace all of them because I do not use bridge-only or middle-only and the rest of the switching options cancel out hum.

.

the neck/middle will now have noise. which noiseless pup did you get? i chased noiseless pups for 15 years, trying to find one that sounds as good as a single coil. i have failed. i have come to the conclusion it does not happen. at least with current technology.

I have not acquired the replacement(s) yet. I am deciding whether to go with one or all three. I am most interested in some form of Kinmans. Have you tried any?

The noise makes all of the single position options useless and the neck position on a Legacy is the one I prefer. I am looking for the best sound without noise. I do not think there are any that are equal or better than a regular noisy pickup from what I have seen. Something that can be used that sounds decent is what I am aiming for. I know there are people on both sides for and against almost all choices in noiseless. In a general sense, most noiseless can be lumped into two categories and depending on which there are similar comments made about them everywhere. I can tell that I do not like certain brands and ruled those out while I have only heard good demos of Kinmans. I get the impression Kinmans are different than the rest. Perhaps it is only a seeded idea that grew. I like what I hear in the demos and words of people who like them. I am relying on video demos and mp3s for audio samples. I have no experience with them in person. They are going to be expensive coming from Austrailia otherwise I'd replace all three without hesitation.

[darwinohm]

MGM, I have a set of Kinman Blues in a Legacy. What I can tell you is that they are the quietest single coil pickups that I have and they also sound very nice in my opinion. They are quiet.-- Darwin

[louis cyfer]

.

Is there any reason why replacing only the stock neck position pickup with a noiseless pickup would not work on a Legacy? I prefer the neck position alone but cannot use it on my Legacy because there is too much noise. If I replaced that one and left the others would the neck/middle position be at least as quiet as it is when the stock pickups cancel the hum? Is there something in the noiseless pickups that would be incompatible with standard pickups? If this will work I do not need to replace all of them because I do not use bridge-only or middle-only and the rest of the switching options cancel out hum.

.

the neck/middle will now have noise. which noiseless pup did you get? i chased noiseless pups for 15 years, trying to find one that sounds as good as a single coil. i have failed. i have come to the conclusion it does not happen. at least with current technology.

I have not acquired the replacement(s) yet. I am deciding whether to go with one or all three. I am most interested in some form of Kinmans. Have you tried any?

The noise makes all of the single position options useless and the neck position on a Legacy is the one I prefer. I am looking for the best sound without noise. I do not think there are any that are equal or better than a regular noisy pickup from what I have seen. Something that can be used that sounds decent is what I am aiming for. I know there are people on both sides for and against almost all choices in noiseless. In a general sense, most noiseless can be lumped into two categories and depending on which there are similar comments made about them everywhere. I can tell that I do not like certain brands and ruled those out while I have only heard good demos of Kinmans. I get the impression Kinmans are different than the rest. Perhaps it is only a seeded idea that grew. I like what I hear in the demos and words of people who like them. I am relying on video demos and mp3s for audio samples. I have no experience with them in person. They are going to be expensive coming from Austrailia otherwise I'd replace all three without hesitation.

i thought the kinmans were gonna be the answer after about them and hearing clips and videos, and also trying pretty much everything else. no cigar. something still really lacking. the fralin noisless is actually better, and the best nosiless single coils i have tried is the tom andersons, but still not good enough. the best option at this point is the suhr silent single coil backplate system. but i just started using true single coils with very good shielding, and up to moderate gain there is no noise issue. for high gain i use the isp g-string. no noise, and still the same great sound.

here is the tone of the tom anderson noisless pups

[youtube]zfkt7rR3x5s[/youtube]

[louis cyfer]

MGM, I have a set of Kinman Blues in a Legacy. What I can tell you is that they are the quietest single coil pickups that I have and they also sound very nice in my opinion. They are quiet.-- Darwin

do you have any other noiseless single coils? i have tried many that are just as quiet as the kinmans. the dimarzio areas are probably the quietest i have tried. much quieter than humbuckers. other than the dp402. the sound is nice, but not really like a true single coil. it has its own sound. something lacking for me.

[Elwood]

nice demo louis,
...tasty licks !

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

Agree, great licks!

Starting with generalities and moving toward refined nuances we could say humbuckers sound fatter than single-coils for instance. Later we would be describing the distinct tonal character and behavior..........where the "quack" is for instance. When I listened to the Frailins in the video demo they seemed like they had the thin (compared to humbucker fat) sound but lacked much of the other characteristics that are typically attributed to single-coils. They were closer to sounding like thin pickups collecting audio from strings stretched on a block of wood and more toneless and tin-like (tin not to be mistaken as thin). There wasn't anything sweet to perk up my ear-taste buds. Again relying only on videos, the Kinmans display some sweetness. I believe you when you say they disappointed you. You have had them in your hands to compare and determine a preference for the Frailins and Andersons.

Would you mind describing the degree of shielding that has brought your guitar up to a point of contentment?

If my Legacy was at least as quiet as my ASAT Classic I could live with it. I'd like it to be noiseless but can accept some noise. It is really fine when in combo positions but those are special tones whereas the neck position is the primary position for my needs.

I am curious, does everyone understand what I am describing if I say, "characteristic of the single-coil neck position, the notes cut through the tone rather than outside the tone"??? That seems to be more pronounced in an ASAT but I often hear it from Strat-type guitars.

[louis cyfer]

copper shielding, star grounding, aluminum pickguard shield.

have you looked into the suhr silent single soil system? available in a backplate now.

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

copper shielding, star grounding, aluminum pickguard shield.

have you looked into the suhr silent single soil system? available in a backplate now.

From what I have been able to discern the backplate doesn't fit the Legacy like it does a Strat. It may only need different holes drilled but I am hesitant to go that direction. It has been a while since I considered it. There was more to it when I ruled the backplate out. I think it may not be compatible with reverse-wound pickups and it was an 80% noise reduction that seemed to address environmental wiring more than pickup noise. However this is a very vague recollection. I did rule it out but the specific reasons I do not remember.*


*EDIT: 1/14/2012 I have culled information on the backplate system from the Suhr and Ilitch Electronics websites and documentation and it is located in this thread




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[Michael-GnL-Michael]

...i thought the kinmans were gonna be the answer after about them and hearing clips and videos, and also trying pretty much everything else. no cigar. something still really lacking....

Louis,

Do you remember which model of Kinman pickups you tried?

[louis cyfer]

...i thought the kinmans were gonna be the answer after about them and hearing clips and videos, and also trying pretty much everything else. no cigar. something still really lacking....

Louis,

Do you remember which model of Kinman pickups you tried?

several. woodstock, traditional, impersonator.