Gretsch Mini Humbucker

Elear · 02-02-2010, 07:58 PM

Hello there!

I have a cheap Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet w/Bigsby:

And I would like to make new pickups. The stock ones sounds very good, but they could be better (remember, is a cheap guitar).

I was thinking on rewind the pickup and replace the magnet with an alnico one, but the problem is, as with all gretsch, that the magnet are different size than ones you can find in stores. Magnet is 9mm width while Guitar Jones magnet is 7.5mm. The pickup has screws on both bobins.

Could you give me some ideas on what to do with those Guitar Jones magnets? that way I can use the old Gretsch bobins.

I live in Chile, so AllParts will not send me a mini HB kit (they say I have to order to the Argentinian provider, but they don't sell mini humbucker kits lol). Then, I was thinking on keeping 1 bobin with screws and cut the other and place a blade on it, then use a full size humbucker magnet, but I don't know what effects will have on the pickup.

I hope someone could help me to solve this little problem

thanks and have fun!!

Alvaro

automan · 02-02-2010, 10:05 PM

Call your local allparts provider and if they wont sell them to you, call allparts and let them know. Or wait a little bit and they will be for sale on Mojotone

Elear · 02-02-2010, 10:29 PM

I'll wait for mojotone then, because I already talked with allparts and they continue saying that they will not send me the parts

thanks

Anyway, anybody could tell me something about my question?

thanks!

Peter Naglitsch · 02-03-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elear

And I would like to make new pickups. The stock ones sounds very good, but they could be better (remember, is a cheap guitar).

I was thinking on rewind the pickup and replace the magnet with an alnico one, but the problem is, as with all gretsch, that the magnet are different size than ones you can find in stores. Magnet is 9mm width while Guitar Jones magnet is 7.5mm. The pickup has screws on both bobins.

Alvaro, the mini HBs can indeed be shipped from Allparts US even thou there are a local (usualy quite incompetent) representative that won't supply the parts to you. I have got OK from Allparts UK on several ocations after some e-mails back and forth.

Having said that I might suggest a different aproach. Replacing the Gretsch pickups with mini HBs will alter the sound quite significant. If you would like to keep the original caracter, only tweeking the formula a bit, I might be able to send you a magnet or two that might fit. I have ordered some wider magnets that I think will fit. If you PM me I can check when I get home on friday (on the road in Denmark for the rest of the day...)

Norcal_GIT_r · 02-03-2010, 03:41 PM

I've rewound several of these and have not found any alnico that fits them.
A rewind did help them out quite a bit even using the stock ceramic magnet.

Elear · 02-03-2010, 06:37 PM

are they ceramic?

Peter Naglitsch · 02-03-2010, 07:22 PM

I just noticed this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elear

I was thinking on keeping 1 bobin with screws and cut the other and place a blade on it, then use a full size humbucker magnet, but I don't know what effects will have on the pickup.

The offer still stands (if I have suitable magnets) but I must say: Hold your horses! If you don't have a clue to what will happen if you replace one row of screws with a blade you are probably up over your head in this. Especially if the pickups "sounds very good"
Its a bit like trying to run before you can walk.

JasonG · 02-03-2010, 09:24 PM

I just picked up one of those a month ago. I read that Gretsch went back to AlNiCo magnets on all there guitars around 2003. A lot of guys throw p90's in these things.

Elear · 02-04-2010, 03:07 AM

@Peter: Thanks but I'll keep the stock ones for some time. I think they are enough good for me. Thank you very much, but keep your magnets

Peter Naglitsch · 02-04-2010, 09:35 AM

Don't get me wrong Elear; I am all for experimenting and learning new things. But I think that you should focus on doing something simple first, like changing magnets and listen to the change in sound. Then maybe doing a rewind and se if you can get the pickups to sound better, or at least as good as the originals (it usually take quite a few tries to get them as good as a standard productions pickup,yet a few more to get it to sound better...). But when you say that you want to replace the screws with a blade without an ide of what it will sound like I think that you are trying to do to much at the same time. Focus on changing one single factor at a time. Then you will get a feel of how each part of the pickup (and changing those parts) affect the sound. That was what I was aiming at. Not to insult you or get you dissapointed or anything. Just a frendly advise to slow down a bit...

Also the traditional HB magnets (like the once availible at GJ) are not 7.5 mm wide. Rather 12.7mm.

Elear · 02-04-2010, 06:52 PM

I was asking about what effects could have changing the screws for a blade

Using a humbucker magnet is because I can't get minis here, so my idea was placing the HB magnet and use a blade that sits over the magnet bar, because the magnet is wider. If I keep the screws I can't put the magnet between the 2 screw lines

have fun!

Mike Sulzer · 02-04-2010, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elear

...so my idea was placing the HB magnet and use a blade that sits over the magnet bar, because the magnet is wider.

Keep in mind that you want to magnetize the blade with a pole of the magnet and that the poles of a humbucker bar magnet are along the long edges.

Elear · 02-04-2010, 07:28 PM

Peter Naglitsch · 02-05-2010, 09:57 PM

My humble opinion is that you are approaching this pursuit of facts and new ideas/input the wrong way. Tell us what you like in the original pickups and what you do not like, then tell us what you are looking for in exchange and then we might have a better ground to stand on when giving advice. You might be perfectly off with new magnets. Or with a rewind with the original magnets still in place. Or doing both. Or a blade. Or... It all depends on your goal here and what the "problem" with the original pickups are

Just my to cents, but remeber that we are here to help each other. Please just consider this a bit of "tough love".

Elear · 02-05-2010, 11:06 PM

I was playing yesterday all day with my band and again in the night alone. I have a Vox AC30 DIY (made from a '61 or '63 schematic, I don't remember). I got the sound I was looking for so I think I'll keep the stock pickups.

The main idea was to learn, because I have a spare Gretsch pickup from an old Electromatic Projet I had some years ago and I could test some things with it. I don't know what effects could have a new pickup with Alnico5 or 3 or 4 in the guitar, but I guess it will boost the quality.

Thanks for all your help!! reading all what you said pointed me to read and test a lot of articles.

02-02-2010, 07:58 PM	#1
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11	Gretsch Mini Humbucker Hello there! I have a cheap Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet w/Bigsby: And I would like to make new pickups. The stock ones sounds very good, but they could be better (remember, is a cheap guitar). I was thinking on rewind the pickup and replace the magnet with an alnico one, but the problem is, as with all gretsch, that the magnet are different size than ones you can find in stores. Magnet is 9mm width while Guitar Jones magnet is 7.5mm. The pickup has screws on both bobins. Could you give me some ideas on what to do with those Guitar Jones magnets? that way I can use the old Gretsch bobins. I live in Chile, so AllParts will not send me a mini HB kit (they say I have to order to the Argentinian provider, but they don't sell mini humbucker kits lol). Then, I was thinking on keeping 1 bobin with screws and cut the other and place a blade on it, then use a full size humbucker magnet, but I don't know what effects will have on the pickup. I hope someone could help me to solve this little problem thanks and have fun!! Alvaro

02-03-2010, 03:41 PM	#5
Norcal_GIT_r Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 80	I've rewound several of these and have not found any alnico that fits them. A rewind did help them out quite a bit even using the stock ceramic magnet. __________________ Bryan Gunsher www.bg-pups.com

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02-02-2010, 10:05 PM	#2
automan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 165	Call your local allparts provider and if they wont sell them to you, call allparts and let them know. Or wait a little bit and they will be for sale on Mojotone

02-02-2010, 10:29 PM	#3
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11	I'll wait for mojotone then, because I already talked with allparts and they continue saying that they will not send me the parts thanks Anyway, anybody could tell me something about my question? thanks!

02-03-2010, 06:37 PM	#6
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11	are they ceramic?

02-03-2010, 09:24 PM	#8
JasonG Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 41	I just picked up one of those a month ago. I read that Gretsch went back to AlNiCo magnets on all there guitars around 2003. A lot of guys throw p90's in these things.

02-04-2010, 03:07 AM	#9
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11	@Peter: Thanks but I'll keep the stock ones for some time. I think they are enough good for me. Thank you very much, but keep your magnets

02-04-2010, 09:35 AM	#10
Peter Naglitsch Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Stockholm, Sweden, Europe, Terra Nostra Posts: 325	Don't get me wrong Elear; I am all for experimenting and learning new things. But I think that you should focus on doing something simple first, like changing magnets and listen to the change in sound. Then maybe doing a rewind and se if you can get the pickups to sound better, or at least as good as the originals (it usually take quite a few tries to get them as good as a standard productions pickup,yet a few more to get it to sound better...). But when you say that you want to replace the screws with a blade without an ide of what it will sound like I think that you are trying to do to much at the same time. Focus on changing one single factor at a time. Then you will get a feel of how each part of the pickup (and changing those parts) affect the sound. That was what I was aiming at. Not to insult you or get you dissapointed or anything. Just a frendly advise to slow down a bit... Also the traditional HB magnets (like the once availible at GJ) are not 7.5 mm wide. Rather 12.7mm.

02-04-2010, 06:52 PM	#11
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11	I was asking about what effects could have changing the screws for a blade Using a humbucker magnet is because I can't get minis here, so my idea was placing the HB magnet and use a blade that sits over the magnet bar, because the magnet is wider. If I keep the screws I can't put the magnet between the 2 screw lines have fun!

02-04-2010, 07:28 PM	#13
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11

02-05-2010, 09:57 PM	#14
Peter Naglitsch Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Stockholm, Sweden, Europe, Terra Nostra Posts: 325	My humble opinion is that you are approaching this pursuit of facts and new ideas/input the wrong way. Tell us what you like in the original pickups and what you do not like, then tell us what you are looking for in exchange and then we might have a better ground to stand on when giving advice. You might be perfectly off with new magnets. Or with a rewind with the original magnets still in place. Or doing both. Or a blade. Or... It all depends on your goal here and what the "problem" with the original pickups are Just my to cents, but remeber that we are here to help each other. Please just consider this a bit of "tough love".

02-05-2010, 11:06 PM	#15
Elear Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 11	I was playing yesterday all day with my band and again in the night alone. I have a Vox AC30 DIY (made from a '61 or '63 schematic, I don't remember). I got the sound I was looking for so I think I'll keep the stock pickups. The main idea was to learn, because I have a spare Gretsch pickup from an old Electromatic Projet I had some years ago and I could test some things with it. I don't know what effects could have a new pickup with Alnico5 or 3 or 4 in the guitar, but I guess it will boost the quality. Thanks for all your help!! reading all what you said pointed me to read and test a lot of articles.

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