Dano & GFS pup mismatch

[Aldo]

Hi,
This is a bit long... I wonder if you can give your opinion. I have what seems a mismatch problem with a Danelectro pickup and a GFS lipstick replacement. The guitar is a 2 pup Dano. I just wanted to replace the stock 3.5K bridge pickup (it's too thin) for a GFS that reads 4.8K. The problem is that the GFS output is too low compared to the stock neck pup, so much that the middle position (series) sounds similar to the neck alone. I've tried any wiring possible and I believe it's not a phase problem (the middle position doesn't sound thin, but it should be louder than the neck. The problem is in the bridge position).

I wrote to GFS and they answered very quickly. They say the problem must be that the stock pup is ceramic (and therefore louder) and the GFS is a soft alnico II blend, and recommend swapping it for their 8K version.

What would you do? Do you think the 8K AII will match with stock 3.5K neck ceramic? Initially I didn't want to go 8K because I thought it would be too much and would lose the character of the guitar. Maybe I can get an extra pickup from them that matches the one I have (one 6K or 8K for the bridge and leave the 4.8K for the neck). Any ideas? Thanks

[David Schwab]

Put the louder pickup at the bridge. Are you sure they are in phase with each other?

[Aldo]

Thanks David,
I think they are in fase because if they weren't, as far as I know, the middle position (both pickups selected) would sound thin, and that's not the case, it's the bridge which sounds thin.

The thing is that putting the louder pup at the bridge would leave me where I started because both "stock" pups measure the same (3.5K) and I wanted to have a more useable pickup, specially in the bridge.

I think the solution is either going for the 8K or getting another GFS to match the one I bought from them...

[soundmasterg]

I'd get another GFS to match..the alnico pickups will sound better than the stock ones.....much warmer.

The vintage ones used alnico 6 magnets, but the only ones I know who use those on them these days is Seymour Duncan and Jerry Jones.

I've got some Seymour Duncan custom shop A6 scatterwound ones in my Dano DC3 and they sound great.

Greg