I'm thinking about a mini-humbucker.......

Ok, my parts caster currently has an SD lil 59 in the bridge, and an SD 1/4 pounder in the neck.

The lil 59 is aggressive and in your face, and I love it!

The 1/4 pounder gets a good gritty blues too it when playing clean, but slams into mud city when I hit overdrive/gain. Plus, it just doesnt have the out put to keep pace with the lil 59, and you notice a big drop off on the volume when spliting the pups, or going just to the neck pup.

What I would like to attain (in a neck pup), is a better balance (volume), clarity (no mud), and versatility (sounds good clean and overdriven).

I've been thinking about getting a mini-humbucker, and escorting the 1/4 pounder either to my parts drawer or to ebay.

I see SD offers a mini, as well as GFS. Does anyone have experience with either of these pups, and what are your thoughts?

Also, does anyone have experience with another brand mini-humbucker, and would you mind sharing your thoughts about it?

One final note: I'd like to keep this under 80 bucks. I prefer new, but used is acceptable.

The trick with a tele neck hb is to match the bridge pup, it's no good puting some 17k monster-metal job in there. SD make a range of nice pups - which mini hb? The lil59 is a high o/p hb - SD recommend their Vintage Rhythm Stack for neck, a mini PAF may be too weak.
I've got a standard sc bridge so an 8k neck hb was all that was needed to match it. It would not suit your lil59. The advert pic indicates it may be a GFS type but mine has GB Pickups engraved on the back
9850 It's actually chrome.

DO you mean a mini humbucker,like on a friebird? Or a stacked humbucker like the lil 59?
If you mean a mini humbucker like on a firebird, i have one in my 52hot rod and i find it balances well with the bridge. It isnt muddy, pretty clear and beefy.

Allparts mini is great, i don't really think you could beat it, great price too....
Vikki(uk):mrgreen:

DO you mean a mini humbucker,like on a friebird? Or a stacked humbucker like the lil 59?
If you mean a mini humbucker like on a firebird, i have one in my 52hot rod and i find it balances well with the bridge. It isnt muddy, pretty clear and beefy.


Yes. Like the Firebird or the LP gold top deluxe. I dont think those are "mellow" humbuckers, and I figure they could at least keep up with the lil 59 in the bridge....

No mud, clear and beefy is what I'm lookin for!

Allparts mini is great, i don't really think you could beat it, great price too....
Vikki(uk):mrgreen:

I'll check that one out as well.

Hmmmm?

So my SD lil 59 is bangin out 17k. So am I correct in figuring I need to get something around 14 or 15k for the neck, so I can get a good balance, volume wise?

I figured that, because my 1/4 pounder is about 11.8k, and it sounds weak in comparison to my lil 59jr.

Or, is it that the 1/4 pounder is an alnico, and the lil 59 is a ceramic, and the ceramic is louder than alnico?

Bryan at BG is going to do a mini hb for me sometime in the near future with alnico-2 magnets and wound to match the output of my OV 52 bridge p/u. He's only charging me $80 for it (which is amazing). He could wind something to match your '59.
-Darren

Bryan at BG is going to do a mini hb for me sometime in the near future with alnico-2 magnets and wound to match the output of my OV 52 bridge p/u. He's only charging me $80 for it (which is amazing). He could wind something to match your '59.
-Darren

Could you shoot me a link or a contact email? I'd love to check him and his product out, and to talk to him.

If a SD Quarter Pound sounds weak to you relative to to the Lil '59, a mini-humbucker is going to sound positively TIMID. It is NOT in any way a "hot" pickup! The hot Duncan customs, maybe, but those aren't minis except in shape.

I think a hot P-90 of some sort would be a MUCH better fit for you. Generally, hot + neck = mud, as you're finding out with the QP you have (that's a REALLY hot single coil, and I agree they're muddy in the neck).

Another option might be a slightly hot PAF with a midrange spike, like a Dimarzio PAF Pro. It'll have no problem keeping up with the '59 bridge volume-wise, and shouldn't be TOO muddy.

If a SD Quarter Pound sounds weak to you relative to to the Lil '59, a mini-humbucker is going to sound positively TIMID. It is NOT in any way a "hot" pickup! The hot Duncan customs, maybe, but those aren't minis except in shape.

I think a hot P-90 of some sort would be a MUCH better fit for you. Generally, hot + neck = mud, as you're finding out with the QP you have (that's a REALLY hot single coil, and I agree they're muddy in the neck).

Another option might be a slightly hot PAF with a midrange spike, like a Dimarzio PAF Pro. It'll have no problem keeping up with the '59 bridge volume-wise, and shouldn't be TOO muddy.

I was thinking along these same lines. I was just hoping that their was a mini-bucker that was hot enough to keep up, because I was thinking the overall "footprint" of the pup itself: just a little less I have to carve out of my guitar and pickguard.

Lookin like it'll be a full size hummer for me...........

I've had two mini's and am not impressed with either one. They have their own sound that is just plain weird to me.