Replace Josefina Pickups?

[h4ck.b0x7]

I have a Wildwood 10 '62 Telecaster Custom with 2 Josefina Hand-Wound Twisted Tele pickups wound to Wildwood specs. (Not sure what Wildwood specs are?!?)

I'm thinking of replacing the bridge pickup with a Lollar '52. What are your thoughts? Any other options you might recommend?

 

[PARCO]

You don't like the Josefina pickups? Have you heard a Lollar '52 and think you might like that better? What are you trying to achieve that's not happening?

 

[TC6969]

All she does is wind pickups.

I don't understand the magic behind her sitting at a machine versus someone else sitting at the same machine.

 

[h4ck.b0x7]

You don't like the Josefina pickups? Have you heard a Lollar '52 and think you might like that better? What are you trying to achieve that's not happening?

I prefer a lower output vintage style pickup. This pickup seems too modern and doesn't have enough twang to it. (Yes, I have spent a couple hours with a screwdriver.) I'm not going to replace it immediately though. I'm going to give it a couple weeks.

 

[h4ck.b0x7]

All she does is wind pickups.

I don't understand the magic behind her sitting at a machine versus someone else sitting at the same machine.

I get the hand-wound vs machine-wound difference but I would imagine a lot of the other people in the Custom Shop are just as good.

 

[uriah1]

She signed bunches of CS pickups. That does not make them better or less. Abagail Ybarra worked there a long time also remember.

 

[h4ck.b0x7]

I spoke to Wildwood about the Twisted Tele pickups and they stated that they put in a huge order for Wildwood 10 Teles a couple years ago and requested some underwound and overwound pickups hand-wound by Abigail Ybarra to test out. She retired and the work fell on Josefina. They received various pickups from 5-30% in each direction. They ended up settling on the 20% underwound with staggered magnets as the Wildwood spec.

Based on resistance measurements they are dead on 20% below the standard Custom Shop offering.

 

[blues]

I have a WW10 Telecaster. I had a set the those pickups. If I recall correctly the neck was around 4.59K. The bridge was around 8.11K

I replaced them with a Budz Danocaster set. I pop a Budz purebred bridge pick once in a while.

The Budz are more dynamic, more output, and harmonically rich to my ears.

I like to plug direct into my amp. The Budz just work better for me.

 

[blues]

I'm thinking of replacing the bridge pickup with a Lollar '52. What are your thoughts? Any other options you might recommend?

I forgot to address this. The WW10 neck pickup might be out of phase with the Lollar. You might want to talk to Lollar about that.

It was very out of phase with my Budz pickups.

 

[Killing Floor]

I would not hesitate to make any mod or leave anything alone in my guitar based on my preference. If you like Lollar better stick it in and rock. A guitar is not a sacred cow. If you will like it better do it and don’t look back.

 

[Sax-son]

From my perspective, if you have a brand or model of a pickup that you like, you should feel free to swap out to whatever you want. I have many guitars with all kinds of different winders of pickups. Some I like better than others, but they are all quality. If these Josefina's are not you cup of tea, get the ones that are. Don't listen to other people's opinions, let your own ears be the deciding factor. Tone is completely subjective to the players ears.

 

[blues]

Don't listen to other people's opinions,

He did ask for them though

 

[Sax-son]

He did ask for them though

Yes, he did! My point was not that other opinions aren't valid but to train his own ears as to make satisfactory decision on what he really wants. I could recommend several different sets, but he may end up thinking that none were what he was looking for. What would be the point?

It's really down to a trial-and-error thing. You have to do a lot of listening.

 

[72_Custom]

I never tried the Wildwood Spec ones, but I do have direct, personal experience with the regular Twisted Teles and the Lollar 52s.

The TTs are hotter, more modern, more aggressive. The bridge is nice because it sounds full and fat, but doesn't have the icepick highs. Very rock 'n' roll. The 52s are more mellow, sweet sounding. I know you asked about the bridge specifically, but the Lollar 52 neck pickup is astoundingly soft and squishy (in a good way). I've been on a Tele pickup quest and tried lots of different ones, and it is probably the best traditional tele neck pickup I've found for jazzy tones (although the AVRI 62 is up there as well).

I think the biggest issue you might have mixing a TT Neck and a 52 Bridge is going to be output level. To put in in perspective, the TT neck and bridge are pretty well balanced in terms of output and my TT bridge is now living in a guitar with a TV Jones Classic in the neck (previously had a vintage wide range humbucker in there also). So your output is really on par with some humbuckers. I suspect you may have to raise your bridge pickup up higher than normal and lower the neck pickup to get a similar output. Not impossible, though.

 

[Peegoo]

I'm thinking of replacing the bridge pickup with a Lollar '52. What are your thoughts? Any other options you might recommend?

You're going to get a smorgasbord of pickup recommendations because your question is too open-ended. What are your tonal goals? What are the stock pickups not doing that another pickup might do for you?

Remember that your amp is at least 50% of your tone (probably a lot more than 50%).

 

[h4ck.b0x7]

You're going to get a smorgasbord of pickup recommendations because your question is too open-ended. What are your tonal goals? What are the stock pickups not doing that another pickup might do for you?

Remember that your amp is at least 50% of your tone (probably a lot more than 50%).

I prefer a lower output vintage style pickup. This pickup seems too modern and doesn't have enough twang to it. (Yes, I have spent a couple hours with a screwdriver.) I'm not going to replace it immediately though. I'm going to give it a couple weeks.

As for amps I'm usually using something Fender ranging from Tweed Champ, Tweed Deluxe, Brown Princeton, Black/Silver Deluxe, Black Vibroverb.