Cort Yorktown Pickup Swop

funkadelic

Hi. Just read the following related thread http://www.guitarforum.co.za/general-discussion/jazz-guitar-and-strings/ so will keep my additional questions fairly to the point.

Strings
I have a Cort Yorktown. Want to fit D'Addario Chrome 11's. Can't find a 10 set (had a spell of tendonitus so changed my strings to a lighter gauge - from 11's to 10's on my other guitar). The tone I'm after is Norman Brown and George Benson. Will I get that tone with lighter strings or will the 11's do? I don't think I want to go the 12's route. Too risky.

Pickup Height and Tone
In the thread Keira mentioned that the tone (for jazz guitar) depends upon the height of the pickups. Care to elborate anyone? Does it get more articulate the further or closer the pups are to the strings? The bottom 3 strings sounds very muddy currently. Pups set fairly high.

Pickup Change
I want to change the neck pickup. Any ideas of what would get me closer to the tone I'm after?

Amp used so far = Blackstar HT40. Fender amp power tube need to be replaced so couldn't cross-reference.

Any advice please...

Chocklit_Thunda

I'm gonna follow this thread because my Yorktown also has a muddy neck pickup even though the pickups are quite low.

From what I remember, the closer to the strings the louder and the more bass there is.
Lowering the pickup increases articulation (to a point) but you lose the bass and mids as your tone thins out. You can try 1Meg pots to brighten the tone if you want as a cheaper alternative to a pickup swap.

If I'm not mistaken the classic rocker HB's in there have alnico 5 magnets which have treble and bass in spades.... A pickup wound with 43 or 44awg will have more mids so I'd look at one of those or your best bet would be a low wind pickup.

AlanRatcliffe

Strings:
.011s are fine. If you're suffering from tedonitis, make sure the guitar is set up as well as it can be - it is sometimes possible to go heavier on the strings if the action is set nice and low.

Pickup height:
Lower will give you a more woody, dynamic, airy sound. Makes more difference with unpotted or lightly potted pickups as you essentially change the balance between direct string sound and what it's hearing microphonically.

Higher pickups give you more power, compression and punch. Higher powered magnets will sometimes shorten sustain when the pickups are set higher.

Hotter wound pickups can cause muddiness simply by driving the amp too hard.

Pickup change:
Go for a lower powered vintage style PAF - brighter, more articulate, more dynamic.

Charlie4

One of the best pickups I've ever heard was a Lollar Charlie Christian pickup. I don't have a hollowbody anymore but I was going to replace the stock Epi humbucker with a Lollar.

One thing I had to learn the hard way - tone must never take charge over play-ability. I had a guitar that I put on 11-52's and I found it too exhausting on my hands. Went back again to 10's and the guitar played like butter.
If you have a good pickup you don't really need to change your strings, the tone knob will respond as it should, without getting muddy.

Check Tim Lerch's channel on YouTube, he demos it extensively.

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Keira-WitherKay

well if you looking for benson eque type tone .....which is pretty much a standard jazz tone ...heavier flatwounds would be better.... for archtops i use 12 chromes ...heavier fatter flatwounds give an instant trad jazz archtop tone.... too light and it just loses it ...don't think thick strings mean you have a high action on every jazz archtop i own or owned i have had a low easy action with 12's or 13's flatwound...it's all in a great setup and well cut nut

pickup height does make a huge difference and that depends strongly on the output of the pup

as for pup replacement ....if you looking for trad old /vintage jazz tone for a jazz archtop you either need to get a Gibson classic 57 humbucker (which was stock in all the guitars used on most iconic jazz recordings after 57 ) or a Gibson vintage P90 which was standard on earlier jazz guitars , both pickups are available in SA from marshall music (local gibson agents) ..... a lot of pups promise classic old tone but few deliver ....so i would personally just stick to the industry standard classic 57 or gibson P90

funkadelic

Thanks for the replies. I'm gonna go for the 12 flatwound set (if I can find it) and have the guitar professionally setup. Maybe also check out the electronics. Depending on the results I may explore the pickup swop. Who knows maybe once the Fender amp is up and running again this weekend I may just get closer to that jazz tone. Buddy's semi-hollow sounded cool through the Bassman voicing.

Keira-WitherKay

if you battling to find d'addario chrome strings ...get hold of marshall music ...the jhb branch carry them all from 10's to 13 and i know your CT branch would get em for you if you asked ...