M200 Pickup upgrade

Wizard · 2009-12-18T12:37:36+00:00

Apologies in advance for this thread - it must have been raised many times before and be severely boring for the senior members. I got a Cort M200 cheaply i...

M200 Pickup upgrade

Gearhead

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Small pots can be good pots - there are some great ones used in hi-fi. However, the ones sold for guitars at guitar supply houses are usually not great.

How about the Alpha 16mm range as sold by TubeDepot?

AlanRatcliffe

I don't like the Alphas at all, not even the big ones. They never seem to last.

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: The Air Norton is an interesting pickup, but too heavy on the mids for me - I like chordal clarity on the neck pickup and a more traditional PAF works better for that.

So what would you recommend for the neck position Alan? All factors considered?

AlanRatcliffe

Well, that's for me, you might well like it - it is a good pickup with a fairly unique tone. It does seem to be better at single note stuff than chords, but in the M200 should come out closer to the Luiquifire in the Petrucci than most. It might be a bit hot compared to the stock bridge though (from what I remember of the M200s stock pickups).

Honestly from what I know of the guitar and of your musical tastes, I'd go for something more traditional and lower powered. Like the Toneriders I mentioned earlier, or any kind of PAF copy (a Duncan '59, DiMarzio PAF, or any boutique version from Lollar, Fralin, Wolfe etc.) - they are the most copied humbuckers for a reason.

andrewjbryson

Or these guys :

Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates(neck model)
Seymour Duncan 59
Seymour Duncan Seth Lover(neck model)

MikeM

Good choices. The 59n and PG is a great combo

Wizard

I have really been enjoying my M200 of late.
Especially since I figured out how to test & correct for intonation
(and felt very smart)

Until I went and tried out the John Petrucci again.

Silly question ... if I upgraded the M200 using Alan's advice of: "Alnico IV in the neck and a Rocksong in the bridge for a more flexible set"

... how much will that close the gap between my affordable M200 and the Petrucci?

Gearhead

Wizard wrote: ... how much will that close the gap between my affordable M200 and the Petrucci?

Two things:
- the gap depends on your M200 more than anything. If the tone is not in the guitar, it's going to be hard for the pickup to pick it up. If you have a good M200, you're far more than halfway there with those pups. If you have a dud, sorry for you, it will only give you, say, 20% of your gap. Guess some of the proof of the pudding is in the eating here.
- after market pickups do not fade, wear or anything. You buy, put in guit, buy new guit, swap pups, and sell old guit with stock pups.

Go for it dude ?

Wizard

Gearhead wrote: Go for it dude ?

Ordered ... ?

djpauw

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/classifieds/gear-for-sale-pickups-and-pedals!/

Wizard

Ok ... received the pickups.
I'm sure there is a good guide somewhere of how to instal them.
Will someone please point me in the right direction?
(play safe and assume I know nothing)

Or should I just get someone to do it for me?

Gearhead

remove cover from control cavity (back of body)
note or photograph where pup wires connect
compare with wiring on new pups
finish wiring plan before continuing
de-solder old pups
loosen strings
take endpiece off from studs, put aside but leave strings on
for each pup:
unscrew pup rings (4 screws each)
lift ring and unscrew pup height adjustment screws
crawl around on floor to find springs that have jumped out
tape a wire to the old pup wires and retract pup
undo tape and redo onto new pup wires, pull back into control cavity
screw pup onto pup ring (don't forget stupid spring)
screw ring back into body
solder up wires but leave cover off
put endpiece back and tune guitar
test with amp and verify everything works
put cover back on and replace strings

6x9base13

Gearhead wrote: remove cover from control cavity (back of body)
note or photograph where pup wires connect
compare with wiring on new pups
finish wiring plan before continuing
de-solder old pups
loosen strings
take endpiece off from studs, put aside but leave strings on
for each pup:
unscrew pup rings (4 screws each)
lift ring and unscrew pup height adjustment screws
crawl around on floor to find springs that have jumped out
tape a wire to the old pup wires and retract pup
undo tape and redo onto new pup wires, pull back into control cavity
screw pup onto pup ring (don't forget stupid spring)
screw ring back into body
solder up wires but leave cover off
put endpiece back and tune guitar
test with amp and verify everything works
put cover back on and replace strings

Tut tut,for an experienced forum contributor, Gearhead forgot some very important steps:

jam
post clips ?

Wizard

Decided to hand it to a shop to get the upgrade down.
Will also get the wiring redone, including new pots ...
Let's wait & see what comes out ?

Wizard

Very happy with the pickup upgrade.
Thanks for the recommendation Alan.
Doesn't turn an M200 into a MusicMan ... but takes it a helluva long way from where it was.

Ian70

Gearhead wrote: Pupgrades imho come in 2-3 price catagories: the bottom end would be the likes of GFS, then you get the volume aftermarket stuff like Seymour Duncan, Bare Knuckle and DiMarzio and the top end would be boutique stuff like Lollar, Lawrence etc.
Newcomer is Tonerider (see other recent thread) which would fall into bottom end of the midrange wrt pricing. Tone is certainly better than GFS, when compared to the big boys they seem to focus more on 'vintage' sounds.

I just got an email this morning from Tonerider. They are going to increase all the pickup prices from tomorrow morning. I see the free shipping has already disappeared.

Maybe this is the last opportunity for those of you still wondering about the brand. They're not going to be bottom end of the midrange pricing any longer. As I understand it the 6 month introductory period is over on June 15.

Floydoid

Ian70 wrote:
Gearhead wrote: Pupgrades imho come in 2-3 price catagories: the bottom end would be the likes of GFS, then you get the volume aftermarket stuff like Seymour Duncan, Bare Knuckle and DiMarzio and the top end would be boutique stuff like Lollar, Lawrence etc.
Newcomer is Tonerider (see other recent thread) which would fall into bottom end of the midrange wrt pricing. Tone is certainly better than GFS, when compared to the big boys they seem to focus more on 'vintage' sounds.
I just got an email this morning from Tonerider. They are going to increase all the pickup prices from tomorrow morning. I see the free shipping has already disappeared.

Maybe this is the last opportunity for those of you still wondering about the brand. They're not going to be bottom end of the midrange pricing any longer. As I understand it the 6 month introductory period is over on June 15.

I got the email too! It's either tomorrow or Wednesday.

It doesn't matter - my Pure Vintage set is on the way! ?