Hello, just had a question about changing the factory pups on a Peavey Predator Plus with Floyd Rose locking tremolos. I've heard people say that the humbucker is fairly weak, and I'd have to agree. Can anyone suggest a good aftermarket humbucker (or what I should consider installing), and also tell me if it is something that a regular guy can put in himself. I like the neck and the middle pups, they have a nice sound, so I don't intend on changing those.
Thanks guys, any response is appreciated.
If you can use a screwdriver and soldering iron, changing pickups is pretty easy. I'm slow to do it, though.Have you adjusted your pickup height? Put it closer to the strings and you might like it. I like 'em on the hot side myself, and generally put the bridge pickup about 1/8" below the strings and the neck about 3/16". Doesn't make much difference at the bridge, but on the neck check the string height with the strings fretted at the last fret. You may want a little more clearance on the bass side than the treble. If it sounds muddy, lower it a little and try again.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Thank you very much, I think that points me in the right direction. I would like to see what I can adjust before installing different parts.
So I went ahead like a strong young buck and went at my pickup height with a screwdriver :lol:
Now I'm not even sure if my bridge pickup is a humbucker or not... I think it might just be a passive dual coil. Excuse my ignorance, I'm usually jamming on my acoustic. What I have is a Peavey Predator Plus. It's not a strat copy, it has the tuning keys on both sides of the headstock and its a shorty guitar. I have 3 pickups with a 5-way selector. The neck pickup is a straight single, as is the middle, and then the bridge I believe is a dual coil. Either way, I'm trying to reset it so be somewhat how it was, but I want to adjust the middle because it sounds very flat and the bridge is very dry. I'm looking for that "hot" sound, short of buying new pickups. Should I just get a better electric and deal with what I have for now? I like the floyd rose and all, and it's nice for my usage... I don't know.
I'm going to try what Ricochet suggested with the measurements... but how should I do the middle pickup?
Thanks, TS
Anything in between screwed all the way down and the height where you start having the strings buzz on the pickup may work well. You could encounter "Stratitis" with very low string clearances, the magnet's pull adversely affecting the strings' vibrations.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Thank you, you've been very helpful. Speaking of the magnets, will I mess anything up by playing with a screwdriver? I was adjusting my pickups while I had the amp turned on and plugged in and I was making some interesting sounds by moving the end of the screwdriver up and down the strings. I think I heard something about Thurston from Sonic Youth using a screwdriver... anyway, thanks!
Touching the magnets with a screwdriver won't demagnetize them. Bringing another magnet or strong electromagnetic field (like the power transformer in your amp, for example) close to them may.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
