Peavey Wolfgang Special - bridge pickup replacements?

It's funny with pickups. Everyone has a different tone in their mind that they want - a feel. I guess that's what keeps so many pickup makers in business. One person who says the stock Wolfgang pickups "are the best" may mean they are the best for dropped D metal stuff - not early VH. It also depends on which amp you are using. Those who didn't like the Dimarzio SD may have been running into a high gain channel, and not a low-gain Plexi circuit. Etc.

I do have to figure a pickup called VHII will be a good early VH tone canditate - but I've heard lower output pickups don't sound good on a basswood guitar. Very confusing! But fun to experiment.
 
I have had several Wolfgangs and own two currently. If yours is on the brighter end of the spectrum, Tone Zone works well in the bridge.
If your Wolfgang has a darker tone, then the Tone Zone may sound too muddy.
I have had only one Wolfgang that the wood tone was pretty dark and the Tone Zone did not work well in. Most get along well with it.
 
AndyK":2c32g0r7 said:
rcm78":2c32g0r7 said:
That pickup is nothing more then a 43ga 14k Alnico V pickup. It sounds the way it sounds in that particular guitar. It might take some experimentation to get a higher mid focused sound out of a basswood guitar.

Take that wolfgang pickup and put it in an Ash guitar like Ed's Franky and I'd bet it would be more high mid focused...
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So are you saying no pickup change will alter the tone of the Wolfie Special?
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No not at all. But I've found over the years that the changes made by a pickup replacement are usually very subtle.

I'm in the camp that loves the stock peavey Wolfgang pickups. My particular Wolfie is very mid focused. It's an archtop standard with a stop tail. I don't find the guitar or pickups to be lower mid focused at all. Mine is actually kind of brite.

Since yours is a special with a trem and you say it's warmer then a standard I would concentrate on finding a brite pickup to liven it up a bit. Something around 10-12k alnico V should work nice.
 
I ordered a Super Distortion - should arrive today, so I can try it this weekend. The tone of my guitar now reminds me of using a stock Tubescreamer - that mid hump that can't be removed. My hope is to get the guitar to sound like I am using a more transparent overdrive - know what I mean?
 
I tried installing the Dimarzio SD tonight. After removing the old pickup, and figuring out how the hell to feed the new wire through the body, the damned pickup is too tall - hits the strings and everything. Odd thing, when I re-soldered the stock pickup back in, cursing myself for not measuring the new pickup's height, I think it sounds better! The original owner had the wires reversed to make the toggle function like a normal 3 way, maybe the solder joint wasn't 100%? Strange. The guitar sounds a little more open and the high end isn't nasal - maybe I broke something in there? The quality of the build impresses me, with the shielded rear covers, and black paint in the pickup cavities. Shows what a quality guitar it really is!

Not sure if I want to find a different pickup that is less tall, or just keep the stock pickups and say the hell with it. I did open the electronics cover (the wrong one with the volume knob), and I saw a date of 7/2004. That makes it a very late model Wolfie!
 
AndyK":38baslhu said:
I tried installing the Dimarzio SD tonight. After removing the old pickup, and figuring out how the hell to feed the new wire through the body, the damned pickup is too tall - hits the strings and everything. Odd thing, when I re-soldered the stock pickup back in, cursing myself for not measuring the new pickup's height, I think it sounds better! The original owner had the wires reversed to make the toggle function like a normal 3 way, maybe the solder joint wasn't 100%? Strange. The guitar sounds a little more open and the high end isn't nasal - maybe I broke something in there? The quality of the build impresses me, with the shielded rear covers, and black paint in the pickup cavities. Shows what a quality guitar it really is!

Not sure if I want to find a different pickup that is less tall, or just keep the stock pickups and say the hell with it. I did open the electronics cover (the wrong one with the volume knob), and I saw a date of 7/2004. That makes it a very late model Wolfie!
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wanna sell that SD? ;)
 
Lord Toneking":1md11n1l said:
AndyK":1md11n1l said:
I tried installing the Dimarzio SD tonight. After removing the old pickup, and figuring out how the hell to feed the new wire through the body, the damned pickup is too tall - hits the strings and everything. Odd thing, when I re-soldered the stock pickup back in, cursing myself for not measuring the new pickup's height, I think it sounds better! The original owner had the wires reversed to make the toggle function like a normal 3 way, maybe the solder joint wasn't 100%? Strange. The guitar sounds a little more open and the high end isn't nasal - maybe I broke something in there? The quality of the build impresses me, with the shielded rear covers, and black paint in the pickup cavities. Shows what a quality guitar it really is!

Not sure if I want to find a different pickup that is less tall, or just keep the stock pickups and say the hell with it. I did open the electronics cover (the wrong one with the volume knob), and I saw a date of 7/2004. That makes it a very late model Wolfie!
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wanna sell that SD? ;)
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Yours for $65 plus shipping. :)
 
AndyK":1rahmky0 said:
I tried installing the Dimarzio SD tonight. After removing the old pickup, and figuring out how the hell to feed the new wire through the body, the damned pickup is too tall - hits the strings and everything. Odd thing, when I re-soldered the stock pickup back in, cursing myself for not measuring the new pickup's height, I think it sounds better! The original owner had the wires reversed to make the toggle function like a normal 3 way, maybe the solder joint wasn't 100%? Strange. The guitar sounds a little more open and the high end isn't nasal - maybe I broke something in there? The quality of the build impresses me, with the shielded rear covers, and black paint in the pickup cavities. Shows what a quality guitar it really is!

Not sure if I want to find a different pickup that is less tall, or just keep the stock pickups and say the hell with it. I did open the electronics cover (the wrong one with the volume knob), and I saw a date of 7/2004. That makes it a very late model Wolfie!
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Glad it worked out for you!!! I'm always a bit shocked when I hear or read someone doesnt like the Peavey Wolfgang pickups. I love them and have been trying to get two of my other guitars to sound as close to my Wolfie as possible.

A good friend of mine works at DiMarzio, I asked him to help me get two specific guitars to sound like my Wolf and his very quick answer was "Buy two more Wolfgangs"...
 
AndyK":364bo54h said:
Lord Toneking":364bo54h said:
AndyK":364bo54h said:
I tried installing the Dimarzio SD tonight. After removing the old pickup, and figuring out how the hell to feed the new wire through the body, the damned pickup is too tall - hits the strings and everything. Odd thing, when I re-soldered the stock pickup back in, cursing myself for not measuring the new pickup's height, I think it sounds better! The original owner had the wires reversed to make the toggle function like a normal 3 way, maybe the solder joint wasn't 100%? Strange. The guitar sounds a little more open and the high end isn't nasal - maybe I broke something in there? The quality of the build impresses me, with the shielded rear covers, and black paint in the pickup cavities. Shows what a quality guitar it really is!

Not sure if I want to find a different pickup that is less tall, or just keep the stock pickups and say the hell with it. I did open the electronics cover (the wrong one with the volume knob), and I saw a date of 7/2004. That makes it a very late model Wolfie!
Click to expand...
wanna sell that SD? ;)
Click to expand...

Yours for $65 plus shipping. :)
Click to expand...
Is it a zebra?
 
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