Joe
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by Joe on Apr 29, 2020 4:07:54 GMT
Roswell LAF AlNiCo-5 humbuckers VS Roswell HAF AlNiCo-5 humbuckers
I'm not officially part of the club yet but about to pull the trigger on a sc 550 of some kind Using the search on here and have not found the answer I'm looking for.
I think all the SC 550's have Pickup: 2 Roswell LAF AlNiCo-5 humbuckers EXCEPT
Harley Benton SC-550 Paradise Amber Flame which has Roswell HAF AlNiCo-5 Zebra Style humbucker
Questions What are the differences in tone. I know the HAF are hotter but are they so hot they wont sound full bodied and clean at low volume say for blues.
Will the LAF still go into Zep and Slash Territory?
I'm just not clear on the difference's tone wise. I'm really a classic rock kinda guy that love a great bluesy LP and well as the crunch. Whats my Pickup choice?
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 29, 2020 4:18:14 GMT
The HAF will have more high end. Output level does not define tone, this relation takes place in the amplifier depending on pre-amplification gain level and the amp's characteristics.
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Apr 29, 2020 8:55:21 GMT
The LAF are supposedly Roswell's version of Gibson's PAF pickups that were on the 50s and early 60s Les Pauls. They are again supposedly vintage voiced? They should be suitable for the kinds of music you mention. I have 550 with LAF pups and have no problems playing similar styles.
I can't speak of the HAF pups as I haven't owned a guitar fitted with them.
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34 posts
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Post by mitchmacblues on Apr 29, 2020 10:30:46 GMT
This is a very interesting question. I myself a SC450 with old Wilkinson PAFs, which have a really sweet sound, and the Roswell HAFs in a CST24. I have also a TE52 with very nice Roswell pickups, which have a very good definition.
Regarding the HAFs, they are quite powerful and with amazing sustain. They are in fact specifically designed to provide a lot of sustain and for using relatively high gain. I confirm that they have a lot of high end, as Leo Thunder told you. I always have to use tone controls to avoid them sounding shrill. You can get good tones out of them but they have to be 'tamed', to me they are not as immediately friendly when used wide open as the Wilkinson ceramic PAFs. As expected by their price point, they don't have the clear definition, particularly in the low end, of, say, a Seymour Duncan JB or a 59, but using the tone controls with wisdom they can be warm enough and you can benefit of their sustain.
If you are looking to play mainly blues and rock with moderate gain, I would rather go and try the LAF.
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 29, 2020 10:48:22 GMT
Sustain has little to do with pick-ups, unless these are brought too close to the strings, which is detrimental. It has to do with nut and saddles (the harder the better), or with flexibility of the neck (the more it vibrates, the less it sustains). In a second step, sustain is increased by compression, which occurs in a distorting amplifier. Higher output pick-ups can give the impression of sustain only because their signal will reach the non-linear domain of the amp earlier. The exact same can be achieved by increasing the gain.
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 29, 2020 11:00:51 GMT
From the Roswell site:
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Post by mitchmacblues on Apr 29, 2020 11:21:27 GMT
I am no pickup nor electronics specialist, but precisely from the Roswell web, you find this description: "What is sonically unique about the Whole Lotta Humbucker pickups is the way that they push your amp and add a very slight natural compression and sustain to your playing Vintage-correct, humbucker sound." www.roswellpickups.com/pickup/pro_view.php?idx=M32101 I can definitely say that with the same amount of gain in the amp (even with moderate gain, but more noticeably when the amp is pushed hotter), the HAF in my CST24 sustain longer than my Wilkinson PAF or my Epi Probucker / Alnico Classic Pros. It is very noticeable, but of course it could be due to the guitar characteristics, as you indicate, despite what Roswell say. In any case, I do like this sustain, although I find both the Wilkinson and the Epis more classic sounding overall.
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 29, 2020 11:37:44 GMT
I'll admit I have no idea how passive magnetic pick-ups can compress. If they do, then sustain is a logical consequence. But maybe they just use wrong language and jump to that same false conclusion from the effect of higher output. I wouldn't be surprised.
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 29, 2020 11:47:44 GMT
I can definitely say that with the same amount of gain in the amp (even with moderate gain, but more noticeably when the amp is pushed hotter), the HAF in my CST24 sustain longer than my Wilkinson PAF or my Epi Probucker / Alnico Classic Pros. That's because the output is higher. Perfectly logical, independently of anything else in the guitar. Add a booster to your PAF and you'll get the same effect.
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Post by juzz88 on Apr 29, 2020 12:03:37 GMT
I have LAFs in my SC450 and HAFs in my CST24. For what you're after, I definitely think the LAFs are the better fit.
I was practicing Sunshine of your love earlier and it sounds so much better on the SC. Same amp settings, same effects, both on the neck pickup, but the CST just doesn't sound right for that song.
Smells like teen spirit on the other hand...🤘
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Joe
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by Joe on Apr 29, 2020 16:20:42 GMT
I always have to use tone controls to avoid them sounding shrill. You can get good tones out of them but they have to be 'tamed', to me they are not as immediately friendly when used wide open as the Wilkinson ceramic PAFs. As expected by their price point, they don't have the clear definition, particularly in the low end, of, say, a Seymour Duncan JB or a 59, but using the tone controls with wisdom they can be warm enough and you can benefit of their sustain. If you are looking to play mainly blues and rock with moderate gain, I would rather go and try the LAF.
Fantastic information
I suspected they were a little hot and took backing off to keep them clean when they need to be.
Thank you for your response, I think I'm the LAF man.
Funny you mention the Duncan 59, I have one from the 90's that are in a junk guitar. Do you think the 59 would be better than any of the Roswell ones? I cant remember what the bridge was but is was from the same era.
Whats killing me right now is the no availability of the SC 550's, CS24 P90 keeps calling my name but I want a 550.
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Joe
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by Joe on Apr 29, 2020 16:24:23 GMT
I have LAFs in my SC450 and HAFs in my CST24. For what you're after, I definitely think the LAFs are the better fit. I was practicing Sunshine of your love earlier and it sounds so much better on the SC. Same amp settings, same effects, both on the neck pickup, but the CST just doesn't sound right for that song. Smells like teen spirit on the other hand...🤘
Thank you for your reply
I think I'm the LAF guy
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2020 19:06:49 GMT
Joe +1 for the Roswell LAF pups, good choice!! They sound very sweet and warm, perfect for bluesy stuff and classic rock. Mind you, they sound different from the Seymour Duncan 59's. The SD's are quite mid-scooped, while the Roswells have lots of singing mids.
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34 posts
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Post by mitchmacblues on Apr 29, 2020 21:51:41 GMT
I can definitely say that with the same amount of gain in the amp (even with moderate gain, but more noticeably when the amp is pushed hotter), the HAF in my CST24 sustain longer than my Wilkinson PAF or my Epi Probucker / Alnico Classic Pros. That's because the output is higher. Perfectly logical, independently of anything else in the guitar. Add a booster to your PAF and you'll get the same effect. Indeed, I guess you must be right. The HAF must be quite hot (even if they don’t have a very high k measured resistance). What I would say is that they give more sustain than a hot pickup as the Duncan JB but they lose definition sooner than a JB. The SD JBs I have in my Japanese Tokai Love Rock are crystal clear, particularly at high gain settings. Maybe too clear and sharp for my taste. For me the Humbucker Holy Grail is the wide open Clapton Blues Breaker sound, and the closest I have gotten to it, incredibly, is my HB SC 450 with the bridge Wilkinson with volume and tone wide open. Better than JBs, 490s or Epis. Unfortunately the Clapton Cream Woman Tone is elusive in the bridge or neck pickups with the tone rolled over, whereas a Probucker or Alnico Classic Pro gets me there effortlessly. The HAF gets you in the ballpark, but you have to mess with tone and eqs.
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34 posts
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Post by mitchmacblues on Apr 29, 2020 22:00:40 GMT
I always have to use tone controls to avoid them sounding shrill. You can get good tones out of them but they have to be 'tamed', to me they are not as immediately friendly when used wide open as the Wilkinson ceramic PAFs. As expected by their price point, they don't have the clear definition, particularly in the low end, of, say, a Seymour Duncan JB or a 59, but using the tone controls with wisdom they can be warm enough and you can benefit of their sustain. If you are looking to play mainly blues and rock with moderate gain, I would rather go and try the LAF.
Fantastic information
I suspected they were a little hot and took backing off to keep them clean when they need to be.
Thank you for your response, I think I'm the LAF man.
Funny you mention the Duncan 59, I have one from the 90's that are in a junk guitar. Do you think the 59 would be better than any of the Roswell ones? I cant remember what the bridge was but is was from the same era.
Whats killing me right now is the no availability of the SC 550's, CS24 P90 keeps calling my name but I want a 550.
The 59 is for sure a higher end pickup than the Roswells. They are pretty balanced, but you have to pay for them! (You can also sell them easily and they hold value quite well). SD is quite expensive, a set can cost you as much as a whole SC450. If you have already one, just try it. Get the LAFs and compare if you can.
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