Player Series Jaguar replacement humbucker

[VWJagster]

I have a player series jaguar with a jag single coil neck pickup and a humbucker in the bridge. My first offset and Jag experience. It had the worst nut and fret job I've ever encountered when bought new, but I've fixed those issues and it's almost an inspiring piece. But that humbucker just does nothing for me at all. For my usage, it sounds flat as a humbucker and even worse in single coil mode. I've raised and lowered it, I've adjusted my amp and pedal settings and nothing helps.


So, it needs replaced, but I'm not sure with what. I don't want to switch the pickguard out, so I can't just go to standard jag pickup.

*Another splittable hb - probably the easiest, but I really prefer it to mostly ride in single coil mode. What's your favorite split hb and what's your take on wiring it so the pots and caps are for single coil sounds and adjusting around that when in hb mode?

*HB sized p90 - I've got a Bootstrap hb p90 in another guitar and it's great, but not sure if it's the jag sound I'm imagining.

*HB sized firebird pickup - Lollar has me thinking about that, because that would be an option I don't already have.

Any and all opinions and ideas are welcome!

[Sanguine]

I know I'm totally wrong but in my experience no humbucker will ever come close to single coils in terms of sound.
So I guess going P90 in humbucker form route is the way to go. Especially if you have hand-on experience with this type of PUs.

[Steadyriot.]

I'd check out the Seymour Duncan P-rail too. Pretty versatile pickup.
Also check out the Alameda off-kiltertron. Bet they can wind you one in HB size if FT size doesn't jive with you.

[javier-san]

Before I converted my player series jaguar to double HB, I had a Duncan P-rail and it sounded really nice! HB and P90 mode sounded great.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Before I converted my player series jaguar to double HB, I had a Duncan P-rail and it sounded really nice! HB and P90 mode sounded great.

I had two P-Rails in my Thinline Jag and liked the P90s very much (mostly played them) and the Humbuckers were alright too - the Rails alone lacked a bit of character for me. But I sold them because I truly believe that a proper wound Humbucker or P90 would be better than two „half things“ combined. It now sports a P33 from David Barfuss (humbucking P90 in a HB sized open frame wrhb layout) and a Hybrid HB sized Jazzmaster pickup from Q-pickups - love the combination!

In another Jag I have a set of Surf90s (and adore them) - GFS sells Surf180s now too (reverse wrhb open drame layout) - which would also be a hot candidate!

The Kiltertron sounds like a good idea too! Would love to try one one day!

HB sized Firebirds sound great in full and in split (a bit Lipstick like) - I have a 6,8k resistor soldered in between for a „partial split“ - Fralin recommends a 7k for that matter but that wasn‘t available where I was shopping.

[VWJagster]

Thanks for the feedback! Definitely checking out the P-Rails and the Off-Kiltertron!

[crazyzeke]

I know I'm totally wrong but in my experience no humbucker will ever come close to single coils in terms of sound.

I thought that for the longest time too, because humbuckers always have a kinda weird graininess to the breakup (Gibson buckers specifically), however I think the Fender Fireball pickups basically get around that even when they're not coil tapped, and for some reason the Hot Rails don't seem to suffer from it either even though they're ridiculously hot. Maybe rails plus ceramic magnets really do distort differently.

I've always liked the P-Rails concept and I've never come across a Seymour Duncan pickup I didn't like - low or high output they always seem to make great tone depending on what you're looking for.