Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

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dune736
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Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by dune736 » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:31 pm

Building a guitar with P90 routes. After thinking about it, I decided I wanted to go with mini humbuckers.
Most from the well know brands are out of my price range. Anybody had experience with import mini hums that go for around $100 a set?

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Shadoweclipse13
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:55 pm

I don't know any that cheap, but I've heard really good things about Jerry Sentell's pickups from a few guys around here. He makes cool stuff...
http://www.sentellpickups.net/mini-humbucker.html
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http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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jmac
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by jmac » Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:59 pm

The Guitar Fetish mini-HBs are like $30/each, and they sound pretty good in the demo vids on YouTube

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LouReedFan
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by LouReedFan » Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:29 pm

jmac wrote:The Guitar Fetish mini-HBs are like $30/each, and they sound pretty good in the demo vids on YouTube
I did a build with the GFS Vintage minis and they sound very good to my ears.

I also have scored a pair of Duncan SM-3s on eBay for under $100. Once in a while you get lucky.

Good luck, mini-hums are actually a favorite of mine. I've got 3 guitars with them.

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mackerelmint
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by mackerelmint » Tue Apr 18, 2017 10:15 pm

ey has 'em.
This is an excellent rectangle

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hpr_hpr
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by hpr_hpr » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:25 pm

I have been eying Sentells pickups for a while now . . . he has some unusual stuff and they are a bit cheaper than some of the other makers but a set of mini hums still runs $160 and up.
When thinking about any advice given always ask yourself "why would (s)he know more than I do".

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Shadoweclipse13
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:15 pm

hpr_hpr wrote:I have been eying Sentells pickups for a while now . . . he has some unusual stuff and they are a bit cheaper than some of the other makers but a set of mini hums still runs $160 and up.
Yeah I know. You'd think someone like Seymour Duncan would have a cheaper option, but I'm just starting to think that all mini humbuckers are more expensive as they're not as common as full-sized humbuckers, P-90's, or single coils.
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by pacemaker » Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:17 pm

LouReedFan wrote: I did a build with the GFS Vintage minis and they sound very good to my ears.
I threw some into an Epi Riviera a few years back and I thought they were fine - better than the stock pickups for sure.

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borntohang
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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by borntohang » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:40 am

dune736 wrote:Building a guitar with P90 routes. After thinking about it, I decided I wanted to go with mini humbuckers.
Most from the well know brands are out of my price range. Anybody had experience with import mini hums that go for around $100 a set?
GFS or Wilkinson. Got a set of the Wilkos and they're pretty neat; came with rings for P90 routes too. Was a bit disappointed they weren't splittable but found out later they actually do another set that come with four-wire and I'd just bought the wrong one.

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Re: Help finding affordable mini humbuckers

Post by drsketchy » Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:01 pm

I used to have a 77 Gibson Deluxe Goldtop. The original owner had routed them for HBs. One day I got to play another Norlin era LP that still had the mini humbuckers in it. It sounded awesome. I ended selling mine after that. Those 70s mini HBs were cool.

If the GFS ones are alnico I would give them a shot. Just maybe age the covers and swap out the magnets if you don't like the tone. Magnets are around $5 each.
There is a set from an epiphone on ebay right now as well.

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