NGD - Harmony Jupiter!

[Maggieo]

Yeah, I may lower the pickups and level them to see how that goes.

They do look perilously close to the strings.

[shigginpit]

I'm not sure how pickups with a central height adjustment are on a plane which is parallel to neither the strings nor the body, is that just the design? Or is there a strip of foam purposefully elevating the high side? Maybe it was intended to put the strings and the pickup tops at level and then compressed?

[Embenny]

I'm not sure how pickups with a central height adjustment are on a plane which is parallel to neither the strings nor the body, is that just the design? Or is there a strip of foam purposefully elevating the high side? Maybe it was intended to put the strings and the pickup tops at level and then compressed?

My guess is that it's either foam, or a thick coiled-up lead that got stuck underneath.

Or they accidentally grabbed a set of pickups meant for a Comet or something. Those meter out to the same as mine, but the Comet has a Les Paul-style carved top with a steeped neck angle, so the legs of the pickups may be bent to match that angle. Lots of Gibson-style pickups do that intentionally (though they're supposed to be installed the other way around, with the high side toward the bridge). When you stick a flat humbucker underneath steeply-angled strings on a Gibson, you end up with the same effect - a thinner tone, because the front of the pickup is so much close to the strings than the back.

Or it could be a combination of all of the above. Or just a bad day for QC and the pickup legs got mangled accidentally.

[shigginpit]

it could be a combination of all of the above. Or just a bad day for QC and the pickup legs got mangled accidentally.

but but, but it's got the lovely made in USA sticker so prominently displayed. my fellow countrymen would never affix the seal of quality so close to the offending parts so as to draw your attention to them

When you stick a flat humbucker underneath steeply-angled strings on a Gibson, you end up with the same effect - a thinner tone, because the front of the pickup is so much close to the strings than the back.

I've seen a lot of people try and angle humbuckers on a batwing SG attempting to bring them onto a plane level with the strings, I thought maybe someone already had at it trying to do something along those lines here. Interested to see what the culprit turns out to be when surfysonic has time to investigate further.

[Embenny]

but but, but it's got the lovely made in USA sticker so prominently displayed. my fellow countrymen would never affix the seal of quality so close to the offending parts so as to draw your attention to them

Well, as an owner of and convert to the new Harmony line, I have suspected from day one that the pickups are wound overseas by Roswell, since they look exactly like one of Roswell's designs and Fender put Roswell "goldfoil" pickups on their "Goldfoil" Jazzmaster that is around the same price point.

Also, the Harmony web site brags all over the place about making the guitars in the Heritage/former Gibson Kalamazoo plant, but never calls the pickups anything but "custom wound." They never say they're hand wound, they never say they're made in Kalamazoo...and obviously something has to give at some point to reach the aggressively low prices they sell these for.

And frankly, I'm fine with that. Pickups are easily replaced. The woodworking and frets aren't, and the QC and build quality on mine is second to none. Finer than nearly all the Gibsons and modern Fenders I've owned or currently own, and on par with the best ones, yet somehow much cheaper for the given feature set.

So some pickups with slightly less perfect QC than the rest of the guitar is no big deal to me. Whenever I get over my fear of fishing pots through F holes, I'll put something different and less-honky in mine. Probably something with adjustable polepieces so I can fine-adjust the tone without having to pull the wiring harness back out!

Or, if I'm not feeling 100% confident in my pickup selection, maybe I'll wire up a quick-connect type harness where I'll be able to swap things at the pickup end without fiddling with the pots and switch a second time.

[shigginpit]

I have suspected from day one that the pickups are wound overseas

probably par for the course, aren't a lot of harmony guitars of a certain vintage rebranded teisco anyways? not that I dislike teisco. I've also never heard anything negative about the QC on the bandlab tech made harmony instruments either, which is why I suspected a little gremlin might have been hard at work "fixing" things.

as yet to be determined I suppose, still looks and sounds great, just not the tone I expected to come from it.

[Surfysonic]

I've seen a lot of people try and angle humbuckers on a batwing SG attempting to bring them onto a plane level with the strings, I thought maybe someone already had at it trying to do something along those lines here. Interested to see what the culprit turns out to be when surfysonic has time to investigate further.

Hopefully, I'll get to adjusting the pickups' height soon. My tech table is a bit occupied at the moment...

[shigginpit]

Man I have more projects than I have space, I can totally relate. Your harmony plays fine for now so luckily, there's no fire to put out, you have all the time in the world (proverbially).

[Maggieo]

Random note: I think a 'burst Harmony Comet with Novak P-90 style goldfoils would make my Collings I-30 lust take a nap.

[Surfysonic]

I see no downsides to that idea, Maggie!

[Embenny]

Random note: I think a 'burst Harmony Comet with Novak P-90 style goldfoils would make my Collings I-30 lust take a nap.

What's a P90-style goldfoil? Like a P90 shape? Because I don't see how that would fit in the rout.

But Novak has these:



Which fit two goldfoils inside and can be made with DeArmond or Guyatone style GFs, or one of each.

To be honest, I'd probably put those in my Comet if my CIJ Jag didn't already have Novak Guyatone goldfoils! The "one DeArmond, one Guyatone" with the selection between the two wired to the existing push-pull pot would be perfect. Maybe a second push-pull on the other knob to engage them both in series mode.

[shigginpit]

What's a P90-style goldfoil?

I can't confirm 100% the size is P90 but probably these. I don't know about the routes though, probably need an adapter plate.

[Maggieo]

Random note: I think a 'burst Harmony Comet with Novak P-90 style goldfoils would make my Collings I-30 lust take a nap.

What's a P90-style goldfoil? Like a P90 shape? Because I don't see how that would fit in the rout.

But Novak has these:



Which fit two goldfoils inside and can be made with DeArmond or Guyatone style GFs, or one of each.

To be honest, I'd probably put those in my Comet if my CIJ Jag didn't already have Novak Guyatone goldfoils! The "one DeArmond, one Guyatone" with the selection between the two wired to the existing push-pull pot would be perfect. Maybe a second push-pull on the other knob to engage them both in series mode.

Yeah, something like that! Keeps the size and look, but has P-90 guts inside.