Ephiphone Floating Pickup, Johnny Smith Pickup Or Other Alternatives

[Zoran Cvetkovic]

Hello Group,

I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.

Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?

Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or
does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit
for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?

Regards,
Zoran

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or
does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit
for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?
Regards,
Zoran

I have the same guitar. I improved the tone immensely by getting (1)
a Kent Armstrong floating ('suspended') pick up, (2) an ebony bridge,
and (3) a Benedetto ebony tailpiece. All were ordered from Stewart
McDonald's.

The Epiphone E R is, in opinion, an incredible value. If you put an
extra $200 bucks into, you a guitar that sounds like Gibson.

If you want an authentic Johnny Smith pickup, used ones can
occasionally be found at www.archtop.com.
Best,
John

[Zoran Cvetkovic]

Hi John,

Thank you for your detailed hints :)

I will keep you updated about my next steps and the results.

I guess steps (2) and (3) mostly influence the punpluged sound?

Regards Zoran

Post by g***@gmail.com
I have the same guitar. I improved the tone immensely by getting (1)
a Kent Armstrong floating ('suspended') pick up, (2) an ebony bridge,
and (3) a Benedetto ebony tailpiece. All were ordered from Stewart
McDonald's.
The Epiphone E R is, in opinion, an incredible value. If you put an
extra $200 bucks into, you a guitar that sounds like Gibson.
If you want an authentic Johnny Smith pickup, used ones can
occasionally be found at www.archtop.com.
Best,
John

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hi John,
Thank you for your detailed hints :)
I will keep you updated about my next steps and the results.
I guess steps (2) and (3) mostly influence the punpluged sound?
Regards Zoran

Post by g***@gmail.com
I have the same guitar. I improved the tone immensely by getting (1)
a Kent Armstrong floating ('suspended') pick up, (2) an ebony bridge,
and (3) a Benedetto ebony tailpiece. All were ordered from Stewart
McDonald's.
The Epiphone E R is, in opinion, an incredible value. If you put an
extra $200 bucks into, you a guitar that sounds like Gibson.
If you want an authentic Johnny Smith pickup, used ones can
occasionally be found atwww.archtop.com.
Best,
John

It did improve the acoustic tone, but steps 1 and 3 made the most
difference when plugged into an amp (helped sustain, create a sort of
natural reverb that amp reverb cannot duplicate). The heavier, higher
quality strings improved everything.

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or
does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit
for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?
Regards,
Zoran

By the way, the Epiphone Emperor Regent also sounds pretty crappy with
light strings -- the heavier the better if you want a good tone. I
use D'Aquisto 'Jazz' 13's, and they sound really good. The guitar
sounds *great* with really expensive Thomastik Infeld (sp?) Bebob or
George Benson strings, 13s or, better yet, 14s --but who can afford
T.I.s?

[Zoran Cvetkovic]

Hi John,

Post by g***@gmail.com
The guitar
sounds *great* with really expensive Thomastik Infeld (sp?)

Yes this was the first I did after I got the guitar from the webshop, I
replaced the factory bullshit strings by TI JS013 - and got the same
result - a great improvement!

But overall, I do not believe that TI talking about total costs of
ownership so expensive. From my experience TI have a very very long
lifetime.

Zoran

[Tim McNamara]

Post by g***@gmail.com

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of
look and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the
Johnny Smith pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker,
or does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker
will fit for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?

By the way, the Epiphone Emperor Regent also sounds pretty crappy
with light strings -- the heavier the better if you want a good tone.
I use D'Aquisto 'Jazz' 13's, and they sound really good. The guitar
sounds *great* with really expensive Thomastik Infeld (sp?) Bebob or
George Benson strings, 13s or, better yet, 14s --but who can afford
T.I.s?

IME the TIs last a long time while sounding the same, unlike most other
brands. You can find them online for a decent price, although still 2-3
times the cost of my other favorite strings, D'Addario Jazz Light
rounds. But I have to change those twice as often as the TIs so over
the long haul the TIs are only a bit more expensive.

[Five Sharp]

I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

#####

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone Emperor
Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or does
a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit for
that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?
Regards,
Zoran

[Tim McNamara]

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Meh. If that's the sound you want, then why not sell the guitar rather
than ruining it? There are lots of guitars with routed-in pickups.

[Five Sharp]

OK. But what's the point of a floater on an Epiphone with a laminate top in
the first place?

#####

Post by Tim McNamara

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Meh. If that's the sound you want, then why not sell the guitar rather
than ruining it? There are lots of guitars with routed-in pickups.

[a***@optonline.net]

#####

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Dick,

FWIW -I used to think that way also until I installed a Kent Armstrong
JS pickup on my Campellone. it really has a clear humbucking sound
without he usual brittleness associated w/a floater.

Andy D.

[Five Sharp]

I did not know. Does it really sound like a bucker or is it a bit buckerish?
:)

#####

Post by a***@optonline.net

#####

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Dick,
FWIW -I used to think that way also until I installed a Kent Armstrong
JS pickup on my Campellone. it really has a clear humbucking sound
without he usual brittleness associated w/a floater.
Andy D.

[a***@optonline.net]

Judge for yourself - on the first 2 cuts MFT and Unit 7 I play the
heads with the floater and Richie plays his Sadowsky with the
humbucker. Both guitars were also miked so a lot of the acoustic sound
will come through but you should get a good comparison.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=128565

Post by Five Sharp
I did not know. Does it really sound like a bucker or is it a bit buckerish?
:)
#####

Post by a***@optonline.net

#####

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Dick,
FWIW -I used to think that way also until I installed a Kent Armstrong
JS pickup on my Campellone. it really has a clear humbucking sound
without he usual brittleness associated w/a floater.
Andy D.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

[Five Sharp]

It's hard to say because you miked the guitars in addition to the amped
sound so it's a mix I am hearing ... (why did you add the acoustic sound of
the guitar?). Still, its not a sound I associate with the classic Gibson
humbucker sound. There is still a lot of clarity in it ... But like I said,
since you mixed it's impossible to tell ... I'd like to hear the amped sound
(which is what I am always after anyway).

The second guitar sounds a lot darker (a bit muffled, tone knob down?).

Regards,

#####

Post by a***@optonline.net
Judge for yourself - on the first 2 cuts MFT and Unit 7 I play the
heads with the floater and Richie plays his Sadowsky with the
humbucker. Both guitars were also miked so a lot of the acoustic sound
will come through but you should get a good comparison.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=128565

Post by Five Sharp
I did not know. Does it really sound like a bucker or is it a bit buckerish?
:)
#####

Post by a***@optonline.net

#####

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Dick,
FWIW -I used to think that way also until I installed a Kent Armstrong
JS pickup on my Campellone. it really has a clear humbucking sound
without he usual brittleness associated w/a floater.
Andy D.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

[Zoran Cvetkovic]

Dick, Tim

the reason I bought this "cheap" and "replaceable" Instrument is that i
often go by bike and do not like to transport my Gibsons on my back in a
gigbag.

The reason for choosing one with floating pickup was that I hate all
kind of resonances coming from routed-in pickups when playing unplugged.

If I could improve the amplified sound by spending some bugs, that would
be fine for me.

Dick, I believe, played unplugged a laminate spruce top with floatings
can compete with a real spruce toped ES Model.

BTW I do not understand why the L5 CES or Super 400 CES were designed
having routed in pickups. For me it's pity to saw out some holes put
some plastic an metal over such a valuable handbade top. :(

Regards,
Zoran

Post by Five Sharp
OK. But what's the point of a floater on an Epiphone with a laminate top in
the first place?
#####

Post by Tim McNamara

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Meh. If that's the sound you want, then why not sell the guitar rather
than ruining it? There are lots of guitars with routed-in pickups.

[Mark Cleary]

Yes that would be my thought, we have ruined at valueable piece of spruce.
--
Mark Cleary makes music on the finest Jazz guitars.
http://members.cox.net/ruthster/hollenbeck/

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Dick, Tim
the reason I bought this "cheap" and "replaceable" Instrument is that i
often go by bike and do not like to transport my Gibsons on my back in a
gigbag.
The reason for choosing one with floating pickup was that I hate all kind
of resonances coming from routed-in pickups when playing unplugged.
If I could improve the amplified sound by spending some bugs, that would
be fine for me.
Dick, I believe, played unplugged a laminate spruce top with floatings can
compete with a real spruce toped ES Model.
BTW I do not understand why the L5 CES or Super 400 CES were designed
having routed in pickups. For me it's pity to saw out some holes put some
plastic an metal over such a valuable handbade top. :(
Regards,
Zoran

Post by Five Sharp
OK. But what's the point of a floater on an Epiphone with a laminate top
in the first place?
#####

Post by Tim McNamara

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Meh. If that's the sound you want, then why not sell the guitar rather
than ruining it? There are lots of guitars with routed-in pickups.

[Mark Cleary]

Yes that would be my thought, we have ruined at valueable piece of spruce.
--
Mark Cleary makes music on the finest Jazz guitars.
http://members.cox.net/ruthster/hollenbeck/

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Dick, Tim
the reason I bought this "cheap" and "replaceable" Instrument is that i
often go by bike and do not like to transport my Gibsons on my back in a
gigbag.
The reason for choosing one with floating pickup was that I hate all kind
of resonances coming from routed-in pickups when playing unplugged.
If I could improve the amplified sound by spending some bugs, that would
be fine for me.
Dick, I believe, played unplugged a laminate spruce top with floatings can
compete with a real spruce toped ES Model.
BTW I do not understand why the L5 CES or Super 400 CES were designed
having routed in pickups. For me it's pity to saw out some holes put some
plastic an metal over such a valuable handbade top. :(
Regards,
Zoran

Post by Five Sharp
OK. But what's the point of a floater on an Epiphone with a laminate top
in the first place?
#####

Post by Tim McNamara

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?

Meh. If that's the sound you want, then why not sell the guitar rather
than ruining it? There are lots of guitars with routed-in pickups.

[pgrey]

Post by Five Sharp
OK. But what's the point of a floater on an Epiphone with a laminate
top in the first place?

Boy, I think there's a huge difference in tone between a guitar with a
floating pickup and one with a routed in pickup, They are two totally
different sounds. The ply top with a floating pickup would give one that
floating sound without fewer feedback worries.

Peter

[y***@gmail.com]

Post by Five Sharp
I have never heard a floater that I liked. Why not rout in a bucker?
#####

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone Emperor
Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or does
a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit for
that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?
Regards,
Zoran- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Peter bernstein and Gilad Hekselman both sound wonderfull with Gibson
"super humbucker" floating pickup. Peter uses it on his zeidler and
gilad on his Gibson howard roberts. This is really the best floating
pickup I've heard but gibson doesn't seem to make it anymore and
there's very little info in the web on this pickup.

Yoni.

[David J. Littleboy]

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone Emperor
Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or does
a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit for
that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?

I replaced the floater on my Ibanez AF105FNT (a small (15.5") maple laminate
top, but with a surprisingly lively acoustic sound) with the Kent Armstrong
Johnny Smith (half way down this page*). Once I had a competent repair
person redo the wiring, it's been great. Highly recommended.

You could also consider the Kent Armstrong Handmade Adjustable PAF (at the
top of that page). In the guitars that I've played that have this pickup
(various custom D'Aquisto at Walkin'**), it gets closer to the PAF vibe, I
think. These guitars are closer to yours, I think (all are big spruce
boxes), and this pickup gets a lovely sound in these D'Aquistos.

But whichever you get, have a competent repair person do the wiring: my
AF105FNT produced a hideous hum when I wasn't touching the strings before I
had Walkin' redo the wiring.

*: http://www.archtop.com/ac_access.html

Oh, yes. Archtop.com will ship overseas.

**: http://www.walkin.co.jp/guitars/128702.htm
And this crazy guy: http://www.walkin.co.jp/guitars/128672.htm

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

[Stephan Patterson]

On Sun, 03 Jun 2007 11:38:07 +0200, Zoran Cvetkovic

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or
does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit
for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?

Hi Zoran,

I own a 2004 Emperor Regent. I replaced the pickup with a handmade
Kent Armstrong Johnny Smith from archtop.com . Very good service from
them, by the way. I think Kent Armstrong makes the absolute best jazz
pickups that you can buy. Please note that there's also a KA-designed
line that's made in Asia and is sold by WDMusic among others. They're
the pickups that you find on mass-produced guitars like the D'Angelico
Excels. Not the same pickup.

The new pickup made a big difference. Chords are clearer, richer.
Single notes are better too, woodier tone. The installation was
performed by a local repairman. The Kent Armstrong is not exactly the
same dimensions as the original pickup. The neckmount had to be
adapted and new holes pierced.

Since I've had the new pickup installed, I also experimented with
strings. In find that with D'Addario Chromes, I get a more
traditional, electric jazz tone. Thomastik Infeld Swings provide a
richer, more acoustic tone ala Martin Taylor. I'm not sure which one I
prefer :-)

Stephan Patterson

[Zoran Cvetkovic]

Hi Group,

thanks for all the valuable comments, the Kent Amstrong Johnny Smith
Replacement is already ordered. I will keep you informed about results.

Regards,
Zoran

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of look
and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny Smith
pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or
does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will fit
for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?
Regards,
Zoran

[Zoran Cvetkovic]

Hi Group,

I received the pickup and after installing it I must admit that there is
a big difference.

Output Level is louder, sound is thicker more deepness.

Thank you again for the tips!

Regards Zoran

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hi Group,
thanks for all the valuable comments, the Kent Amstrong Johnny Smith
Replacement is already ordered. I will keep you informed about results.
Regards,
Zoran

Post by Zoran Cvetkovic
Hello Group,
I would like to change the floating mini humbucker on my Ephiphone
Emperor Regent. I am not happy with the tone.
Since the Emperor Regent is the poor mans Johnny Smith (in terms of
look and construction), maybe it will make sens to tryout the Johnny
Smith pikup?
Does someone know about the details of the Jhonny Smith humbucker, or
does a fellow reader have any hint what floating mini humbucker will
fit for that guitar and will deliver a warm jazz tone?
Regards,
Zoran