HRW's in a H-155?

[PunkKitty]

I stumbled across a gold set of HRW pickups at a very reasonable price. I thought I would immediately sell them. Now I'm thinking that they might be nice in my Millie H-155. Has anyone tried a Millie with HRW's? How do you like them?

[Number8]

Ok. Now that's an amazing coincidence. I am pretty sure I passed on that very set because the guy didn't have pickup rings for them. My plan was to put them in my 155.

 

To answer your question: I had HRWs in my 155 once before. They sounded very shrill, but I was hoping this time would be different.

[PunkKitty]

I met the guy at a Starbucks in Hinsdale this morning. I'm pretty sure it was the same guy. Gold HRW sets without rings don't appear on CL very often. FWIW, the guy hangs out at the Harlem Ave. Blues Bar.

[PunkKitty]

BTW, yesterday when we were exchanging emails the guy said that the original buyer backed out of the deal.

[HANGAR18]

I thought HRW's in a Millie was considered to be the holy grail of Heritage guitars.

[HANGAR18]

I thought HRW's in a Millie was considered to be the holy grail of Heritage guitars.

 

Or at least close to it.

[TalismanRich]

To answer your question: I had HRWs in my 155 once before. They sounded very shrill, but I was hoping this time would be different.

 

I think this will depend a lot on how they are set up, and what your perspective is. Shrill to you might be clean punchy to me. Unfortunately, my experiences with HRWs is very limited.

[RhoadsScholar]

Good combo. I have them in a 170 lightweight. They are shrill, but I just back off a little using those tone knobs. I think the secret with HRWs is to use the tone controls and back them down ever so slightly (don't make it bassy, but just dial it in where it drops the highs.). Nice score. I would like to get them for a Millie some day. First I gotta get a Millie, then another set of HRWs

[Millennium Maestro]

Hrws were a factory installed option and standard for the higher end Millies, treated as an upgrade from Seths... That's the factories opinion

[PunkKitty]

I'll install them tomorrow so I can try them myself. I really liked them in a 150.

[Number8]

BTW, yesterday when we were exchanging emails the guy said that the original buyer backed out of the deal.

 

Yep, that was me. It was an excellent price. I was going to buy them one way or the other. The plan was to keep them for a rainy day, sell them for a profit or put them in my Millie. He didn't have the pickup rings and it looks like I'll be selling the Millie so I backed out.

 

I'm very happy it was you that got them instead.

[Number8]

 

I think this will depend a lot on how they are set up, and what your perspective is. Shrill to you might be clean punchy to me. Unfortunately, my experiences with HRWs is very limited.

 

I agree with you about perspective and subjectivity, but man, the set I had sounded shrill in my Millie. I spent a lot of time adjusting things and could never get the bridge to calm down. Having said all that, I wasn't so put off that I didn't want to give them another shot.

[Number8]

PK -

 

Please let me know how it turns out. I want to know just how much I should regret not following through with my idea.

 

Best -

Otto

[PunkKitty]

I want to try them for a few months. Like I said, I really liked them in the 150. By chance, do you have a HRW switch tip on the Millie? I'd like to find one.

[Number8]

No. I was going to post a WTB for one.

[PunkKitty]

I could always take a Sharpy to it.

[Number8]

I could always take a Sharpy to it.

 

Or you could bore out a cavity and lay in a black gemstone of some type. Either way...

[PunkKitty]

That's actually not a bad idea. My brother is a jeweler. He would do that for me.

[Number8]

That's actually not a bad idea. My brother is a jeweler. He would do that for me.

 

That would be some next level pimp'ed out treatment.

[PunkKitty]

I'd have him use something that's basically worthless. He has some costume "gems" around the store. The tip just needs to be drilled and have something glued in place. Any dark color stone would do.

[Number8]

I'd have him use something that's basically worthless. He has some costume "gems" around the store. The tip just needs to be drilled and have something glued in place. Any dark color stone would do.

 

Oh my yes. Please do this.

[Blunote]

My first Heritage was bought four years ago next week. It was a Millennium Std Ultra with HRWs. Before that, I had only owned acoustics and had a tone in mind that I just hadn't heard from the various guitars I'd looked at. One day just after Christmas I happened to be at Elderly Music in Lansing when I heard a fellow playing a guitar and it stopped me in my tracks. I immediately thought 'that's the tone I've been looking for'. It was smooth, creamy, and articulate. I started talking with the player and he too was very impressed the tones he could coax from that guitar and those p'ups. Fortunately for me, he was just in kicking tires, so I got to try it out. A couple of days later I called the store back and purchased it. Since then, I've bought three other Heritages and still have two of them; an H150 deluxe with Seth Lovers and an H535 with HRWs.

 

Compared to other pickups, HRWs have a wide range of tones available. Those tones are sometimes characterized here as 'hi-fi', sometimes as 'shrill' -which in my view seem to be mutually exclusive terms. Regardless, it's a somewhat demeaning way to describe the sound because of the negative connotation inferred. I guess there's school of thought the believes pickups should be dialed in at 10 on the volume and tone controls and then judge how they sound based on that. But guitars, as with amps, have dials for players to use to adjust them for the tone they want. So if you still think the bridge is too bright, lower it, or change out the capacitor.

 

I don't play jazz but those HRWs would provide some great lounge cleans. Same for country and bluegrass: Dial in a bit more bridge and you'll have twang to rival a telecaster.

 

For me, that range of tone is a net benefit and makes the guitar more versatile. It's also part of the heritage of the Heritage Guitar Co. that we should celebrate on this forum. I understand that beauty is in ear of the beholder. Just like I had a sound in mind when I found my first Heritage, others have a different tone they're drawn to. For instance, a set of HRWs isn't going to be confused with a vintage PAF tone -and I'm pretty sure Ren was after something else when he developed these pickups. My guess is he wanted something Chet Atkins might like to play.

 

[PunkKitty]

My reason for wanting to try them in the 155 is that I'd like a sound that's uniquely Heritage. It doesn't have to be pure PAF. I have other guitars with PAFs. But it has to be versatile. I mostly play rock and punk. But I've been known to play jazz, blues, country, etc. Knobs are on a guitar to allow us to alter the tones. Amps help dial in the tone you need. I'm not sure that I can get a more unique tone than a Millie with HRWs.

[Number8]

Blunote -

 

My motivation for putting the HRWs in my Millie was to find that spectrum of sound you (and others) described, as well as to have something that was "uniquely Heritage" as PK mentioned above. It may have been a lack of patience or skill on my part, but I could not tame the bridge pickup unless I just about muted it. Otherwise the sound it made was piercing and unappealing. I suppose the term "shrill" is unnecessarily demeaning and should be avoided. "Too bright" or "piercing" are more appropriate descriptions.

 

Best-

#8

[Steiner]

I've two Heritages with HRWs. I've NEVER considered swapping them for anything. In total agreement with Blunote; there are guitars that get their mojo from HRWs.