WHAT DOES A $16 PICKUPS SOUND LIKE? - Modding my $180 Leo Jaymz Telecaster shaped object.

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[@60CycleHumcast]

If you like watching independently funded guitar content like this video consider supporting the channel on Patreon: www.patreon.com/60CycleHumcast $179 Leo Jaymz Guitar: amzn.to/3TfPTJv Saphue Telecaster Bridge Hotrail: amzn.to/42Ph1lm Illusion plastic: www.eplastics.com/films/rowlux-illusion-film Stringjoy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code: HUM to save 10% (stringjoy.com/partner/60cyclehum/)

[@wolfie_toonz5023]

Heyyyyy so it looks like Sonicake just released the A-Factory and B-Factory pedals (Acoustic, Bass) and they look really cool. I would love to see a review on these, love your channel btw

[@sillysausage4549]

This guy is the golden retriever of guitar guys. He just wants to be everyone's friend.

[@jeanlawson9133]

AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😎 I traveled my whole life in such a manner it's a sad life being a Golden retriever and being kicked around....But there's wisdom too be obtained from such a journey sure people take your food your food bowl your water and water bowl.....Tie cans stuff to your tail and rub your ass with a corn cob and wipe it with terepetine too run you off....😮 But like the Allman Brothers sang let your Soul shine its better than ☀️🌞 sunshine... better than moonshine and damn sure better than rain...

[@michaelstone3463]

Mr. Peanut Butter from "Bojack Horseman"!

[@Smelyn]

" He just wants to be everyone's friend." Cap last video i watcghed from him was when he was with the Epiphone Les Paul and yes I agree its a bad guitar but he said so much mean things at that point i took it personally as a epiphone les paul owner :(

[@johnnyboymcconnell43]

Every time Ryan asks "Is this a good episode?", the answer is always "YES".

[@nathanbrisebois8756]

The music for the sped up sections is so whimsical i love it

[@jermainelong1843]

It gave me 90s Japanese platform game vibes.

[@Chucksguitargeekery]

Since you already removed the tone pot, look into a Spin-a-Split mod. It’s like a volume control on the second coil of the Humbucker so you can have a gradient of single to full Humbucker tones.

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

Depending on the pot your using it will act as a tone pot as well, because you will add resistance into the circuit.

[@Chucksguitargeekery]

@@johanneschristopherstahle3395 I always use no-load 500k pots, I haven’t noticed a different in full humbucker mode when the dial is on 10.

[@DavidRavenMoon]

I bought this same pickup for about the same price about 10 years ago for a Tele style guitar I built. I’m a pickup maker and figured it was a cheap way to get the parts. I had every intention on rewinding the pickup. Put it in the guitar. It sounded fine. It’s been in there ever since!

[@norseman61]

I really like this Tele! The color is fantastic, and your pickguard idea is PERFECT. And I’ll be damned if that thing doesn’t sound great. Sometimes for no apparent reason, things just come together in a guitar. I think that happened here. Yes. Yes this IS a good video.

[@DE-GEN-ART]

FUN TIP: if you buy a pickup thats not hot enough you can take the baseplate off and add or swap out the ceramic magnets on the bottom, and if its not potted already go ahead and dip that puppy in some hot paraffin wax,or epoxy resin if your a real mad lad

[@anthonystark5412]

I'm somewhat relieved that you said "FUN TIP" and not "PRO TIP". 😄

[@captainkirk70]

Totally agreed. Magnet swap can make a turd into a diamond.

[@Topher_ofthe_North]

You should cut a piece of that pickguard material and screw it over the low spot on the headstock

[@SavageImprint]

Would look sick!

[@Stratisfied22]

That's a great idea.

[@keiranwynyard6347]

I definitely liked the sound @6:55 before the change... Sounds great for a $1000 guitar, let alone a sub $200. It was bright enough on the bridge, and lovely and dark when the neck pup came in... Great content, sir.

[@nym053]

I actually prefered the before-sound. Seems more spanky or what you would call it. But I don't know if it's just because he played it a bit differently. And actually when I heard that bridge, I felt that it was the ideal sound that I want. We all have our personal preferences of course 😄

[@summersendband]

I did the same thing to my Harley Benton Tele. Ordered my dual rail pickup from AliExpress. Sounds nice.

[@mjdbruyn]

What, no two Princetons? Unsubbed.

[@friedrudibega6384]

Well now I’m not even gonna watch.

[@dragan4658]

Take care

[@calebbhawkins]

Thanks for spoiling the whole video.

[@dragan4658]

@@calebbhawkins 🤣

[@_-_Michael_-_]

Dude literary plays more expensive rig than normaly and there is a riot in whole community 😂😂😂

[@robertmcdowell6936]

This was great, thanks for the "shout out". I say you gave the guitar an identity and character. Visually stimulating and amazing what $16.00 pickup can do. Kill switch is good idea. Things like this is why I love your channel so much. Nice job Ryan!!🫡👍

[@kennethhoneycutt4513]

This is a great video I actually enjoyed it. I've watched a couple of your other ones but I got a real kick out of you doing this. Awesome work man Great job

[@waynebake1123]

The yacht club graphic should have a boat horn and segull sounds with it. :)

[@60CycleHumcast]

Yeah I’m still working on it. I was thinking about a captains whistle too. Go for maximum annoying.

[@gerardlabelle9626]

How about some bland, stereotypical Yacht Rock?

[@terryenglish7132]

​​@@gerardlabelle9626A "Sailing" sound alike would be perfect. Then have all the other noises over that.

[@terryenglish7132]

​​@@60CycleHumcastYeah ! But have the first 2 notes of Sailing looping underneath. Immediately recognizable, but too short for copyright infringement .

[@notgnar8506]

So much smoother than your usual installs, getting good at this!

[@chuckwagon7860]

Had a blast watching this!!! Blessings to you!

[@michaelhirstny]

That thing looks and sounds great! Nice video!

[@norseman61]

You need fluorescent lime green behind the holographic plastic.

[@joshjordan]

Series vs parallel might make a good difference with those pickups

[@sidnargedbass]

I agree with @joshjordan here, adding a second pickup into the chain changes the load resistance based on how it's wired. Where they are so mismatched, you are "pulling back" toward the neck in the parallel calculation.

[@SonicRave1]

I have 3 dual rail humbuckers in 2 of my strats that only cost me $30 and I get great sounds out of them!

[@jonthehermit8082]

Each? Or 30 for the three of them

[@SonicRave1]

@@jonthehermit8082 $30 for all 3 off Amazon. It was a loaded pickguard!

[@kerrymcauliffe9906]

I just have to say I absolutely love your attitude in videos like this. Pure, genuine interest in guitar gear and tone. Totally love it. I feel like I'd be interested if you were presenting quilting gear or early Hungarian cabinet making. Super funny and engaging. Great stuff!!

[@matt926uk1]

I'd say that's a big win and it was a lot of fun to watch.

[@mikemattingly5825]

I just did this to my teleclone, and im so happy i did. I have similar results but balanced them a little better and reallt enjoying it.

[@ARWest-bp4yb]

Very cool project that turned great! 👍👍And love the Surfrajettes!❤

[@ellsworth1956]

I see that West Creek Racer peeking around in the background. I put a set of P90's in my racer. Love that guitar.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I have a pickup I’ll be putting in mine soon. It’s a weird one too.

[@CharlesWillisBonsai]

Damn, that looks pretty cool. I like the headstock shape. The sparkle pink finish is really cool too, especially with the clear pickguard.

[@TheAtariCreep]

Yes, I am glad you did "this". Love it, man.

[@stephenbennett5240]

That not only is a sick guitar, love the pickguard mod a lot. But I'm more surprised how good that $16 pickup sounded. Great video!

[@immy4104]

Pickups don't have to be expensive at all to be rad! Cheap pickups are best pickups.

[@stephenbennett5240]

@@immy4104 idk, I’ve never heard anything better than a burst bucket from Gibson

[@brundlefly1942]

At the end of the day all pick ups are just magnets and wires. The build quality is the more important part as badly wired and unpotted pups for example will rattle an feedback like hell and be microphonic etc. That's why a well made cheap one can sound as great as an expensive one but there might not be a consistency to it and the next one could be wound differently.

[@frankcarter6427]

the difference between expensive and cheap p/ups is pretty minimal, the BS around them is immense

[@frankcarter6427]

@@immy4104 absolutely agree - they're just magnets with wire wrapped around them, the BS is massive

[@szaki95]

The Neck pickup loads down the bridge in the middle position. If you have two pickups that are rougly equeal in volume, middle position will be more quiet.

[@nathanielfisher343]

The pick guard segment of the video was really cool! Seems like Ryan’s graphic design background added a lot of depth.

[@fatsuperfly]

Actually looks like a cool guitar! I don’t blame you for wanting it to modify, kinda a fun guitar to mess with. Also both plastics look cool, I think I’d go gold because the neck looks a lil darker yellow.😊 thought you where about to play some “social D” when you went into that bridge 😂 sounds pretty good for 16 bucks! Crazy!

[@jimhart1959]

I like the neck pickup after the new pot and new strings. It's a nice compliment to the new bridge pup

[@mrNobody100]

wow that rail sounds badass. cool mods, i like it.

[@mikefromusa6902]

Loving the fretless bass synth dorkiness. Makes me giggle. Thanks Inspector Gadget.

[@peppergunso7849]

Not rly a pickup guy, but I put a clean hb on my bullet mustangs neck position and when I adjusted pickup heights by volume the middle was not there, like an exact copy of the neck. I went on some forums and found smth like what people here are saying here abt weaker pickups being favored. So I purposefully raised the bridge louder and it worked! Mismatched the volumes juuust until the middles tone was unique enough - and that each position jumps in vol/ gain more than normal is fun lol

[@user-ei4iq7gl5l]

Sounds very crisp with that new volume pot. Very nice and crisp.

[@seanzinger]

I love that bridge pickup, and that new volume knob. 😮

[@josephmcguiness6452]

I just had the shaft pull out of a pot on me too. That pot was shot after. Thanks for the links. I ordered some of those plastic sheets

[@redfurydubstep]

As someone who’s made my own killer pickguards a handful of times…I can confirm that’s one of the coolest custom pickguards I’ve ever seen!

[@AllanGildea]

Sounds really good!

[@boriscat1999]

Playing cards would be pretty cool behind that clear pickguard too. I love it when there are opportunities for people to personalize and be creative with their instruments.

[@jameslewis2635]

Sounds like the 1 Meg pot is what the bridge pickup really needed. It sounded so dull before and with the new pot it seems to have just come alive. I bet the original bridge pickup would have sounded better too. Such a shame about that clear spot under the scratch plate, that would really wind me up.

[@DMSProduktions]

Ry, a few points mate! That is a hot pick up for sure. Replacing that cheapo 250Kohm pot with a 1 Meg ohm pot DID make that neck pick up a bit brighter but it improved the ATTACK! IF you want to brighten it further, take OFF that metal shell! On cheap guitars those cover are usually made out of really cheap, pot metal & act like a filter! ALSO, Adjust the neck unit up a bit & the bridge down to balance the volumes! As to why the mix position was defaulting to the neck pick up more, was in parallel, you are basically getting a voltage DIVIDER, so the signal will be cut in half, making it cleaner but you WILL still get a bit more bass freqs come thru from the neck! The split worked well, just sounded a bit thinner, but there WASN'T a great volume drop between them! I'd say you GOT a bargain!

[@muddymike10]

Yes! It is a good video & the sonic upgrade was worth your time and $$. A textbook example of Modification 101...

[@johnjoyce]

That really is a nice sounding guitar in the raw. Changing the electronics is all it needs.

[@robertdrisdelle]

Aliasing on my tv went bananas when you brought up that pick guard stuff

[@tomscioscia9869]

With the pickups in the middle position you're throwing two pickups in parallel and changing the total impedance, but you'll also find that you can change that combo sound by messing with the pickup heights. Lower the bass side of both pickups (it'll slant up towards the treble side) and you may find yourself some more twang in the middle, too.

[@sassycat]

Looks fun, sounds great. That's what budget guitars are for, modding and experimenting. 49/7 Henrys!

[@mjdbruyn]

That's not a legal Henry score and you know it!

[@sassycat]

@@mjdbruyn Thanks for catching that, I edited it so it should pass now. 😸😺🐱

[@jjcollins]

I think it turned out great! I love the look and it sounds fantastic! Definitely put a kill switch in that empty spot on the control plate.

[@TravisBowlin]

I’ve bought like 30 of those pickups over the last few months.. they are awesome!

[@60CycleHumcast]

Why so many?

[@Taallyn]

I like that pickguard idea. A lot of potential with it.

[@arroncusimano9169]

I did the pickup replacement on my squire affinity tele, started with a tele hot rail, didn't like it went with a similar cheap single coil upgrade, been happy ever since... also did the 4-way switch mod to that tele, its pretty much my fav guitar now, over much more expensive ones.

[@MatzeMaulwurf]

Nice shirt! 🏄🏻‍♀️ 🎸

[@moewhocooper]

Is the middle in parallel or series. Then you will know why it drops down

[@fenderbass0]

Parallel middle position will favor the weaker pickup. Maybe try raising the neck pickup for more volume. Also the volume pot should move the tone spot for volume swells.

[@jeffreyhill3783]

Great show I'm going to get that pick up for my glerry

[@officialWWM]

I put one of those cheap pickups on a plastic, 3D printed guitar and it sounds awesome! I record with it all the time.

[@y007p3]

Sounds great! I bought the same pickup recently I believe…so good news. Maybe I should go for a 1 Meg pot like you did.

[@sir_nonymous]

I used the same cheap Hotmail pup with a push pull pot on a tele project last year. Easily one of the best investments ever. Sounds great, pushed or pulled through anything!

[@rmaxtpmx]

Hotmail pups are even better than Gmail kittens.

[@Snarkyone1965]

I put Dragonfire stacked tele pups in one of my Tele's, and it growls. Love it.

[@LuisRFeliu]

excellent episode. Digging the Yacht Club.

[@joelshollenberger7457]

that pick guard is perfect for that color!

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

Yes, White. The gold would look AMAZING on a gloss-black guitar.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I agree

[@georgejohnson7591]

Nice work! I got a bag of 5 of those dual hot rails for under £22 a couple of years back, they work great. Although I have to file the curve of the rails flat as I use them in Ukulele builds.

[@Big-A-Russel]

Awesome this was cool

[@mikemarak2613]

Got to love the Duane Eddy, Rebel Rouser! I like how it turned out👍

[@powerfulplayer906]

As soon as I heard you play the Inspector Gadget theme ( 7:10 ) you gained every ounce of respect in my body

[@jogmas12]

This video, I know, is going to be a good one.

[@BillyJoefromMtVernonMo]

sounds great

[@vinhrua1]

You can wire the single coil in reverse to solve the small volume in middle position. Put your hot wire to ground in the volume and your ground wire to the switch. Did it to my HSS guitar, it sounds very weak before in position 2 after a new humbucker was installed now it's normal again.

[@myopicautisticmetal9035]

I bought a headless kit on amazon from this Leo Jaymz builder, it's pretty well built and I threw it together in less than 2 days. Fun guitar!

[@terryenglish7132]

I like headless , what's the neck like thickness/contour wise.

[@RussInCanada]

My friend bought two Wilkinson tele bridge pickups, and a b + n humbucker for his 335. They were all about $30, and sound great.

[@Manoffire959]

Man, that gold under the pickguard would look sick!

[@skylerrizzi]

I have a similar pickup in my tele partscaster, for a high gain it sounds really good in series and out of phase with the neck pickup

[@davidneily3532]

I can vouch for Leo Jaymz as well. Mine is the same style, but my 2 color flake combo is purple and pink.

[@RandyFricke]

I have a Cozart gold metal flake, a Glarry, and a LyxPro. I put on pickups, tuners, bone nuts, and the LyxPro got brass saddles. All under $200 and they play great. And I mean really good.

[@BobSperber]

I hope it was as much fun to make, as it was to watch. I’ve got a few higher-end guitars but cheep is a blast. Do a Teisco!

[@joermnyc]

Just picked up a Tone Bakery Jazzbird, basically a what-if Firebird-Jazzmaster mashup. Mahogany body, roasted maple neck, reverse headstock, 3 firebird pickups, strat wiring and bridge (there’s versions with the Jazzmaster bridge too, but I was going more for a Doheny before I found these. There’s also p-90 versions, Jazz-tele and single pickup models. It shipped from Anaheim, and I think they also make pedals.

[@TheElectricfishmusic]

That pickguard looks good!

[@anthonyptak8650]

The word he was looking for is lenticular.

[@MadJackF1]

I saw you do some bass, as you did in the POD Express video. On the budget side of things I've used Guitar Madness with great results. I used the GM Alnico Standard Precision Bass pickup and Alnico Standard Jazz Bass pickups. I even put the Standard P in a friend's Peavey Fury with great results. I also have one of their ARTEC JB Twin Humbuckers to go in the bridge position of my Jazz Bass for a fatter bridge tone. They also have guitar pickups.

[@Lucas-lh8kg]

Modding a cheap guitar in a fun way is where I feel like you really come alive the most

[@RandyFricke]

That pick guard idea really sets that thing off.

[@geo__metro1318]

The white paper underneath the pickguard would make the texture look way deeper. An idea for that empty hole left from the tone pot in put in a mini kill switch to use it up.

[@jamasters62]

The new bridge pickup might now be out of phase with respect to the neck pickup if the middle switch position seems too weak. Try swapping the hot wire and gnd wire positions for the neck pickup, tune up and try middle position again.

[@terryenglish7132]

It doesn't sound OoP. Its just impedance mismatch

[@booitsnick]

Bye bye Stringjoy sponsorship 😂😂😂 I love you Ryan. You could have just unscrewed the switch and flipped it but with how the knob removal was epic so i think you made the right choice

[@jls-3202]

Sounds good from here

[@patrickkeenan6331]

The pickguard is stunning! A great idea!

[@GorgeousRoddyChrome]

Massive KUDOS on the awesome T-shirt. The Surfrajettes rule!

[@60CycleHumcast]

Seeing them live this weekend!

[@GorgeousRoddyChrome]

@@60CycleHumcast Fantastic! Enjoy.

[@justarel]

I picked up a lake placid blue squire affinity and swapped out both bridge and neck pickups with guitar madness hot rails a couple years ago and love the way it sounds with them. Stock pups were really muddy sounding now I can get the same sound as olga from toy dolls, and joe strummer of the clash, nice and clean tones that can easily be dialed in to a nice bitey distortion if i want.

[@justarel]

Might note my setup consists of: guitar -> korg ax30g -> vox tonelab st -> circuit tweaked early 80's kustom lead III/vox ad50vt/or direct to a mixing console

[@TjByers369]

Oh man, I like your gaudy taste in gear.

[@BoltRM]

The sound of the guitar was purrfect to begin with. That mod warp effect under the pick guard is groovy tho!

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

I wonder what it would look like with the 'grain' of the plastic stuff pointing up and down.... That was one of my favorite mod videos you've done.

[@jezmez68]

LOVE Stringjoy Strings. They sound better than the Ernie Balls I used all my life.

[@robertlathan4639]

THE LOVE BOAT will be the perfect song for the yaugt club!!! Love you all and have a blessed day!!!

[@arroncusimano9169]

Pulling off the knobs, tore out the pot spindle, same thing happened to me with my 2014 Epiphone Les Paul

[@Jones607]

With a guitar finish like that one, who needs bright pick-ups.😄

[@sidestyle05]

It wasn't the intention of this video, but I think it definitively settles the "cheap guitar/expensive amp vs expensive guitar/cheap amp" debate. Ryan found the literally cheapest guitar and cheapest pickups on the internet and got great tone through those amps.

[@Souldoubtrocks]

Dude I took a risk and bought the UK flag tele and was very pleasantly surprised. I swapped pups, tuners and nut and it screams. My primary tele now as opposed to my us made tele.

[@julesjules6192]

I did the same with my squier affinity tele that i bought on german craigslist. It now has a hotrail which was originally in a contemporary tele. Unfortunatele it was not meant to be split, but it sounds great with my vaporizer 😻

[@summersendband]

Is eBay Kleinanzeigen the german craigslist?

[@julesjules6192]

@@summersendband yes 😂